Breaking Through, Travelling On

smallholdingsister

How was the response to the "I am retiring" letters?

Karmacat

A couple of people responded with thanks to texts I sent them, but there was only one actual letter, for various reasons - no response from that. The rest has been in person, and an announcement on the website - no reaction from the website, I wouldn't expect it, but the in-person response has been very varied Interesting times!

I did the bloggiting too, for both of them :j very pleased.

Tax return is still mad, however - taking off expenses that weren't claimable has sent the whole thing haywire, but I've got a full day tomorrow, it's going to be difficult. I've been keeping an eye on it every day precisely because I don't trust them at all ... here's the proof, sigh ... I wonder if the figures are so weird because they've already refunded me? Wait and see, I suppose.

Slightly aggravated to be charged interest, however!

[Deleted User]

Karmacat wrote: »

Hiya honey! I'm glad you're back - I wish there was a diary where I could keep up to date on your news

Thank you, KC:T. I'm assuming you mean me as your post came immediately after my last one:rotfl:

I sometimes toy with the idea of having my own diary but all I seem to do in my life is try to pay off my debt. There's still another three and a half years to go with that yet:(. I wish I had exciting plans like you have with all the options that retirement will bring. I don't think I'd have many stalwart followers like you have on here, KC:o

Well, I've had a good catch-up of the posts I missed, there were pages of them. So much talk and uncertainty about the state pension situation by so many of you though. It must be a worrying time. Fortunately I'm past all that worry as I'm already receiving my state pension. Because of some years of interrupted service and part-time working (from choice) at one time I don't get the maximum and it's certainly nowhere near the new standard £155 rate but it's better than nothing and at least there's no uncertainty about it. Who knows if/when they'll be moving the goalposts again, so a bird in the hand and all that;)

beanielou

Carbootcrazy~~ Having a diary can be a good way of keeping track.
Not sure many read mine or that I have followers mainly cause it is boring I think but it works for me.

patanne

And there are many who just lurk (not stalk) who only delurk when they have something particular to say - or just don't like cream! But we do cheer from the sidelines.

Karmacat

I did mean you, CBC, thats right :kisses3: and beanie is exactly right about a diary helping you keep track of what's going on - my early diaries are full of to-do lists that say:
- mystery shopping
- survey
- tcb query
- amazon parcel posted

And on and on and on ... I'm sorry your debt has so long to run still, and that your pension is less than it could be - tho as you say, at least there's no uncertainty for you in that. I'm sure that the goalposts will move again, just as you say. If that were in the direction of a little compensation for those of us who got smacked with two sets of changes, that would be nice, but I'm really, really not counting on it :rotfl:

I'm feeling slightly spooked about the whole tax situation, but not really - I never expected to get a refund in the first place, so the news that I have to make a £500 payment is no big deal. But in the next half hour, I'll log on to my bank and HMRC and check the latest situation - I'm hoping I've only lost part of that refund, and not lost it plus had to pay £500. I know that doesn't make sense, I'm a bit wary of putting down the exact figures :o:o I've probably snookered myself with that whole "I'm bad at details" thing

Other than that, not much going on, as beanie says its that boring thing - making sure everything's clean, 3 hours of work, recovery, phone my mum, collapse in front of a DVD . The most exciting thing will be emptying the teabags onto the flower border :cool:

[Deleted User]

You're all so lovely on this thread. I always feel better when I've dropped in:T

KC, your mention of emptying your tea bags has made me confess that I spent /wasted a lot of time today on an online wild goose chase on the subject of Brooke Bond's Choicest Blend tea bags:o. Do any of you remember them? It was the best tea ever IMO but sadly it has now been discontinued:(. I came across a wonderful website where dozens of irate/disappointed fans of said tea were talking about petitions and all sorts of things. This blend hasn't been available for a while now so I don't think they got very far with that idea.

If anyone reading this drivel can remember this tea (it was in a dark green box) and has discovered anything that tastes similar I'd love to know what it is please:T

Karmacat

Feeling better is a good thing

Can't help you on the teabags though, CBC - I can tell when tea has stewed, but for English breakfast tea, thats about my lot - my tastebuds are often alarmingly inefficient :rotfl:

Good news on the tax front though - I paid the £500 odd yesterday, but I'd previously sent a whinge about it through their messaging system, and today, a response has turned up - the situation that I'd *hoped* for is indeed the actual situation :j:j:j that my alteration of the figures so late in the day has meant that the refund was too big, so they asked for a payment. Of course, I've paid them, but the refund won't turn up till next week at the earliest :rotfl: so it goes.

So, today's to-do list:
- session at 3pm.
- tricky email to send.
- w/m is on, its supposed to be sunny all day :j maybe it can go out on the line!
- check the blogs, consider what improvements to make - my author friend is making great strides on goodreads. I need to think about quality of linkups, like him, not just quantity.

Karmacat

Karmacat wrote: »

- session at 3pm.

- tricky email to send.
sent - heaven only knows if there's ever going to be a reply

- w/m is on
and the washing is on the line :j

- check the blogs, consider what improvements to make
I've spent part of the morning listing the posts (a la Money Mustache and part of the rest *trying* to find out how to put an Amazon search box in a widget area. No luck heeeeelllppp.

And the topic of the day: the dogs next door are howling and barking. They have been for days now. I don't blame them, they must get lonely as the main couple that live there are on a long holiday, and no one else is in all day. But thats my party wall, and its impossible to relax, when its going on for hours each day. I know the couple are back soon, and I'm trying to hold on to speak to them, because otherwise its leaving a note, and I just don't want to do that.

Between the Amazon search box and the howling, I'm a bit frustrated .... off into the blue yonder I go, then (or round the block, at any rate).

Karmacat

Updated to-do list:

- session at 3pm.
done, none tomorrow, my time is my own :j

- tricky email to send.
sent - heaven only knows if there's ever going to be a reply

- w/m is on
and the washing is on the line :j
and its in now, quite a bit drier, but needs finishing off. Thats fine.


- check the blogs, consider what improvements to make
I've spent part of the morning listing the posts (a la Money Mustache and part of the rest *trying* to find out how to put an Amazon search box in a widget area. No luck heeeeelllppp.
Ahem. You *can't* put an Amazon search box in a widget area on a wordpress blog - I'm pretty sure its because they're rival companies. I've put one in a blog post, but thats not good enough really. Might experiment with a banner.

In the meantime - doh, Adsense! Will experiment with the cats blog.