NST April 2025 A Pirate Life For Me

grandmanerd

I have flooring in the kitchen and cupboards and drawers. The remaining jobs mean either going up a ladder or kneeling on the floor, both impossible in Mr Builder's state of health. Mrs Builder has put him on notice that if he does not go back to the infirmary and sort himself out, then she will leave him behind when they are due to go on holiday. She will get in touch with me when he can do the other jobs.

So over the next 4 days I will be filling the drawers and cupboards, slowly and with deliberation. When mum's partners' family moved them into the bungalow (against the agreement I had extracted - they lived without a shower for 8 weeks). the kitchen items were just put into cupboards. It took weeks (possibly months) to redo the cupboards, so they were usable and in a sensible order.

So I'll do a bit at a time, rest when I need to and try to build in some fun and hopefully have a more comfortable living environment soon.

grateful for food, kitchen flooring and sleep (more needed)

DawnW

Hope Mr Builder is soon well enough to finish your work @grandmanerd. And to go on his holidays too of course.

Work today, so not much else done.

Walked to work this morning as OH wanted the car. It was a pleasant walk, and the exercise would have done me no harm. Not a NSD as I bought some seeds in Poundstr*tcher as I was passing that way. Not sorry, as they were only 49p per packet, a fraction of what they would cost anywhere else. They didn't have many left of the ones I needed, and this saved a spendy trip to the garden centre

Work again tomorrow. It is very quiet at the moment, so not sure how many customers we will get in, what with it being Good Friday..

Looking forward to the next few days off.  

Hoping to get out in the garden if the weather is ok.

Grateful today that it wasn't raining on my walk to work!

Thrifty_Taylor

An eventful day! Morning routines all done ✅

My two work besties arrived @9.30 & we set off for a circular walk. 2/3 of the way there, the track was closed off with a sheep in a pen. As we had 2 dogs with us, there was no way of climbing adjacent fences, so we had to turn around & go back the way we'd came! 7.2 miles was logged by the time we got back & 2 rain showers. One of my friend's is doing a midnight walk for Clan, & this is the furthest she's been so far.

Years ago I was given a drawer that had been in an old divan bed. I'd used it under our bed, but decided to upgrade it to plastic underbed storage boxes. Decanted the contents this afternoon, & threw out a whole pile of craft magazines (after pulling out the patterns I will use). The drawer is now in the car boot, ready to drop off at the dump tomorrow.

A customer & his mum came over for some advice & left me with their items to stitch. Phone calls, neighbour dropping another sewing job off & more phone calls! Felt like I was on a spinning top!! Did the last sewing job, as apparently needed in a hurry! Phew, so much for being on holiday!

Well my scurvy sea dogs, I'm setting sail tomorrow & heading to a neighbouring island to visit my f-i-l, hopefully it'll stay dry for our walk to & from the pier. Hopefully there'll be no cannons nor walking of the plank! Listen out for a big splash!

Grateful for catching up with friends, decluttering, the coat zip being an easy job

Thrifty_Taylor

A beautiful day, with lots of ☀️ didn't do exercises as had a sore stomach.
Headed into town with DH & DS1, filled FIL's paint order, then headed to the boat. Had a lovely walk from the pier, each carrying a paint can 🤣 Had a good catch up & I knitted a gonk hat & 1.5 arms, before it was time to head back to the pier, only carrying 1 tin of varnish as it was the wrong kind! I'll take it back to the shop tomorrow & get a refund. Had time for an ice cream before we caught the boat.
Got a chippy tea for a treat, & sat overlooking a beach. Watched the end of a programme with DS1, then finished knitting the gonk's other arm & both feet. All ready for assembling now. Did the ironing too.

Grateful for a day with family, lovely sunshine, beautiful scenery & seals toasting themselves on the beach in the sun!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for 'that stuff for pain' spray after yesterday's escapades in the mountain, for a mahoosive bonfire, for seeing a gopher, for watching the chicken nuggets film , for finding the charger for my f1tb1t, for step dd's amazing made-from-scratch butten chicken curry, for heading home tomorrow. We've had such a fabulous fortnight in Canada with a whole host of adventures, escapades and fun.

grandmanerd

Saturday 19th April 2025

Apparently the West Coast of Africa is the latest luxury destination for cruises (less crowded than more established resorts). So my plan (please feel free to add your own suggestions) is that we infiltrate both the cruise ship and some of the resorts, take the opportunities for free showers and free food from the all day buffet (a new way to fight food waste) and redirect food to those in need wherever possible (the cocoa farmers are having a rough time - crops yields have been drastically reduced but farmers will still get paid on the same decided by the purchasers inequitable scale). 

It seems that I have a level of ambiguity on the morality of pirate life so we are going to be the moral fightback pirates. We will observe the behaviour of the guests and those that exhibit a disgusting attitude to the staff will receive their comeuppance (think Lily, Jane and Dolly in 9 to 5). This will manifest in small ways until we think we are going to be unmasked, at which point we stage a 'coup' and mete out justice. Passengers who have boasted about their ill treatment of employees or rivals will also be targeted. We don't want staff to suffer any repercussions from our actions.

Feel free to add any modifications or embellishments (f0xh0les) can be in charge of any plank walking, a role she will relish. 

grandmanerd

8 Signs it's safe to stay in your 9 to 5 job
You wake up with purpose and motivation
Your hard work gets recognised (and appreciated)
You have a supportive team and boss
There are clear opportunities for promotion
The pay and benefits support your lifestyle
You're learning and growing in your role
You have a good life work balance
You don't spend hours in the toilets crying
(notes by Thalia)

grandmanerd

I'm still sleeping a lot. Things were moved to the kitchen. Only some of them were put away - food items are easiest to get at but tins etc will be under the stairs and on shelves which are not yet up. Also food needs moving then the shelving (over microwave unit), then the microwave which needs cleaning. Then the basic unit which has been holding everything needs to come through and then the microwave, shelving and contents put in place. I'll just keep plodding (and hope my cousin isn't in town to make her threatened visit)

Grateful for food (and semi-logical thoughts on the order to eat it in), my book and half a good film still to watch

abundant1972

Good afternoon ⛅

Apologies for the absence - I fell overboard, and my rescue ship only just caught up with your ship 😬

Provisions are good, I have been using what I had in the hold still - so down to baked beans, packet noodles and frozen veg/jacket potatoes. Budget on track still and have even bagged a few NSDs.

New job going well 👌🏻 Had a surgical review and unfortunately I have to wait another whole year for my reversal (was originally due July this year, then October... now as far away as April 2026). I think that put me on a bit of a downer, and lost my footing on the wet decking and slipped over haha. 

Anyhow... Having a very chilled Easter Weekend. I am going to go an do a bit of shopping shortly and some meal prep I think. I hope you're all well. I have to say belated congratulations idea211 on being mortgage free now!!! That's amazing news!!!

Today I am grateful for: 

1) Settling well into my new job
2) The support of friends and family
3) My surgeon and his team of nurses

Today = NSD number 7

Have a lovely Saturday folks x

f0xh0les

This morning I jumped off ship and  braved the Supermarkets.... of...... Doooooom

We got back late on Thursday night to very little food left in the house.

I did the laundry and looked in the fridge and freezer on Friday, did all the recycling and put bins out. Made a big pot of soup as it has turned cold here. Broccoli and Cauliflower with grated smoked cheese on top. Lush.  Then today was leek and onion (tiny amount of potato- I just don't like it).  2 tubs of yesterday soup moved into freezer for easy lunches next week. Will be making soups for lunch  until the warmth comes back.

Went looking for the fabled 15p  Easter veg (2.5kg potatoes / Broccoli /  1kg carrots ) - and I vanquished them! 

Was not interested in a swede,  or parsnips, even for 15 p.  The supermarket was rammed, so I'm glad I was home by 12. Traffic was queueing by the time I was leaving.

 I also needed to post a present, and the P.O was closed yesterday, open today, closed tomorrow and closed on Monday so at least it is in the system. Whether or not it moves is irrelevant , wrote "Happy Birthday + 1 week" in the card, I am always late with presents, but people only tell you what they want at the very last minute. Anyway, d-i-l of the year award will go to me for listening, and asking what they did not get that they had asked (someone else) for.   Bit annoyed that a small parcel  to the South is now over £13. But I now know my f-i-l's favourite chocolates, so he is easy to buy from here on in.

Paid leftover cash from savings tins into the bank this morning while I was out and aboot (that's for you, my Canadian apple) so all is good. 

11 days left til payday.

I will jump ship next Friday afternoon for a sojourn in Sunny Manchester ( for paid work)  - will be back onboard on Sunday.  Won''t get paid for it til end of next month, but will mean I can claim expenses.

Grateful for 15kg of potatoes for 90p and  4 kg of carrots for  60p and avoiding the chocolate man-trap. I don't even really like most of it, so I need to be thinking 'what's the point of that then?'.  Time to grow up and take responsibility