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

bertiewhite

I just thought I'd mention that I'm on Benbecula again for a couple of weeks and due to the weather, it's anything but beautiful at the moment

EssexHebridean

redofromstart wrote: »

That's a result on the jeans, it's usually all the super long legged ones left.

Isn't it just! I was astonished!

beanielou wrote: »

Jeans were a bargain :j

They really were - there was never a question but I was going to grab a second pair! :T

bertiewhite wrote: »

I just thought I'd mention that I'm on Benbecula again for a couple of weeks and due to the weather, it's anything but beautiful at the moment

Ahh yes, I'd heard it had been a bit interesting - ferries have been a bit variable by the looks of things?! (And about to get more interesting still with a week long closure of the Lochmaddy Linkspan? not sure I'd fancy sailing Lochboisdale to Uig in a period of strong winds...:o)

Hidden I missed you there! It was indeed a lovely weekend - nice to have a more leisurely one from time to time!

Ooh forgot to say last night - we had the brisket from the MSE email "Heartier" meat box offer last night - I seared the outside then stuck it in the slow cooker while we were out all day with a healthy portion of caramelised onion and a couple of sliced peppers, a veg "stockpot" gel and some salt & pepper, plus a litre of water. Got home to a delicious smelling flat, and by the time I was ready to serve it it was literally falling apart. Served it with roast tatties, steamed veg and yorkies (because I mean, why not?!) and it was utterly delicious. Got some of the leftovers tonight in a stir fry, and there will be more left for another time as well, which I'll probably freeze. :T Need to work out what to do with the remaining broth from it too as there was a lot of that left over. I'm currently veering towards adding some cooked pearl barley and some veg and making it into a chunky soup for one or the other of us.

I'm planning a run when I get in this evening but it's chuffing FREEZING out there so I'll need to be a bit proactive about getting in, changed and out again else I'll lose all enthusiasm! MrEH will probably come with me tonight mind you and he's pretty good about making me do it when I'd otherwise come up with excuses!

Hiddenidenity

It is freezing today! It was really frosty as daylight was appearing this morning.

Your food always sounds so good. I'm very jealous :rotfl:

EssexHebridean

Hidden you don't do so badly on the tasty sounding food front yourself!

Got completely defeated on running last night as MrEH got delayed getting out of London so it was 8pm by the time we got home. I've brought my own car today so fingers crossed I can get changed as soon as I get home and get out then.

The plan to use the card for paying for the Gym seems to be working out nicely as I've not been near the cashpoint this last week at all - I've still got the last of my money I had allocated for spending while I was in Scotland sitting in my purse. It does make sense as it means that rather than taking out a round £10 and then getting £3 back in change (which it's easy to fritter!) it's just the straight amount that comes out.

Had a few small bits on Prolific - although still very quiet on there.
Waiting for the cheque from Populus
OnePoll is £1.85 away from cashout.
Nothing much going on in survey world other than that - had a YouGov one show while I was away, and unusually got a Secret survey site one that I got screened out of - but at least I know I'm still showing as active on there!

EssexHebridean

Woo - got home last night to find the Populus cheque sitting there - so that's now with MrEH to bank. *edit* Just checked - he's already banked it! Then logged into TCB earlier on to find £10.10 there payable thanks to some hotel bookings from during the airshow season, so I've requested payout on that too! :T

Also - who woke Prolific up? Suddenly from yesterday afternoon and through today I've had LOTS - in fact I might even get to the £10 level to cashout tomorrow if a few more of them get approved in the next little while. It goes from one thing to another on there! :rotfl: Absolutely not complaining though - it's looking like making this a brilliant month for hammering the 0% card anyway! The £28 DD payment for it has gone today as well...must check on the outstanding balance and update my signature.

Did manage to get out and run last night so that's Week 2 Day 2 of Couch 2 5k done. :T Covered a respectable 2.4 miles in the 31 minutes too so pretty decent. I think week 3 will challenge me a bit as things stand but we'll see. It includes several lots of "run for 3 minutes" which I've no idea how I'll get on with - might try three minutes on the treadmill tonight though. Hmmm....

Food is all good - cooked the chicken pieces last night so the remainder of those will be for tomorrow, and cooked double on the tomato sauce as well so that's tonight's dinner part way in place. (Sardines with tomato & butterbean sauce, and pasta, in case you were wondering!) Must remember to re-box the remainder of the pulled beef and get that frozen though. Also need to meal plan for next week, including deciding what we're doing on Sunday as that decides whether we have a roast dinner or not.

Today will not be a NSD (I'm getting useless at these!) but yesterday was. Gym tonight, plus I will try to get the train tickets booked for our manchester trip as the prices have finally settled to a sensible level.

redofromstart

I got screened out on a secret one this week (yet again) but have had nothing since either. If you struggle to get up to the 3 minutes just repeat week 2, then try again next week. It's amazing how fast you can programme your body to run.

DebtFreeDuo

I wish my PA would wake up, its been some time since I completed a survey on there and its just taken the 21 days for one to clear.

Well done on the running, I think I got up to around week 3 but then I went back to uni and barely had time for anything, I will start again after my exams in January.

EssexHebridean

redofromstart wrote: »

I got screened out on a secret one this week (yet again) but have had nothing since either. If you struggle to get up to the 3 minutes just repeat week 2, then try again next week. It's amazing how fast you can programme your body to run.

Yep that was what I was thinking I'd do - however I tried the three minutes on the treadmill this evening and managed it fine - I could have carried on for longer and just stopped realistically because I had that three minutes in my mind. :T So hopefully...

DebtFreeDuo wrote: »

I wish my PA would wake up, its been some time since I completed a survey on there and its just taken the 21 days for one to clear.

Well done on the running, I think I got up to around week 3 but then I went back to uni and barely had time for anything, I will start again after my exams in January.

I've had several goes at week 1 in the past few months and just never managed it - of course now I know that it was as a result of being ill, but it's knocked my confidence on it rather, I think. Actually being able to run now is just such a novelty! I can't get my head around not finding myself gasping for breath after hardly doing anything! :T

I've had almost nothing on PA for several weeks - but suddenly these last few days I;ve had lots, so they are out there now, at least!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well done on the running. My walking has suffered due to feeling ill after the flu jab and going away, so I feel very unfit. I need a couple of days of healthy eating to boost my energy and then I'll get back into it.

Running always seems more glamorous than walking, but my bladder couldn't take it

EssexHebridean

Ahh yes - it's that "ladies of a certain age" thing isn't it HH! *makes mental note to do "those" exercises* :rotfl: I'm certain that my time will come on that one! Running certainly doesn't feel more glamorous when I'm a sweaty red faced mess doing it!

Didn't get round to booking the train tickets last night in the end, so will hold off doing those until tomorrow now, and so should net a NSD today.

Spoke too soon on Prolific as I've had nothing today! Pah! OnePoll is still creeping up though - 60p to go to cashout on there. :T

No exercise tonight and I've brought my own car to work too so a nice early home, jammies on. potter about a bit and sort out my dinner. Food tonight is currently down as "Something with couscous" so need to work out what the "something" is - I'm thinking the rest of the chicken, maybe some roast spiced chickpeas, and lots of whatever veg is left lying about needing used!

Need a list for tomorrow as I've got lots of odds and ends that need doing, but I must also remember the shower repair man is turning up at some stage.