Mrs McB's countdown to adventures with chooks (and Rock Gods)

Pippilongstocking

Mara good year to you! As for the fuzz - the accents were a giveaway as was the term ' causeway'

Cheese you say tarnation - if only I'd know mr rg would have been hostage to us all

The welly boots enjoyed the alps very much and smuggled the smoked local cheese and highland park out on they're way........

:-)

Pippilongstocking

Ps thought boots had sprung leak on ny day 2014

Seems my paddling and getting away from rellies got me deeper than expected
Id had either had a wee accident or my trousers leaked from the waves crashing about my short knees



Whoopsie

Soon dried off :-)

Pippilongstocking

Ok so yesterday disappeared into walks, fires and snoring on the sofa.

Today requires more of some and less snoring.

Shopping came to 29.03/100 - I've taken out real money and my old purse.

(we will see if that works)

Walked 4.5 miles - free exercise with two very happy hounds.

Meals from stores (ala here's a bolognese we did earlier) should have been tuna but no soy sauce in so scuppered rg's plans to delight me with Asian noodles and tuna steaks (reduced )

I'd say we watched a movie but some of us watched our eyelids.

Cuppas scoffed washing on - best make the mst of the daylight.

I may actually open up the laptop later and plan my working week.

Have a good un :-)

Mara_uk7

Happy New Year to you too Pippi, if you ever get yourself down to examine Olavs Wood, i live beside it ! On a non work day Ill be home with kettle just off the boil !

Pippilongstocking

Thank you Mara how lovely to know that's an option! one day before we flee the coup I'll take you up on that.



Right - sleeves up
Work emails checked - nothing too outrageously urgent but my diary for the week has filled up nicely.
Must do the banks
Fire basket needs replenishing - I'm pretty clean and don't fancy getting too sweaty and sawdusty (TMI?) so I might just leave chopping logs but go and stack some that's done and organise my wood.
Clothes to organise for the machine/inside drying contraption that is the house and coathangers.
Skyped with DS and he's grand still all buzzy from holiday - DD is still avec papa so must find out when she's actually home to the windy isles.

MUST UPDATE MONEY SPREADSHEET AND PUT IN HOLIIDAY SPENDS/KENNELS (£225 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! - well if I will abandon them for two weeks and gad about what do I expect) and add in the rest of the spends ETC.

Must do a blog - haven't for a while, long dull story of short days and vile/blackdoggedness.

Meal plan to finish and work out brekkies/lunches too for the week as we're pretty busy. We've a lot of eggs - they will come in handy.

Also got given two geese breasts - in freezer will ponder those too.

Need to work on a who's where and why/when plan for the next few months - i'm not DUE off anywhere atm - but need to fill up the planner with what's going on and plan.

I really can't afford a trip off for a while - unless I manage a free flight with rewards points and bribe dd to look after hounds.

Ponders.

Only 2 miles walked today - lets see if a few circuits of the garage might help up that.

Mr RG took us out for a lovely 'end of holiday lunch' and we had a stormy walk doing post holiday analysis and 'plans for 2014'.

Nice when he's here - be funny when he's off again - next week. Boo.

Spent a wee bit at the shops on way home (reduced f.r pork mince, soy sauce and a ham hock for soup production). Came in about £3 must add it to the total for the month so far.

We've a goodly amount of meals in.

January will be takeaway free
January will be alcohol free from getting home as the apres ski was lovely but don't want to lax into old habits.

Well that's a wee challenge there isn't it.

Off to ponder the garage and the stick situation. I brought home lots of lovely Scots pine cones from Morayshire which are drying nicely and will make excellent firelighters once they're dry.

I do like a good forage

Hope your evenings are filled with some stuff - just for you if possible.

Pippilongstocking

Just done some sums, cleared garage, defrosting garage freezer and looking at calendar.

Child finishes school mid-may.

Ponders if can escape island/life/work earlier than anticipated......and move down sooth.

Karmacat

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

I'd say we watched a movie but some of us watched our eyelids.

I laughed out loud at that :rotfl:

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Must do a blog - haven't for a while, long dull story of short days and vile/blackdoggedness.

Sorry to hear it, Pippi. Its none too easy just because of the darkness. Thought of you today, there was a Neil Oliver programme about Sacred Britain, that included the Ring of Brodgar - each stone being the gift of an Orkney village, they sussed which one was Skara Brae. And thought that Brodgar was probably the Circle that started it all! You're living in an important place - and you're sort of doing the same :kisses3:

Mr RG took us out for a lovely 'end of holiday lunch' and we had a stormy walk doing post holiday analysis and 'plans for 2014'.

Nice when he's here - be funny when he's off again - next week. Boo.

Very boo. Sorry its come round so soon

Hope your evenings are filled with some stuff - just for you if possible.

I'm shutting down in a bit to watch Sherlock

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Child finishes school mid-may.

Ponders if can escape island/life/work earlier than anticipated......and move down sooth.

Oh my! That sounds very, very wonderful :T:T:T

Pippilongstocking

Now I was happily chopping wood with my newly remembered xmas saw when I got a telephone call interrupting my good saw karma.

Not cool - do ex's have web cams into happy wood chopping times?

Anyway back on track with yummy noodles veggies and tuna (2 steaks £1.10) the noodles were French and carted home when we didn't use them all. Love food hate waste and all that.

Kitchens sparkly again and tomorrows lunch (egg sarnie flatbread with ham), two boiled eggs, kiwi fruits and some toasted hm crusty breads and a miso soup sachet. I'm between two jobs tomorrow - first in town, second a half hour drive so I prob need to scoff some lunch at tbreak and some in the car. Not ideal but that's just how tomorrow is.

I must remember my lunch :-)

Porridge steeping for tomorrow - 1/2 cup oats to one cup water - we found on holiday if we 'committed' to porridge for brekkie by soaking it, we actually had it. And there's alot of porridge in this homestead.

Holiday spends seem (shh, I'm actually sure here) to be under budget aside eeksome kennel costs. Often we try and get folks to come housesit/puppy sit if we go away maybe we need to try and see if anyone wants a 'frugal' holiday watching hounds and new chooks next time we go off?

I'm lucky I know mr rg's job is kind enough to provide him with treats to share. I bundle along on his coat tails happily lucky for my lot. I try to be mindful and help with the smaller things like sachets/budget hotel rooms/cooking treats for the picnicking and taking care of the small things which help him relax when he's out of work pressure.

Our finances are still very separate but it's lovely to know he's got my back too.

We prepared well for holibubs with sachets and essentials and budget holiday prices. So all in all whilst an epic treat, spends we're ok and none on CC. Ds was also a star and provided a few slope side treats too and contributed to a share of he holiday. He's a good un.

£300 paid To penguins as well. That debt is now 720/2745 - slowly getting there.

So no cards used, some debt paid and holiday was well prepared for. Learned a few lessons too. How much porridge we need to take, how much flour (crepes are an essential holiday apartment fodder), how much cupsoups/hot chocs to take and a few essentials like stock/ spices/noodles etc to keep the hungry groups going. It's nice to make up the simple crepe mix for the week and let them crepe themselves to oblivion I'd they take the notion - cheap fodder too keeps fabby in a water/milk bottle in the fridge for the best part of the week :-)!

Go clan mcB

Eta - waves to kc thank you for posting - and enjoy Sherlock!

EssexHebridean

Absolutely with you bringing stuff that doesn't get used on holidays back with you. If it's portable it gets popped in the cold box and for things more likely to escape like part used bags of rice get given to our chums. Don't fancy grains of rice escaping all over the car - only takes one leaky window and I'll have a paddy field!

Quite agree with the idea of needing extra cheese for Easter visitors too. Of course what's really required is the helpful sort of visitors who brig their own extra cheese, no?!

Boo to irritating ex's interrupting karmic woodchopping time too - no manners some people. Hope all ok anyway xx

Hope the first day back at work is ok too - remember if those expenses start mounting up to do a fortnightly claim, eh?

Greying_Pilgrim

Have a good first day back Pippi - and remember to take that packed lunch that you have already prepared for yourself

Have a good 'un.

Greying