TallGirl's 5 year plan to own a 2nd home in her homeland

Tesco_points_addict

TG catching up on your diary has reminded me of so many things I need to do!

I have been meaning to change to Santander for months for the cash back, will look at it later today (famous last words!)

We paid £7 a day for the cattery, there are cheaper ones around here, but this one is fantstic, it is a cattery only so no barking dogs, the lady that runs it is on of lifes natural 'cat ladys', she adores them! Have thought about getting someone in to feed at at home but she is a real people person so 5 minutes a day would not be enough for her. When you've got two I actually think its so much easier as they are obviously fantastic company for one another.

You deserve the holiday - enjoy it.

I love your flooring - it looks gorgeous and so practical with the cats.

TPAx

TallGirl

Thanks TPA that is really useful to know ours a so used to roaming around together that a cattery would not be ideal and 9 out of 10 times next door is more than happy to feed them and make fuss of them. My friends 17 year old is now going to feed them for 4 days then next door will be back for the last 3 and thats that sorted.

Flooring is good with cats except they do slide around on it a lot, look quite funny actually. Jack is currently curled up in the small radiator bed my sister gave them. Very happy and cosy he looks.

Santander is fine I did not get the £100 as I did it just before they offered that as part of a MS. DH switch seems to be going well done the claim for the £50 on Quidco that did not track so we shall see. £150 is nice if we get it all.

Just going to have a look at online banking update my signature been a while since I did that.

TallGirl

Morning got the day off but do have a few work things to do - bliss not having to drive anywhere today (well apart from post office) as there is so much ice here. A bit concerned about the flights as we go Thursday from Heathrow with BA so fingers crossed it sort it self out by then.

My friend came around yesterday really nice to see her after 3 months she had lost 2 stone and it suited her. She is working so hard all hours of day and night plus every weekend. She is in a lot of debt so she is doing it to get a bonus from the company she works for and help them out big time.

Looked at the savings yesterday and the ISA's really don't pay much however will try my best to top the next one up for 2011. I think I can get away with not using the 2009 one for the holiday but the golf club membership of £1500 in April might be more of a struggle. Lets hope I get my bonus as that would sort that out.

Off to HQ tomorrow in a way I want lots of snow so I cannot go but then I want to fly out Tuesday so maybe just a lot of snow around the Midlands would be good.

Jack has just jumped up on the bed he loves being out in the snow not bothered about the cold. Wish I had a coat like his.

Still thinking of my list

1. Loose 2 stones
2. Stop being so lazy go to the gym at least once a week and play golf once a week
3. Stop any negative thought about my job, either change jobs or stick with it and be happy
4. Stop any gambling that is not risk free.

TallGirl

So today I have done very little but I did get the parcels sent for work, picked up the letter from the Physio (did not charge me result), done my expenses and my stats for the meeting.

Chilled out a lot and done 1 load of washing and written up a MS from last night. Not great really.

Raining now and about 3.5c so should melt everything unless it turns frosty overnight and we get lovely black ice. Starting to worry slightly about Heathrow hopefully by Thursday it will all be sorted.

TallGirl

Well still looking bad for good old Heathrow all those standed people I more snow forecast. I am at HQ and it could get up to 25cm here tomorrow might just have to bail out if it gets to bad. Really not comfident about getting to Denmark in time if it continue to snow but they again what is the worst that can happen 1 stuck here at HQ over xmas (not good at all) stuck at home with the inlaws for xmas well slightly better but still would rather be with my family. Please please BA let us Danes get home for Christmas.

My mum wanted me to buy the two braintraining games for a friend. Tried in Game up here, no dont do them (not even a sorry and I had to wait for ages for them to find out they did not have it) If I had been MS they would have felt the full force of my unhappiness. Tried a few other shops but nothing. Not really looked for those games for ages used to be everywhere even in Sainsbury sent DH off to look tomorrow.

Otherwise there is always termiinal 5 at Heathrow. I will also be picking up my currency order that is how confident I am of us going (well trying to be positive.

Anyway better get off to have some dinner my room is freezing and they have a fire on downstairs plus the papers. Will update you when I know more.

TallGirl

Got home in a spare Avensis, quite strange driving a petrol and a large car again. It was so frozen the spinkler did not work so tricky driving back to say the least.

Looks like we might be going checked in and got our boarding passes and the flight looks on according to the BA website however the last 3 Copenhagen flights did not go out tonight. Fingers crossed.

My mum migth not be able to pick us up, weather is taking a turn for the worse. Lots of drifting snow and that is bad, the get hit by the weather from Rusia so I know how bad it gets. She says the trains are working so we might have to take them. Fingers crossed.

Got an offer of 10 free spins from a casino won 20p, deposited £20 (I know totally naughty and must stop) did a £1.50 spin and won £50 withdrew the lot and promise not to do anymore non risk offers.

Nothing on telly so a bit bored but nice to be home and have so much packing to do tomorrow so need to chill out. Jack is on the top of the sofa behind me and Thomas is on the floor. Been running around playing like mad things tonight. Going to put the electric blanket on as its so cold.

If I don't get to update tomorrow will do it hopefully from Denmark thats if we make it.

TallGirl

Gosh time flies, Christmas lovely but the snow a load of hassle. Got delayed 2 hours at Heathrow but got out. Arrived at CHP Airport, hopped on a train to the main station and then after a bit of shuffling between platforms got the train South. Got the the town my Dad lives in 10 miles from my Mums and his ex-girlfriend (who lives upstairs) let us in and we slept there as the road to my Mums was totally blocked. She managed to pick up us up on the 24th and the farmer had just cleared her road so we did not have to carry 50 kilos of luggage the last mile.

Had a really good Christmas but it was so so cold. -15 C at night, -5 during the day, loads of snow but very pretty indeed.

Saw all of the family which was great, did a little but of shopping not a lot came back all my Dad's Christmas money so going to buy an Ipod Speaker set. Got an Ipod Touch of DH perfect lovely present so much fun in such a small thing. Perfect for Skype when I am way in hotels and will be great to be able to use in the car (when I get the new car which hopefully will have an Ipod jack).

New Year was spent with the inlaws they were very well behaved and my friend came too plus the neighbour whose husband was ill so we had a really good night in the end. Never made it our friends for the big party. Fired off a load of fireworks and at midnight there were 100's of those little candle laterns in the sky very pretty.

Chilled out since then but braved the shops today as we do need a new washing machine. Saw one I liked at Comet and ordered it on line had to pay £20 delivery as I cannot wait 2 weeks for free delivery. Looks simple to use and its a Hotpoint which our old one was too. Have had that one since 1994 but its dying.

Looked for Ipod speakers very got some sony ones in Tesco at £89 but something made me not buy them. Got home checked online £50 at Argos. Glad I did not get it. Really not sure which ones to get don't want to spend more than £150 ideally and not that taken with the Bose ones sounds great but designwise not that great. B&O great but at £500 way too much.

Popped into Gant (never bought anything in there before) as my sister had bought DH a purple sweater which he did not like so I got to keep it. I did buy him a new one. Found a sweater for me £25 down from £90 a pair of chinos for DH down from £100 to £30 and a leather jacket down from £500 to £250. Yes that is a lot but he has had his old one for about 25 years and its rank. He did not want to buy it but I think sometimes you have to treat yourself and it looks great on him.

Anyway I think that is enough for tonight will update tomorrow on my goals for 2011. Will update my signature then too.

vandanfc

These are good speakers:

http://international.alteclansing.com/united_kingdom/index.php?file=product_listing_section&icat_id=All&iparent_id=speakers_for_ipod_%2F_iphone

Also:

http://www.jbl.com/EN-US/Products/Pages/ProductList.aspx?SID=IDS

I have had various versions of the "on stage" ones.

TallGirl

Thanks for the details Vandafc saw it a bit late as we did get some in John Lewis. You see for me the style is very important and as we had a £20 voucher and I really likes these we ended up with them. Very happy with the sound and they look good in my lounge. Cost £100 minus the £20 so exactly the money my dad gave me.



Right now we need to come down to the serious business of 2011 and my goals and aims. These are the 3 most important things to try to rectify.

1. I cannot carry on like I have been for 2010 being fed up with my job and bored with working from home.

2. Also I need to loose some weight its gone too far and I hate looking at myself on pictures etc.

3. No more non risk Gambling when bored and I should be working from home.

1. Workwise I shall be targetted on how many appointments I do this year and they expect about 2 a day with 1/2 at home moment I do on aveage 5 a week so well short. This week I have two but can make some up as I need to drop in on some clients with stuff. I am not like to change jobs as although my sector is booming the public funding is being cut so need to stay where I am and be happy with it. Of course I can keep a look out but cannot really do much more as if it got back to my current employer that I am thinking of changing that would not be good. Unfortunately due to the location of the HQ my job is the only one in my area so stuck with it. Scared of taking on the larger new area but on the other hand it will help me get my appointments in as I don't know those clients.

So for January my mini work related goal is to be at my desk with the computer on ready to work (not facebook, personal email, MSE etc) by 8.55am every morning.

2. Dietwise I am now 88 kilo I was 70 kilo 7 years ago and it has just crept up and up. I have not been the the gym for two months and eat so much junk. I have got an app on my Ipod to track my calories and have done so for 3 days. Not done too badly foodwise was actually under last night until I got a bar of Danish chocolate out 300 calc and I did not really need to eat the whole lot.

Mini goal go to the gym min twice a week (just going from 5.15 to 6pm instead of watching Neighbours will be fine). Also stop eating crap and sweets all the time. Its a habit I am sure. Cut down on Lattes on the road.

3. Stop Gambling. Really struggled a bit with this lately. They send you a free £10 and before you know it £50 of my own money is lost. Got to stop total waste of money and its only because I am bored with work.

Mini Goal for January. Cancel all remaining bookies I have accounts with.

TallGirl

So here we are at the end of the day after my bold 3 statements what have I done or more correctly not done.

Workwise have been good and dropped all the calendars off I planned to do but not made any new appointments will do tomorrow.

Dietwise had a Boots shapers meal deal for lunch really nice and filling (only £3.29 so well within my lunch budget as works pays if I am out. Was all up for going to BodyPump but then started feeling a bit of back pain and decided on gym only then my period came on and I decided not to go. How rubbish is that.

Gamblingwise I have not cancelled any accounts, did do a "bonus offer" and came out in profit but really really must close that account when the money has been paid out.

Also spent £110 on clothes at Long Tall Sally. Needed new white work shirts as DH washed them with his new dark blue silk undershirts also they were quite old. Got 2 shirts, 1 top and 1 pair of black trousers. Went for size 14 tops will hopefully fit.

Thomas has just flopped down next to me demanding a cuddle and Jack is in the window looking cute so need to stop now. Also really hungry.