Room for two?

Today's been rather fraught. It was the last day of my first working week. Yes I know it's only Thursday but I've got Friday off as I have a prior engagement which I'd booked before I started work. Although the children are going on a trip tomorrow and I'd love to be going with them as it sounds really exciting and I'm looking forward to hearing about it from them on Monday morning when I'm back.

After work OH and I decided we'd try and conquer many tasks. Firstly we went double bed shopping. I can't remember if I mentioned or not that we were thinking of doing this or not. We're currently in separate rooms and OH is on a camp bed. Not very ideal, so we're looking for a double bed that will fit comfortably into the room I'm in so we can a) be together and b) both be comfortable in the long term. We tried a few beds out. The ones with memory foam were rather comfy but OH isn't sure if it wouldn't be too hot in the summer. I think that it'll probably be O.K. but if anyone has a bed with memory foam then please do tell us what it feels like to lay on day in day out especially in the summer.

Next we tackled the weekly shop. That practically brought on a marital. Or at least it would if we were married! I suggested that we might want to get a small trolley. He was adamant that we only needed a basket saying that we didn't need that much. I said we didn't have to fill the trolley to the brim but he was having none of it. I was thinking about the drink cartons and water bottles I needed to buy for lunches and cans of pop I needed to stock up on. In hindsight we agreed later that it would have made more sense if I'd pointed that out in the first place and then we may have had a trolley to start off with rather than struggling half way around with the basket and then me putting my foot down and getting the trolley! I love him dearly though.

By then it was getting late and we hadn't had dinner so we were naughty and opted for a Chinese. OH left me to order while he nipped home to dump the shopping. We ended up with far too many spring rolls as our order went over a certain price bracket so we got some free as well as the ones we'd already ordered. By the end of dinner I was so stuffed I could hardly move and it was making me sleepy. We sat down with OH's parents and watched a programme about how some oil rig had been made. I only got half way through at most before I nodded off. We were meant to be packing ready for the weekend but we've decided to leave that till tomorrow morning now.

Aspirational Goldfish

Ever since I got my job offer and I've been prepping for work next week I've been thinking about the future. There are certain things I think you start to think about at particular times in your life. Mine so far have been a place of my own to life in with my OH, children but before all that a job. Now I have a job I can move onto the other things. I don't think I'm quite ready for children just yet and we haven't really accrued enough money yet to buy somewhere (we could start thinking about renting though). OH's mum made us smile this morning (well me this evening when OH told me). She suggested now I had a job that we might want to get a double bed! So it's not just me that's thinking ahead. Oh course the logistics of that are a little tricky considering the rooms we inhabit but the idea does sound very inviting.

I on the other hand have been going down the adding to the family numbers route. Whilst children are off the menu for now a pet would be quite nice. We can't really get a cat or a dog or something small and furry as there isn't really room or time for them and some family members have an aversion to certain animals. When I was in town the other day buying clothes I spotted an aquarium shop and went in to look at the fish. There was a £28 starter kit that included a fish bowl, some weed and food, a net and 2 goldfish. A bargain price I thought. However a fish still needs some looking after, feeding, cleaning out the bowl and such which all cost money on a regular basis. So they've become aspirational fish. Ones which I will buy when I have more money to burn and a better place to keep them. Instead for now I've set my sight on some sea monkeys. If you've not heard of them before they're basically little Brine Shrimp. They cost less than £20 and live for 2 years and come with a packet of food that's meant to last a year. So that's a pet that'll cost you £20 for one year plus about £1 a year to feed them once the first year's food runs out. I've had them before and not been as successful as I would have liked but I think I've learned from my success so I'm hoping if I do get some then I'll become a sea monkey expert. I'll make a mother of me yet!

Shop till you drop

Today I've been out spending the money I just received from my deposit on the house I was renting while at Uni. I've had to have the cheque sent to me twice now since the first one was lost by my ever so organised parents. Mum opened it first and put it in a "safe place" then dad picked it up and mum told him not to loose it and to put it somewhere safe. Only problem was dad's somewhere safes are usually pretty forgettable so he couldn't remember where he'd put it. They turned the whole house upside down looking for it. In the end I was forced to phone the landlady up and ask for her to cancel the cheque and re-send another. Then I made parents promise to put the cheque in an envelope and mail it as soon as it touched their eager little palms.

Anyway, Said cheque has now paid for 4 new tops and 2 new pairs of trousers ready for work on Monday morning. I'd only got my 2 interview outfits with me which wasn't a very good wardrobe and as I can't go back to pick some more things up until next Friday I sort of needed to buy a few things to keep me going. Plus it was a nice treat for all the hard work applying for jobs. I also bought myself a lunch box and a new pencil case and pens and pencils. It feels a bit like the first day at school (well it is I suppose!). I'm getting nervous now. I'm going in tomorrow to sort out contract and things like that and also to sort out which bus routes I'm using to get to work.

I'm knackered now from all the shopping I've done. You wouldn't think that it would take so much out of you but I spent a good hour in one shop trying on outfits. OH, his gym "life-partner" and I went out for a drink after work which was most unexpected as they were supposed to be going to the gym but chose to give me a celebratory drink instead (any old excuse!). It was nice being able to sit and unwind and I'm looking forward to doing that having had a hard days work next week. I think I'll appreciate the evenings more now. Then OH and I decided to be naughty and go for a Chinese takeaway. I had to look for one in the yellow pages on my phone though. You would have thought that having lived here since the early 70's that my other half would know where there was a Chinese takeaway but he apparently doesn't despite his love of them *sigh*.