2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

EssexHebridean

I'm another who adores a cold, crisp day by the sea Mark - think that's why I instantly loved the Hebrides when we first went - you're never far from the coast there! That sounds like a lovely day with your pals! (And you've reminded me that there might be a haggis supper from our favourite Edinburgh chippy on the cards on Friday - hurrah!) 

savingholmes

Well done on the weight loss. Glad I'm expanding your vocab!

AntoMac

Nesh is a new word to me too. Every day is a learning day that’s for sure. There definitely is nothing like a bracing walk by the sea in the winter to make you feel alive. 

Keep it going with the weight loss. It’s surprising how quickly it can drop off once you get into the habit of healthy eating and exercise.

mark55man

Just having a breather while my theme tune "5 years by Bowie" is playing on my playilst via a little bluetooth speaker I liberated from one of my "fled-the-nest" DDs.  Much better quality than the phone

"News had just come over
We had five years left to cry in (cry in)
News guy wept and told us
Earth was really dying (dying)"

Just reinforces my attempts to be more active on green issues

Also felt moved to put on my Bowie playlist - that's the afternoon sorted

savingholmes

Good lyrics. Challenging

mark55man

Still going through the Bowie playlist !!  One thing that isn't still going is my credit cards.  Paid them all down (again) to zero again, using a combination of EF and a small amount of tax free cash from my OH pension.  This time its final., and yes that's right we are now pensioners, but also still working Schrödinger's work life balance,

We have both decided that we are close enough to retirement that we are going to start improving the house now, rather than wait and spend the first years of retirement up to our necks in builders dust so we are going to get some work done now.  I've talked about magic money before but just making a decision, filling in a drawdown form and having a renovation budget feels like cheating, but we have been planning how much we need and we will be fully retired in a couple of years, and this spending now is not going to impact that timeline. 

Focus for next few months is renovating in the bathroom (retile, remove bath and put new shower in), in the bedroom wall paper and a new bed, and in the garden clearing away a grimy shed and laying a patio.  We know a local tradesman who said last week he could fit us in February but now has said someone cancelled a job so he's starting Monday.  Total budget about high end of 4 figures and then we will be saving up for the other smaller half of the work - more gardening, putting new fronts on the kitchen units, and rejigging the kitchen storage/white goods area.

I am looking forward to a number of tadpoles that have grown up into frogs getting eaten

savingholmes

Exciting times. Lovely when you can splurge on something you've wanted for a while. Milestone too with the pensions.

mark55man

Yes SH that's exactly how I see it. 

Although I have never been great and getting all the details right - so good at the big picture and finding people to do jobs but not great at thinking it all through so its just right.  But we have made a bit more of an effort and (tbh) flashed a bit more of the cash so it will be exciting.  I'm too ashamed to post before pictures, but will definitely post some after pictures - we should be done this first phase by end of February

savingholmes

Great. Will look forward to photos 🙂

doingitanyway

The renovations sound exciting. It sounds as if you are in a strong position to do this and as for trades, grab then when you can.