Frump to Fab 2019 - Here We Go Again

Wednesday2000

lessonlearned wrote: »

Well....the Interview!!!

It was scheduled for around 11 to 11.30 at a local hotel where The interviewer and I were to meet.

I arrived at 10.50. I left at 12.00 noon in disgust. The interviewer failed to show up, not a word of explanation.

Would a quick phone call or text really have been so difficult. :rotfl:

How rude!:mad:

maman wrote: »

Yesterday was not so enjoyable but necessary. I had to go to a funeral which involved quite a long, tiring day. It was the mum of my close girlfriend. I did know the mum but mainly I needed to be there for my friend as her family have been very difficult with her over the past few weeks (years even) and she needed moral support. I was so glad I went. Reminiscent of sistergate LL.

:grouphug: It's nice that you were there for support for her.x

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies....

Just had a call from the interviewer. A grovelling apology. She forgot.:rotfl: at least she's honest and didn't try to lie and wheedle her way out of it. Was I still interested. I politely declined.......

i have been reflecting on what happened yesterday and I have come to the realisation that the things I value above all else are my freedom, my independence and my time. Far too important to give up for a mere salary. I am not rich but I can manage well enough without.

And hopefully I can always set up micro business of some sort as planned. Maybe next year. Get the house finished first.

I intend to concentrate on me and just enjoy whatever time I have left on this Earth, doing the things that give me joy. Hopefully the time left will be quite a long time.

Actually, having made that decision I feel so much better this morning, that a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I feel brighter and more optimistic than I have done for some time. I think the indecision was weighing heavily and affecting my well being. My husband would definitely approve of my decision.

There's a distinct nip in the air this morning...it has reminded me its time to start thinking about winter so today I am restarting my vitamin regime in readiness. I had a little break over the summer

(It has just occurred to me that maybe my tiredness and the occasional "low" spell might be because I had stopped taking Vit D and Magnesium.....hmmm, there's a thought).

Anyway I have dug them all out and start today. I have also added CBD oil to help to try and ease my aches and pains and, as advised by my acupuncture doctor, rose hip oil. He swears by it. Apparently a lack of magnesium can also exacerbate muscle stiffness and joint pain.....anyway I'll see how I go. It's worth a try.

Maman....that was so nice of you to support your friend. I'm sure she will appreciate it, especially if she is going through "sistergate".

I have put it all that behind me now but at the time it was incredibly painful. We are sort of reconciled but we will never again be close. Hey ho.

I now operate a strict red velvet rope policy. I do not allow people who have hurt me or who bear malice to cross it. I surround myself only with good people.

Bet you'll be glad when your bathroom is finished. Not long now by the sound of it.

Right coffee break over. Back to it. I rose early, I've despatched the ironing, done some hand washing and I'm aiming to spend most of the day in the garden. I am so pleased with the front garden, it looks really pretty even if I do say so myself but the back still needs some serious TLC.

I still need to get some advice re the flooding issue. The flood killed several shrubs so I need to address the cause before I can replant.

It's all fun......:rotfl:

chanie

Lessons the interviewing 'forgetting' was probably the best thing that happened to you, because it gave you clarity of mind, in terms of what is important to you.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

LL at last your interviewer finally gave you a reason for her no show. I am glad that she eventually contacted you and that her no show has made you realise that being employed is not the right decision for you. I am glad you reconciled with your sister even though your relationship with her has been forever changed because of 'sistergate'.

Maman your support to your friend in her extreme time of need was laudable. I am sure your friend greatly appreciated your support.

I informed my sister H that because of continuing issues with my 3 types of Arthritis I would not after all be coming to visit her in Birmingham last weekend.

I also had to inform her that on reflection I did not want to go to Antigua on holiday next year as I did not want to spend £4,000 on the all inclusive package, flight upgrades, VIP lounges at the airports, holiday incidentals and including £1.000 spending money. Her initial response was okay. Then I began to get a series of texts that were sarcastic about the fact that I did not want to go on holiday to Antigua in 2020. I kept my cool and just stuck to my decision as next year when I am ready to go on holiday, I can grab myself a last minute deal that will not cost me anywhere near £2.000 for an all inclusive package holiday. :cool: I just assured my sister H that I am sure that we will both enjoy our separate holidays in 2020.

I did not understand her sarcasm as I was informing her long before the proposed holiday that I had changed my mind. Nor her comments that she had always known that it would be a stretch for me to afford the holiday. This despite the fact that I was the 1st sister of the 3 sisters to save my £3,00 for our Jamaican holiday in May of this year. There is also the fact that even on the day I was flying out to Jamaica, I had £1,000 still in my savings account even though the holiday cost me over £3,000 in the end.

Considering the fact that I am on Benefits and my future and my daughter's (who lives with me ) future is uncertain, I am not prepared to spend what may prove to be all of my savings on a holiday in 2020. I prefer to make sure that I always have an emergency pot of savings that I can use when necessary.

My daughter has still not managed to secure herself full time permanent employment, so she cannot guarantee her hours week by week that she is given through her employment agency.

I am debt free. :j:D I have credit on my rent account of over £800 and I have credit on my Talk Talk landline/TV package, my mobile package for mine and my daughter's mobiles, my council tax, my Thames Water accounts and my Gas and Electricity accounts.

I can live a life that allows me to be self indulgent in my social life if I want to be, allows me to buy items for my personal wardrobe and gifts for family and friends plus save money monthly and weekly without having to penny pinch.

Even though the sun is still shining in South London, I am mostly staying at home. I am in pain from my Arthritis each day and I am very fatigued, so I am not in the mood for my usual jam packed social life. I am getting a lot more reading done, which is my favourite activity.

I hope that you are all enjoying the sun while it lasts

Wednesday2000

I am back on WW as I am meeting some old friends in a couple of weeks and haven't seen them in 6 years (!) so I want to lose a bit more weight before then.;)

I bought a new faux leather black and white bag to wear when I go out. That is about how far I have got with the outfit planning.:rotfl:

I also bought some purple fabric dye as I might look out for a few new chazzer buys (dresses probably, knowing me) to dye.

maman

I'm in awe of how you manage your money sugarbaby.:T
I realise that you have your reasons for not going on that holiday but, to be honest, you've done the expensive all inclusive this year. You can now make your own decision about what you might do in 2020. I'm sure you'll keep putting money away so that you have, not just a buffer for emergencies but, a sizeable little pot to treat yourself.

Glad they had the decency to apologise LL. Maybe they'll learn something from the fat that they lost out because of inefficiency. Don't they keep a diary!!

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I am back on WW as I am meeting some old friends in a couple of weeks and haven't seen them in 6 years (!) so I want to lose a bit more weight before then.;)

It's always good to have an occasion or particular event to focus on. Your last attempt at WW seemed a bit derailed by the uncertainty over the health issues maybe this time it'll become a habit. I know what you mean about seeing old friends. I always take particular care when I meet up with my former work colleagues as I want them to know that I've worn at least as well as them over the years, probably better.

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I bought a new faux leather black and white bag to wear when I go out. That is about how far I have got with the outfit planning.:rotfl:

It's a start!!:D

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I also bought some purple fabric dye as I might look out for a few new chazzer buys (dresses probably, knowing me) to dye.

So purple is the new navy!:D You've done so well revamping CS clothes for a fraction of the price of new. That's very mse:money: and very Green!:T

The water board (or rather the private company they now subcontract to) turned up at last this morning, did their 35 minutes work and went away again. To think, they made us wait 2 weeks for that!! I plan to write a letter of complaint about, not just the wait but, the fact that we were misled into believing that the initial 'inspection' visit 2 weeks ago was to actually connect the pipework that was all in place ready for them. If they listen back to the telephone calls from me, DH and our plumber then they'll know what we said. It probably won't get me anywhere but I'll feel better for it.

We've had the plumber, water people and a painter (still here) today and a tiler is coming later to finish some grouting over boxed in pipework. There's very little left to do now but we won't use the bathroom until after the weekend. That'll ensure that any sediment from old pipes is flushed through so that it doesn't get into mechanism of new fittings. Four weeks it'll be on Monday. The trades are like family friends.

I've been for my weekly health walk this morning. It was good to get out of the house for a while. I don't have gym clothes as such but another walker did compliment me on looking the part. I was wearing black leggings with a black Jack Wills tee shirt and the black 'fake' Skechers with the white soles along with a hoody wrapped around my waist and, of course, my Raybans. :cool:

lessonlearned

Well I didn't do the garden...I had a brainstorm and painted some ceiling beams in the kitchen diner instead. Remember I had a go in the winter but like a fool didn't take the proper health and safety precautions and made myself ill.

I chose chalk paint for its good coverage (old dark beams). It's very strong and gives off some pretty nasty fumes. So this time it was mask on and patio doors flung wide open, plus a bowl of sliced lemons.

So far so good.

It's hard work, rough on the neck and shoulders and my knee objects to balancing on step ladders. So it's just a couple of hours a day. It will be worth it though. The dark beams made the room look very gloomy. I'm doing them Old English White and the difference is amazing. The room is so much lighter and brighter, although I will need to do a second coat. They already look tons better.

Chanie.........you're right. I think they did do me a favour. It made me realise my priorities and has given me the kick up the derrière I needed to crack on with the house.

Loving the purple.

Creative, original,, green and MSE. Wahoo. :T

lessonlearned

Meant to say SUgarbaby......sorry to hear you are struggling a bit with your arthritis again. It's a balancing act isn't it, between keeping moving and not overdoing it.

I would love to pay to have my kitchen painted but it's is going to require hours and hours of work and I just can't justify spending around £1500, maybe more, when it is something I can do myself. Albeit, very slowly. The beams alone will be at least 30 hours work. I will just take it steady 2 to 3hours a day. Remembering the elephant. :rotfl: I'll get there.

SUgarbaby......I think you are right about your holiday. With your awesome shopping skills I'm sure you will be able to put together a fabulous holiday on a more sensible budget.

Oddly enough I have been looking at cruises this afternoon. Plenty of bargains to be had. I'm thinking I might look out for something in February. A nice bit of winter sunshine. Just a couple weeks, not one of my big circumnavigations.....Maybe 2021 to celebrate my 70th birthday. :eek::rotfl: I fancy New York.

If I start saving my pennies now......

Wednesday2000

maman wrote: »

I've been for my weekly health walk this morning. It was good to get out of the house for a while. I don't have gym clothes as such but another walker did compliment me on looking the part. I was wearing black leggings with a black Jack Wills tee shirt and the black 'fake' Skechers with the white soles along with a hoody wrapped around my waist and, of course, my Raybans. :cool:

Sounds like a cool outfit.:)

I did buy some black and white Skechers recently and I was thinking that with my new black and white bag they might go well.

The first meet-up is during the day in trendy Hoxton so I thought I might wear a black top or black polo neck, short black skirt, black tights and my Skechers with my new bag.

Depends on the weather though. It might still be warm enough for sandals in mid September!

lessonlearned wrote: »

Loving the purple.

Creative, original,, green and MSE. Wahoo. :T

I thought I probably didn't need any more navy in my wardrobe.

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies.

Slept like a babe, a good 8 hours straight. Feel so much better. I think it's releasing all that stress, anxiety and indecision. As my husband used to say. "Sometimes even a wrong decision is better that no decision". Not I fear that I have made the wrong decision. It just feels right. I'm pretty certain I made the right choice.

If, in later years, this house becomes unmanageable and unaffordable then I at least have an asset which I can sell. I will probably want to downsize and move closer to the city for my twilight years anyway. :rotfl: especially when I want to stop driving.

Wednesday your outfit sounds great. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time. It's nice to catch up with friends. I bet you'll have a great time. (Friendly competition notwithstanding:rotfl:) And as Maman says, it's good to have a goal to keep us on our toes. :rotfl:

Do any of you sleep on a silk pillowcase. I have been reading how they are supposed to help both with hair and skin (reducing the sleep lines which can end up as permanent fixtures, aka wrinkles:eek:).

Of course I have wrinkles I'm 68 :rotfl: but I thought I'd give one a go.

Going to do another couple of hours painting and then take it relatively easy, conserve my energy because I'm off out gallivanting tonight. A jazz evening in a city centre pub, not quite sure what I'm going to wear yet, depends on the weather. Definitely cooler temperatures now though I actually don't mind. 30 plus is a bit much for me.

I looked at the long range forecast and I think we still have another month or so of fairly nice weather ahead. So it will be a mix of beam painting whilst I can have the windows open and gardening.