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

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks for your thoughts ladies. SL, Scotland has a very good network of charging points, even right up on Skye - I think you might be surprised. The range come on a long way too - we'd be looking at an ID3 which has a real world range (rather than WLTP - don't ask what it stands for but it's like manufacturers mpg figures, never that realistic) of about 180 miles. As DH said, he has no desire to drive further than that in one go. And it's certainly not the longest range available - I think Kias and Hyundais will go further. And then it's a 20 minute break to charge at the services/wherever you find a charging point - in some great places in Scotland.

DH is not keen on ID3s though, so it will be a real compromise if we go for it - and while I'm all for it (if the maths works out), I'll get to have the nice Audi while DH will be spending quite a lot of time in the ID3. So he wants to have a look at one first as well. It's not a decision we need to make immediately though!

Cheery, that certainly used to be the case with Nissan Leafs (re two-week car hire), but I doubt it applies any more as the range on all of them is so much better and the infrastructure is definitely there. My friend had a 1st-gen Leaf and when she got it she couldn't get from Bedfordshire to her Nan's holiday home in Lowestoft (so I do appreciate that it hasn't always been easy SL!), but it only had a range of ~80 miles before you started to panic and there were far fewer charging places back then. I've said it before, but Fully Charged on Youtube is an excellent resource for EV stuff.

Have just caught up on work (big American project has been pushed back a bit, which is handy). And cat-sitting was cancelled for this morning as the family came back a night early (power cut at Butlins!!). Am sitting for my most regular customer over the weekend though, which is great as I didn't think I'd be seeing him again.

Going to pop down to Mum's town - need a voucher from JL for my neighbour as a thank you for the help with PP issues. Will have lunch at home first though.

MS things:
* Clicks done. I think L4dbrokes might have cottoned on to the fact that I never actually spend any money - still no HW win.
* YG, NV and Populous surveys done yesterday
* Qmee at ~£13
* PA has eked over the £5.00 payout line at last!
* Will go to A!di for a couple of bits while out and remove them from my supermarket delivery

Gratitudes:
* Nice time with Dad, Sis and Niece yesterday
* The sun is shining
* A lie in - no cats to feed this morning!

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

That's sounding good, madvix.  And you're now very knowledgeable about EV, it really comes through (speaking as someone who's interested, but knows incredibly little).

Suffolk_lass

Oh dear, I always drive to my Mum's in a day - it is 405 miles on the shortest route. Then another 300 miles to where we are going next month (via Inverness to collect a member of our party who is taking the train). The place we are staying is basically opposite Stornaway (so a fair bit further on from Skye). 

I do realise the technology is moving but it isn't there for us yet. And I am waiting for the high speed charging network. I do stop sometimes, on my way to my Mum's, but it is typically a drink, snack and toilet stop. I feel there is the equivalent of the Betamax vs VHS competition going on in batteries and chargers, and as before, the best does not necessarily win

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Well, given your long distances SL, maybe you're right (although I think you should be stopping more often for safety's sake). The high-speed network will make a difference.  Not sure about your point about chargers? Type 2 with CCS is definitely coming through as the winner and I'm not sure what's wrong with it?

Had a good weekend. Did very little on Saturday but that was definitely needed - we were both exhausted from the past few weeks. Did list a few bits on Ebay, DH fixed some cat-chewed fairy lights and we did a little bit of sorting/decluttering. Yesterday was much more productive (clearly our energy levels had been replenished). Finished painting the fence, DH tidied up the garden, we got both lawns cuts, washing dried, watched the F1, tidied the house and had the in-laws round for a pizza tea. So weekend was a combination of recuperation, getting stuff done and socialising, which was lovely.

MS things:
* Cat sitting Saturday PM and Sunday AM
* Bought pizza from Coop instead of ordering takeaway, used frozen baguette for garlic bread and served with corn on the cob that came in veg box (using up half a chilli from previous week's recipe box too). 
* Ebay listings

Gratitudes:
* It was our furry boys' birthday yesterday - 8 years old! - apart from giving them some extra treats, I doubt they noticed. But they make my life so much cheerier when DH is out at work. Always grateful for them
* Nice time with family yesterday
* Fence is done - with the weather likely to worsen soon, it's a weigh off my mind.

Have a good afternoon all. I need to get this last bit of work done and head to the zero-waste shop. Having 20 miles of electric range is proving to be super useful at the moment.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Feeling very on top of things at the moment - got all the work I needed to get finished yesterday done, did my evening class homework (very tricky) yesterday too and managed the trip to the zero-waste shop. We did have takeaway last night, which wasn't planned but was covered for the vast majority by an earned voucher and a discount code - £5.50 actual money paid. Was glad I was up to date with work as client then offered me another unexpected, fairly large project, which I've been able to make good headway with today (I'm still waiting for the delayed American project to arrive too).

Dinner tonight is butternut squash and ricotta pasta (using up squash, ricotta and leftover garlic and chilli butter from Sunday's corn on the cob).

Alongside work I've been back on the competitions boards, so fingers crossed I win something!

MS things:
* Clicks done - won £1.50 on the HW just over £5 in the account again now, so will let it build a little bit more and then have another free £5 from the bookies.
* Lots of work
* Cheap takeaway
* Qmee at ~£15
* Will just about be able to cash out Prolific - only £5 in there though
* No bids on ebay items yet

Gratitudes:
* A lovely warm lap cat as I write - the weather has definitely begun to turn here (but it is nearly October, I suppose!)
* Delicious takeaway last night - very much enjoyed
* A lovely weekend to look forward to - helping Mum look after Niece on Saturday (Sis is doing the moonwalk??) and a free music festival in the town on Sunday
* oh and not spending the whole of Tuesday with evening class homework hanging over me - I must do it earlier more often!! 🙄

Have a good afternoon all!

Cheery_Daff

Lots of good things happening there! Good on you doing your work, and your homework, on time! 😁

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks Cheery! (You'd think as a grown up, I'd have learnt about homework by now!).

The American project has arrived, so I'm feeling very smug with how well I did with the other project yesterday - have broken the back of that. American stuff is going pretty well too and I'd like to get it almost finished today (I have until Friday). Have also entered more comps... haven't won anything yet though!🤣 I did pretty well with the particular ones I'm entering last time around so fingers crossed!

Did my Olio collection this morning, which has furnished some crisps for DH, a baton (which I had some of for lunch), some baby sweet corn (will go in dinner) and some gingerbread men (I kept 5 of these, but actually the one I had wasn't very nice - so Niece may get more than the one I was keeping for her!).

Also had a small supermarket delivery: they had lots on offer for Organic September, so have stocked up on a few bits (and tough that we're moving - organic Weetabix are hardly ever on offer and they are what fuels Mr TMV! Most of it will be gone by the time we move anyway). Yoghurt was damaged so have put in for a refund for that.

Dinner tonight is an oyster mushroom curry. I used to have a serious phobia of mushrooms/fungi and had hypnotherapy to get over it, but I still don't actually like them generally speaking. But a lot of the veggie stuff we eat that tastes really good is based on oyster mushrooms, so I thought I'd give them a go (I was thinking of doing this and then discovered that they are in season and there's a nice recipe in WR magazine). It feels like a huge step to be specifically buying mushrooms for me to eat (usually they come in the veg box and I just pick them out and give them to DH if he's put them in something!), so it'll be interesting to see what I think.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* Lots of work
* Need to go to PO with RM survey parcels shortly
* DH took lunch to work - getting back into the habit of this after 18 months of him buying something on the rare occasions he's been in (he's done pretty well out of it - the canteen lady likes him and he's had free pizza on occasion!)
* Free Olio food

Gratitudes:
* Really good evening class last night
* Sun is still shining here!
* Lovely Olioers

Have a good afternoon all!

Suffolk_lass

I don't eat mushrooms or funghi (or microproteins like Quorn) but mine is because I get blisters in my mouth. It is not an allergy, according to the substance the allergy clinic substituted for what I took with me...

I had never been a fan of the texture when they are cooked and had stopped eating cooked ones. Then the next time I had some I got this reaction (like bee stings round my lips, roof of my mouth behind my teeth, and all round the edge of my tongue). I just don't.

themadvix

Morning all,

That's interesting SL, sounds like a histamine type thing, but not! I don't blame you for avoiding them though - it doesn't sound nice at all (and there's the risk it could get worse). I don't think you're missing much!

Dinner was OK - I didn't have too much of an issue with the mushrooms, although I didn't love them, but the recipe was a bit lacking. I'm not sure I'd do it again, but I guess I know that if there was something oyster mushroomy on a menu it might be OK.

Have got up to date with the American project, so back to the one for my main client. Have also received two more smaller projects to do overnight, so still busy! It's such a good feeling to be fully employed again at last.

We were meant to be meeting a couple of friends for dinner but they've had to postpone, so we'll have roasted veg and pasta for dinner I think  -using up some pesto, the baby corn on the cob (didn't put it in the curry last night) and some other veggies. R'ford delivery today, but I got another recipe box as the last one was so tasty (and went quite a long way). Might take it to Mum's for Saturday night for after Niece has gone to bed (and DH could join us).

MS things:
* Comps entered, clicks done, no HW win today though
* YG survey done last night
* 1P surveys: @ £13+ now there
* No heating on here yet (although I'm cold, so jumper on and I need to dig out fingerless gloves and put my wheat sheep in the microwave)
* RM survey item to post later (which is a good excuse for a walk)

Gratitudes:
* Nice chat with Dad yesterday
* Work
* A cup of hot tea for my cold fingers!

Have a good afternoon all!

Suffolk_lass

I was just listening to Mrs Mummypenny (blogger) on breakfast radio with tips to save money on energy. She evidently monitored the greedy things in her house. Top of her "I was amazed" list was the microwave. I might have to read that blog - She evidently saved more than the likely increase with five things and I missed four (she said she turns off the lights in rooms not in use as tip 1)