Karmacat: To Infinity And Beyond!

Karmacat

These are great points! I like what you said about a capsule wardrobe, too, se.

Squizz, I think what's really come out of this exercise is that tension between wanting to do something, and not trusting the extravagant claims.

I'll tell you something that opened my eyes recently- you know that whole thing about "90% of the heat from a gas fire goes up the chimney"? Well, I got the fires brochure from B&Q - it has gas, electric, flueless, it tells you what type of chimney you need for what type of fire. Its the most objective thing you could hope for, which is **weird** coming from a company as big as that, but there you go.

Anyway, for every single fire, it lists input kilowatts and output kilowatts. And the figures are astonishing - for electric fires, they take about 1kw or whatever to run, give or take. But the gas fires take 5 or even 6 kw. There's an led model as well, which doesn't seem to take anything - input and output are both 0.62, as far as I remember. Something like that, comparing green products with best and average practice in the ordinary sector, that sounds like part of what people want.

Pippilongstocking

Karmacat wrote: »

No, I hadn't tbh - in my last house, it was a renovation project from the word go, so not realistic. With this one, by next summer it will be distinctly possible. As long as they don't mind the dogs next door

House sitting is also a good thing to do - I've often managed to go forth and holiday myself or offer the same for others.

Many folk for example, a few on the diaries we dart about on - often need a bit of a 'house sitter' type person for all types of reasons dogs/cats/hens/security/letting someone use the house when they are off galavanting etc.

If you're able to be a bit flexible with your dates you might manage a lovely holiday whilst helping someone lovely - win/win.

On the other hand - my friends have house-swapped all over the world and they love it - if you like I can find thesite they use?

I hope you're feeling bit better - I'm trying to catch up!

Green living makes for a cooler Karma ('Calmer' get it?) cat

'Calmer' = Karma in a good way - just more chilled excuse me I'm blabbering

Karmacat

House sitting could be a good one, thats true, I'll have a think about that, it'd certainly be a way to get a good cheap holiday. I was disappointed to miss that hotel thingy over the weekend - I'd have been looking for 3 days in Cambridge, I'm always wittering on about how I've never been to Cambridge, but spent so much time in Oxford .... ah well, I'll keep an eye out.

Glad you're home, Pippi, and calmer yourself (I like the play on words there!).

se999

A while ago now, but I used Homelink International, and we did house exchanges, hospitality exchanges, rented and housesitting. It worked out really well for us. Met some lovely people, and saw places only 'locals' knew about too.

It is mainly a house exchange for holidays website, but there are a few people listed for the other things.

Karmacat

i *think* this place would be good enough for a house swap by next year, if they didn't mind a rather ... ordinary ... neighbourhood!

Cheery_Daff

I'm sure there's beautiful things near to you KC! :j :j After all, you chose to move there, right? And your descriptions of your walks through the nature reserve and suchlike sound lovely! :T I'd house swap with you :j :j Pretty 'ordinary' here too - but very close to some beautiful things! House is, er, slightly, er, what you might call, er, 'eccentric' (and others might call a complete jumbled tip :rotfl: :rotfl:) But we love it

Karmacat

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

I'm sure there's beautiful things near to you KC! :j :j After all, you chose to move there, right?

Oh yes! Its the whole "ex council estate thing", thats all.

And your descriptions of your walks through the nature reserve and suchlike sound lovely! :T I'd house swap with you :j :j Pretty 'ordinary' here too - but very close to some beautiful things! House is, er, slightly, er, what you might call, er, 'eccentric' (and others might call a complete jumbled tip :rotfl: :rotfl:) But we love it

Aw, thanks Cheery! Your house sounds lovely (apart from the spiders ).

Talking of which - I was looking in the outhouse thats attached to the house, and the pointing in there is rubbish - and right by the door there's one of those *big* spiders living in a pointing gap. Now, contrary to belief, I don't *want* to kill spiders. When I get round to it, how can I encourage a big spider with *such* a good hiding place to go live in the garden? I don't want to kill him by slapping mortar on top of him :eek: Any clues?

EssexHebridean

Karmacat wrote: »

Aw, thanks Cheery! Your house sounds lovely (apart from the spiders ).

Talking of which - I was looking in the outhouse thats attached to the house, and the pointing in there is rubbish - and right by the door there's one of those *big* spiders living in a pointing gap. Now, contrary to belief, I don't *want* to kill spiders. When I get round to it, how can I encourage a big spider with *such* a good hiding place to go live in the garden? I don't want to kill him by slapping mortar on top of him :eek: Any clues?

Ask him nicely?! (Well, worth a try!)

gilligansyle

Karmacat wrote: »

Aw, thanks Cheery! Your house sounds lovely (apart from the spiders ).

Talking of which - I was looking in the outhouse thats attached to the house, and the pointing in there is rubbish - and right by the door there's one of those *big* spiders living in a pointing gap. Now, contrary to belief, I don't *want* to kill spiders. When I get round to it, how can I encourage a big spider with *such* a good hiding place to go live in the garden? I don't want to kill him by slapping mortar on top of him :eek: Any clues?

Is there any way you can 'encourage' him into a plant pot or something. not really sure how/why spiders find themselves such nice houses. At the weekend there was an amazing cobweb going from my washing line to the wheelie bin, it had to go though.

Karmacat

I was wondering about washing him out with a big jug of water, tbh .... though I wouldn't have any control over where he went - but a plantpot would give me that. Thats an idea, in combo, thank you!