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

themadvix

Morning all, 

Thanks Karma. I was looking for another volunteering opportunity after Guiding that was more in alignment with my environmental values (not to say Guiding wasn't in alignment with other values!), so I don't mind the commitment. Once the busy summer season is over, I suspect I'll mainly be doing just my once a week shift, so things will be calmer.

Some unexpected work has arrived this morning and some work that was due to arrive for yesterday still isn't ready for me to start - despite working out a very technical schedule and deadlines for it last week. So I'm glad I've got the unexpected stuff from my main client.

DH has hurt his back, so I've already been to get some painkillers for him. Hoping he improves as we had an unexpected invite to a friend's for dinner tonight! (We've arranged to stay at the in-laws too so we could both have a drink). Oh well, we'll see what happens.

MS things:
* OP of £29 made - ebay sales and TT of evening class account
* Clicks done
* Qmee survey and poll done (have set a reminder to do the poll in my phone)
* PA surveys done
* DH cooked bolognese last night which used up a few of the veg that needed eating in the fridge

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine!
* Work
* An unexpected invitation to dinner

Have a good day all!

Kittenkirst

Thanks for the insight MadVix; the Tesco nearest me which often has available collections is a superstore and evening collection, so i had assumed it would take my evening up mostly. Good to know that assumption is right; I will definitely wait until we are in the new house to start as the in-laws are early-risers to open their newsagents/post-office so I don’t want them kept up until midnight etc (& knowing mum-in-law she would get fully involved and want to help too if we did it here )

themadvix

That definitely makes sense KK. I only have a regular morning slot - not sure DH would be too keen on a regular evening slot as we're generally early to bed and the gate banging has kept him up (I also once made the mistake of engaging in conversation with someone who was very loud at gone 11 at night! - generally I stay out of sight and let them collect in peace!). It sounds like you'll miss your in-laws when you move out - it's lovely that you have such a good relationship with them  

newgirly

Wow that is quite time consuming, well done for getting involved 😊

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Wow, it's hot! I don't function terribly well in the heat, so am taking it gently-ish. Saturday I rushed around a bit much in the morning, cutting the lawn and doing some other gardening bits (was pleased to get them done), and ended up having an afternoon siesta. Yesterday I took it more gently, but did manage to pick and process the red currants, make some raspberry coulis and get loads of washing done and dried (not yet put away). In the evening we went for a walk and collected some bananas and red onions from an Olioer (it feels like the modern-day equivalent of foraging!)

Today is the first day of cat-sitting for my Olio friend - the cats were waiting excitedly for me and are absolutely gorgeous. I'm also covering for another Olioer today, so have people collecting the usual bread and pastries throughout the day (only actually 4 people though, so not too bad). In excellent news, the collecting included several fruit/veg items with broken packaging (but not past their BBE date), so we've kept those as our 10% - strawberries, grapes and peppers, along with some rolls and a treat each. At the moment no one has claimed my friend's collection slot for tomorrow, so I may be doing that too - you're only meant to do a couple of extras a week (this would be my 3rd), but no one has claimed it so it's better I do it than it goes to waste (if the system will let me).

Also have two work projects to do, one of which I am *still* waiting on the client for half of - should have been delivered at the latest last Thursday. Oh well, I can't do it if it's not there (and I have plenty to be getting on with).

Have used S&S vouchers to order two electric fans for DH and I - every year I think, we'll be OK, it's not that bad, but this year I've decided we need to do something about the heat! With the vouchers it's only cost £10. Annoyingly, one is ready now but the other won't be available until 4pm to collect - I'm not going twice!

MS things:
* Lots of surveys done over the weekend
* Clicks done (now including Qmee poll)
* Red currant harvest 'safely gatherered in', but will need to make jelly as there are waaay too many for the freezer - bumper crop I think
* Free food

Gratitudes:
* Friendly newbie Olioers
* I don't have a fur coat on like my cats - poor them!
* Friendly cat-sitting charges (and an owner who is as neurotic as me about leaving them!)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Gosh yes, fur coats in this heat!  No wonder Egyptian cats have such fine hair!  Lots going on - and you've reminded me that I have a currant bush to pick - it's fruited properly this year, for the first time ever, because of all the laurel that got cut down last year, and opened up the garden.  Loving the light  

themadvix

Morning all,

Hmm, Egyptian cats are not my cup of tea, I have to say. I prefer a furry pet! But expect they'd be a lot more comfortable than my medium-long haired kitties. For us, the fans are making a huge difference though! (Cats are definitely not sure about them though!) Great news about your currant bush Karma   I must turn mine into jelly today.

Still waiting on some of the stuff needed to finish last week's work for one project. Am finishing up the project for my main client in the meantime. Another Olio collection this morning to cover for the lady whose cats I'm looking after. No fresh fruit or veg this morning, so am working on walking round the block enough to justify the lemon curd muffin I've kept back! 

MS things: 
* Clicks done (won £2 on the Happy Wheel - sorry Cheery, hope you don't mind me pinching this!)
* Dinner last night was risotto, using stuff we had in; tonight will be stir fry, using garden chard and free peppers (among other bits)
* PA survey
* NV survey

Gratitudes:
* love how grateful the staff at the homeless shelter are for the leftovers - it's really nice dropping stuff of there
* lemon curd muffin
* helpful Olioer who called me for a chat when I had a query about how to divvy things up

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Certainly don't mind you pinching the Happy Wheel phrase - I pinched it myself from the name of a promotion that doesn't run any more. 😂 Yay for a win, however small! 

Definitely not a week to be a cat, or a woolly sheep 😮

themadvix

Morning all,

Completely agree Cheery, sheep must be very uncomfortable, especially if they've not been shorn.

Final day of Olioing in a row today - and finishing with 2 collections in one day... never again! (Remind me of this when I volunteer to cover for people in the future). Cat-sitting charges are still lovely and super easy to look after.

Am off out for lunch with some old dears today (Trefoil Guild ladies, I'm the youngest by 20+ years!). So that should be nice and a nice change too. Otherwise, a tiny amount of work, Olioing and finishing the red currant jelly.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* Qmee survey done last night
* Free bread... other stuff tonight too...
* Used various bits up in fridge last night (stewed some plums that needed using)

Gratitudes:
* A change of scene today
* Good chat with council garage man (I'll explain another time)
* Sunshine

Have a good day all, I'm off for a quick walk around the block - lunch will not be healthy on energetic!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Busy, busy day yesterday with two Olio collections and lunch out in the middle (along with work and cat-sitting). In the end I shifted most of the stuff from Olio, although it wasn't until late afternoon that I had any interest in the stuff from the morning. Have quite a selection of bits from the evening collection - ham in the freezer for DH, 12 pints of organic whole milk (some of which is going to be turned into cheese and yoghurt), oranges, some bbq cauliflower bites (lunch), crumpets, pittas and fruit salady-bits. We have quite a bit of food in!

We currently have a supermarket order booked for Tuesday, but I'm tempted to push it back a few days (ideally I'd like to not spend apart from milk until the end of the month, but there are a couple of bits on the order we could do with). Between the garden and Olio and being fed elsewhere on Saturday.... I need to have a look and think but I think we could skip the delivery.

Have had a small amount of work in and an explanation for the missing work. That project is now on pause until 28th, but in the meantime they've offered me something else, but I'm not sure I have the skillset - I've queried that with the PM.

This morning I've made the redcurrant jelly at last (two jars) and spread the Olio love by giving two neighbours and a friend some leftover roses. This afternoon it's dairy parlour time, fun with the milk! Might try making a paneer rather than ricotta this time.

Motivation for money saving is high at the moment (it usually is when I'm quiet with work!), so have been doing quite a few surveys and generally trying to maximise the opportunities offered. DH spotted a property that would suit us perfectly, but we think we're too late to the party now - they don't even want you to view unless you've *sold* your house now 🙄. That's all well and good if you just want something fairly standard, but when you're looking for something unusual, what are you meant to do? Sell your house but tell your buyer it might be a couple of years until you find what you're looking for? It's madness. So we will probably lose out - we don't want to go through the rigmarole of putting the house back on the market just for a possibility of this property (someone else is going for a second viewing...). Any suggestions welcome!

MS things:
* Clicks done
* Qmee surveys done (up to ~£6 now, a record!)
* Free food from Olio and the garden
* Have finally remembered to enter the points draws on the TV survey - must have been a year since I last did, I have 139,000 points (entries for the highest value prize comps are 800-900!)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely to catch up with the old dears and a lovely ploughman's lunch (Olio'ed bread, and no one noticed )
* Really, really grateful Olioers, who were lovely (and quiet!)
* A relatively early night for an evening collection - in bed by 11, having divvied it all up and been to the homeless shelter.

Have a good afternoon all!