So here's to you, Mrs R....

homegrown_life

You'll love the new puppy - am very jealous!! Take care x

mrs_robinson_3

So, it's really happening. Am being made redundant! Know it might seem to be a major barrier to my plan to be DF by Sept 2011, but am completely thrilled and can barely believe it. My last day at work is 31 December.

Will find preserving my redundancy money for as long as poss a great motivation to spur me on to ever greater levels of MSE achievement, am sure - my apprenticeship here has served me well.

Going to apply to do two lots of voluntary work and other than that, take time to get my CV and my house in order, maybe have a couple of coaching sessions to work out what really want to do with myself, do some writing, get fitter and just enjoy having more time to be, without looking at the clock all the time. And then, just maybe, look for another job.........

Is a risk but one happy to take in certainty that opportunities will emerge and my life will be better and richer for it

Yeah, 2010 watch out, it's my year!

A very excited and slightly breathless

Mrs R

PS: Even better, and further adding to my sense of amazement, Mr R is in the running for redundancy too, and if he gets it, it's fairly serious money........well, something with the potential to be a bit life changing, at least......so fingers crossed, we'll know about him on 1 December when his board will decide

homegrown_life

Raises a glass with Mrs R to 2010!

I was speaking to hubby about if he ever got made redundant and we decided if it did ever happen I'd go to Uni (which there is no way I can do atm), so in a way, even though it might make life difficult, I'd be secretly pleased I think. Not really sure if it's on the cards though, but you never know.

Now get yourself trying out that Virgin bingo scratchy

hypno06

What a change it is to see someone so positive about losing their job

In_my_dreams

Hope you get the redundancy you want and Mr R too - funny wishing that on somebody

rupe34

Exciting times for you Mrs R:beer:

Snowmoredebt

Hope the redundancys go through ok, if redundancy come up where I work I think OH would take it here's hoping!!

mrs_robinson_3

In which Mrs R decides she is really not a dog person after all......

Well, little Reggie Robinson has arrived! He's tiny, a 7 week old tri-coloured Parsons Terrier, who currently looks, to my mind, more like a guinea pig than a dog.

He is rather lovely though, and does the usual sort of puppy antics like chasing his tail, shaking one of Mr R's chunky walking socks as if it's a rabbit etc etc.

Did wonder if this was going to turn me into some kind of dog lady, like a Barbara Walters (??) type, as get older, you know, pockets full of dog treats, overcoat tied with string, headscarf, Hunter wellies etc. But rather think not, so far.

But the DSs absolutely love him, even been-there-done-that-faux-cynical 14.9 year old.

Working from home this week so can tend to all his needs and going ok so far.

Tried so hard to make him an MSE dog but in end succumbed to puppy training pads not newspaper (worth it as he's really "getting it" on the training), and rushed out to buy him a cat bed yesterday (again worth it as he was so tiny and lost in the crate we've been loaned and can always eBay cat bed when he outgrows. Oh, and he doesn't know is cat bed, so don't tell.) Reggie's capital costs have grown from initially modest £20 into not-so-good £55. Hhm.

All of which means my a/c has really taken a hammering and am even a bit scared to look at my balance. But am made of sterner stuff so will force myself in a min.

Is even worse as our joint a/c ran out of funds sooner than usual so been having to pay for food shopping etc too. Bah!

But payday next week and being at home this week should mean plenty of NSDs, we have plenty of food in and more scope for me to cook it all, so not all bad. Therefore should be possible (crosses fingers madly) to end month at whatever my balance currently is, IYSWIM. And have to keep remembering have paid another £400 off the CCs. Does seem to have been interminable month, though.

Also feeling v bad as succumbed to a £23 spend in Debenhams' last week, the lure of the "spectacular", don't you know. And even worse, had meal out, and despite voucher, still spent about £30. Mainly as have fondness for a certain cocktail, which always reminds me why like drinking in first place.....and had got in habit of going at BOGOF happy hour, which in summer goes on til 9pm.....but last week we ordered two and it was £12 as happy hour now finishes at 7pm - winter hours. Huh. So feeling have been v bad and not at all MSE of late. But am still on it really, promise.

Received my notice, last day is 31 December. Way to go! Redundancy payment going to be about £12.5k - not loads, but will keep me going for 7-ish months while look for new opportunities and carve out a new lifestyle. So looking forward to it all!

So ok, got to do some dog stuff now.....take care y'all

Mrs R

scrooge2008

Afternoon Mrs R. Reggie Robinson sounds absolutely adorable, and I detect you are secretly smitten.

Well done on paying £400.00 off your credit card, despite some minor relapses, i'd put it down to wetting the new dog baby's head.

mrs_robinson_3

Right, now the excitement of little Reg's arrival is over (and he only started howling at 615am this morning, after a night spent apparently peacefully in his cat basket inside his crate, so he's obviously settling down just fine) am determined to be so back ON IT with all things MSE.

So yesterday broke my Quidco duck when organised pet insurance - £40 to come my way in 3 months, and extra nectar points too.

And today have listed 10 things on eBay.

And checked my a/c balance - pretty disastrous but realistically, won't now start to recover until January, so just got to hang in there and not add to it.

Got all my surveys up to date - am failing to qualify for a lot at the moment, which is tiresome now have made up mind to actually do them.

Made a splendid (if say so myself) Madeira cake for DSs arrival home and lunchboxes. Looks beautiful with a lovely crevice in the middle, tinged pale brown around the edges, and dredged with caster sugar. Almost took photo of but thought maybe too sad. And house smells warm and welcoming as a result.

And house generally is clean, tidy haven - but somehow now have to write two reports before heading into work for brief spell tmw.......oops.

And thinking will make some kind of Xmas spicy muffins for gifts and freeze this week - and must do those Xmss puds - and where can find silver sequin boyfriend jacket for my Xmas parties for lowest possible price but must be classy - no New Look or Primark for me, since saw v nice one by Paraphrase in TK Maxo but was still £50 but now nothing else will do, of course......

Yes, it's all go chez R

Mrs R