LonelyRat's (not so lonely) Road to Riches

Silver_Queen

Hope the Loch was lovely, I'm so jealous that you have so much wonderful nature nearby!

lonelyrat

Silver Queen - I do feel very lucky!! Scotland is beautiful (when it isn't raining... and it rains a lot! :rotfl:) My Dad now lives in Surrey in a town called Dorking. It's about an hours train ride away from London and has some beautiful scenery. There's a hill called Box Hill which is worth a climb as the views are lovely. There's also a Vineyard and some stepping stones as well close by. If you're ever looking for an adventure day out I would recommend it (although I am biased )

Sunday was lovely. OH drove to Balmaha which was a lot nicer than taking public transport and it actually cost slightly less in diesel than trains and buses would have. He surprised me on the way and we drove through Glasgow to a country park that had highland coos! I was so surprised and happy... I just love them! There were wee babies as well which was ridiculously cute.

Balmaha was very picturesque but Conic Hill did look a wee bit too much for our current fitness level and we got there mid morning due to the pit stop with the coos and it was already pretty hot/ busy.

So we got a boat across to Inchailloch instead which was amazing. It's a little island in the Loch Lomond and there's nature walks and a beach on it. OH and I walked around for a while and then went off the path and found a little private clearing at the waterfront. Was really lovely and secluded so we put down our picnic blanket and sunbathed/ went swimming in the Loch all day. Got the boat back across at dinnertime then went to a pub in Balmaha for food then drove home again. Was the most perfect day OH did get sunburnt quite badly though.... I did offer to put suncream on his back but he declined and he was a bit grouchy yesterday because it was still sore. I've been spraying so much aftersun on him but doesn't seem to be helping. Next time, even if he says no, I will be putting some on his back!

Money-wise we are looking good this month. Have had a few NSD's and also found some cash in a purse that I had forgotten about (£40!) so feeling quite flush. Am confident we'll make it to pay day without any drama which feels nice. Should be a slightly better wage this month due to the overtime last week.

Having said that - have booked OH and I into a B and B on Arran in early August for a holiday. £275 in total which has been a combination of Deposit money and OH birthday money. A holiday abroad really wasn't feasible but this way we do still get to get away for a wee while. Am very excited and it's motivated me to get back into walking again as I had been getting too relaxed with the steps. There's a lot that I want to do when we go and most of it requires a lot of walking so need to get OH and my fitness levels up before we go. Got a month to get it sorted :rotfl:

In sad news our last rat crossed the rainbow bridge the other day Over the past 3 or 4 weeks he's been slowly starting to drag his back legs and I think the paralysis was beginning to spread to the rest of him (quite common in older rats). We had already had him booked in for an appointment but the way it worked with my shifts it wasn't going to be until today but on Monday he had deteriorated quite rapidly so OH took him while I was at work and they decided to put him to sleep. It feels really sad and almost like an end of an era. They are such wonderful, wonderful pets but they just have such short lifespans and it's so painful to say goodbye.

Day off today and need to be semi productive. Going to crack on with household bits and chores just now then go a walk then, hopefully, can just sunbathe in the garden for the rest of the day.

To do today:

1. Hoover
2. Remove rat cage / table that it was sitting on and reorganize room slightly.
3. Laundry
4. 10,000 steps
5. Asos return to the post office
6. Check in with diaries
7. Contact Easyjet again
8. Clean kitchen and bathroom
9. Sunbathe :cool:

43 days

doingitanyway

So VERY jealous of where you live. Sounds so beautiful. Good that you don't take it for granted.
I think Box Hill is mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. It is somewhere I should go to.

Have a good day

Lucifa73

Sorry to hear about the fur baby passing we have gerbils and I am not looking forward to the day they go.

For the sunburn - apparently menthol shaving foam takes the heat out of it - cheaper than after sun so maybe worth a try?

You've inspired me to look at going to Loch Lomond this weekend. We really are not far at all so there's no excuse. For some reason it just doesn't cross my mind... perhaps because of TKD and rugby commitments but we have none of those until August so no excuse for this month!

Lx

Silver_Queen

lonelyrat, I'm from Surrey and the very mention of Box Hill fills me with dread :rotfl:

I remember being dragged up there for many a school trip!

My OH and I tried to go for a day out there last year...it was beautifully sunny the entire way down and then the heavens opened just as we got there. Pretty sure it was nature trying to save me from trekking up the hill!

Sorry to hear about the furbabies.

I would really recommend aloe vera gel for the sunburn. It does wonders and is way better than aftersun, and not irritating to the skin. Do not put ice, mint or anything like that on it! The skin will already be delicate and sensitive so you'll end up causing more harm. Good luck!

Toni'sfriend

Sorry to hear about your little furry friend. My late friend kept rats as pets and I used to ratsit when she was on holiday. They are really cute and funny to watch. They get such a bad press but whenever we had them there were a succession of children who would come and ask if they could see them. Will you get another?

lonelyrat

Doingitanyway - there are some beautiful places but it's not all amazing so don't be too jealous! We live in a sort of scheme which isn't the most visually appealing but it is nice being able to go on good walks and being able to go on some day trips. I definitely do want to make the most of it Good news is days out aren't too expensive so while the weather is good we will try and fit in a fair few adventures :cool: I know Box Hill is in Emma but it probably crops up in P&P too. I'm sure I remember reading Jane Austen took a lot of inspiration from Surrey when writing.

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts re: ratties. It was quite rough not being there to say goodbye but I gave him a cuddle before work which is something. It's just such a shame they're here for just a moment then they're gone

Lucifa73 Gerbils are seriously cute! How many do you have? Glad you're thinking of going to Loch Lomond! I really do love it there... I had never been to Balmaha/ Incahilloch before but it was really great and definitely worth a visit. Luss is very nice as well - very quaint. Balloch has a Sea Life Center which is fun, but probably better for when the weather turns (as I'm sure it will soon enough)!

Silver Queen haha! You're from Surrey! Small world :rotfl: I lived in Dorking for a wee bit when I was a kid and I remember hating when we would go on our family walks! I have a really vivid memory of my parents quizzing me on the 5 times table while walking up the hill and me just being so annoyed with them/ life! I like the idea of mother nature being on your side with the walk! It is pretty steep.... OH and I went down to visit my Dad this time last year and we all took a walk up and it was a painful moment realizing my Dad (who is in his 60's) was more fit than me. Am hoping the next time I visit I can power up it!!

Toni'sfriend they are so wonderful! They're so loving and loyal as well which people don't expect. They do definitely get a bad rep which is such a shame... I remember telling people at work that I had ratbabies and I got some seriously funny looks. Will not be getting any more unfortunately I don't think my nerves could take it. It's been a rough few months saying goodbye to them all and I don't think I can do it all again. Maybe in the future, but for now it's a nope.

To do today:
[STRIKE]1. Hoover
[/STRIKE] OH Dad was very lovely and did it for me in exchange for OH and I going to the Chinese to get his dinner. I do love a hoovered room
[STRIKE]2. Remove rat cage / table that it was sitting on and reorganize room slightly.[/STRIKE]
Was sad but needed to be done. Room furniture re-jigged a bit now and I got carried away with the tidying and have gone through the wardrobe and chest of drawers organising things.
[STRIKE]3. Laundry
[/STRIKE] 2 loads washed/ hung out/ put away :cool:
[STRIKE]4. 10,000 steps
[/STRIKE][STRIKE]5. Asos return to the post office
[/STRIKE]6. Check in with diaries
Tomorrow after work! I want to know what everyone's up to BUT it will be a big commitment as I am so out of touch. Bear with me though!
7. Contact Easyjet again
No matter how many times this ends up on my list it never seems to get done :rotfl:
[STRIKE]8. Clean kitchen and bathroom
[/STRIKE][STRIKE]9. Sunbathe [/STRIKE]
Only managed to fit an hour and a half in. Was nice though, sat out chatting with OH Mum and her friend.

Had a productive day (mostly) so feeling good. Have just lit candles in the bedroom/ put the fairy lights on and am going to sort my face out and get ready to get in bed

lonelyrat

Work was OK today and off tomorrow so feeling happy this evening. Gave our room another rejig today and it's looking lovely and clutter free. I dislike 'stuff' being about so am feeling very calm and relaxed with everything all in it's rightful place.

Now the rat cages are all gone there's quite a big empty space between our bed and the wardrobe which I plan on putting to use exercising. Bought an exercise mat ages ago in Aldi and never used it as never had room but now there's plenty so there's no excuse. There's a woman I follow on instagram who does 7 minute work out videos that I think I will try and get into.

Currently in bed (having done no exercise today :rotfl:) but tomorrow is a new day. Going to get up early and go a walk then spend most of the day sunbathing if it's nice out. Don't have anything else to do really - other than the dreaded Easyjet letter. Will 100% have to do it tomorrow as it's getting ridiculous at this point.

Just tried to go on the M&S website to check out the sale (I love M&S ) and I've been placed in the queue because the website is so busy. Am off to snooze now so doubt by the time I get on in the morning there will be any bargains left :eek: Probably for the best though really!

42 days :j

Scott-Weiland

If your going to work out from home I can recommend two people both are on youtube. My other half tells me one is eye candy for me the other for her lol.

Search on youtube
Athleanx (your eye candy)
Yoga with Adrianne.

Athleanx blokey does lots of short interval training vids 6-8mins long which are great for toning and weight loss. Adrianne does well 30-60days of yoga challenges which are great for flexibility, i do the yoga to help my lower back as i !!!!!!ed it up quite badly years ago.

doingitanyway

Yoga with Adrianne is great but she put persistent cookies on my computer that I can't remove so instead of being zen I've started hating her...

I cleaned and decluttered my kitchen today so I know what you mean about the calm it generates

Haha, theres no shame in loving MnS. Me too...

And what is it about fairy lights. I turn them on and find instant happiness