Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Honey - thanks for the Podcast suggestions, I will be getting Mr H to train me in downloading both. Your link doesn't work btw, but I googled it
Dolphin - I see you're reading, hope you're having a marvellous and cakey holiday :rotfl:
Today:

• Fun thing Trip to Dunelm with a friend who bought some curtains. I window-shopped only. I do like Dunelm.
• Money None spent.
• Nail biting I'm doing it now :(
• Make up off/face cream on. No make up worn today so a bit of a wipe round will do, and I will get the Olay out too.
• Kindle Not yet, but must do it tomorrow.

chevalier

Honey_Bear wrote: »

I can't requote your quotey bits but the whole student housing thing is a real hot potato in Plymouth. Since the Uni expanded massively, the areas where large numbers of them live has expanded across the city and initially I have to admit I was really worried. There's an area called Mutley Plain that has hundreds and hundreds of small cottagey type terraced houses that has been 'student land' for decades and the local community feels very beleaguered if the letters to the local paper are to be believed.

We were very worried about that happening on the Hoe, if I'm honest. Two hotels have been converted into student accommodation and quite a number of bed and breakfasts seem to have gone that way too. Then a post-war landmark building was demolished and a large purpose-built student accommodation was put in it's place, for 400 students which I thought was a retrograde step. However, I've had to eat my words. There's been no increase in drunken shrieking (Plymouth has it's fair share of that behaviour regardless of whether it's term time or not) and walking this dog around the Hoe several times a day, much further and more frequently than my previous dogs have ever needed) what's been lovely since the weather improved is seeing so many young people making use of the Hoe - playing football, tossing frisbees, playing music, rehearsing performances, skateboarding, roller-skating, having picnics etc etc. It has a fantastic vibe and I love it.

We live in a group of eight houses on the edge of it, and when the windows are open the noise made in one house echoes back and forth - I can hear saucepan lids clanging and chatting going on, so you can imagine what would happen if someone played music. That was the thing that worried us and I think is what worries most people.

Hi Honey Bear I was one of those students many moons ago. Plymouth is where I would live given the choice, I love it there. Only moved away for love and work.

glad to see you are all doing so well with your targets. I am not sure what mine should be. Maybe I will have a think about that for July...
chev

Dolphin1

HappyNow wrote: »

Dolphin - I see you're reading, hope you're having a marvellous and cakey holiday :rotfl:

Yes, still reading and so far have been keeping to my targets but we go away today so that will probably all change. If I'm not back before you go away (can't remember the dates you are away without checking back) then have a lovely time.

Honey_Bear

HappyNow wrote: »

Honey - thanks for the Podcast suggestions, I will be getting Mr H to train me in downloading both. Your link doesn't work btw, but I googled it

Oops. Linky fixed.

Dolphin - I see you're reading, hope you're having a marvellous and cakey holiday :rotfl:

Seconded!

Today:

• Fun thing Trip to Dunelm with a friend who bought some curtains. I window-shopped only. I do like Dunelm.

I like it too but I find myself stopping short of buying anything there anymore, since they cut back on dressmaking fabrics.

• Money None spent.

Jolly well done!

• Nail biting I'm doing it now :(

Obviously a really tough target for you. If you're now only chomping on your thumbs does that mean you're 80% there?

chevalier wrote: »

Hi Honey Bear I was one of those students many moons ago. Plymouth is where I would live given the choice, I love it there. Only moved away for love and work.

glad to see you are all doing so well with your targets. I am not sure what mine should be. Maybe I will have a think about that for July...
chev

Chev! I'd no idea you were a Janner-type-student, my 'ansome! I moved here to be a student 27 years ago, dropped out because it was completely the wrong course after all, and just stayed because I like the city so much. OH moved here for love (me!) and has now been here 20 years. It's a great place to live.

Honey_Bear

1. Even last night I wondered if I could surreptitiously flick the laptop back on again and not own up to it. I hadn't realised how ingrained that particular bad habit has become. Glad to know it's not just me who gets jittery when Access is Denied.
2. 'Couldn't resist a third coffee late morning yesterday which I excused by telling myself it is the weekend' - and then that happened again on Sunday. I've had an extra quarter of a mug this morning followed by an instant. Another toughie, as it turns out.
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. Lights out at 10.30 pm. Hurrah!
5. You're partially right, I think Happy. Because it's taken me a while to settle his digestion without resorting to drugs, and am now in the process of switching over to food that agrees with him that I can afford, he's extruding rather more frequently than a normal, healthy, settled dog. It's also, I think, about his trying to fit into a new routine at nine years old and there being some things that he actually needs to happen in a certain order. It appears Kelpie was fed at about 5.00 pm and then either let straight out or taken for a walk almost immediately after, as opposed to the other way around of a walk and then food during the early evening. So that's what we yesterday.

Walks with Kepie yesterday were a little over the top generally, actually. OH walked him at 7.30 am, I walked him at 10.00 and 12.30, a neighbour wanted to walk him at 3.30pm, I took him out as planned after his evening meal, so 6.00 pm, then the neighbour wanted to take him again as a last walk before she went on holiday for a week, so he went again at 7.30pm. We all thought that would be enough for any dog (each walk is about 30 - 40 minutes) but when he realised he wasn't going to get his late night walk at 10.00 pm when I wanted to go to bed he was most indignant.

He is pretty sleepy today! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

joeyjimbles

Dog walked and that's it. Having tested eldest on GCSE chemistry and history - troubles in Ireland/1920s onwards US/origins of cold war - I am having the last glass of red in the bottle from the weekend and I deserve it!!
Lovely to hear about Kelpie's progress and all that walking is going to do wonders for his confidence.

chevalier

Looking back that is where I went wrong - leaving Plymouth. All my friends were there and they were rooted in Plymouth, getting them to come to us was a total non starter. I haven't made friends really since then because just as I was about to we moved again. And that has been happening for 20 years now.....

Glad the dog is settling down Honeybear, you are doing good work there.
chev

Honey_Bear

chevalier wrote: »

Looking back that is where I went wrong - leaving Plymouth. All my friends were there and they were rooted in Plymouth, getting them to come to us was a total non starter. I haven't made friends really since then because just as I was about to we moved again. And that has been happening for 20 years now.....

Glad the dog is settling down Honeybear, you are doing good work there.
chev

Are you connected with the Services, Chev? That was the story of my parents' life and therefore my childhood. My parents settled for 11 years when I was 17 - when I started to travel independently because I simply didnt know how to be in one place.

I've been in this house longer than I've ever done anything and it feels like 'home' the way that most people growing up know where they come from and call that home. It's a good feeling.

Honey_Bear

Oooh, shiny new page. We are rather taking over your Debt-Busting Diary, aren't we Happy?

1. Snacked the computer shut at 8.00pm on the dot, having had to check whether I said 8.00 or 9.00 pm which was easier than not allowing myself to use the computer after I start the evening routine. Hmm.
2. This coffee thing is turning into a bit of a problem. I'm really struggling with only two mugs today, again.
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. Lights out on the dog of 11.00 pm. Hurrah!
5. He was bothered last night even after he'd been walked enough, and he knows barking won't result in anything good so he was sitting up, staring at me, willing me to understand what he needed. It worked - he was hungry. Extra food doled out at 10.45 pm, result, one sleepy well-behaved dog. He appears to need the bulk of his food towards the end of the day, rather than a big breakfast and a big lunch. We're getting there. And he's learned that sitting is being good, so it's all helpful.

Honey_Bear

1. Went to the line again, but I did switch it off at 8.00pm after debating playing another game of Minesweeper at 7.59. I exploded a mine almost straight away, so that'll teach me.ning routine. Hmm.
2. Still struggling with cutting down to two mugs of coffee, and yesterday (and this morning) I've been minesweeping OH's coffee. This is really bad ....
3. No baking done. Tick.
4. I really, really meant to switch the light out at 11.00 pm but because I'd done things in the wrong order and procrastinated it was nearly midnight before it happened.
5. Which taught me that the dog really does need another walk after I've had dinner, regardless of how tired I am or he is. He could barely keep his eyes open but he was determined to get me to understand he really, really needed to go out. He is training me.

We took him to the beach again yesterday and he loves it but he hasn't quite worked which is the fresh water that runs down it (a stream) and that seawater, which obviously runs along the bottom of it, is yucky if you drink it. He went paddling at both ends of the beath and then stood and allowed me to hose his undercarriage and legs down without flinching at all when we got back to the chalet.

One bad thing, though. It turns out he's possessive about his treats which I had seen evidence of before but thought it might be because he was settling in. He's fine with OH and me, but when the cat strolled nonachalently past him while he was tucking into a lamb bone all sorts of nasty things happened. He didn't even murmer when I took the bone away instantly, but I'd fear for the cat if that sort of behaviour was allowed to develop. The crate may be the only and long term answer for treats, which will increase his wish to go in there and ensure the cat is safe.