Da weekend

My alarm went off Saturday morning for the Park Run - I lay there debating it so much that when I decided I wasn't going I was far too awake to go back to sleep! So I got up - and I texted Connor as he should be up early to move house! He was in bed!  I hadn't called him until 9am, and he said they'd be leaving soon as the van was already packed.  He left about 10.30.

They got to our in the smallest van ever!  They'd already figured out that they were going to have to do 2 trips - and its about 2.5 hours each way.  We unpacked the van which didn't take very long! and they had some lunch and then debated what they were going to do - come go back, pack the van and come back again - or go back - sleep there and do 2 trips in the morning.  They had to get the van back to Southampton by 5.30pm Sunday, they also had a bed to put down and had to clean their flat (which included some painting!), and had to sort out a couch going to the tip.  The best thing to do - was to get back - load the van and come back again today - they had so much to do.  That is what they decided to do.  As they left - me and Andy said - they won't come back again today lol.  They didn't.

Once they had left me and Andy decided to have a game of pool - this ended up 20 games of pool (score was 10 each), loud music - drinking and take-out!!  Because we started early - we were falling asleep at 10.30 - so we got an early night!!

Sunday

Apparently Connor and Emily were up at 8am - and as I predicted everything took them so much longer than they anticipated.  At 10.17am I got a message saying that they should be leaving in about 10 minutes.  At 12.20 I got a message saying - we haven't even left yet this has been a nightmare.  So I have no idea how something that took 2 hours - they thought they could do in ten minutes!! lol  They got to ours at 2.50pm.  We were watching the England game - it is the world cup - and we beat Panama 6-1.

So - we helped unpack the van again and get some stuff into the attic - and then they left again - they had to get the van back - they knew they could not get it back in time.  They drove all the way back - and couldn't drop the van off - nowhere to park it or drop the keys off etc.  So they parked it where Emily works and will have to go back on the train tomorrow to take it back! They had 2 options to get the train back - one was at 7.55pm and one was at 8.15pm...the later one would take much longer and had more changes.  They were in time for the earlier one when Emily realised that she had left her phone at the flat!  Connor got one of these rent a bike things - and got back to the flat, only for Emily to call him on her phone and say she'd found it!  So - they missed the earlier train - and got to ours again at about 11.45pm!!

(It is Monday morning now at 9.38am and as far as I know Emily hasn't left yet to sort the van out and she was supposed to be getting up at 6am-7am).  I might be wrong though - she could had left already!

Friday!

Morning!

I'm sat here with my coffee....I have just given the plasterer a weeks notice to come and sort the bathroom out! eekkk....that means I have to get in there today and get the woodchip off the walls! No messing around now!!  I then have to finish the bedroom because if he is gonna come and do the bathroom - it'll be good to get the bedroom sorted out too.

I'm a little sore after last nights run!  But I weighed myself and I've almost lost a stone - less than 1lb away....but I've done a lot in the gym/running in the last few days and had no alcohol and not large meals - mainly cos Andy hasn't been around - and we are about to hit the weekend - so it might go up again before it comes down!

Just sent Connor a message asking what the plan is, as he is supposed to be moving in tomorrow!  he just replied saying - Were picking up the van today, Emily is going to drive it and we're gonna come tomorrow, not sure what time and then Sunday we gotta drive the van back as it was £90 cheaper to not drop it at taunton.

Oh dear....Emily driving the van...don't think she'll ever have done that before - and driving it all the way back? wow.  That will be quite a lot in petrol - and stress. However, they have a plan and that's good.  Just hope they are okay!  I found it very stressful when we moved and Andy drove the van - although I suspect that the van we had was massive compared to what they will have.

anyway - I'll update later on todays progress!

Well....it is now 20:53 and Andy is on his way back from the train station - I'vr just had a bath - and I've ordered Moddy burger - and dessert - so yeah I'll have messed up my diet yet again.  Today - I striped some wallpaper!! yay! Got a fair bit done in the bathroom - it is coming off fairly easily.  The plumber came again to fit the valve and stop the water running outside.  He found out that the water has been set to 100% rather than auto circulate - meaning it is not learning when we are using water and how much and adapting - it is keeping it hot 100% of the time - also the immersion heater was switched on!  Its like somebody has sabotaged us - costing the most amount of money possible!  Hopefully the bills will go down now!

Anyway - Andy just pulled up - see you later!!

Thursday

Hi

I had to get up early today as I knew the plumbers were coming to do the first fit on the bathroom!! Yay! David called last night to say that they'd be here today!  Went from hearing nothing from him for months (he first said they could get the first fit done by the end of April - and its now near the end of June).

So - Gary and the young lad Josh turned up - and started on it.  They asked about sinks and I started to doubt what I had planned (making a table top myself and getting freestanding bowls).  I ended up ordering 2 cabinets with built in sinks.  I said to Andy, Helen and paul that I was going to keep the whole thing secret from them and then do a big reveal when it is finished!)  I think it would be so cool to do that - but I also wonder if I can achieve it - because I like to talk too much about what is going on!!  I discussed all my plans with Lissa on messenger...and will continue to do so and see if I can manage to keep it from the others until it is done.

So - don't think there will be any images on here until it is finished either in case any of them get sneaky!

So....the first fit is now complete on the bathroom - I now have to get in there and get woodchip off the top half of the wall...how annoying - asbestos all on the bottom (which has now been removed) and woodchip on the top!  Then I need to get the plasterer in - and get the floor done - then get them back in to fit the bath - then I tile - then they come back to fit the rest....them I paint.  I also have to sort the lighting out - and I am struggling atm with what to put in there.  Andy is also going to try and re-wire for the lighting so if he can't see the bathroom he needs to do that first!

Once the plumbers had gone - I went to the Planet Flooring - the guy from there did our kitchen.  I looked through their LVT - which is a luxury vinyl (same as kitchen and existing bathroom) I took a few samples and arranged for him to come and give a quote on Monday evening.  When I got home I looked at the samples in the bathroom and picked on - then looked online and saw that I can buy it for £27.99 per sq meter - whereas he was selling it for £40 per sq meter.  So after the quote - I'll see if he will fir it if I buy it!  I need 9 sq meters - so his prices would be £360 plus fitting - or I can get it for £251.91...so £100 difference!

Anyway - at 6.30pm I went out with the running club - Thursdays are different because not many people go - well, not as many as on Tuesdays.  So they run as one group and they are all pretty good runners!!  I could tell straight away that the pace was much faster - couldn't hold much of a conversation and was having to push myself harder.  We went a really nice route - same one we ahve done before that hits a hill!  I knew I'd never make it up the hill and I was dropping behind before we hit it.  A really nice guy who has a dog on a waist-lead stayed at the back a lot with me - and I know that him and his very tall skinny wife run marathons - and I was voicing my concerns about getting up this hill and saying that I wish I had dogs - namely two huskies that could pull me up the hill - when he just unclipped the lead and said - here take Billy!  So I ended up with Billy the sweet-looking-bit old looking- doggie strapped to me - and the dog literally pulled me up the hill lol.  I was still last and still struggled - and still had to force the dog to stop briefly on 2 occasions - but I got up the hill!!  Billy then stayed with me and he basically was always trying to catch up with his owners - and was very gently pulling me along.  It really helped - I don't know whether it was psychological - or whether he was really helping lol.  We ran 8.99K in one hr 2 minutes - so practically my fastest 10k pace! 

OH I didn't mention....Wednesday evening, I did an abs/core circuit training session in my gym - and incorporated short runs on the running machine - and hit 500k this year!!  Woo hoo!!!

So - tonight put me at 509k!

My hips are killing me lol.  BUT they are not as bad as they were (I think) but I need to rest them!!

Wednesday

So - yesterday I didn't do any of the wall paper stripping again - and I've done none today either and it is 12.18...still got time!  I did order loads of bathroom stuff - only to get an email this morning to say that the bath is out of stock.  They offered me the same one with two tap holes - they don't do pre-drilled holes so I replied saying - is it one that has been returned as you don't do pre-drilled tap holes...and when is the other back in stock.  They ignored my first question and said dunno to the 2nd.  So I replied saying - and the answer to my first question is....? Not had a reply yet.

So last night I went out with the running club - was going to step up a group as last week was a bit slow - but the group got really full so I volunteered to step back down again.  Looking at the posts on fb afterwards seems we all did about the same pace anyway.  It was a nice slow pace so I was able to chat to a woman - think she was called Louise....she has a daughter aged 16 who is a fitness fanatic - but apparently to a level that has seen her hospitalised (like anorexia).  Anyway - was nice to chat - and she was new to the group and seems to run my pace.  We did 7.5k - at around 8 min per km...I'd normally run at least 7 minutes per k...but you don't always have to push yourself! I was asked if I'll be back on Thursday - I wasn't going to as I was going to do my own 10k long run - but I might do running club instead.  I'm 5k away from 500k this year.....

When I got home Andy was back and had sorted most of the food...we had a noodle thingy  - was yummy.  Then we chilled....

This morning - I have been emailing about the bath as I mentioned, and again have spent most of the morning sat in front of my laptop - looking at colour schemes for the new bathroom etc.  Think I am going to go for pale blue....

I've done weedkiller again....and now I am thinking - I really need to get that bedroom wall stripped as it is dragging on for ages!!

Cats had another mouse again this morning - dead.  It is currently in our dressing room laying on the floor next to its own severed head....

okay - lunch then strip!!! Then later I'll look at what I wrote for today's exercise stuff and go do that in the gym.

Tuesday

So - I didn't wake up until just gone 9am - so I actually, for the first time in ages got just over 8 hours sleep!

I eventually got up - to a dead mouse in the kitchen without a head!  and since then I have changed the cat litter and sorted the bins out and other than that I have sat at my laptop - and it is now lunch time.

I've just been chatting to lissa about not having an exercise plan - so I am going to do one.  I need to do more than just run if I want to get properly fit.  So I might do something like this:

Monday - Upper body and skipping circuit (Lissa's suggestion)
Tuesday - running club
Wednesday - abs/core and cardio (I can incorporate the exercises I need to do for running)
Thursday - my long run
Friday - legs, glutes - and maybe rower & bike a little bit
Saturday - park run
Sunday - naff-all

That means running wise I should do about - 8k Tuesday, 10k Thursday and 5k saturday - bring me to 23k a week - which is over the required amount for my challenge...and I also have a few 10k runs booked in on Sundays.  I also want to gradually increase my 10k long runs....if I get to 16k - thats 10 miles - and if I can get to 20k - thats a half marathon (almost - think I need about 21k for that).  But when I say gradual - I need an extra 1k on top every 3 weeks or so.

I also need to stop drinking so often and sort my diet out.  I will be better at all the exercise stuff if I could lose weight! BUT it's hard - I like food and alcohol lol

So.  What should I do for the rest of the day? Andy is in London and I have running club at 6.30pm.  Oh! I need to order a bathroom suite...decide what I am going to do with the floor and finish stripping the wall paper off the annex bedroom wall.  Once I have done the walls - I can get the plasterer in and then get a carpet - and sort that bedroom out.  We realised this weekend when ppl stayed over that the first choice for a room to stay in is the 4 poster room (obvs) but then second choice in the annex bedroom - with the attic last on the list! So it would be good to get that bedroom sorted - and when the bathroom is sorted too - that'll be awesome - and if Connor stays a while i'd like to have seperate bathrooms.  So I feel good that progress is being made again.  I suppose I should order the bathroom stuff and then go do some stripping!

Sun/Mon

Sunday was mostly about people going home after the weekend!  Adam and Erika went first - while lissa was showing me and Emily some exercises to do with weights!  Emily reckons she is going to be my gym buddy when they move in next week.

Lissa and Antony went next...I miss them all so much but Lissa and I have a lot in common - we both can talk forever - and we love gym stuff and it would be brilliant if we lived local to each other and could do all the gym/running/weights stuff together.  We used to do circuit training together - in the kitchen in our old house, we would use the opportunity to chat and have a laugh too and we motivated each other to do it. 

Anyway - then Emily and Connor here until about 8pm - as their train wasn't until late.  We discussed jobs they could get and where - when they move here.  I'm a little worried that they'll get used to having a lot of money from two jobs with no rent or bills and start living it up!  They already mentioned going on holiday - and THIS IS NOT THE PLAN.  We are letting them move in so that they can sort themselves out - then move to Bristol.  I think me and Andy are a little stressed that they won't stick to the plan and just get used to being a little cash rich!  It will cost us extra money too - as we will be paying the extra on the bills - water, gas, electric, and it is bound to cost for other things too...and we are still trying to get ourselves sorted out paying for a big house like this.  So I plan on having a frank conversation with them when they get here - but I don't want to sound like a ogre either!  I know I get stressed about mess too....and i am guessing they are not exactly really tidy people - but I don't know Emily that much - I guess I am judging her on Connor's standards!  So - that is the stress part of it - on the other hand I think it might be nice having them here - and having a gym buddy - and also they have said they are going to join taunton running club and do the couch to 5k course that they run!  Then they can come to the park run with me on a saturday morning too.  They say all this - lets see if it pans out!

So - after they left - me and Andy just had a bit of a tidy and chilled before going to bed!!

Monday - I tried calling the plumbers again.  The company did almost all the work for us on our heating, bathrooms and kitchen etc. last year - and we got on really well.  I have been chasing them about more work and they seem to be ignoring all my emails and phone calls.  this is a worry because I don't know why they would do that.  I called again and david the boss actually answered the phone and I thought HA! I've got you now!!!  He sounded a little awkward at first because he has obviously been getting all my messages.  Anyway - he apologised and I think they are mega busy and I've been asking for breakdowns of prices and stuff that he just couldn't be arsed with whilst so busy!  I told him about an overflow pipe pissing out water outside - and he said he'd get somebody to me that day or tomorrow.  He also said he will get a price and come and do the first fix for the bathroom asap.  So We'll see....

An engineer did come and have a look at the over flow pipe and it seems that our cold water is backing up into the hot then spewing out.  So 1) we are wasting water we are paying for on a meter, 2) it is hot water - so we are paying to heat it and 3) cold water is going into the hot water cylinder and cooling it down - so we are paying more money to try and bring the temperature up!  So...shame this has been going on for ages and we did nothing about it (cos we don't know if it is normal or not!) but hopefully once it is fixed (wednesday or Thursday) hopefully our bills will go down again!!

Today also - the mechanic came and finished the work on Andy's car - he needed break pads...and did a service on my old banger - he told me my car is in great condition!  Its old (11 years old I think) but has low mileage - about 34,000.

Hello fresh food was delivered - and they delivered the wrong thing so we have a fish dish egghhhh

Other than that I didn't do much - pottered - clean up - weed killer in garden.....didn't do my long run I usually do on a Monday cos I have running club tomorrow and I didn't want my hips to be sore.

Went to bed a little earlier - as I was so tired all day.....

saturday - continued

So...after the park run - we came back home and got showers - then we all had egg/bacon/sausage/mushroom - of varying combinations.  Then we got ready and walked down to netherclay (just around the corner) as there was Bishops hull summer-thingy on.  It was quite small and seemed a little rubbish at first - but there was a bouncy castle type thing with something that rotated in the middle - you had to either duck - or jump.  I suggested to Adam, Lissa and Connor that they go on it...I was so pleased when they agreed.  I love that about them - so many people would have said no!  So they went on it and is was soooooo funny!!!  They would have their legs knocked from under them - end up on the bottom and have to jump up quickly before it came around again!!

Some pics....

They were knackered afterwards! lol.....we had a sit down for a bit - and then we walked into taunton.  A really nice walk through Longrun Meadow.

When we got into Taunton Somerfest was on - we walked through it - then went into a pub - where we stayed for the rest of the day haha!  We had a really good laugh.  After, that was, Adam managed to tip a bottle of vape liquid - which is oily - all over himself!  He was squeezing a big bottle of the stuff into a smaller bottle and it was coming out really slowly so he squeezed it so hard that the lid shot off - it went all over the table - and all over his jeans - including his groin area - he was LIVID.  Then - he decided to squeeze the last bit out - I shouted - don't do it again - as Connor shouted - the lid isn't on properly - and he did it again!  This time - we were all trying not to laugh and Adam was properly fuming!! In the end Erika had to go and buy him a new pair of jeans, new boxer shorts and some more vape stuff.  Connor and Emily also went off and bought more vape stuff - not knowing Erika was doing the same!  Adam claimed he would be pissed off for the rest of the day - but soon chilled out once he was cleaned up and changed!!

So - we had quite a few drinks in the pub and I properly laughed loads!!

Me and Lisa took the pic on the left and Connor pointed out how alike it was to the pic that he and Emily has.....

Think we spent ages trying to get a good one...lol Lissa looks nice!

Connor and Emily (the skint ones) were buying cocktails - me and Lissa drank Connors pina colada about 5 seconds after he said he didn't like it.  This was his replacement....

We eventually dragged ourselves out of the pub (I suspect Andy was thinking I was getting too drunk!) and we got taxi's back to the house - and carried on the fun!!  This lot ordered pizza and kebabs (look at Connor!!), me and Lissa ordered a curry - which we couldn't really eat as we'd eaten some of their pizza!!

After me, Connor and Lissa, spent ages trying to throw a sweet with our feet - for the other to catch it in their mouth (haha disgusting I know) this lot decided to try and do an Irish jig.....

A very good night was had by all - and if Lissa reminds me of anything else we did or laughed about - I'll add it in!!