Financial faux pas and other disasterous decisions

moo2moo

Both DDs have fancy dress Thursday this week so spent yesterday helping DD1 make an eye patch and cutlass for her pirate costume. DD2 is supposed to be going in St Lucian national dress. I don't think I can get away with sending her in shorts and a t-shirt clutching a bottle of white rum with a spliff hanging out of her mouth (sorry St. Lucians) but really who comes up with this stuff?

DD2 made homemade egg pasta inspired by a thread on Old Style asking if people made the food from their heritage. Well I don't but thought I'd try it with the kids. Instant pasta 20 seconds out of a pack, in the pan, 10 minutes later on a plate. Home made pasta as nona used to make ooh a mere 5 hours and a fair bit of sweat followed by another 15 minutes attempting to liberate it from our hands. Its what inspired the inventor of No More Nails. Seriously you could stick shelves up with this stuff. Fair dos the stuff does cook in a couple of minutes but I'd clearly forgotten that in the process it defies the laws of physics and expands much like expanding foam to become like a thing possessed. I'll be spending the morning cleaning the hob (again).

I'd also promised DD1 that she could make cakes but cheated a bit by making instantly edible cornflake cakes which were eaten immediately, well pasta making is hungry work.

Finally persuaded OH to try on his work trousers so that I could shorten them only to discover that after 6 months in the wardrobe awaitening shortening whilst the previous pair disintegrated beyond all deccency they'd actually supplied the correct length in the first place. Thats one less thing to do.

Plan for the day. The dreaded E-bay. I really do have to shift this tat. DD2s bedroom was cleared out yesterday. 4 bags of outgrown toys and clothes to be dispatched, only 3 items suitable for E-bay, the rest are going to schools Bag2School fundraising collection on friday. DD1 and OHs clothes are destined for the same treatment. That should keep me busy for a bit.

lucielle

It feels so good getting rid of stuff. Lol to the pasta.
L

moo2moo

Yesterday morning was far too exciting as far as mornings go. Arrived in school to a very irate cat yowling from the flat roof where it had ingeneously lept before deciding the return journey to earth was not achievable. Armed with only a ladder I bravely went where no person has gone for quite some time (as proved by several dozen assorted balls and beanbags). Did 3 circuits of the roof with a growing audience of onlookers all offering helpful comments. Finally pinned the thing in a corner intending to grab it by the scruff of the neck. It clearly had other ideas and attached itself firmly to me, its heroic rescuer, using only its teeth. Being a church school one isnt allowed to swear, although its very difficult to remember this when the worlds fattest cat is hanging from the fleshy part of your hand via its germ infested fangs. Cat safely returned to earth. Rescue mission over. Qucik trip into school for immersion of the hand in neat dettol followed by a trip to the quacks for a tetanus booster. My arm is like a brick thanks to the jab and my hand is now the size of a balloon and very hot which doesn't bode well. I forsee a return visit to the quacks for a course of antibiotics in the very near future.

Made £1.75 profit on a qualifying bet yesterday (4 more to go) and paid an extra £100 of the debt. Then drank far far far too much red wine by way of medicianal anaesthesia and so the rest of the evening is a bit vague.

lucielle

Cat 1 Moo 0. Shame you couldn't bet on that! Hope hand is getting better.
L

moo2moo

£107.55 from Quidco is winging its way into my accounts. A further 3 of the 5 qualifying bets placed. One to go but not until later as I'm out of cash. All the decent matches were at high odds so my float got tied up rather quickly.

Off to spend an hour doing something productive.

beanielou

:eek: :eek: to the cat story(though the way you told it did make me laugh!¬!)
Hope your hand is ok.

rupe34

moo - how is your hand today?

moo2moo

Happy Friday morning all. Today is a Bidet. No not a receptacle for washing ones derriere but the latest council lingo for teachers being in school whilst children are not. they clearly didn't think one through. This means I don't have to go in quite so early as none of the teachers will turn up much before 8:15. Also means I have to do a full day but get to slope off as soon as the last one departs. Heres hoping no one has the bright idea of ordering take out so that they all get hungry and leave before one pm. I can dream.

Hand is battered, bruised and swollen but not hot so no infection. Just as well because I'm spending today painting a ceiling. Thats after I move a ton of fabric and used clothing from an assortment of cupboards throughout the school to the car park ready for collection by the Bag2School lot who will in return send school a very large cheque.

I'm 10p off my next Bingo scratchcard tenner. Managed a £3 paypal survey yesterday and sold another book on Green Metropolis. Just waiting for the end of month statements to arrive so that i can work out this months grand total.

Project Landrover has been ramped up one more notch heralding the arrival of another set of axel stands and mutterings about an engine crane (estimated £300) and an engine stand but all work has stopped thanks to the wheels of the replacement chassis having been welded on during the fire which turned it from a drivable vehicle into a hunk of scrap metal. My hands are permanently oil stained.

Holiday preparation has begun. So far I've blown £25 on a box of books from bananas, some are for birthdays so its not quite so bad. Also had an unexpected £22 to pay for next weeks chidcare session thanks to OH volunteering for overtime at work completely oblivious to it being the same day (the only day in fact) that he'd agreed to have the DDs that week. Since he'll earn considerably more than that its not a huge issue but it did present a bit of a headache.

Two of yesterdays losing bets are showing as unsettled although I've been paid out at the exchange. When they're updated that will release a £50 free bet, hopefully in time for tomorrows matches. Won't be doing much else for a while. All the bookies seem to have downgraded their offers in anticipation of the Grand National. The worst offender having dropped from £200 to £20.

moo2moo

Arrived home to find OH had spent £223.50 before getting dressed. Obviously this is completely my fault. He found an engine crane at a far too good to be true price whilst drooling over t'internet last night. £182.82 including VAT and free delivery but clicking the buy it button whopped the price up to £305 (they're over £400 elsewhere). I fired off an e-mail to the company in question who phoned this morning and amazingly said they would honour the lower price and the free delivery offer and have it here by Monday. The poor boy was so excited he ordered the engine stand too. Easy come and far far far too easy go.

Finally got rid of all the teachers at 2, promptly went to Mr Ts and blew £82 including £10 of junk as I was feeling guilty for working during the holidays and got sick of saying no. Mind you the amount they've argued that feeling won't last long.

moo2moo

I'd like to be able to say that I've spent the compulsory MSE free weekend wisely but I'd be lying. I've read a novel and a half, done some Hama beading with DD2, helped OH with project Landie, stuck some more of DD1s paper elephant together and removed lots and lots of nettles from the garden.

Postie brought a cheque for a little over £33 from Global Test Market, I claimed another free tenner from bingo and matched betting resulted in £44 profit. I signed up to a euro bookie but couldn't figure out how to deposit without handing over an arm and a leg. Having read a few more tails of woe from people attempting to withdraw cash from them I've decided its far more hassle than its worth, ok it would initially be £22 free but after deductions it would end up being an awful lot less than that and I'm not entirely convinced about handing over all my bank details.

OH is working evenings so I should have a little bit of peace but the DDs are being rather stubborn about going to bed. Have bribed them with dessert in the hopes they'll be a little more compliant.