Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

Horace

I could scream - I have just rung up the council about my HB and they have told me that the claim has been suspended because I didnt respond to their letter in April and they haven't seen proof of benefit...what letter in April?? They do this every year, the incompetent buffoons so now I have had to contact the Benefits Delivery Service who are preparing a letter for me which I will have on Monday. I was told to take the letter to the Neighborhood Office so I had a go at them about having to wait up to 6 weeks for an appointment but it seems that my complaint from last year has been heard and now people can drop in without appointments to show proof of things instead of going through a lengthy rigmarole.

It could be lamb chops for dinner and I may have to use my store cupboard tinned veg unless I have some potato product in the freezer.

I have just had the agents call to say they are doing a viewing at 4pm today - my flat is still a mess but it will have to do.

Now I have attended to some personal stuff, I need to change the black cartridge on my printer and print off the documents I need for my decree absolute.

Horace

Well the viewing has just taken place Ollie from the agents is really quite sweet and if I were 20 years younger..well, you can use your imagination;)

I pointed out that I had fitted shelving to the water tank cupboard to turn it into an airing cupboard, showed my pantry with its bright pink shelves and the shed again fitted with bright pink shelves (wood scavenged from someone who was taking it to the tip). The girl in the group really looked down her nose at me and didnt like it when I said that the fridge was just a fridge without a freezer section. She also didnt like the fact that my flat came unfurnished. Ollie explained to her and the other 3 chaps that I was in the process of packing hence the state of untidiness as I had only given notice at the tail end of last month.

He knows to phone me when he has a viewing booked and will only book viewings between 4 and 6pm. He was actually nice about it and could understand my fears - he actually didnt know that it was illegal for him to enter a flat when the tenant wasn't present despite what the LL said.

This afternoon I have been packing boxes in my office - I have taken 2 bags of rubbish to the bin and have another two possibly three on the go to go down. I can now see the floor and most of the metal shelves. I can also see the windowsill.

Horace

Got myself into a right pickle this morning with my car and I have only just managed to sort it out, I stupidly opened the car by using my remote button forgetting that I had locked it using the key and since then the dratted alarm kept going off - most embarrassing on carparks etc.

I have taken a load of stuff to the charity shop who groaned when they saw my bags of books (seems they have too many books) but they are going to take some of them to a different charity shop. I had a fit of pique last night because I realised that a previous charity shop book purchase was a book that I already had and had read - so now all my Jonathan, Faye and Jesse Kellerman books have gone to the charity shop. I also took a boxed set of Morse books. A vase, some silk flowers, various items of clothing, some DVDs (managing to get rid of the two horrors purchased in Spain but they are in English). They told me that they were short of DVDs to I came home and picked up a bag of 30 or so of the things - items that I have been too lazy to ebay or magpie.

I decided to go to Aldi as I needed milk and instead of going to Northfield decided to go to Bromsgrove instead - my petrol light started flashing so I nipped to Morrisons and filled up putting a little under £50 in the tank but I do know that this will last a goodly while.

I came out of Aldi with milk and a load of sweet treats that I really shouldnt be eating because I will get fat, my token good thing was a bag of dried apricots to snack on. They are lovely in this branch and they have said that if I want some boxes then I need to come back with a trolley and help myself, I could even unpack boxes on the shelves that are half empty - why can't they be like this at my local store?

I need to sort out stuff e.g. updating my Kaspersky because I used my credit card last year which has since been cancelled so I need to provide other card details, they specifically say credit card but I am thinking of my Visa debit card instead. Car tax is due this month too.

Am getting a tad stressed with it all - am fed up of packing up stuff hence me bingeing on sweet stuff:( I guess I am fed up full stop really.

Horace

What ae busy day - several trips to the charity shop, I have now taken a stewpot, my ramekins (never used), some more clothes including my large Che Guevera t-shirt and some men's jumpers that I used to wear. I got chatted up by the young chap in the charity shop too.

On one of my return trips I met the chap who lives downstairs with his son (son is about 8/9 and stays with dad half the week and at weekends). Chap is rather nice and divorced, he used to work at the UoB like me and was made redundant in September 07 - he left on a compromise agreement. He has just renewed his lease for 12 months and is now praying that someone quiet moves into my flat. He moaned at the doors squeaking so I have just been down with my tin of WD40 as I dont need it - something else that I have bought and never used. He may be interested in having my freezer too. I may donate my oil filled radiators to him because he will need them in the winter because it is freezing here:(

I came home via the house - it is looking very forlorn as the grass is now about knee-high, I think some furniture removal has gone on (although I didnt peer through the window) as my immediate neighbour with whom I share the path with, has a new item of furniture in the side lobby which looks like it has come from the house that I hope to be moving into. I cannot touch the garden until we have exchanged:( I did notice that I have a lovely plant in the front garden by the fence which has lovely red flowers on it.

beanielou

You have been a busy bee.

Horace

What a day, I have only just returned from mum's where I have been since 9.15am. Firstly we went to Dunelm and bought 3 blinds and viewed curtains and the ones that have to be specially made. We made the decision that I will use the curtains that I have until such time as the decorating and the windows have been done.

I am quite worried about mum because she has told me that she has had stomach problems all week and added to that she has been suffering with her throat, often being unable to swallow even water. Her GP has given her some tablets which turn her into a zombie ll from but mum cannot afford to be zombiefied because of dad. Getting an appointment at her GP is even harder than before as she has to ring and if she is lucky a doctor may call her back and do an over the phone consultation which could result in a prescription being issued or being referred for tests. Alas due to her age and that of dad it has been impossible to transfer to a more user-friendly surgery.

Mum is really tired and managed to drop a pan of hot fat over herself and the kitchen floor earlier on this evening. I heard a yell from the ktichen to find mum clutching her apron which she had used to catch some of the fat and I had to use up a fiar wodge of kitchen paper to mop up the fat from the floor, the side and the stove. Dad never moved from his chair - in fact he hadnt even made himself a drink when he got up in the late morning preferring to wait until his servant came back from the shops with me.:(

Whilst in Dunelm - I bought myself a small cream teapot as I have wanted a decent teapot for ages, mum decided when we got home to try the teapot and then rummaged in one of the sideboard drawers and pulled out an orange and brown teacosy that had been knitted by my grandma which fits the teapot perfectly,

I still have packing to do and more stuff is being sorted for the charity shop. Jobs this week: go to hospital to try on frames, go to Remploy, update my Kaspersky which has now expired. I also need to renew my FSB membership (I had thought of letting it lapse but it is worth it for the tax insurance and the free legal helpline which I have been using a fair bit).

beanielou

Bit worrying about your mum.
Do you have a possible date to move yet?

Aesop

Is your Mum ok Horace? She didn't get injured by the hot fat?

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but has anyone looked at your Dad? See if he is depressed? His behaviour sounds like someone who is depressed. I maybe wrong, but would be good if you could get a doctor to come to the house to talk to him. Although from what you have said, it is difficult enough for your Mum to get seen! :eek:

Hope Mum is ok.

chevalier

REally sorry to hear that things are so tough for your mum.

I really think you are going to have to sit her down, and talk to her about respite care. Point out that if she doesn't get a break then what is going to happen if she gets taken into hospital in an emergency? What would it be like for your dad if he had an emergency admittance into a home because of that.

Or alternatively that he may now need more structured care (in a home) than she can offer him. She has to put her own health first, and if that means that dad goes on a little holiday to give her a break, then she may just have to accept that. You also may need to stand up to the inevitable wailing that this suggestion will cause..

Good luck

chev

Horace

Sorry not been on the computer for a while, I have been too tired:(

Re Dad, their GP doesnt do house visits - in fact their GPs do diddly squat and due to their age none of the other local surgeries will take them on so they have to suffer with the worst possible service:mad: Dad isnt depressed - just lazy, he is quite content to sit and read books or watch the telly, he cannot do much else as his health won't allow (certainly walking any distance is a struggle - even going from a disabled parking space into a shop is terrible as he has to have a sit down.

Mum is ok, she did not burn herself on the hot fat and I made her strip off her clothes where the fat had seeped through to them. I have broached the subject of respite care several times but I keep getting the answer that they are not eligible due to the amount of savings that they have - if they were on benefits then they could get all the help they want. I do know that dad has alienated mum as she cannot spend time in the same room as him because he sits with his headphones on in front of the telly which she then cannot hear so she has to go into the rear lounge and watch tv there.

I spent Monday morning at the eye hospital trying on frames for my reading glasses, I have now chosen some wine coloured ones - the total cost of my glasses will be £187 (a lot more if I didnt have vouchers). I was supposed to do some more sorting out but fell asleep and didnt wake up til 7pm. Yesterday I went to Remploy for job searches and on reading my calendar this morning discovered that I should have been there today instead:( This morning I have been updating my anti-virus software and installing it.

I have some jobs to apply for too as well as more packing. I have been getting quotes for removals and I think I have made my decision, the one I am choosing is not the cheapest by any stretch of the imagination but they do appear to be more professional - the others are just a joke.

As yet no moving date sorted, the money has been drawn down into the bank and mum was going to speak to her solicitor on Monday - the way I am looking at it is no news is good news.

Mum met one of the neighbours when she went to collect dad's toolbox (dad left it in the kitchen when we were rushed out during our measuring session). This neighbour was quite vile and really berated mum for letting the house alarm go off to the point where she had to call the police and the vendors. She said that she didnt want any trouble as the alarm hadnt gone off before (mum pointed out that the alarm was never set and had never gone off during our visits). She virtually accused mum that if any trouble happened in the neighborhood then it would be down to her - as if. Mum has said that I need to be polite and say hello but never to invite her or any of the other neighbours into the house. This woman apparently had lived in the same house for 60 years and was best buddies with the deceased.

I have a ton of packing left to do and a ton of sorting out - this morning I weeded out my necklaces (the majority of which I had made myself) and these will go to the charity shop along with other stuff. I think I will go through all my t-shirts and get rid of some of them too. More books may yet go too.