Horace's Bootstraps Diary

MrsPorridge

:eek: Poor Horace - hope you don't come down with whatever it was The Dragon had - sounds nasty.

Horace

Thanks Dragon and MrsP

I think it is either the flu or Norovirus which is doing the rounds at the mo. Thankfully I live in a flat so I can just fall out of bed and roll into the bathroom.

I cooked my brisket with onions, pearl barley and carrot but couldnt be bothered to thicken the gravy so I mopped it up with some bread because I was too lazy to peel the spuds so didnt do them. I also tried some of the kale and it was tasty just like cabbage.:D Still have tons left.

I spent part of the afternoon slobbed out in front of the telly, I really don't feel like doing much (I did take a day & night nurse capsule in the hope that it would make me feel better but it hasnt). Ho hum, best ride it out the best I can.:rolleyes:

Horace

Morning all.

Had a rude awakening this morning, my phone was ringing at 7.35am:eek: - it was the lady from freecycle who has offered me a box of twinlock crystal suspension files (they are normally really expensive). When I saw them offered, I said that I was setting up a business and was totally skint.

I had to email her last night because I was feeling particularly poorly to say that I wouldnt be able to collect them and that rather than putting her to any more inconvenience then it would be best to offer them to someone else. She rang me this morning to say that she would keep them for me until I was better and she has since emailed me with directions to her house and her phone number so that I can ring when I am ready to collect and she will leave them somewhere if she isnt in. She has put them under her own desk so that they are not in her way. I am grateful to her and this is the first time I have managed to get something from freecycle although I have offered stuff:D

I have lost the instruction book for my house phone so had to ring Binatone today - god they keep you hanging on for ages, I was on the phone for more than 25 minutes, they told me how to delete the messages from my answerphone and pointed me in the direction of their website so that I can print off a replacement manual - all 34 pages of it:eek: I have a feeling that the original one was scooped up with my newspapers and dumped in the paper recycling bin down the road:mad:

Don't feel like doing any work today either:rolleyes:

Runnybabbit

Hi Horace,

Sorry your not feeling well today - I blame the government !!!!!.

Chat later
Babbit xx

The_Dragon

Wowza on the freecycle (go the lady that was prepared to hold back and keep the stuff for you!), have you thought about joining the Staples loyalty plan so that when you are buying paper etc for your printer you will eventually build up enough to get some free!

I hope you feel better soon and good luck with everything!

Horace

Well, the flu has come out, I now have a runny nose and can't stop sneezing - my nose looks like Rudolph's:rolleyes:

My friends have been fab, one of my bestest friends in all the world even offered to go shopping for me today saying that I could pay her when I was better:D . At the moment, I don't need anything and if I run out of loo roll I have 12 rolls of kitchen roll that could be utilised:rotfl: Hopefully, I won't be incapacitated for too long because I have too much to do.

Last night I decided to spend one of my Amazon vouchers - I would have used pigsback for points but it seems that Amazon is no longer associated with them:mad: So I ordered my books regardless, two books were recommended by one of the wedding tutors and the other because it was everything for a budget wedding. I shall claim the cost of these back from the business when it starts earning.

I spent hours on the phone last night with another friend who is going through a hard time at the mo - not helped by the actions of his ex who is being a particularly spiteful creature lately:mad: Hopefully, my chum is feeling a lot better today.

Thanks for the tip about Staples - Dragon, I had thought about using them but there isnt a shop close by so I shall look and see if they deliver. I cannot believe the kindness of the freecycle woman either - her actions have restored my faith in humanity:D

I must also get a quote and take out some insurance - namely professional indeminity and public liability - hopefully I will be able to pay these monthly rather than being hit by a big bill all at once. I shall endeavour to look at that next week when hopefully I shall be feeling a lot better.

Must go to the bank this week too because I need to put in an HB cheque - I have no idea why the council insist on paying this benefit in arrears because it means that I am always dipping into my overdraft:mad: At least when I start to test trade the lovely government will give me an extra £15 a week on top of my £60.50 a week JSA - this is for petrol but will probably be used to pay off a credit card that has business debt on it.:rolleyes:

Well I am going to sign off for a while now because I cannot stop my nose from running and I feel dreadful. (Yes, Babbit, I also blame the government, they are responsible for everything).

Horace

Good news - I am on the mend, I slept in too and dragged myself out of bed at 10.15:j I was so perky that I drove to the village to bank my HB cheque and to buy some cough mixture (good old Covonia Balsalm).

My business phone has also started to ring which is great but so far not clients but potential suppliers, I now have a good link with Activity Wales for stag and hen weekends. I am starting to look forward to the National Wedding Show at the NEC on 10 October, must remember flat shoes, no hot clothes and take some money in a zipped pocket. I have been warned by a fellow student who went to the same show in Earls Court that you come away with loads of bags and tons of contacts. Shan't bother with lunch, I shall just scoff free cake:rotfl:

Horace

I ended up having another NSD today - I went to catch the bus into town but was ill whilst standing at the bus stop so I came home again:rolleyes: I need to go out tomorrow because I have some parcels to collect from the post office, one should be a wall planner and another some books (books on wedding etiquette, flowers and budgets). I am also in desperate need of toilet rolls.

Had some free stuff in the post today which was unexpected and totally fab - anyone want an Austin Court USB stick? Might come in handy plus its purple.

My OH is coming up at the weekend and has promised to take me out for dinner although I will cook on Saturday night because I want to show off my Remoska - its a night in as I watch Merlin followed by Strictly. I found myself offering to do OH's washing too:eek: - let's hope its going to be dry at the weekend so it can go out on the line rather than hang about in the flat. Maybe I can prise some money out of his sticky paws - especially if he has £2 coins on him:rotfl:

I spent part of today putting some words together for an assignment - I really can't be bothered but that's down to still being a bit fluey:rolleyes:

Not much going on, decided to save £1.05 a month by cancelling my union subs, I don't need them anymore and anyway what do I need with a union when I am going to be self-employed? That small saving might not be a lot but it frees up more money for credit cards or even to buy the odd newspaper.

Horace

I have been sent the first page for my new website today, I have asked for a few words to be changed on the front page and the rest of the pages are being worked on.

Is the site swanky or what?:j

The colour scheme is shades of blue and lilac (my favourite colours) and I am toying with including a wedding saying which is really appropriate:

Something Old
Something New
Something Borrrowed
Something Blue


The Old is the latin word for betrothed, the New is the website and my new business, the Borrowed is my logo from vistaprint and the Blue is the colour scheme.

If I say so myself the front page looks like the dogs nick nacks:rotfl: I have run it past my best mate and she said OMG and immediately asked me for some business cards.:j

Watch this space....:eek: its scarey, am I ready (uhm possibly), do I have enough suppliers (no), am I the dogs nick nacks (yes), will I become a millionaire (maybe if I make friends with an accountant):D

Methinks...I need to have a lie down, all this excitement isnt good for me.

Horace

:eek: My website is due to go live by the end of the week:eek:

Am I ready? Am I heckers like:eek: I have been lured onto MSE way too much and so I haven't been doing what I was supposed to have been doing.

I need to set up my email using a POP3 account and that's proving a tad difficult because I am not only a bit dense on all things technical but Virgin's mail servers are down and have been since yesterday afternoon:mad: thus making life doubly difficult.

I chose some rather classy and stylish pics for my website using istock - they have tons of fab pics on there. My website looks like the dogs nick nacks (which means fab in brummie parlance:D )

This afternoon, I have been busy getting quotes for public liability & professional indemnity insurance and once again Hiscox seem to be the cheapest even with the addition of cover for my business belongings both in and out of the office. I would only need to pay £36.33 a month for both insurances:j

Well, on Friday I am due to visit the National Wedding Show at the NEC and may or may not have a spare ticket depending on whether or not one of my chums gets the job he applied for, if he did, then we will go together then if not, he has interviews to attend instead:rolleyes: If he can't go, I am now wondering if the NEC will accept my ticket back but it is only for Friday

I can't wait to start earning but it sure is a scarey prospect. I have arranged with the jobcentre to go in to sign all their paperwork to ensure that I still get my benefits during test trading plus an extra £15 a week for petrol, then I have to go to the Chamber and complete their paperwork and then visit my mentor again at the Chamber.

Need to crack on with my assignments too because I want to get my diploma and have letters after my name (this will look fab on the old website).

Now I just need to get my hair done because I have been too skint to have it done and all my grey has reappeared:mad: :eek: I need to look good.

Wish me luck everybody...."shakes with terror"