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

themadvix

Morning all,

Miniscule amount of work done (think 10 seconds' worth). Have cycled down to the pet shop in town for some fish food and bird seed. It's a Jollyes Pet shop and they have always sold loose food with scoops and bins. I was not expecting that to still be the case (I prefer this normally as I take my own reused plastic bag and fill that), but it was. No notices about sanitising hands before use or sanitiser available. Fortunately I'd taken my own and made a point of using it. The staff didn't have screens although the floor was marked with a box to stand in and there was a sign asking you to pay by card if at all possible. I wasn't impressed - I got the feeling the member of staff who served me wasn't either, but was probably immured to it. I'll be writing again! In other news, this was the first time I've cycled into town and it wasn't as hard going as I thought (we live at the top of the hill, so the journey in is always fine, just the coming back up that's hard going!). This has furthered boosted my confidence ... poor car

Dinner last night was delicious, if I say so myself. We had this but with mango instead of figs (a recommendation from the R'ford tribe) and I served it with pan-fried salmon. Very yummy and colourful and used up various bits. Leftover mango and yoghurt for dessert. Lunch today will be a mish-mash of bits to use stuff up and dinner will be stir fry for the same reason. Veg box and fruit delivery tomorrow. Looking at the supplies we still have, I think we'll easily make it to next Thursday before other food is required, and that's when our next supermarket delivery is. I'll need flour and bananas, but wouldn't get them in delivery anyway, so will have to venture out for those.

MS things:
* 2 x PA surveys
* Clicks
* Minimising waste and using stuff up
* Going to add thinnings from my spring onions to dinner

Gratitudes:
* It's a bit cooler today
* Delicious dinner recipe
* I didn't mangle the mango too badly - have never had one before!

Have a good day all!

Fortune_Smiles

Oooh!  That does look very delicious MV.

Fortune x

themadvix

Morning all,

A bit of a different day today as DH is off into work for a while shortly as he needs to do some bits there. He'll also get 'tested' with a combined antibody/antigen test - his company is doing routine testing of its staff as they are delivering to homes. Don't get us started on the reliability of the tests, although they've apparently been approved by some government adviser, but it's interesting as we think we've had it. Will see what it says. I'm off for a cuppa in Mum's garden in a bit - have long sleeves and long trousers on today for the first time in a while! 

Workwise, I've completed a small amount and am still waiting on the larger project that has been promised (delays involved), but another project has come up in the meantime that will be worth slightly more, so that's good. It should arrive tomorrow. This morning I've got a list of various random jobs to crack on with - had to write them down as I keep forgetting what they are!

R'ford delivery day today and so excited about the strawberries that are coming! Our fridge looks suitably bare, which is good because I get anxious about using stuff up in time if it's too full when we get another delivery. Have made DH a sandwich to take for lunch and I'll have some daal on toast before I head to mum's (I think I'll go after lunch?). No idea about dinner tonight - will see what takes our fancy in the veg box! (Maybe something with potatoes - we still have a lot of potatoes....)

Made good progress with the bunting yesterday (17 flags now), but may not get to it today, depending on when I visit mum. May also pop to a shop for bananas, flour and lemonade.

MS things:
* Work
* Clicks - met daily goal on SB, first time in ages!
* YG survey

Gratitudes:
* Fun quiz with DH's family last night
* Riverford delivery day - yay!
* Rain here overnight - good for the garden
* It's cool enough to appreciate a cup of tea!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

One of the promised projects arrived yesterday after I posted, so that kept me busy for the morning. Have just finished a small amount of work for today and I'll soon have another small project to do, so things are ticking along. I think I'll see how things are in August before I make a decision about the next SEISS grant - if I don't need it, I won't take it. If things look like they're picking up again as people adjust to the new ways of working, then I'll be okay.

DH had the test yesterday and it came back negative. Not entirely convinced about its accuracy (or how long afterwards it would pick up antibodies), but there we are. I had a lovely walk (to Morrisons, got my shopping!) with Mum yesterday - she's found a route through green spaces and it's nice, quiet and shorter than going round by the road. This is great from an environmental point of view as she's now happy to walk there and as she often goes daily (or used to), it should help! Morrison's was interesting though - it was the first time I'd been in a full-sized supermarket since lockdown began and I can't say I was impressed. There was no one on the door, the entrance was very cluttered with things for sale, which meant people kept stopping/getting in the way, half the people weren't social distancing.... urgh! I've told Mum she needs to wear a mask when she goes. We went back and had a cuppa in her garden - it was almost normal... except it then got cold and windy and I had to go! 

Lovely R'ford delivery yesterday and I was very restrained and only 'tested' one strawberry. Tried to make yoghurt last night to have with them, but failed miserably - smells like yoghurt, still the same thickness as milk . Suggestions welcome, including for how to use it up (pancakes for lunch I think). Dinner was prawn and asparagus risotto. We're having takeaway tonight as we have a 50% off voucher that runs out soon.

My extortionately priced shorts have arrived this morning, so will try them on shortly (no pun intended) and work out which ones are going back. DH has today off, so has been tinkering with the mini this morning and we'll head out for a walk a bit later, when the ominous clouds have passed! Managed to get tickets for parking at our nearest NT property for next Friday - looking forward to our day out! Will have to take a picnic!

MS things:
* NT tickets - using my membership (and free car charging, so virtually no petrol required to get there!)
* Clicks done
* 1P surveys done
* YG survey done
* PA survey done

Gratitudes:
* Nice visit to Mum's yesterday
* My supermarket deliveries - I'd hate to have to do a full shop in a supermarket at the moment - sorry to those who do!
* DH made me a cuppa this morning (he doesn't drink tea and so this is a rare treat)

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Couple more Prolific surveys done, all shorts sent back and some more bunting work - but have now run out of white cotton! 

Suffolk_lass

I was always told you could use white polyester thread on anything cotton unless you intended washing it on a hot wash. Not sure if that helps you

stavromueller

themadvix said:

DH had the test yesterday and it came back negative. Not entirely convinced about its accuracy (or how long afterwards it would pick up antibodies), but there we are. 

Hi,
I've been lurking on your diary, and just wanted to pop my head up to say, assuming it's the commercial antibody test and that it was longer than 2 weeks from onset of symptoms, it is incredibly accurate (>99%).

There is a possibility that it was Covid and he only developed short term generic antibodies (IgM) rather than long term Covid specific (IgG). The other possibility is that you had one of the many other winter bugs which were going around. 

Completely non-scientific anecdote, from colleagues who've had antibody testing, the ones who are getting a positive had a fever as one of their symptoms. Those who just had a cough, with or without shortness of breath, are negative for antibodies. 

themadvix

Thanks SL - it was white polyester thread that I've run out of! No other white thread, so am going to go to Mum's for one or two of her 4 reels (she never does any sewing, so not sure how she's amassed so much!). Would really prefer cotton though (and will buy that if I have to buy some) - it will degrade in the environment, unlike polyester, which considering the materials I'm working with, means that at some point in the future, everything will degrade naturally.

Stavromueller, thanks for posting! That's a really interesting and informative post. I had a cough only and DH was asymptomatic if he had it, apart from what was a weird rash on his toes, which came and went and confused us, but then later was reported as a possible symptom.... So it's possible that he doesn't have enough antibodies in his system (and potentially nor do I). Good to know that the commercially available antibody test should be accurate - although I'm not convinced this is it - they seem to be using it for anti-gen as well (hence my lack of faith in it!).

Went for a bike ride this morning in the wind and the rain. Completely wiped us both out (DH was not appropriately attired for the wind chill factor) - just now eaten and beginning to feel like ourselves again. 

MS things:
* NV survey
* Lunch used up half a sweet potato and 8 chips (and some fish fingers)
* Clicks done

Gratitudes:
* Lovely takeaway last night
* Cups of tea (to warm me through - is it June? What happened to summer?)
* Kitty cuddles

Have a good afternoon all!

try_harder

It is hailing very hard here with thunderstorms and its quite cold ..I really want to turn the heating on but will make do with a hot water bottle ! What on earth has happened to flaming June

themadvix

We’ve had the thunder and hail and torrential rain now - much of it on my way back from mum’s! And yes, I was tempted by heating earlier - now just under the bed clothes!!