Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

Horace

Just back from the sausage factory (jobcentre) - such a soul-destroying place but incredibly hot so hot that staff were walking around in sleeveless dresses (so our taxes are going on excessive heating!). I was seen late because they saw someone who just turned up so she had my 14.50 slot:mad: Still, I have come away with a raft of jobs to apply for in addition to those already seen. I have seen an ideal one at the college (when I get my house I will still be able to walk as it will take about 20 mins) working as an Administrator in their Employer Programmes Dept - what better place for a person with tons of business contacts who are looking for apprentices?

I not looking for a massive salary because to be honest I don't want the stress that goes with it - I don't do stress.

So far this week I have had 5 NSDs. Monday I will need to go to the bank to pay in my HB cheque. I must remember to make a payment towards my Visa card which I haven't done yet (naughty Horace). As soon as I get a job it will be paid off and my account closed and moved somewhere else - somewhere like Barclays.

Feeling quite cold here today - my flat is like an ice box and I have had to resort to putting some heat on because here in my tiny room my feet are blue with cold and I can feel chilblains appearing.

Horace

Brrrrr

It is really cold again today - I will be glad to move somewhere warmer as I am fed up of being cold. Today I am looking really glamarous (this is a lie) - I am wearing cord jeans (which are too baggy), a thick Toggi rugby style shirt which is maroon & lilac topped off with a thick green and purple fleecy jacket which has a paint smear on it from the time I decorated the hall at soon to be ex hubby's house.

I had to go out yesterday and went to bank to withdraw £100 - most of this is going into the business account (I have had to re-adjust the money going in there) - I spent £7 in Tatco on milk and a few other bits some of which came from the whoopsie shelf. I decided to go into the estate agents which are selling the house I like as I want to arrange a viewing. I was hoping to view it on Saturday afternoon but it seems that the agents only allow viewings at night which I cannot do due to not being able to see in the dark!! I have managed to turn the screw and get them to agree to a viewing on Tuesday morning at 9am (must remember to set my alarm for 7.30am). I enquired about interest in the house and was told that they were having trouble getting people to view (hardly surprising if they are being awkward about viewing times). I just want to see the inside really to see what is what so that I can tell Dad.

You will laugh at me because I am aware this house (which is not yet mine) has a tiny lawn at the front and a lawn at the back which obviously will need mowing so I decided to spend sometime researching manual lawnmowers as this will be exercise for me and more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run.

Just off the phone to mum who has just rung to remind me that dad is due to have a minor op tomorrow to have the lump removed from his head (when I saw him last weekend it had grown considerably to what it was like the week before). He is due to have his blood test on Tuesday for his PSA reading - I do know that these tests are unreliable, however. Mum has her hospital appointment on Friday.

I am staying home today - it is too cold to go out and my parents are not up for a visit either because they don't feel well plus mum heard me sneeze so whilst I could have a cold again I have to stay away.

Aesop

that's not good about the viewings only being at night Horace. Wonder if they are trying to hide something? People like to see a house in normal light to check for faults etc.... hmmm.

good luck with viewing and hope everything is fine and you can move in quickly.

beanielou

Positive vibes for a good viewing!

LondonGirl252

Hope the viewing goes well and your Dad's op too

Horace

I am absolutely livid - I rang dad last night to see how he got on but spoke to mum instead, it seems that despite attending he was not operated upon:mad: He had in fact been sent to see a company specialising in triage (sent by his GP to them at local hospital) and they would decide if he needed treatment. Basically it was a box ticking exercise and he was given a questionnaire to complete but couldn't do that because treatment options hadn't been explained. He now has a 12 week wait for an appointment with a specialist!:mad: Mum said she got quite angry at the hospital and angrier again when she rang the consultant's secretary. At this rate he will need a skin graft when the lump is removed because the lump is so big and growing by the day.

In other news I went to see the house today - it has been on the market for 2 weeks and I am the first to view it. I love it. It has a little foregarden and I would own part of the side entrance and that has quite a big porch area and a door to the back garden. It is wierd because next door's bedroom is over my side of the entry yet my bathroom would be over their side. Look at me talking as though the house is mine already. In the hallway there is a tall cupboard containing the meters and the stairs have a little corner step at the bottom. Under the stairs is an area for coats and you can fit a bookcase in there too (I know this because there is a bookcase there). The through lounge diner seems small but still well proportioned and there is a door to the back garden. The kitchen is lovely with plenty of storage and the all important pantry which has room to store an ironing board and has shelves for tins etc. In the back garden there are two brick built stores - one has a shelf in it and I think in the past it was probably the coal hole or even outside loo. There is a small store for a bin (not big enough for a wheelie bin but I could fit a compost bin in it). The second store has a lockable door and is quite big with an old red tile floor - there is ample room for tools and my camping gear. The garden is relatively big certainly by modern standards.

Upstairs it is all carpetted even though the bedroom photos seem to suggest that there is laminate flooring. The main bedroom has built in wardrobes, ample room for a bed and other furniture plus an additional cupboard that you can walk into which goes over the stairs. On the landing there are two large storage cupboards plus access to the loft. Bedroom two has fitted wardrobes and ample room for a double bed and assorted furniture with views over the garden. The toilet is separate but the room is relatively big and the bathroom has a white suite and the tiles are bluish/green with a lovely border of swirls (it sounds naff but looks fab).

I could see myself living there and I am hoping that dad will buy it. Now I am wondering what he will offer as the asking price is £94950 but I do not know what estate agents are expecting when they price houses that way. I haven't told my parents that I have viewed it.

Spoke to him indoors last night and I am going to see him at the weekend to discuss money - I do not feel able to do that over the phone and then I can sort the divorce out. We are being very amicable about it because we are quite good friends.

My kettle packed up the morning too - it has been making funny sparky noises for a few days and this morning it just wouldn't work. I could not change the fuse because the plug was moulded and there was no way of getting into it. I resorted to using my travel kettle which is a slow boiler and certainly not adequate for heavy usage. I nipped to the bank to pay in my HB cheque this morning after going to the house viewing - also realised that I could walk up the road from house and there in front of me would be Morrisons. I then nipped to Northfield and took advantage of free parking on Sainsbury's before walking to the other end of Northfield to go to the Grosvenor Precinct - I went to Wilkinsons because I know they sell kettles. I have bought a lovely kettle which cost me £20 (they had no cheaper kettles in stock) but I used £10 from the tax man and £10 Love to Shop Voucher that I got when I did that training. I also went to Rymans and bought a ream of 100g paper and was surprised to receive a storage box for it to go in - the storage box retails at £5.99 and although I have admired these boxes I have always considered them to be too expensive so have never bought one.

beanielou

Glad you have had a good day.
House sounds just right for you.
:mad: re your dad.
Maybe investigate whether your local hospital have a patients friend or similar and if so have a word with them.
What did the consultant's secretary say?

Horace

beanielou wrote: »

Glad you have had a good day.
House sounds just right for you.
:mad: re your dad.
Maybe investigate whether your local hospital have a patients friend or similar and if so have a word with them.
What did the consultant's secretary say?

The consultant's secretary also said that there would be a 12 week wait - if his poxy GP had done her job properly then he should have been referred directly and could have been seen sooner - yesterday was 6 weeks to the day when he spoke to his GP. Must admit that dad hates his GP - he feels embarrassed because she is a slip of a girl old enough to be his grand daughter and he is 75 and doesnt want his bits messed about with (his nuts and other gubbins), she also doesn't listen. Mum won't allow me to get involved - if I was involved I would make damned sure that he would be seen and I would make a complaint to the PCT. I get the feeling that because my parents are old they are now getting third class treatment (a dog would have better treatment). They have been with the GP practice for 48 years and they are too old to move plus dad won't change now either. I am not averse to making complaints and can remember once complaining to the General Medical Council after my GP (at a different surgery to where I am now) refused to prescribe the Pill and told me that I was sinning against God for my refusal to have kids - what on earth was he doing as a doctor?:mad:

I have been mentally decorating and have even been considering some curtains as I have seen some lovely ones in the charity shop for £7.50 which are fully lined and would look great in the bedroom. I saw some brand new still in the packet ones which are floral (which are ok but not brilliant as I prefer plain curtains or curtains that have a pattern which is the same colour as the curtain IFSWIM) for £15 - the original price on the pack says £125.99:eek:

The house gets the sun in the morning and the afternoon.

LondonGirl252

sorry about your Dad that sounds really unacceptable by his GP, like you, I would also struggle not to do anything about it

The house sounds lovely, and from the way you talk about it, it sounds like you are really sold on it, will keep my fingers crossed for you!

Good luck for the W/E

Horace

I went back to the charity shop yesterday afternoon and spent £22.50 on curtains - the lovely lined gold ones which are 66" wide by 55" long (feel sure they are the right size for the bedroom) for £7.50 the pair and the packaged brand new, unopened floral ones which cost £15 and not the daft £125.99 which they were originally on sale for in Allders reduced then to £62 (to me that is an awful lot for curtains), these curtains are 90" wide by 72" long and may in fact be too long but curtains can be shortened.:D

I have been without broadband this morning which is pants - there will be a time when I won't have cable and will have to ask BT for a phone line (there is a line into the house) and maybe I will consider getting broadband from them and I will get a freeview box. Although I would miss Sky Living and the Discovery Channel. Look at me talking as though the house is mine already - I am praying the universe delivers. Will seeing OH at the weekend to discuss a financial settlement it seems perverse to come away from 25 years of marriage with just some furniture. I will not be too greedy, however, and want a cushion for me to help me survive and maybe have a little holiday somewhere - not that I am planning on a holiday any time soon.

Hating this horrid situation - I have gone from having savings to having no savings unless you count the £36 in my credit union account. I am pleased, however to have paid off 3 debts in full admittedly one with the help of my parents so thats the Virgin CC paid off, my accountant paid off and one other business creditor paid off. Don't owe much now thank goodness.

On the lunchtime news BBC Birmingham told me that there are 243,000 people unemployed in Birmingham and 32,500 vacancies (would love to know where these vacancies are as I keep applying and getting no response). One businessman had the nerve to say that people are content to sit on the dole and not look for work - yes there may be some who are like that but please do not tar us all with the same brush:mad: