Keeping up appearances.......

chevalier

Glad to see some good targets for August. I really need to do something like that. hmmm will have a think
Honey bear, I second getting blood tests done. Have you thought that you might have an underactive thyroid?
Nice one Happy on finding out that you don't wast much, that is a good boost to identify it, as well as doing it.
chev

Honey_Bear

Dolphin1 wrote: »

And that's me for a few days :dance:. I'll be back online next Tuesday/Wednesday. Ta ta for now :wave:.

Hope the S!mp1e range works for you Dolphin because it's very affordable and widely available which means it's usually on special offer somewhere so you can stock up. Don't kick yourself for having missed a bargain - I do occasionally too but overall choosing the right affordable widely available product will save you shedloads in the long run. I speak from experience on that, but I'm too permanently knackered to kick myself. Have a lovely break.

Regarding which, thank you all for your thoughts on the permanently knackered thing. This has been going on for years and I've been tested so much I'm surprised I've still got any blood in my veins. There's nothing wrong apparently, so I've been tinkering around for years and still haven't got to the bottom of it. All of those changes have been positive anyway, so I'm not losing anything - stopping smoking, stopping drinking etc.

I'm pretty certain now that it isn't just one thing; probably a combination of not getting enough sleep (hence lights out target), too much caffeine in the past (now on decaff), not getting any exercise (I've got a dog - I have to walk now!) not stretching after exercise (which leads to very painful aching legs if you do that for several months so living with pain) which I am now addressing and making myself eat a proper balanced diet.

Apparently GPs' hearts sink when a patient comes to see them complaining about being Tired all the Time (TATT used to get written on notes until we were allowed to see our them!) because it's a modern malaise and the solution is never just one thing. It's the main reason I joined in Happy's Fabulous (Fantastic?) February and stay with it: sooner or later I'm going to hit the right combination and feel great. I'm making the assumption that it is still possible to feel perky at a whisker off 60, and I want to give the rest of my life my best shot, not keep dragging myself around.

Honey_Bear

You're on, Happy, and I'll bring a strawberry cheesecake as my contribution.

Strangely, the reason we had one lurking in the fridge was that an occasional Portuguese lodger was about a couple of weeks ago and we always make his favourite meal for him when he's here: roast rib of beef followed by strawberry cheesecake. He couldn't find a strawberry one, so he bought a plain one (rather nice from the C0-0p) and I opened a jar of homemade strawberry jam. Fatal.

Why, I want to know, is switching the light out at a reasonable time so difficult? My father always said an hour of sleep before midnight was worth two after and it's true, but at 10.30pm does that mean I reach out and *snak* off it goes? Never. Reassuring to know it's not just me that is that ill-disciplined (another of my father's words).

Chev, please join in - reading other people's targets is really, really inspiring. And knowing how much everyone struggles to change tiny areas of behaviour is very reassuring for me.

Honey_Bear

1. Kelpie to come to call. Improving, but he was reluctant to end the face-off with a Patterdale terrier this morning so still a ways to go. The RSPCA is doing their Three Month Home Check in a couple of weeks so it would be great if I'd got this sorted by then. He was 'sold' as having good recall and following the usual instructions of sit, lie down, stay etc - none of which I could get him to do. For the first couple of months whatever instruction I gave him, he'd fling himself down on his side and show me his tummy. Tricky for putting his harness on when all I'd asked him to do was sit because he was so busy frisking about I couldn't get the straps done up.
2. Five fruit and veg a day. Shoehorned this in by thowing a load of extra veg into the risotto last night and then having a fruity pudding. With cream.
3. Cut out all the swearing. I'd find this a lot easier if I didn't talk to myself while I was dog-walking. Strange behaviour, and it makes me look slightly mad so I think this target needs to be 'Cut out all the swearing and talking to myself. Just because you think you're alone doesn't mean you are. Other people lurk.'
4. Switch to goat's cheese, yoghurt and butter for the eight days OH is in Edinburgh. Shopping run tomorrow after I drop OH off at the station. I've now realised that means I can't have cream on my raspberries - aaaagggghhhh! My absolute favourite pudding and only available for a few short months of the year.
5. Lights out by 11.30pm. Almost. So close ....

HappyNow

Just a flying visit while Mr H is mowing the grass. Update for the last couple of days:

• Zero waste. Mmmm, yes, pretty much.
• Money making/saving I have de-cluttered Master H's room and gathered together some of his old expensive-brand clothes to list on eBay. They're on the washing line now, and I will get them listed today along with a few other bits. I'm keeping the money, because he said he can't be bothered to sell them and I should just chuck them! Still been avoiding the supermarket, and when I have called for essentials (which included wine but it was for visitors so unavoidable) I have paid in coins from the coin bottle. As a result, I'm under budget on groceries this month for the first time in forever.
• Fridge & freezer declutter The fridge is almost emptied and I've had to start re-filling with milk/butter etc. The freezer is still half-full. We have a lot of oven chips.
• Alcohol We had friends round last night but as I was cooking I stayed off the booze until it was all finished, then just had a couple of glasses of red wine with the meal. They brought some with them though, so there's rather too much in the rack now, but at least it was free!
• Sleep Dreadful. This must stop.

Back for a proper catch-up later.

Honey_Bear

Is there such a thing as 'too much [wine] in the rack?'

Honey_Bear

1. Kelpie to come to call. He's still a bit carp at this and has gone back to barking at every tiny noise which is a bit irritating as we live in the city centre on the cusp of the Hoe. However, it's Megaride today, and after an initial barkfest and appropriate bo****ing, he's now sleeping through the thousands of motorbikes zooming up (and later back down) the road outside the house. The cat's not wild about the situation. (When Kelpie's bo****ed, as soon as he realises it's an 'Oh Whoops' moment he sits down, puts his sadface on and the tip of his tail swishes across the floor, about two inches in each direction. I try not to laugh but it's very, very cute.)
2. Five fruit and veg a day. Failed yesterday by one, I think. Cherries, tomatoes an courgette so far today, so I'll be okay.
3. Cut out all the swearing. Progress. I caught myself saying 'flipping' while talking to myself!
4. Switch to goat's cheese, yoghurt and butter for the eight days OH is in Edinburgh. Couldn't find the goat's butter, but I've got the yoghurt and goats cheese. Lovely.
5. Lights out by 11.30pm. Snaked the light out at 9.42pm. I was a bit tired.
   
6. Listy Tweak. No computer after 9.00pm. This should be much easier from today, though, as I've stupidly upgraded to Windows 10 on my laptop and now can't find Mahjong Trojans. *sob*
   

Sarahcuzz

Hi
I've read through your diary over the last few days and wow for all your debt bashing. I've done some serious sorting of my life over the last month. Mind if I tag along?

HappyNow

chevalier wrote: »

Glad to see some good targets for August. I really need to do something like that.
Nice one Happy on finding out that you don't wast much, that is a good boost to identify it, as well as doing it

Lovely to see you back Chev. As Honey says, it would be great if you could join in

Sarahcuzz wrote: »

Hi
I've read through your diary over the last few days and wow for all your debt bashing. I've done some serious sorting of my life over the last month. Mind if I tag along?

You are more than welcome to tag along . All company is very much appreciated, and we enjoy nosying into other people's life-sorting too, so feel free to share

HappyNow

Alchemilla wrote: »

Goats cheese recipe sounds fab.

It IS fab, served with a simple salad and that balsamic dressing thing that I have no idea how to make so buy at Marks & Spencer! Totally non-MSE but soooo worth it every now and then.

Last night we had friends round to eat, and one particular friend is a great fan of Gousto.co.uk. It's an internet company who post out all the ingredients for your pre-selected meals, then you cook it yourself at home following their instructions. Literally everything you need is in the box apart from salt, pepper and olive oil. On her recommendation I gave it a go and it was BRILLIANT! I would never use it at full price (£29.99 for four meals that you have to cook yourself? No thanks!!!) but with her referral code it only cost £9.99, which I thought was pretty good value for four people on a special occasion. Lots of food and very different and exciting, plus loads of fun all gathered round in the kitchen cooking it. We ate something called 'freekeh'! It's real food!