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

Karmacat

Hi madvix, I just wrote something very similar about going at full pelt in RL but not posting.  Mine has calmed down, I hope yours has too.  And that the roofer looks good - he certainly sounds good.

I still haven't been to that zero waste shop I found on my long walk a couple of weeks ago - don't want to do it today, I'm expecting phone calls, so tomorrow will be the last day before lockdown, oof.  As you say, not looking forward to it.

Hope all's well otherwise.

themadvix

Morning all,

Busy Mee, thank you, that's a lovely thing to say. Run 3 coming up tonight and even with a serious lack of sleep last night, I'm looking forward to it. Karma, thanks - I think things have calmed down here, although still got to get car sorted and waiting to hear from roofer (someone's got to come and have a look with ladders). 

Got work out of the way early yesterday then popped to Costco, took one look at the queue and thought 's*d that' (I'll need to go at some point, but perhaps after the TP loonies have got their fill), came back, went to the zero-waste shop and picked up some bits in the town there too - independent bookshop and WH Smiths and Superdrug - all small things but trying to do my bit for the high street. In the afternoon I visited Mum's town (for M&S) - it was pleasantly busy (what would normally be called quiet), which was lovely to see, but pretty sad that it has to come to the shops being closed for people to get out there. Called in for a cuppa with Mum afterwards, which will be the last time for a while. We'll probably meet for socially distanced walks though. The rules seem rather confusing this time - don't travel, but you can meet someone for a walk... And you should only leave home for essential purposes, but you can visit 'venues that are open' - i.e. garden centres?? Oh well.

Have finished this morning's work now too. A brief lull before a potentially huge project, but it's yet to be confirmed. I need to go for a walk (to the post box and to enjoy the sunshine) and there's housework to do. Have managed a few more small jobs on the new-to-me platform, so getting closer to the 100 euro payout. All good so far.

MS things:
* Jobs on platform
* Clicks done
* Had Yotam Ottolenghi's five-a-day Toad traybake for dinner on Monday night - with carrot, sweet potato and squash instead of the recommended veg. Was delicious and used some veg in a different way. We're having 'roast' tonight as we have lots of brassicas to use up.

Gratitudes:
* Cuppa with Mum and looking at some old photos
* Visit to zero-waste shop and mooch around the bookshop - it was nice to be out and felt vaguely normal
* The everlasting cache of recipes on the Internet

Have a good day all!

South_coast

I love a good veg-in-the-hole (although mine are nothing like that!) It's a great comfort food go-to 😋

QueenJess

themadvix said:

* Had Yotam Ottolenghi's five-a-day Toad traybake for dinner on Monday night - with carrot, sweet potato and squash instead of the recommended veg. Was delicious and used some veg in a different way. We're having 'roast' tonight as we have lots of brassicas to use up.

Oooh... I love that recipe.  Definitely will be trying that one out .  I know I'll love it, but not sure whether I'll get it past my two fussy eaters.

Karmacat

All sounding good here - though I'm with you on the paradoxical rules.

themadvix

Morning all,

Yes, a veg-in-the-hole is always good SC. QueenJess I guess it depends on what they're fussy about. I wasn't sure if it would taste like a poor-veggie version of toad in the hole (and be a bit lacking for DH, who eats meat), but actually it was so full of flavour and very filling that you didn't notice the absence of the 'meat'/veggie sausages.

Took my car to the garage for two new tyres this morning (£145 to come from the car maintenance fund). It was very busy on the roads and I saw several trucks with people leaving the industrial estate with 3 in a cab with no masks or attempts at social distancing. Not good. Expect they'll be the first to complain when Christmas is cancelled. When I got back, my recipe box from R'ford had arrived - not had one before because of the plastic, but minimal plastic packaging in this and it looks really good. From what people say it should last us two meals (very generous portions), which for £12.45 seems reasonable (compared to a takeaway for instance - not compared to Weezl's meals!)

Still waiting to hear about big project - have sent a chase email as time is ticking away. Only a small bit for the Americans otherwise this morning. Have put some washing on as the sun is shining and (still) have housework to do. Really struggling to think about Christmas presents for people - have got a couple sorted (Mum, Dad, friend who gets a homemade present), but it's so hard to think about when everything is so up in the air!

Date night tonight and we were meant to be going to a Thai restaurant that we've wanted to visit for ages. Fortunately they do takeaway, so looking forward to that instead.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* 1P survey
* Washing on to dry in the sun
* PA survey

Gratitudes:
* Yummy recipe box to enjoy
* Looking forward to takeaway
* Sunshine

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Have heard back about the big project - it's not happening. And have heard back from the roofer - £2000+ +VAT. Will definitely be getting some more quotes. And they appear to have stopped making Nestle Crunch - it was our go-to plastic-free (but totally unethical, I'll admit) chocolate bar. And it's still another 26 days before I can break out the advent calendar!!

In good news, we had galettes for lunch, using up some more of the buckwheat flour that I kept getting substituted for normal flour during Lockdown I. And I've done my 10k steps today. And I've saved quite a bit of money as the two jumpers I ordered were no good. Might run out of warm clothes to wear though... hmm... a mixed bag!

newgirly

Shame about the big project Vix ☹️ that seems like a lot for the roof repairs too, although I can’t confess to have any idea on that sort of thing 😁 
Re the chocolate I’ve just ordered ds2 a bar of ‘tony’s chocolonely’ as a stocking filler, a friend brought him some back from Amsterdam and I googled it and it’s ethical and wrapped in paper, a bit dear at £3.49 but it’s a big bar 😬

Karmacat

That's a shame it sounded like it was going to go ahead  
A big lump of the cost might be the scaffolding - when I had my side wall repointed, the scaffolding (and its a fairly low ceilinged council house, remember!) was something like £400.  I had to have the work stopped halfway through, because there were bees nesting in the holes in the mortar, and that was going to cost another £400 if I couldn't get it sorted.  I practically had palpitations!

themadvix

Morning all,

NG, I've resisted Tony's as it's so expensive and I'll snaffle it all far too quickly - have asked for some for Christmas though as it's right up my street ethics-wise! They are big bars too, so maybe not terrible on price. Karma, sadly the scaffolding was only £400 of the price. Palpitations is a bit how I feel. Mum is hopefully getting me another couple of companies to get quotes from and I'll check Which's Trusted Traders too. Will be interested to see what comes out of those. 

The project thing is frustrating, but the quote was too high (but actually pretty cheap for me), mainly caused by the size of the project I think. And the fact they had to translate it to Aussie dollars probably made it look even worse! Work still quiet today, so need to get house tidy and clean and stop avoiding doing housework (I did do some yesterday!). I've made a list so hopefully I won't get too distracted. If any work arrives on the new platform that looks doable, I'll obviously do that too.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* 1P surveys done
* PA surveys done
* RM CD survey starts Monday

Gratitudes:
* Date night takeaway was delicious and plentiful - I've got a good portion left for lunch (but it was pricey - definitely not a regular habit!)
* Weather was lovely yesterday and I got plenty of walking in (partly taking car to and from garage)
* Chat with Brownie friend, who was feeling a bit more upbeat than when I saw her last week

Have a good day all!