A Singularly Lonely Christmas

paulineb_2

Once I get to a few months in I am so ordering some alcohol free beer and wine from this website

http://www.alcoholfree.co.uk/

A great selection and not too pricey.

I really do like alcohol free becks, its lovely stuff.

boddy

Well I didn't get out for my walk. Hassle with mobile company again. Spoke to 4 advisors on online chat. Hope it's sorted now. Will walk to my voluntary job if it remains dry.

Byatt I once considered joining U3A. They do some great stuff and are friendly. Due to the day and time it is on I couldn't make it. Do go with your friends they obviously want you there.

LB I would have laughed too and it made me laugh reading it.

MummyBobble Lovely drawing.

Just having a cuppa. Need to pop through to Morpeth this morning.

Need2bthrifty

LavenderBees wrote: »

I, too, must be very frugal for at least the next few months and at least walking is free...once you get there... and once you get the waterproof gear....We were so lucky that the weather held off here until we'd finished...but it was so muddy, honestly, I was 6" taller by the time I got back to my car, and one poor bloke went down in the deepest, muddiest, most full of cow poo puddle he could ever have chosen....:o

Lots of people rushed to help him, but I hung back desperately trying not to laugh. I KNOW. You don't have to tell me how horrible I am...I have to live with myself so I KNOW HOW HORRIBLE I AM :eek:

:rotfl:LB xx

That’s where I’m starting from and need to get winter lined walking trousers and gaiters, so had a browse on @maz0n today (added them to my wish list) and if I wait to order them after the 15th I wont have to pay the CC bill until March, which will give me time to recover from the fuel bills due later this month.

Several years ago a similar wet incident happened to a guy in our walking group. I went with a few work mates for a walk up Bennachie and said guy was the one leading the group and decided to take us, what he thought was an alternative (quicker) route back down – leading us to what he thought was a sheep track albeit a bit overgrown resulted initially in shocked faces as we watched him sink up to his thighs in very smelly, stagnant water – if we hadn’t been bent double in almost pant wetting laughter :rotfl:, I’m sure someone would have gone to his aid.

Byatt wrote: »

Anyway, I'm going to join the U3A! :T I will, I will...I've chosen the one I want to join after much persuing of the clubs, and hopefully will fit in well with them. They do lots of stuff, including outings to ballet and opera. terrified and excited in equal measure. This is way out of my comfort zone! :eek:

Byatt – nice one, give a go. :T :T

MummyBobble – that’s a beautiful drawing, you are right to be proud.


I've been on the search for craft activities that interest me, I would say I’m an intermediate knitter, having mastered cable and simple lace patterns this past year, but can’t seem to get to grips with crochet/lace making – found a class scheduled for March but needs paying for now and with the above mentioned bills due I doubt I could afford that at the moment – will wait and see what their spring/summer schedule comes up with.

Rome wasnt built in a day

calicocat

Hi people.

Well I think I should be on the slob-lady thread today rather than here.

I'm too tired to do anything much today. I've been to the hospital...again, and thank goodness only need to once a week now not 3...it was becoming way more than tedious I can tell you.

Zoomed off to pet shop for supplies for Asbo...avoided looking at new scratch posts/pads as decided to be frugal......shouting at her is free...lol.

Zoomed to Asda to get another onesie. I couldn't face getting the purple telly-tubby one, so ended up with a more conservative type....which I am testing out now. I got there at a very good time as managed to scoop loads of chicken breasts at an amazing price. Shoved some for me in the freezer, took some to friends who are struggling a bit financially at the moment, and I now have a hunk of beef in the slow cooker for tea.

So it started well..........

Then collapsed on sofa and haven't moved much since and found myself watching movies. I really need to move, had plans to sort out the shed today but as yet haven't.

I have found another diary, so am using this to write down what i'm eating in a day, plus any spends and what on. Although after the onesie purchase today which is in an effort to cut down bills i'm back on the no buying any clothes for 6 months from today......this will be a huge challenge for me but I must do it.

Also have planned how much I should be able to save and fling at mortgage as long as no other disaster. I will write this in the diary too.

Right.....i'm going to get up.......and go and tidy the shed before it gets dark.

Hope all having a good day.

paulineb_2

The cats can stay when the new kitchen goes in according to the man from the kitchen company. Housing ordered me to remove them but he said dont be daft. However I have to say I have never met so many people over the last 7 months who clearly dont like cats. My cats are clean, my flat is clean and tidy but some people have made me feel as if they smell (they dont smell) and by default that I do as well. Loads of people in this area have cats and some have 3 huge dogs, its really been a lesson in how some people treat you particularly if you are female and live on your own. I also look quite young for my age and sometimes I just think people think theyve been talking to the village idiot, which Im not, Ive just never met so many different jobsworths, its not surprised me, but its been an eye opener and then some.

Its been a palaver of the highest order, when my heating went in the men were lovely to my cats and to my mum who was here looking after them, they even helped when things got very noisy and gave my mum a key to an empty flat across the landing for them to sit in.

Its been like night and day this time but at least hopefully the kitchen will be in soon and I can get new flooring down and my washing machine plumbed in. And my flat wont look so much like the house that jack built.

I have done quite a lot today, paid bills, chased up a few things, sorted out my hall for classes starting again next week but I feel really tired today and not motivated. Oddly enough last night I thought I bet I wake up tomorrow feeling done in and I did.

But I need to drag myself out to do a couple of classes later on as a participant.

Have booked into do a few things through a couple of meet up groups, but will see how that goes, am still looking to get away from everything being pub based, also I really would prefer to go to a local group, I much prefer socialising in the towns near where I am, but I have a bus ticket for a month that will get me in and out to Glasgow so Im going to do as much as I can this month and maybe not do so much in Feb. Partly due to money.

I have friends that I used to go out with quite a lot but the nights out were again in Glasgow, the last night I went out with them, we ended up in the worst spit and sawdust pub Ive ever been in, I think it must have shown in my face how awful I thought that pub was (as my friend hasnt contacted me since), but it was truly terrible. Im small, I was getting shoved around, the bouncer (female) came up and asked me was I on my own due to where I was standing in the pub, it was like stepping into a parallel universe. And as much as I enjoyed getting out and about last year, a lot of the nights out I didnt enjoy and thats whats missing for me I think.

Id rather just go for a meal and a drink or two these days, standing in some dodgy pub till 3am and not getting home till half 3 just isnt for me, not unless I get an injection of energy from somewhere.

Hopefully over the course of this year I might find some stuff that I do want to do, I think the problem is, living in a medium sized town like this, not particularly much to do, people either go to the pub, or go out for dinner, or do sport, theres not much else on offer and possibly having reached the age of almost 45 I think I just feel like Im done with it, for now anyway.

Still no alcohol, this is 96 hours and counting.

calicocat

Paulineb, I can't be bothered with pubbing it either anymore, haven't been into that for a few years now......I think it's age. I like going out don't get me wrong....but now it's all about the food for me.

When I was out NYE I ended up in a pub after a meaal, had a taxi booked for 11.30 home, rang them at 10.45 asking to be picked up as I just couldn't be bothered with the place. Plus I like pubs with sofas and it didn't have any.


Years ago when I was young I was in Glasgow one time and in some very rough pubs. To be honest I had a really good time, but needed an interpreter as couldn't understand a word most of them said. Everyone was really friendly though....or smashed out of their heads and asleep.....lol.


Oh and we'll done with the alcohol.

paulineb_2

Ha. There are many nice pubs in Glasgow, but my friends like to go to a couple that I just dont like. The first one is like sardines, you might as well be in a tin can. The next one is just bizarre, its actually a pub thats really nice when quiet but on a Saturday night it turns into a disco/knocking shop with people trying their luck, the last guy who wouldnt leave me alone was 60 plus and theres nothing wrong with being 60 plus, but when you are in a pub thats got people of that age, my age, drunken twentysomethings and people my mums age (64) in green sparkly mini dresses, its just like something out of a parallel universe.

But the pub I was referring to, we dont usually go to but it was grim. They are just stuck in a rut and Id rather stay in my home town or the next one. It would cost less. We pay someone who charges us 10 quid each to take us home and bring us in (my pals dont do public transport).
We do occasionally go to a social club in the next town and we have a much better time.

I just cant be bothered spending 20 quid a month on taxis when I could be out in the next town and spend 3 quid tops to get home and not have the night from hell. I like them, I like going out, but I hate the places they go and its not like Im close enough to suggest new places, its like their night out and I sometimes go along with them. We do sometimes go to another club in my home town but due to the recession they only have sunday night stuff going on on a bank holiday, shame as its a really good night.

I also hate nights out where you cant hear yourself think.

You probably wouldnt be able to understand me then either. I dont have a Glaswegian accent but Im not that far away so its pretty close to it.

My pals are also as skint as me but they dont mind paying 10 quid on taxis. I just cant justify it any more, I dont go out with them that often, but even at 15 times a year, its 150 quid just on transport, local nights out suit me much better for financial reasons as well.

calicocat

What my friends and I do to save on the pennies at times is have a meal and drinks at someone's home instead. Sometimes one person hosts, or, we may do it where someone brings the starter, host does main, and someone else does the dessert. Everyone takes a bottle.
To save on transport people stay over sometimes rather than taxis and bus it or drive the next day.

That way an evening with friends usually only costs 10-15 depending on what food and drink...usually nearer the 10 mark.

paulineb_2

That sadly isnt an option, well it could be an option here if people didnt mind cats but some people do (see previous postings). One of my friends has health issues and that affects certain things around her home and shes also got kids (teens) that dont always make life easy for her, same goes for one of her friends.

None of us drive either and with the bus service around here sometimes 2 miles might as well be 20. I did like going out for meals with that last meet up group, I just didnt like the group dynamic

To be honest, what I miss is some half decent conversation. Im not brain of britain but my life is a bit different from the friends I see, theres only a year between me and the girl I know most well but shes into bingo, her life is more, kind of homely, maybe that isnt the word, but I really do like her, we dont have the kind of friendship where we chat about anything very much, its just more like a going out friendship

I also felt with the meet up group, it was a bit like everyone sat down and talked about their life and the low bits (a couple of men joined, had been all female prior to that and they were both recently divorced and obviously struggling a bit) and it just seemed that loads of people in that group just wanted to pair off (not with one another but with someone).
And sometimes you want a night out where people arent miserable being single. I have my miserable moments, but its not due to being single.

It just felt a bit forced, but thats the way its going to be when you plonk 15 virtual strangers in a room and I didnt really feel that after a year of the group being together, that it was any better. Particularly when the organiser was a cheeky mare who made me feel very uncomfortable.

How I get over it all, I have no idea. Just keep going out until I want to stay in and when I do want to stay in for a few weeks, remember that Im quite happy in my own company.

lostinrates

paulineb wrote: »

That sadly isnt an option, well it could be an option here if people didnt mind cats but some people do (see previous postings)....... .

This Christmas for the first time we realised even if we had the most perfect family we will never have the whole family here at Christmas because sis in law's fianc! is very allergic to animals. DH and I are limited how far we can go because of the animals and my health . His family all live outside uk but not all in the same place so all but one 'nuclear unit' would travel for this fantastical idea of a family Christmas anyway. DH and I are the only ones who cook and the only ones with a large enough home ( in future plans) for every one.

Its funny, we never thought it would happen, and never particularly felt driven for it, though bothn'would ideally like the environment in which it would happen' and now we know it cannot its sad!

( still choose cats and dogs etc 100 percent of the time!)