The impossible dream

savingholmes

Fantastic news. So happy for you 

greent

Great news on becoming permanent staff - gets rid of that little nagging concern x

powerspowers

Fantastic news!

Tahlullah.H

Thank you everyone.  Really appreciate the good wishes.  Now it's up to me to make the most of the good fortune that has been bestowed on me.

savingholmes

Have fun scheming

Tahlullah.H

I have had 2 lots of bad news so far this month.  One death and another prognosis of 6 months or less.  Sad times.  Anyway, I have cancelled my winter holiday and rolled it over into 2023.  I think I need to be here. 

Not very moneysaving as with all things unpredictable, I have lost the holiday insurance money as I am no longer travelling and it was booked more than 14 days ago. 

Just the way of the world at the moment.

savingholmes

Sorry you have had bad news. Sounds like the right call though. My sympathies

badmemory

Nothing can be done about that sort of bad news except offer our sympathies & hopes that the financial impact will not be too great.  It is what it is sadly.

Tahlullah.H

Thanks @savingholmes and @badmemory.  Really appreciated.

Seriously, it never rains, but it pours!  So, I took the risk of contacting the Insurance, explaining my situation and throwing myself at their mercy.  Wow, the nice man at the end of the phone agreed to move the insurance to my next holiday which is booked in September, but it will cost a further £5.  Absolute bargain and paid the money.  Except, I checked the visa card this morning and they have taken the full amount!!!  So, on Monday, they either unpick or refund the second amount of money.  I will be within the 14 day cool off period for this payment.

Nothing is ever easy.

As part of my scheming, I have decided to build a garden office.  It will be really small, but I think it will be good to be outside in summer.  A couple of times last year, I sat on the patio and that was nice, but this will offer a bit more, such as being able to see the laptop screen whereas I struggled in the sun last year - along with risk of sunburn!  That reminds me, I need to buy a cantilever sun parasol.

I will have to compromise a lot, so it will be quite small, with French doors looking down the garden.  It will get a lot of the sun in the afternoon and bit in the morning as I will be putting in a window in the back wall overlooking the neighbours garden.  There is nothing that I can see in the permitted development regulations about a 'garden shed's' windows, so this should be ok.  

As usual, it means other things are on hold whilst I do this, but I think it will be a nice thing to have.  The change of scenery will be good for me, especially as I now will be officially working from home 4 days a week from April.

So, things to do include

• Get the chimney finished
• Build the outdoor office.
• Everything else.

Still making small amounts of money from surveys and selling things.  Still being conscious of my fuel bills escalating from working at home, but all we can do is be aware of the coming tsunami.  Still trying to pay down the mortgage so I can get a feeling security.

badmemory

Nothing like receiving a bit of vitamin D whilst supposed to be working.  I certainly wish I had done some of this working from home before I retired.