Seasidegal's Scrimpy Retirement Diary!

dawnybabes

Glad your LFTs remained negative.  Enjoy the family time x

Seasidegal58

Thank you so much everyone and wishing the same for you!🎄🎄🎄🎄😃

joedenise

Have a very good Christmas with your family SSG.  Sounds like a very busy one.

Seasidegal58

Thanks @joedenise - I hope you and your family had a good Christmas as well!😃

And it's all over now bar New Year's Eve!  I had a really nice Christmas although I always feel a bit for DSis as she was rather stressed - both via work and actual Christmas at home. Christmas Day wasn't too bad as her SIL was hosting Christmas lunch but said SIL is very punctual about meals. Her time for Christmas lunch is always 1pm sit down. DSis and OH like a later lunch and SIL said she would put the lunch back half an hour on this occasion to factor in some play time for little nephew and his Christmas toys. But DSis and OH are always late for everything and we ended arriving at 1.50!  Mitigating factor was that OH's nephew was walking up the garden path as we arrived so we weren't the only tardy ones!

DSis and OH were hosting a Boxing Day buffet for the family but DSis was getting stressed as she is a perfectionist and also likes to control events so won't accept much help. She was making a trifle for the buffet at 10pm on Christmas Day night - her trifles are delicious but she works at a place where she can source really tasty desserts so in my mind why put yourself to so much bother!  The buffet went off very well but, as usual, she ended up sitting down to eat after everyone else had virtually finished theirs!  I think she would really like to go away just with her OH and little nephew one Christmas but her OH is very family orientated and wouldn't dream of it! 

Anyhow I flew up to Scotland yesterday and am now at DD and her OH's. I was nearly delayed at Gatwick as there was periodic fog rolling in at Inverness airport and we weren't sure that we could take off on time. In the end we weren't too delayed but there was fog when we landed and the pilot said that if we hadn't landed when we did we might have been stuck up in the air waiting for it to roll away again. DD's OH picked me up and literally we had driven five minutes from the airport and the sky was clear again!  

It was great to see them again and, oh my, the Giant Puppy has turned into a Giant Dog!  He's enormous, but gorgeous - just like a lovely bear!  The new pup is growing too and going through a gangly stage.  She is lovely though and it won't be too long before she catches up in size with him. 

Today it's been teeming with rain - just my luck as they've had blue skies up there for the past week. DD and OH did a rubbish tip run this morning and we've had lunch - homemade crab soup and cheese, venison sausage and chutney toasties. They've now braved the monsoon elements and have taken the dogs for a walk. 

Tonight we'll be watching a film and exchanging Christmas presents. 

MSE SCRIMPY RETIREMENT THINGS 
Christmas payouts have been taxi to DSis's and car to the airport, plus a sandwich, bottle of water, new lip brush and shortbread for DD and OH, all purchased at the airport. 

This year DSis, her OH and I decided that we would just buy a few token gifts for each other as there's nothing much we need, but the three of us would have a night out at the theatre and a meal - each paying for ourselves. So we've decided on 'Saturday Night Fever' which is having a limited run in London early next year.  I've ordered the tickets - the good stall ' Premium' tickets were £90 which can sound a lot but compared to some productions ( Moulin Rouge £250! I'm looking at you!😱) almost seems bargain-like!

Also there is an 80s all day concert being held in one of our local parks in July headlined by the Human League. DSIs and OH are going with some of OH's workmates and have VIP tickets - one person has now dropped out so I've bought the ticket for £40 - which is discounted!👍

doingitanyway

I hope SNF is good. What a treat. One of the things I decided once I passed 50 was any theatre tickets had to be good stalls. It backfires at the ballet as I can hear them 'land'
Glad you had a good Christmas.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm glad you had an enjoyable Christmas with family SSG and how lovely to spend the new year in Scotland with DD . I hope you get better weather soon. 

I hope you're enjoying your retirement.

Sun_Addict

Oh Saturday Night Fever 💕 saw that many times at the cinema as a teenager. How lovely to be in Scotland for New Years. Have a fabulous time. 

milann

Pleased you’ve had a good journey and can relax at your dds. The Christmas dinner timing sound a little fractious- glad you weren’t the only ones turning up a little later. I noticed a difference in dd this year…..she is a good cook and always insisted on doing most things herself…..however this year she was far more relaxed (we have all spent quite a few Christmasses at hers now though) We all took something - I was Christmas cake, mince pies and chocolates. We all mucked in preparing veg on Christmas Eve and she did a Jamie Oliver’s stuffed pork dish and turkey crown on the day…..but it went like clockwork. Most relaxed Christmas EVER 👍
The shows sound amazing. Especially your 80s music one 

beanielou

Enjoy your time up here 

Onebrokelady

Hope you have a lovely time in Scotland 😊