OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

moneyistooshorttomention

Sympathies re oil costs. I had everything oil-based ripped out quicksharp when I got the house and its all off mains services now. I appreciate this isn't possible for a lot of rural houses to do though....and price of oil is whew:eek::eek::eek:

Must admit too I'm glad the house is now more "self-sufficient" in that sense and I'm not reliant on an oil firms deliveries. My services keep going regardless and without effort now.

calicocat

Bumping due to today's events.

Horace

Hi all

Gloomy, wet and cold here today. I have been out today for a bit of shopping and tried to use my free vouchers from Mr T - I managed to get some free pears and some free carrots but they just do not stock the variety of spuds that I have the voucher for. Got some yellow stickered items too which will be split and frozen.

Went also to FF and got bread (now that I know their own brand is baked by Hovis) - again it needs splitting and freezing. Got 2 bags of sugar as they were 59p. I had a look at some of their other offers but decided against them. They had a frozen meat offer 3 for £10 but when I checked the individual price of the items then it came to £8.85 so not a bargain after all.

In other news my limited company has officially been dissolved - I have had the paperwork from Companies House and I feel loads better (a huge weight has been lifted) - it officially ended on 14 October.:D

mum2one

LB - sorry to hear about old boy cat, and yb cat glad he's getting better.

Just had a lovely weekend with DD we went back to Wales for the wend, had awful rain on Saturday we didn't go to the afternoon, and my fav outing yesterday the market, so funny as the deal we had was a try before you buy deal so we went and looked at buying a caravan, I must of had the most pushy salesman going, Dd and me could see throu his ploy but there would be people that would end up signing on the dotted line - he's waiting for a call back from me with a 1k deposit he thinks we're having a 23k caravan - considering I said a 15k budget - it something my parents would like to do eventually.

My fav shop had a half price sail so got a few more bits for Xmas including a 4 piece car may with Wales dragon on for £3.50.

At hospital now got dads chemo tablets, but he has to have a magnisum drip for an he at least they do free wifi... Xx

Horace

Morning folks - still on the computer, it is raining hard and I can hear it.

Spent the afternoon with friends sorting out things for the window display. Next Monday we are going to be photographed beavering away on my dining room table. That's the thing working with artists - they want to photograph you (I had better do a lot more housework).

I have also been approached by the arts project people to help a college student as she wants to use pictures of people and incorporate them into a dress - err having seen examples of her work I am not overly keen and do not really see how I can help. Also a bit loathe to help anyone from the college with anything because I am still waiting for work that they were supposed to be helping me with (at least if I am ever asked for a reference I will be able to give a straight and honest answer).

Oh well I suppose I had better go and take my eye drops and have a mug of coffee before I go to bed (heck I might ditch the coffee for some cola).

Hope you have a wonderful day and manage to stay dry.

Horace

7 hardy people turned up for Tai Chi today - we are tough nuts as we wrapped up warm and did the exercises in the rain.

I have been doing some investigating on behalf of a friend who is in an abusive relationship (not so easy to get out of). I shall now be allowing her to use my phone to make any calls she needs to make. She has decided to take me out to lunch on Friday so that we can chat more and make some arrangements for her to come round and make the calls she needs to make. Her partner is quite controlling and monitors everything whilst making my friend's life hell. My friend should be allowed to have friends and be able to enjoy her retirement without living in fear.

This afternoon my phone rang but I was upstairs so couldn't get to it in time so I checked the number and rang back. It was the people that provide the health trainer that I see but she wasn't in (on long term sick) anyway I managed to speak to a different team all about weight loss (I am trying to lose weight) well, they are sending me some vouchers for 12 weeks of slimming club. It is one I used to go to but that particular group has moved to the other side of the village which is a 2 mile walk for me (walking will help keep me fit), I was offered a group on my own doorstep which meets on Saturday mornings at 9.30am but I cannot really commit to Saturdays. I will have to say something though because I will be expected to add something to the slimmer of the week hamper and to be honest I cannot afford it because I have enough trouble feeding myself without feeding anyone else.

I was in swoonsville yesterday - the advisor that I used to see on the work programme rang me from his new job (I have always thought him to be rather hot even though he is younger than me). He emailed me again today asking me to make arrangements to go and register for permanent work with them - he is shocked (and disappointed) that the work programme people cannot find me a job (they are useless and I have more success getting interviews).

Hope all is well with you.

mum2one

Horace - that sounds an amazing thing you are doing for your friend, hope everything goes ok.

Quiet day here, managed to sort some more of the shed out, bar some wine all stocked up for xmas drinks, next plan is to tackle the kitchen cupboards... xx

moneyistooshorttomention

Agreed that Horace needs to be there for her friend now. I was surprised to see this friend is retired, as I suppose I'd just assumed that having men like that in one's life was a younger age group thing. But I guess it can happen to anyone at any age and there are probably indeed a sizable number of retirement age women with these problems (and, not being sexist, some men too).

Horace = I'm wondering whether its possible for your friend to have a secret mobile phone she carries round with her? That being as well as the offer of use of your landline phone obviously. It's impossible to make anything other than the shortest calls on a mobile phone without racking up the cost I think. I know my landline phone is fine to use in a pretty unlimited way, as there are these tariffs whereby it's possible to make calls of up to an hour in length to any ordinary landline phone number 24/7. With my own provider, I also get to make ones to 0845 numbers included as well. Presume you have that sort of tariff? and it will thence be cost-free for your friend to make any number of phonecalls she wants.

There are some members of both sexes who don't exactly merit the title "human being" to describe them....unfortunately.

Speaking of men = we haven't seen any sign of our male thread members for a while. Hello:hello: - are you still out there? How are you doing?

Horace

Thanks for your support ladies, it is much appreciated. My friend is gay and it is her wife who is the abusive one (I have never been one for violence but I feel like punching her in the gob). My view is if she hates being with my friend then she should leave but she won't (probably because she has a roof provided for her and is on quite a cushy number plus she has never had to stand on her own two feet before). I was talking to some other mutual friends today and we are all going to provide support for our friend as much as we can. I used to work with this lovely lady and we share the same sense of humour - this is the lady who changed a fuse for me in my lamp and then said that the lamp needed the attention of an electrician. She had ill-health retirement because she has a blood condition (too thick).

I have free unlimited calls on my landline which includes calls to 03 numbers. It is a good idea about a secret mobile but I don't think my friend will go for it.

Tipping the house upside down looking for my birth certificate, decree absolute and my building society pass book (I need to move some money around as I am too far into my overdraft). Not long back from the park either where 18 of us did a spot of Nordic Walking. On walking home I saw a biker parked up and wondered if he had broken down but he was waiting for 3 mad cyclists who had nipped into the Council Plant Nursery to use the loo - this intrepid 3 are cycling from Liverpool to London in 4 days.

freakyogre

LavenderBees - so sorry to hear about your cat Glad your other cat is perking up a bit though.
You're right, they are caring creatures. I've noticed in the last few months how much more affectionate my cat is when I'm upset. They definitely know what's going on!

I booked Tuesday off work this week as my dad and step mum were meeting up with my grandma and uncle. I haven't seen my uncle since the Christmas before last and my grandma since last summer and with her being 97, I thought I would take the opportunity to go with them. We had a lovely lunch out and it was so good to see them again. I've said i'll arrange another day with my sister to go and visit her at home. There's no excuse, she's less than a couple of hours away, but life sadly has got in the way.
It was also a productive day as my dad collected a table and chairs I'd bought from an advert, I then picked up a microwave and a home phone, ready for broadband later today. I think I'm pretty much sorted with everything now. Just need to settle in and get used to things.

I went to my usual body combat class in the evening (haven't been for a few weeks) and enjoyed it so must do it every week again at least. It's not as easy now as I'm further away from the leisure centre and before I could walk from our house, but I will try. It's great for any aggression you may have!

Wednesday night I went to the cinema with my sister. What was a cheap night out (2 for £12 meal and Orange Wednesday cinema tickets) turned out to be a lot more when I discovered I had a parking ticket!! My own stupid fault - I assumed parking was free after 6pm (as it always used to be) so didn't even look at the machine. Annoying, but I can't argue it so it's been paid.

I'm meeting my sister again tomorrow to get a few bits. I want to try and makeover a shoe rack I have - it's a basic metal one and looked ok in the porch at the last house, but now it will be more on view, I want to try and make it look nicer. The 'plan' is to use some shelves from an old fabric wardrobe (which happen to be just the right size) and cover them in fabric to use as sides/a top. I'm borrowing my dad's staple gun and eyelet tool, so fingers crossed, it will work!

When I'm a bit more sorted, I will have a go at my course again. It's an accountancy course (AAT) and I have 3 units left to study (and a project to finish) before I've completed the qualification. I do need to do it as work kindly paid for this year, but I don't want to push myself at the moment as know i'll just get worked up if I can't do. Lots of little steps with everything at the moment!

Right, it's lunchtime now so we're off to feed the ducks