Flush by 30?

Hello everyone,

it's been a minute since I last updated!

Had a much better week than last week, but my energy levels are so low... honestly, I don't know where this has come from. I'm sat here now yawning my head off. Work has been super productive, so maybe that's partially why.

Dutch is going ok, I've learned the basics now so I can say lots of things in simple present tense, like 'you have two elephants!' ...not sure how helpful that is, but it's a start.

By the way, it's 'Jullie hebben zwee oliphanten!'

Had a bit of a nightmare financially today (it's a bit complicated so please bear with):

I have to do another MA as part of my job, which means my employer is paying for it. It's a distance learning deal, which means that three times this year (once in April, once in May, once in June) I have to travel down to the university which is really far away, and stay over for a residential learning weekend. Normally, we're asked to book with that university's conference team, and stay over on campus but when I asked them for a quote for those dates they said they had no rooms available.

So, I was told today to book my hotels, but I had to do it on my (cleared!!) credit card, on the understanding that work would pay my expenses back. For all three trips it came out at £527. This was at half 2 this afternoon - I then went to do a teaching session with a group of students. That finished at half 4, and I popped back to the office to turn off my PC and grab my coat and stuff.

I noticed when I got back I had an e-mail from the conferencing team at my university. It was an apology e-mail, telling me that for TWO of my weekends (but not all three) the cost of my stay was actually included in the tuition fee, which work have already paid. My heart absolutely sank at this point, because those 2 weekends were incredibly expensive compared to the first - which suddenly made sense to me. Because I haven't paid the fees myself, I hadn't noticed the difference in fees really - but apparently for SOME of the modules, accommodation and food is included.

To be totally clear: it does not state this clearly on any of my paperwork, because I immediately checked!! Obviously I told my manager, and she panicked too and rang Finance... and they said that because of how expensive those modules are, and because accommodation IS provided in them, they won't pay my expenses for the 2nd two weekends I booked by mistake.

To make matters worse, work have this policy where you HAVE to book the cheapest rooms available if you book a hotel, which means my bookings with Premier Inn are non-refundable ones

AND it has now transpired that I will actually need accommodation the night before each weekend, because it's simply not possible to get to the university by train in the morning before the sessions start, and that ISN'T included in this expensive, pre-paid accommodation.

SO... I am now going to have to call the Premier Inn in the morning (already spoke to a receptionist this afternoon and she was really sweet but said she doesn't have the authority to do anything so I have to talk to her manager, who isn't in until 7am tomorrow). I am going to have to point out that I am well aware I booked non-refundable rooms, but pray she understands my position. I can claim for the first stay from work, because I really do need the room, but I have no idea about the rest of it.

At this stage even if they are willing to let me change my dates (which I shouldn't be allowed to but hoping they'll be kind) that would be amazing because I could just make my OH come for a weekend away with me or something over our anniversary... but if they say no I'm just going to have to take the £400+ hit, which obviously I really would rather not do

Ugh, it's too stressful

I feel like I've been gone FOREVER!!

I was at my OH's for a bit last week and we were out and about so not much time for updates, and work has been really taking it out of me ever since... I really love my job and I love how fast the days go but I have been just about keeping my head above water in terms of keeping projects on track so when I've got home I've just about had time for a brew, a bath and bed!!

This also means my MSE-goals haven't been top priority either. I've not been terrible, I'm probably at the same place I was last month rather than being worse off, but I won't be able to make as many overpayments this month. I'm determined not to be sad about it though as my normal payments are still fine, and I've sorted Euros for my friend's Dutch wedding later this year.

Current favourite Dutch phrase: Honden houden hoeden - dogs love hats!

I hope everyone else is doing well, I'm about to go and have a (well-deserved!!) hot bath as today I have edited a novel chapter, shovelled about half a tonne of gravel out of my garden, cleaned out the rabbits, done food shopping, changed my bedding, done three loads of washing, weather-proofed the rabbit hutch and made two appointments - one for a rabbit vaccination and one for my eyes testing. I've even organised outfits for every day next week!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to catch up on everyone's diaries - I bet a lot's happened while I've been away!!