Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Thanks folks. Watty, you are a good neighbour! (And friend to animals!). I think my neighbour think she had been treating her cats for fleas, but I'm not sure what with - something old and ineffective by the sound of it. She says she's now using Frontline, so there's hope! Frontline website says it can take 3 months to get on top of an infestation, so whatever she thinks, she's probably got some way to go!

No bites today, and have hoovered throughout. So it's a waiting game now - have they laid eggs (theoretically not as they won't have had a meal)? In any case, they should die out - we've always treated our boys, even though they only go into the garden, so no food there and humans aren't tasty enough (I know a lot about the flea life cycle now!), so it's only a matter of time (and hopefully we'll have sped this up). It's not been cheap though - trips to Pets @ Home for spray, additional more powerful flea treatment etc. and the fact that we've hardly eaten here this week. It's been a very odd week and I'd like things to return to some semblance of normality!

Had a good evening last night with DH's work colleagues - they seemed nice. DH paid for the meal and drinks (for us), but it wasn't cheap (and I drove, so wasn't drinking). Need to get back on the MSE wagon now. I did walk to town yesterday and spotted enough jobs to cover my bus fare back Spotted a couple more when out last night - I don't think the colleagues caught on to what I was doing! (Not that I'd've minded!)

MS things:
* RM survey stuff done
* CLicks etc. done
* Cat sitting cat taken care of
* Jobs spotted
* ebay item sold

Gratitudes:
* Nice work colleagues
* Hoovers, insecticides and washing machines
* *$s credit - had a nice panini for lunch there yesterday

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

It's lovely and sunny here and I've just finished the minuscule amount of work I received on Friday night. *Still* haven't had the big project through though. I'll be chasing them again this evening.

Had a good weekend - baked on Saturday while DH fiddled with cars (he fixed a short in the lighting on mine and serviced them, so important fiddling!), so feeling more able to eat at home and on top of things. Finished the mammoth, wash-everything-that-might-have-come-into-contact-with-fleas washing pile and generally am now feeling more on top of things... thank goodness! So far, no more bites either... so here's hoping they've upped and died.... Neighbour returned from her visit to daughter's. Have been avoiding her but could hear her loudly telling someone else that she didn't have fleas, so expect my name is mud... oh well! Hoping neighbours know her well enough to take what she says with a pinch of salt - we certainly do!

Yesterday we visited some friends and had a lovely lunch there. Didn't really need any dinner in the evening either.

Mum, niece and I are off out for the day (no work, sun is shining, housework pretty much up to date - why not?). If we go to our local NT farm I'll be having a *very* spendy day as I'll get my life membership. I haven't received the money from Nan's estate yet (the sale of her house is exchanging and completing today, hopefully) but I know what is coming and am fed up of not having NT membership! As life membership gets a friend in for free, DH and I have decided that I'll get single membership - he can be my free friend. It's unlikely he'd visit anywhere on his own, so this saves £400. I will ask about options for upgrading at a later point when I apply though.

MS things:
* A couple of ebay sales over the weekend - really pleased as these were bitty bits I'd just not got around to putting on. Having the app on my phone makes it so much quicker and easier! Pity it doesn't make the packing easier
* Have used up veg from fridge over weekend. Feel slightly more in control!
* Used my Ancestry membership (not technically MSE, but at least I'm making the most of the money spent)
* Clicks etc.

Gratitudes:
* A lovely time with friends
* Feeling more in control
* No more bits
* Sunshine
* A good night's sleep

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Madvix, thats brilliant! What a lot of good stuff in one post but oh dear, your name is really mud with your neighbour, isn't it :rotfl: she sounds like she's taken it as a judgement :rotfl: I think you're well off disengaging there.


Great decision on the NT membership! Canny purchasing too. Hope the sale of your nan's house goes through, you can raise your teacup to her today

themadvix

Thanks Karma Yes, name is mud... but it's not entirely unexpected behaviour and you're quite right about disengaging - I said similar to my mum, I'd rather not invest too much in a relationship that can go downhill so quickly.

Have just written my letter to my friend (Brown Owl's mum ) - she's a great letter writer, so I'm sure I'll hear back and she'll have been pleased to hear from me. All for 5 minutes of my time (a notecard, not a lengthy epistle) and a free RM stamp

Time to chase up mum about plans for today! (And go to PO with ebay parcels... ugh!)

Cheery_Daff

Oh what a lovely thing to use the money on, lifetime NT membership! And great that you can get a pal in for free too.

You've reminded me I need to get back into letter writing. I bought some notecards when I went to a NT place myself the other day - might do that tonight :j

Busy_Mee1

Sorry to hear about fleagate MadVix (surreptitiously scratching now) Our pup arrived with some little lodgers and it took a while to get rid of the little critters. We make sure he is regularly "done" for both fleas and ticks (horrible things).

A lifetime NT membership is a wonderful thing to buy with your inheritance and a great way of remembering your Nan.

themadvix

Thanks Cheery and Busy Mee

I did it, I spent £1700 yesterday! :eek: and guess what, the cats though the best bit was the box! :rotfl: (They give you a nice presentation box with a book about membership and the handbook in - you've gotta get something for all that money after all!) The lady who served me was very appreciative - the place gets a percentage of the membership fee for their use, so it was a good day for them yesterday. Even better, I was able to pay by cc, so I earned lots of miles to put towards chaffeur-service to the airport for our America trip :rotfl:

We had a lovely time there too, picnic lunch and a visit to the farm, then Mum and I shared a scone and a huge pot of tea in the cafe, while niece tucked into some crisps (and obviously some scone too!).

Client has said project will be ready mid-week, so hopefully I'll be able to start on Thursday - enjoying my last couple of days of freedom in the meantime. Nan's house sold yesterday, but we've got a week to get the final bits out, so will be going to help Mum and Uncle with that today.

MS things:
* Lots of cc points
* Batch cooked some veggie bolognese for DH's lunches
* Clicks etc.
* 1P @ £37.30 (has been for a few days)
* PA back up to £8.50

Gratitudes:
* Lovely, if exhausting, day out with niece yesterday - she didn't have her buggy, so she did really well but running to keep up with her was tiring!! :rotfl: And she had a ride on my shoulders too.
* Walk with DH in evening
* Feel good about my membership

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Congratulations! How lovely all of that is and you're doing it all in a very savvy mse way

themadvix

Morning all,

Yesterday was a looong day, spent moving furniture and packing stuff (for a house that was 'empty apart from the furniture needed to sell it', there was a LOT of stuff hidden away). I feel we got a lot done though and quite a few bits out of the house - charity, Freegle, bin, to Mum's, to mine, to Uncle's etc. I doubt I'll be returning, so I said my goodbyes to the house yesterday - very sad, as it's the nearest I have to a childhood home since we moved from ours when my parents divorced. Many, many happy memories of Nan's house.

Didn't make the cinema last night, so we're off there tonight, another cheapy night out. Haven't been bitten in a couple of days, so hoping we've seen the last of the fleas. Which is good as we've got people coming for lunch on Monday!

The big project hasn't arrived yet, so I've got lots to get done today - tidying garden, house, adminny things and a bit of food shopping.

Now know about the full extent of how much money I have coming from Nan's estate and I'm going to split it three ways - pension, ISA and OP. Does anyone know how it works paying non-income into pension? I presumably won't be entitled to tax relief on it?

MS things:
* Acquired a few bits of food stuffs from Nan's (vinegar, salt, ood tin of tuna)
* Clicks etc.
* A good job spot when I popped out to get some lunch yesterday

Gratitudes:
* Free exercise yesterday and I can feel it today!
* DH's approval of the stuff I brought back
* Good weather today - I need to get out in the garden (it's been neglected lately)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

The sale of your nan's home has even more ramifications, then, since it's about your childhood. Hope you're okay with it all.


As far as paying non-income into pension goes, I know everyone has an individual pension allowance, whether or not they have income - it *was* £2880, may well have gone up by now. How that meshes for someone who also has earnings, I don't know, sorry.