EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

starnac

EssexHebridean wrote: »

I really want to see if I can get to my 30 mile month though! (And it should be noted that the lovely Starnac ran further than that in a single day already this month - Ultra-distance superstar she is!)

aww thank you. I don't feel like a superstar today though. I can barely keep my eyes open.

Glad to hear your ankle is better and lovely seeing you being sensible. It's hard to be sensible sometimes isn't it??

House sounds like it's coming on brilliantly. Glad you are already getting benefit out of the updates you've made

EssexHebridean

FLIPPING hard to be sensible Starnac! Not surprised you've had a bit of a slump in energy today either - go with it I say!

2.3 miles ticked off at 9.50 pace last night. Aiming for the same again tomorrow. worked out a sort of weaving path around the streets local to the office with the idea being that I'd never be further than half a mile from the door if I did have a problem - worked really well - sticking within the usual circuit I walk at lunchtime (fractionally over a mile) I still got the distance in and there were plenty more roads I could have added for further distance. I'll be repeating that idea! Lovely to have the last of the daylight, too! Now planning parkrun for Saturday - going for the slightly further away one as that's all on paths - my local one is more up and down and muddy ground than I fancy at the moment - plus I'd rather stick to a more cushioned shoe until I'mm 100% sure the ankle is OK.

Car had its service and that's all paid for - a few advisory bits though including one of quite nasty corrosion on the nearside - this is the section of the car that got replaced after a crash (truck driver moved over on me on the motorway leaving me with nowhere to go) when the car was about 18 months old so I wonder whether I need to contact the bodyshop that did the repair, assuming they are still in business, to see if there is any sort of warranty on it. I suspect the answer will be yes, but it's long expired, but it may be worth a shout. I'll have a look back for the paperwork I think - this could be one of the times when I'm grateful for always keeping a full file of paperwork on a current car! If I can't get it dealt with by that means, realistically it's going to mean looking at a rather swifter replacement that I'd planned I suspect. if it does come down to that we've agreed we'll likely use the current one for this year's Hebrides fortnight to avoid the hassle of changing ferry tickets etc, then start looking properly after that. Hassle we could do without though - not to mention spending we could definitely do without!

EssexHebridean

Spending to Declare alert! Nipped to Matalan at lunch as wanted a pair of black jeans that I can wear with my knee high (and other) boots - I have a skinny pair in blue already but wear them so much I wanted another pair and black are that bit smarter as well. Took twice as long as it needed mind as I should just have taken all size/length possibilities in to the changing room with me at first rather than having to go out again to grab the one I didn't bother with as it didn't look like they'd fit. Sigh, they did and I'm £16 poorer, but they're a fab fit and I'm really pleased with them! (Although why do I have to pay £16 for something in a Petite fit when if I bought the standard it would be £10? Hmmm?!)

Seem to be making remarkably slow progress on my week-list this week - need to knuckle down and tackle some of it this evening I think. Planning a trip to Scampton for some Red Arrows photography tomorrow and fingers crossed the weather is forecast to be glorious again - hopefully that will hold! Need to add charging batteries to my list for tonight as well come to think of it - the colder temperatures do make the charge drop faster.

Still waiting on Lee the Sparky getting back to us for the final odds and ends of work but I'm not too worried as we owe him a chunky sum of money at the moment - pretty sure he'll want that soon enough at which point we'll hear from him again! :rotfl:

Other than that, no plans for Saturday besides doing parkrun and an extra mile or so hopefully, then the farmers market. MrEH will be playing rugby in the afternoon I expect - I suspect I won't feel like being bothered to go and watch but we'll see. Then on Sunday I'm going to see the Kaiser Chiefs with a friend - we've seen them a few times and it's always a great gig! Going for a meal first - probably just Pizza Express or somewhere with a similar special offer system, should be a nice evening though!

My meal plan ran out of enthusiasm before it got to tonight so I need to come up with something for tea. MrEH can have an omelette when he gets in from rugby training - I'll leave him the last of the mushrooms (And he'd flipping well better be grateful for THAT sacrifice!) and I'll probably do something with either couscous or rice, chick peas and whatever other veg needs used.

System

Great weather for taking photos EH hope you got some good shots of the Red Arrows , need to stalk/check your Instagram page:rotfl:
Glad the ankle is up and running again .

System

Just looked at your photos they are amazing, I can see the pilots !

EssexHebridean

Haha thanks Cumbria - weather was GORGEOUS! We were standing about with our coats off in the afternoon - just lovely!

So what have I done since then - ummm - parkrun as planned on saturday - *just* missed out on running sub-30 minutes thanks to getting bogged down in the crowd at the start. Through in a wholly surprising 9.27 on mile 2 as well which came as a bit of a surprise! :rotfl: Got my barcode scanned then started the watch again for another lap so recorded 4.5 miles all told. Then to the farmer's market before heading home for the usual meal planning, shopping-y stuff. Kaiser Chiefs gig in the evening on Sunday. Met my friend at Pizza Express first as planned - 2 courses for £11.95 and we were both driving so stuck to drinking water. Gig was ACE - little teeny tiny venue so in spite of standing pretty much at the back it felt nice and close to the stage - brilliant! Both agreed we'd happily see stuff there again too.

Yesterday was a standard work day, and tonight has been also except I'm off to meet a pal this evening for dinner (yes, probably Pizza Express again!) - MrEH will pick me up from the nearest tube station to home later. Then tomorrow I have a days holiday to go and watch this Tornado jet farewell tour thing that's happening - I'm going to the base my friend is stationed at and then apparently he's taking me for lunch which will be lovely! Hoping to get a run in first thing as well to really make a decent use of a day off. :T

HairyHandofDartmoor

The Kaiser Chiefs night out sounds great, I like them . I'm glad the ankle has healed and you managed to find some black jeans you liked. Your day off tomorrow sounds really good too .

EssexHebridean

Thanks for popping in HH!

Lovely day yesterday - went for a run first thing and got 6 miles done so pleased with that, first time I've covered that distance in ages! Then home, shower and change and out again to drive up to RAF Honington. Ditched my car on the outside as that was always going to be easier than getting it signed on to base. My friend picked me up, formalities done at the guardroom (and my hideous photo made a reappearance on my pass - I'd forgotten all about it until I saw the pass - ugh!) and we went off for lunch in the mess which was very nice. Cheese & ham panini for me with a positive mountain of chips - couldn't manage it all! :rotfl: Flypast was - as we suspected - very fast and very high, but it was great to see it nonetheless. Good to catch up with my friend as well (and his rather gorgeous spaniel who he had with him too!) and also have a quick chat with his Mrs & little boy via facetime when he called them!

Got home mid afternoon and used the spare time to get lots of little odd jobs done round the house which was great - felt like a bit of "catching up time" if you know what I mean! Aiming to go to the gym this evening and am then off to Derby tomorrow for a beer festival meet up with more friends which will be good.

Round up:
Reading: Nella Last's Diary
Eating: Chicken & vegetables with either rice or pasta, tonight.
House Progress: waiting for the last bits on the electricals plus the bill. Need to contact a handyman to sort the kitchen snagging as the builder is clearly not interested.
Used up: Tin drawer is dropping nicely in level which I'm pleased about. creeping ever closer to the end of a tube of handcream.
Bought: Train tickets for a trip next month - £110 but this will be claimed back on Expenses afterwards. (Must remember we need to retain the tickets!)

Cashed out just under £12 on TCB earlier
Prolific: £5.00 payable
OnePoll: £18.40
YouGov: 3990 points
PopulusLive: 36 points


CC Money shuffle is done - I'll leave the surplus in the joint account for the time being but that will shuffle across to the holiday account at the end of the month as we've planned. I've taken out my spends for the weekend and my bank still looks OK too.

Ticking over!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Your day out at the air base sounds good and well done on the six mile run . Your survey totals are looking quite healthy too.

EssexHebridean

So very enjoyable but quite spendy weekend at first Derby, then the National Winter, beer festivals. Lots of friends, some excellent beers and great food - brilliant and well worth the (budgeted for) cost also.

This week is a little quieter which is probably a good thing. I'll get paid at some stage in the next few days but there is still slack in both the bank account and my purse, which is always nice. Other than a possible day with the camera through the week, and a possible trip to Cambridge at the weekend, nothing else much planned though - both those things are currently weather dependent, I think.

Feels rather like a "nothing to report" situation at the moment to be honest. Ive identified that I will be needing a new pair of work trousers at some stage but I'm inclined to put that off for a little while longer yet if I can - I can always alternate between the one pair that actually fit and look reasonable and the assortment of skirts I also have. Wardrobe does need a bit of a sort out to get shot of the stuff that's not really wearable now though I think - I stashed a load of my old bigger stuff in the top of the wardrobe last year when I could no longer wear them at all, but there are still a few items which were left in the main section on the basis that they were just about still OK - except they are probably not, now. As in honestly, the bigger stuff still? Yes, I probably need to be brave enough to let that go now as well.

Gym pass proved to be extremely good value this month - I'll use it once more yet before it runs out which will total 8 visits I think - I was paying £7 a visit pay-to-train before and OK, I'd not have done 8 visits at that price, but I may well have done 5, so still a saving. I'm actually really enjoying being able to just go as and when I want to anyway, and I'm certainly seeing and feeling the results from the extra strength training, so adding that back into my budget for next month for sure. I'll resume it when I'm ready to visit next though. Other things to budget for next month - a weekend in Sheffield - we have a meeting up there and decided to add on some extra time as it's a nice town to visit with some great pubs! At least one trip to Scampton to watch the Reds I think, which might involve a pub lunch too. Another meeting in London at the end of the month discussing technical things for the beer festival. Sure there's a few other bits too but nothing particularly major I don't think.

We've now agreed that it makes sense to keep a close eye on available cars at the age & budget we're aiming for from now, and there is currently one which if it is still for sale at the weekend we *might* go and look at / test drive. Will have to see though. In an ideal world we'd not replace until after we've done the Hebrides as I said before, but in real terms there are few enough of the age & spec we need coming up that it may be worth pouncing if one turns up that's suitable.