Taking my finger off the self-destruct button

Wordsmith

Time for an MSE update.

Pluses:

• House sale seems to be going ahead, although there was a bit of a hiccup. (Note how this is now at the top of the Plus list – I am still sad about it, but selling is definitely the right thing to do.)
• I have kept up with bills and paying off debts in tiny chunks. I have slipped into my business overdraft, but do have invoices pending payment that will take me back into the black.
• I finally got my finger out and requested a CCA for one of my credit cards. The deadline is well overdue now and they haven’t been able to produce it. Now, I know this means that the debt isn’t enforceable (unless they find the CCA, presumably, and it is all above board?), but I don’t know what to do with this information. I did, after all, spend on the card and so I feel morally obliged to pay it back. I suppose it means at least that they can’t come knocking at my door and be threatening.
• I have been posting on the self-employed thread to make sure I do the jobs I should each day. This is having a positive effect on my productivity, I am very pleased to say.
• Got a free fruit cake this morning.

Unpluses:

• To be polite, I am going to have to eat that fruit cake. And this particular type of fruit cake tastes so good with thick butter or custard on it.
• Work is definitely getting scarcer. I will have to work out some kind of action plan to bring more in. I am working all hours still and spend my days being “busy”, but still not bringing in enough dosh. This will be addressed along with my “rebirthing” (see earlier post).
• I went over to the UK for my dad’s laying to rest. This was not an unplus in any shape or form except for the price of the flights. Which were :eek:. The few days away were lovely for lots of good reasons and it was great to see my sister. Actually, there was another unplus connected to this trip. When I picked up the hound she was gratifyingly pleased to see me, and faltered only slightly when I put her in the car and she realised she was leaving behind those-who-love-and-adore her and was stuck with me. When I got to the cottage I suddenly found myself standing in the middle of the lane, in the dark and all alone: the tart ran straight over to lovely landlady’s house to see her mate Charlie and pick up her wee-mails; mama cat was sitting on the kitchen window-sill of lovely landlady (and even though she must have heard me drive in she didn’t bother to come to greet me); and Brian, lovely landlady discovered after we had searched for him for ten minutes, had decamped to elderly gentleman’s residence down the road, where he was very comfortably ensconsed on the sofa with a full belly. Hurrumph. Apparently Brian has been visiting elderly gentleman for some time, without my knowledge. Elderly gentleman’s son came into the shop on Sunday and said, “Your little fella is down at ours having his breakfast.” Actually, that would be his second breakfast.
• Short-fuse client still owes me a fair whack, although he has now paid a little bit of it.
• Had to buy a new car. The old one wasn’t legal (actually, hadn’t been for some time ). It needed money spent on it and although it was good enough to spend the money, I still wouldn’t have been able to make it legal (long story). So, another bullet had to be bitten and a new car was purchased. It isn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was all that was available at the time and was from someone I (semi-)trusted. And it is legal!
• I had to buy car tax today. €347 for the year. Oh gawd. Being legal has its drawbacks.
• I am getting very close to the time I have to buy a new laptop. Mine is over six years old and has been in constant use for all of that time. It is slow and getting unreliable and as I depend on it for making a living, I am going to have to replace it.

Favoured friend came to stay for a week. I worked most of it, but we did have a day out together. We went to Bunratty Folk Park. And a very enjoyable day we had. It was a bit expensive - €15 each to get in. It is probably better value in the summer, when there are demonstrations and things going on. It was very MSE for the hound, though. She got in for free; when we had lunch the lady serving felt sorry for her and gave her a bowl of water and some soda bread with butter; and then when we went into the farmhouse kitchen place (they weren’t doing cooking demonstrations so mutt was allowed in too) she was given a free scone with butter. I have to say, though, she did me proud. She was so well behaved (sorry, did I say that in a surprised tone of voice?). She didn’t blink an eye at the hens (she was brought up with hens), or the sheep, but she was rather intrigued by the pigs as she hadn’t seen pink grunting things before. (Cue for an improper joke or comment about lack of exercising in our house.) Fortunately, the Irish Wolfhounds were in the stables – if she’d seen them she’d have been scared. They were massive. I used to have a Great Dane and an Irish Wolfhound – both big boys, but nothing like the size of these giants.

Well, log jam certainly seems to have been breached!

Seaxwyn

Good to have you back, Wordsmith, and best of luck with the rebirthing. I look forward to following developments.

little_h_2

Great to see you back spring has certainly sprung and it's difficult not to feel a sense of rebirth/new wonderful things, even without everything you have been dealing with.

you have left some wonderful kind words on my diary and they are very much appreciated.

Tears are a funny thing. I normally get them the wrong way round - I cry and wail when I am angry and frustrated, and shout and scream when I am upset :rotfl: They come differently to different people, and just because they don't come at all, doesn't mean there is no emotion there. Better than crocodile tears which mean nothing.

Glad the logjam is no more!

poorbutrich

Wordsmith wrote: »

I, but my general lowness has I think made me a bit panicky.

This is the bridging post between the old and the new. I will get back to proper MSE posts.

Hi Wordsmith

Good to get an update from you. I hope you felt better after that outpouring. You have such high standards for yourself, you really are an inspiration. However, don't worry about letting it all out here; you've had a rough time lately.

Did you get your back checked out? It's probably nothing - you work hard and I imagine you're at a computer for much of the day, so hopefully an osteopath could sort this out in minutes.

I think it's an Irish thing not to be a hypochondriac! However, I struggled on with a crippling pain in my back for nearly a year until my OH made me an appointment with an osteopath who clicked me back into place within 5 minutes. I was furious with myself for not having taken action earlier!

Hope you're ok. Look after yourself pbr xxx

Wordsmith

Oh, dear. Sorry - I didn't mean it to be an outpouring:o. I just get a bit carried away with words - why say something in twenty words when you can say it in 200? But thank you everyone for your replies.

I should have added two pluses. (This is not because I am focusing on negatives. I think.)


Pluses:

• Favoured friend gave me a Kindle (for the birthday I wasn't celebrating). I was lusting after one of these but couldn't justify spending the money on one. I hadn't even mentioned to him that I'd like one. I love it! I do love books for books' sake, but I also love reading, and can keep the two separate. There are some books I would want only in their paper version, but there are some that I am happy to have or even actually would prefer to have in Kindle form. (Could have said all I needed to in six words ...)

I've forgotten what the second plus is. I'll come back to it.

RosaBernicia

hi Wordsmith

Just popping out of lurkdom to wish you a belated happy birthday.

I'm another one who's random with tears. I very rarely cry - usually busy trying to solve it instead - and even when there's nothing I can do, I mop up everyone else at the time. Then I bawl over burnt toast or a cross word two days later and everyone looks confused. Straws, camels, different strokes etc.

Enjoy the fruit cake

Rosa xx

Horace

You can't beat a good bit of fruit cake ideally with a slice of cheese to go with it.

If you use one or two words then you could be classed as being rude which is why 200 or so is best:rotfl: I love words and my favourite word in the dictionary is Aardvaark - I have no idea why.

caledonian_princess

Just caught up with your diary Wordsmith, thanks for sharing it. Belated happy birthday and a Kindle, how lovely - I love mine and wouldn't be without it now although when I first got it I did wonder whether I'd ever use it.

My favourite word is mellifluous - it just rolls off the tongue in a very satisfying way.

chevalier

Glad to hear the house sale is going through. Will that meant that you will be able to finish the Irish place? Or pay off some debt or both?

Your descriptions of your pets do make me laugh, thanks for that.
chev

moo2moo

My favourite word ever has to be AAAAArmadillo pronounced in the manner of the 1980s Dime Bar advert featuring Harry Enfield. Makes me laugh.