Seasidegal's Scrimpy Retirement Diary!

Seasidegal58

Thank you @Sun_Addict and @Sarahwithlove. Yes the loo situation isn't the greatest - still at least I haven't had to pee in a bucket yet!😂
Well all the shower boards are up on the walls along with the silver trim. I must say I do like them - wasn't sure when they were unboxed whether the colour looked different from when I chose it but looks good now - the design is called Travertine Marble in a warm honey colour to complement the other walls where I've kept the existing tiles. He took ages though to get them up. The main drawback is although they are easier to put up than standard tiles, you have to be so precise when cutting them, especially around the areas where the shower hardware will go. One mistake and the whole board is ruined - unlike a standard tile where you can throw it away and use another.  Tomorrow morning the glass surround is going up and whatever else has to be done still - washbasin and toilet - at least I can have a shower finally!🚿
I went to the gym this morning and then tried another cafe for coffee that I hadn't used before. It was nice - more like a tearoom though. The flat whites were ok but they reminded me of the coffee I used to drink years ago in the Wimpey bars!  Not that I really disliked them but very different from the coffee we drink today. 

I actually got round to wrapping a few presents this afternoon!  Tried the Ald1 white chocolate Bailey's whilst wrapping which was fine. Also had a nice chat on the phone this evening with a RL MSE friend.

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS
Spends today were coffees and gym. 

WEIGHT
i lost 1.6lbs on weigh in this morning so I am now past the 3 stone loss mark!🥳. And that's taking into consideration my hearty Christmas lunch and accompanying alcohol last Thursday!
@Sarahwithlove - perhaps stay on 5mg for a bit before you go up a dose? If it's nausea that is causing the side effects I know Medexpress offer some medication that can help with this. Perhaps contact them anyway and see what they can advise. 

beanielou

Great loss. Well done. 

Seasidegal58

Thank you @beanielou. 😀

On Wednesday I had a catch up lChristmas light lunch with a friend I haven't seen for a few weeks - the cafe we go to does such lovely jacket spuds with cheese and beans. 😋. My potato was enormous though and I couldn't finish it!
In the evening I went round to DSis's to take the family's presents as I wont be seeing them now till the New Year and they gave me mine.  I did open them on Friday before I went away and feel very lucky as my main present is a ticket to the Strictly tour when it hits London at the beginning of February. We went a couple of years ago and it's such good fun. I also received some really delicious looking chocs and a lovely diffuser. DSis says I've also got another present to come but it hadn't arrived in time!   Her SIL also bought me a set of different scented little hand creams that'll be ideal to keep in my handbag. 

Thursday I didn't do much and then on Friday my bathroom refit was finally finished by lunchtime and I'm very happy with it. The new bathroom mirror and shelf I ordered won't arrive till the New Year so the fitter is coming back then to fit them, but I put on my make-up in the bedroom anyway so no great matter if there's no bathroom mirror for a bit. 

In the afternoon I met my friend in a local cocktail bar for Turkey and Tinsel Cocktails which is what we call our Christmas equivalent of Sunshine Drinks (goodbye drinks when somebody is going away for a hot holiday!). I had an amaretto sour and two of the bar's special concoction called White Christmas which was vodka based but nice and creamy!
I then had to go home and clear up and clean the flat after the fitter in readiness for flying to Scotland the next morning. It was so nice to have things put back in their place and cleaned and dusted. That took me most of the evening!
Anyway I got away on time on Saturday morning and I'm now up in the Highlands with DD for Christmas and New Year. I had a very bumpy landing flying in as the wind and rain up here are appalling at the moment.  Last night the rain was biblical and I thought the house was going to blow away in the night!  Today it's still bad with 40mph winds and gusts up to 60mph. It was lovely to see the Bears again though. They don't seem to mind the weather at all when out, although they get rather soggy!
I'm chilling at the moment, but have Zoom Pilates later this afternoon. 

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS
Not so scrimpy this week as I've paid the bathroom fitter, my monthly M&S Reward credit card, half-yearly service charges for the flat, as well as taxis to DSis's and the airport among other things!
At least I won't be spending very much at all whilst I'm up here!

WEIGHT 
..... is going well. I've been tracking calories religiously on the Nutracheck app and managed to stay within my calorie target, apart from when I had the cocktails, but the count still wasn't horrendous. I did weigh myself again on my special scales with its App before I left home yesterday and had lost another 1lb 0.3lb since Tuesday!  I won't be weighing myself now till I get home in a few weeks time so the calorie counting will be important, but it is Christmas so I'm not going to stress too much and enjoy some lovely food and drink!

in_need_of_direction

Glad to hear that your travel was safely completed.  Enjoy your time with dd and the bears.

beanielou

Enjoy your break. The wind is bad enough here. I hate to think how bad it is up beside you. Xx

amber03

It’s the perfect place to be at Xmas, enjoy .xx

Seasidegal58

Thank you @in_need_of_direction, @beanielou and @amber03. 😀

The awful winds died down last night but it was still a very rainy, cold and grey day today. It doesn't help that sunset is c.3.30pm!
DD spent quite a bit of the day prepping Christmas food, OH was working and I did housework and then chilled in the afternoon. It was nice and cosy having a fire in the living room log burner. They went out with the Bears later who don't mind atrocious weather at all but got rather soggy - it was too wet and wild for me and I don't have a head torch! 

DD made a very tasty chickpea harissa type tagine for dinner - she always uses the nicer chickpeas that come in a jar and you can really taste the difference over the tinned variety - they're a much softer texture too. I think I might start buying them. 

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS
A NSD today. 

WEIGHT
Mounjaro jab day today. I bought a nice little insulated travel case for the pens as I couldn't put them in my hold luggage flying up in case the liquid froze, but you still have to keep them quite cold. So they had to go in my carry on bag.
It was end weight Week 18 today ( I think) and I am pleased as, when checking my average calories over the past week, the total came to 1606 calories which I think is acceptable as I've been eating more than usual this week. 

redofromstart

Merry Christmas to you.

beanielou

Have a very happy Christmas. 

Justcrackingonwithit

Hi @Seasidegal58 long time lurker to the forum, but just joined, I just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying reading your diary, you write in a really entertaining way. I’m so pleased you are happy with your bathroom. I’ve just moved house, my first one on my own and I’m open my 50s. Exciting but daunting times. I’ve just had a new kitchen fitted so can sympathise with living with everything upside down. It’s just finished so I’m glad to get back to normality!

Have a wonderful Christmas with your family xx