NST April 2023: April adventurising

apple_muncher

Starlight, hope things improve for your relative and that the treatment they receive works for them. Hugs.

Toni'sfriend, I think that those boxes come from Himself...!

Today I am grateful for my counsellor, for sainz having their gf/df Nuggets in stock, for doing a workout while dc climbed, for making a scrummy mushroom soup, for finding cheaper fuel.

lcc86

@Starlight_at_Sea sending positive vibes to your relative. 

Yesterday was a spend day due to going to meet old work colleagues. Spent just under £35 on food and drink, which wasn't bad considering it was central London! I'd budgeted £50 anyway to be on the safe side. Was really good to catch up with everyone, made me nostalgic for the team I have to admit.

Today has been a NSD. Nothing much to report other than work, my sister popped round with my nieces which is always interesting! Did have pilates booked but decided to cancel as I did it at home yesterday and am achey today! Clearly left it too long between sessions haha.

facethemusic

@Starlight_at_Sea spending in hospitals on food  is essential spending, concentrate on  your relative and don't worry about buying food and drinks. 

NSD 2 today and I've got LOADslS ticked off my list and started a big job that wasn't on the list at all! 
I have a plan for a couple of hours after work tomorrow to get a bit further with that job and the planned stuff. 

Grateful for the weather being cooperative (it was at least dry even if it wasn't warm), good news from a friend and a long chat on the phone with another friend. 

grandmanerd

Well  I've had a very successful day and many adventures but I may be spending the rest of the month on the naughty chaise longue. Rainy and gloomy out so I decided to go to the Trafford Centre.  They had several clothing outlets that I wanted to check out (so I had to put a bra on - couldn't find the one I wore on Sunday so took another from the drawer, not a great fit). Put socks in my bag in case I got to try on shoes. Took my little turquoise jacket and a navy paisley shirt that I wear as cover ups to check if any new purchases went with them. I replaced several worn out items last autumn with similar or warm weather versions of things I had but when I went to DS1's at Christmas they looked a bit awkward.

 and went to B00ts for meal deals. No  caffeine free coke, had to settle for diet coke and a fizzy water. Used an extra points voucher then after I'd paid, noticed a bottle of caffeine free coke in the reduced bin. Found 6 for 50p each (the corner shop closest to home only has tiny glass bottles and wants nearly £2 for those).

Went straight to the bus station and had 10 minutes to wait so ate a sandwich and had one of the drinks. Read my book on the way there. I had read about a name brand trainer that had built in arch support and knew there were several places that might stock them. Well a few shops in there was a whole store dedicated to this brand so went in, looked along the shelf and then sat down and waited for an assistant.  Explained that I wanted to try these specific trainers and she brought a slip on and a lace up version. The slip ons  were good but felt a bit loose, the lace up ones were amazing. I felt my spine realign and my back pain vanished (it must be there all the time but I'm suppressing it). I could even walk without my stick.

We went back to the shelf - she'd said it came in a range of colours but it was mostly combinations of black, white and grey with the odd one in coral (No!).  The Easter offer was 30% off if you bought 2 pairs so I picked an all black pair (that's the nearest I'm going to get to wearing a formal shoe) and a mid grey mottled pair which look more relaxed and will go with my blue/ turquoise clothes. I also asked to try on a coloured pair of ordinary trainers.My intention was to buy the 2 pairs of arch support trainers and think about the others and decide whether to buy them on my way back. 

I thought about whether I was going to be coming back that way and then purchased the 2 arch support pairs and a pair of deep turquoise and a pair of duck egg ordinary trainers (I'll still have to use support innersoles or the cheap pads but they're so lovely. I'm supposed to wear lace ups all the time (I'd prefer to be barefoot as much  as possible) and I have been looking at a pair of duck egg boots. But I've never owned 4 pairs of trainers in my life and in the past 10 years I've never had 4 pairs of any kind of footwear. But I hate shopping, especially for clothes and shoes, so it makes sense to buy things that work when you find them (I don't feel guilty and I find it hard to spend money on myself).

Found somewhere quiet to sit (Trafford Centre was full but not packed) and had a drink and a snack from  my supplies. Worked my way up the mall with frequent rest breaks, looked in a few shop windows but didn't go inside. Until I got as  far as m n s. I spent a long time looking around, going through the racks to see if they had things in my size. I tried on 2  salty dresses and a skirt (dresses weren't available in my size online on either the m n s site or the salty site). All of them fit beautifully - was a bit worried about one as it had a band around the middle and wasn't sure if it would go on. I picked up a full length t-shirt dress (only available in one colour which I thought was purple but the label said blue - imagine the colour of the deepest blue delphiniums).

 I went back to some dresses I'd looked at earlier and checked that there wasn't one in my size and there was. More formal than the others black with an all over pattern of flowers outlined in white (just found out it's  machine embroidery). Then I found the cardigans (noticed my summer cardigan is looking shabby when I put it on on Sunday) and the best of the available options was a deep blue, nearly the exact shade as the t-shirt dress. It will work with the dresses and skirt and if I decide to wear the black it'll be the black trainers, my black jacket and if I wear my hat I'll add flowers and perhaps a colourful scarf or necklace.

So I have the beginnings of a new capsule wardrobe (and something to wear for the baptism). I went down in the lift and bought healthy salad stuff and a few treats (more cross buns) and on my way back (I came out on the lower mall) I braved the stationer's (resisted all the gorgeous notebooks) and found my puzzle book (the large print fill in one).

Back to the bus station and ate whilst waiting for the bus.  Out of the bus station and across the road to get a taxi home. I'll hang everything up and I'll be asleep shortly.. Grateful for finding shoes and clothes that fit, are comfortable and look good, for not having to do shopping again for ages (just lots of diy supplies), for being home and on my bed.

Swayingseaweed

Claiming my first day yesterday not a penny or a pound spent. Only adventure I had this week and probably for the rest of the month will be getting the allotment up and ready as the hungry gap is getting close to the end. Went yesterday and weeded the raspberry area, sowed carrots, lettuce and beetroot. Hopefully potatoes will be going in at the weekend. Hmmm ice cream other than literally eating ice cream with rhubarb crumble this week that bits on the back burner.
Grateful for sunshine, lollipops and solitude.
Seaweedx

apple_muncher

Grandmanerd, that sounds like a super successful shopping expedition! And all the purchases sound absolutely lovely. Well done you!

f0xh0les

You have a new wardrobe to go adventuring in @grandmanerd.  Well done you. You need to start putting yourself first, because you deserve nice things🥂.  No guilt allowed. 
I have just cleaned the kitchen, and put the bins out, and we need to be out of the house by 6am tomorrow to catch the boat🚢. DH has already announced he will be working onboard 🤔. Oh well I have my book, a french stick 🥖, coffee,  and a pack of pink panther wafers to amuse myself with.  Not exactly highbrow, but it will pass the time 😁.
I turned off my laptop and packed it in my bag, then FS2 came down wanting to know his NI number as his filing system has betrayed him (a pile of paper under his desk). Turned the laptop on, and it has lost its ability to connect with the outside world, network card failure, we fear.  So I will only be on my phone until we can sort it out . Bear with me 🧸

Thrifty_Taylor

Happy holidays @f0xh0les. Sounds like you had s successful shopping trip @grandmanerd. Hope your relative is on the mend soon @Starlight_at_Sea.

I could hardly walk this morning, my calf muscles were so tight! Had a shower which helped a tiny bit. Had an easy morning, reading, then we caught the bus to go for lunch with friends. I stayed with them on my first trip to Norway 28 years ago. It was lovely to see them & catch up.

Caught the bus back into the city, got off a stop later than we should've, so asked for directions to take us back to a place we recognised. Had to rush, as we only had 30mins before the shops shut until Saturday & we needed to top up supplies!

It was quite warm so I say on the small balcony & read my book. Determined I'm going to sit outside & read more often when I get home.

After tea, we went a hike up a different part of the mountain (not as high). Halfway up, my neighbour from home phoned to say that DS2 was there, not feeling well & checking about taking him to hospital. They did & he had severe stress & tension. He thought there was something wrong with his heart, & had made himself feel worse by worrying about it. I phoned him once he was home again, & he feels fine now, just needed someone to say he was ok. 

Grateful for DS2 being ok, having good neighbours, my work besties offering to stay with DS or take mum over to ours to stay, reading in the sunshine, reconnecting with old friends

Starlight_at_Sea

Thanks turtles for the kind wishes and for holding us in your thoughts! They remain very poorly, the best I can say really is that we are a bit less in shock today about it. 

Today has been one of those strange parallel days. Mind has been on the hospital most of the time.  It did not make sense for us all to be at the hospital all day, so I've worked from home, in the end managing to do most of the day. I did fall briefly asleep mid afternoon in a break between meetings! Woke up, struggled through the last meeting, then booked off 30 min early and promptly went back to sleep for a few hours. 

Am classing it as a NSD as only the bill for the oven repair (which happened yesterday) left my account, £101 for a new element. Grateful to my lodger for being there to let the oven repair chap in and to pay so we got it slightly reduced. 

O1io collection this morning, gosh I really didn't want to be bothered with dealing with it after last night's late night. Luckily there wasn't a lot of surplus, the Easter holidays are likely bringing tourists to our area. A neighbour has some, some regular collectors and a couple of family members. The croissant I kept for myself this morning was a very welcome pick me up, and I have saved another one in the freezer for a boost on another day. 

Made zero progress with real life admin tasks, it was fair enough that work took all my remaining energy today. I think we have made a plan for the next couple of days family wise, juggling across the extended family child and elder care responsibilities so we can support each other and the person who is very unwell. Hoping I can get a little gentle exercise in alongside this.  

Love the wardrobe update @grandmanerd and am fully supportive of buying multiples when you find something that really works. I resent the time and negative energy that shopping holds for me, so am glad when multiple shopping experiences can be clumped in together. And as others have said, you deserve to feel nice in clothes that make you smile! x

beanielou

Yah @grandmanerd for such a goods days shopping.
Your purchases sound fab.
I love the salty stuff too.
Can I please ask the make of the trainers please?

@Starlight_at_Sea, hope things remain steady.
Baby steps.

@f0xh0les.  Have a great time