Scuba's Saving the Ha'Pennies

ZTD

scubaangel wrote: »

I'm talking military community here. So they're understandably concerned when a stranger is walking in and out of a house with the family dog after not seeing the people who live there for a few days. I know my friends aren't particularly close to the neighbours, so even though I'm here fairly often I've never met any of them myself.

Given she's absent for the purposes of giving birth, "not particularly close" is a good synopsis.

scubaangel wrote: »

Biking to work and something I can use for triathlon, hire fees are usually about £50-£80 depending on the supplier and when you need to collect and drop off so as I'm hoping to do two this year the difference between the money I have towards it already and actual cost is less than I'd be spending on hire. Although I probably will look for a cheap hybrid for getting around on other occasions - one of the swim lakes I'm thinking about trying out I could cycle to but it's an off road path and unless its been resurfaced since I walked it a few years ago wouldn't be suitable for a road bike.

Unfortunately, everything you do to a bike to toughen it for off-road will affect its on-road performance. Since you want the bike for a triathlon, you want the fastest you can get - on-road.

On the bright side, since you just want it for pootling along to get to the swim, you could always try second-hand for your "other occasions" bike.

scubaangel

I assume they know shes pregnant but given she wasn't actually due for another week or so and didn't look all that heavily pregnant when normally clothed (you could really tell when we went swimming but people don't tend to wander around outside the house in swim suits in March) it's possible they haven't realised thats where she is.

Thats the plan, semi decent road bike because although I could use a hybrid in events theres no point making it harder for myself than it needs to be and I quite enjoyed the road bike I hired last year - once I ignore the annoyances caused by the fairly heavy rain during the bike part of the event - and a cheap second hand hybrid again.

In the meantime I've written and posted another review, drunk several mugs of tea, and done a few surveys.

ZTD

scubaangel wrote: »

I assume they know shes pregnant

Your use of the word "assume" brought to mind this:

scubaangel wrote: »

Thats the plan, semi decent road bike because although I could use a hybrid in events theres no point making it harder for myself than it needs to be and I quite enjoyed the road bike I hired last year - once I ignore the annoyances caused by the fairly heavy rain during the bike part of the event

Oh? What were those?

scubaangel wrote: »

- and a cheap second hand hybrid again.

Also off-roading is hard on bikes, so the cheaper, the less likely you are to sob into your beer if you break it.

scubaangel wrote: »

In the meantime I've written and posted another review, drunk several mugs of tea, and done a few surveys.

No news of their return?

scubaangel

Sore hands from having to grip the slippery wet handle bars, having to remember to slow down for a couple of corners on my hybrid I'd have flown around because the road bike tyres would have seen me sliding off the course sideways, staring at the same sport on the handle bars because looking any further forward meant not being able to see because of the rain....that type of irritations.

Much how I'm not overly upset that getting the current one back on the road will cost me more than I paid for it hence looking at most likely trading it in for the new road bike (had a reply from the local bike shop they can't do a better price than the price match at the chain store).

Not heard anything yet, but I do need to go home tonight - need to get the last of my washing done before I'm back at work on Tuesday, I'll message them if I've not heard in an hour or so since thats about when the furry one needs her feed so I can feed her and head home if I know someones coming back here to let her out in the evening.

scubaangel

I came home Sunday evening, Mum and Baby got home Monday night, I've been back at work today and been fielding questions from work colleagues about them. Have had a couple of pics sent to me by the parents, they have an absolutely gorgeous little girl - even in the first photos she didn't have that odd squashed up red faced thing going on. They've done the facebook thing now so I've said I'll go round to meet her when they're less harassed by the entire world.

Spent today trying to sort out the rota for the weekend since once again my casual staff don't see the need to let me know when they can't work, followed by one team meber wanting to know if I'd got staff sorted for the weekend after because they have holiday "booked" was a slightly uncomfortable moment when I found myself telling them they'd requested it but I'd not authorised it yet because its a busy weekend and I want to make sure I have staff in place before I authorise holiday during busy times. This being the same colleague who booked overlapping holiday with both dates I've booked and the other team member last year at very short notice.

I've been trying to write a job application this evening. How is it that I can write a 1000 word review of a swimming hat yet can't even put together a coherent cover letter.....

ZTD

scubaangel wrote: »

I came home Sunday evening, Mum and Baby got home Monday night, I've been back at work today and been fielding questions from work colleagues about them. Have had a couple of pics sent to me by the parents, they have an absolutely gorgeous little girl - even in the first photos she didn't have that odd squashed up red faced thing going on.

Well to be fair, it's not odd for the child in question:
"Your kid looks like she's been stuffed somewhere cramped for the past few months."
"Funny you should mention it..."

scubaangel wrote: »

Spent today trying to sort out the rota for the weekend since once again my casual staff don't see the need to let me know when they can't work, followed by one team meber wanting to know if I'd got staff sorted for the weekend after because they have holiday "booked" was a slightly uncomfortable moment when I found myself telling them they'd requested it but I'd not authorised it yet because its a busy weekend and I want to make sure I have staff in place before I authorise holiday during busy times. This being the same colleague who booked overlapping holiday with both dates I've booked and the other team member last year at very short notice.

That's because they want to provoke awkwardness and "social" discomfort with the aim of you not wanting to do it, and so letting them get their own way. It has probably worked in the past with other managers.

scubaangel wrote: »

I've been trying to write a job application this evening. How is it that I can write a 1000 word review of a swimming hat yet can't even put together a coherent cover letter.....

Is it because you find it difficult to talk about yourself non-anonymously, especially in a positive manner? I have a problem like that, I was asked what my job was, and it was "Chief Cook and Bottlewasher..." :whistle:

scubaangel

Most likely, I'm a wonderfully fun combination of confident enough to not care what other people think, with terrified of people thinking I'm arrogant added to painful shyness often covered up with alcohol or a work related facade.

Popped over to a localish branch of the bike shop to have a chat with them about bikes and sizes, as expected they wanted to upsell me to a more expensive bike but I now know what size I'm better off ordering so will do so once I can work out where I've left the paperwork with my bank customer number so I can log in to my account and shuffle the money ready to be paid off the credit card.

I also spotted an alert on my phone whilst I was in town which led to a fairly quick mystery shop on a new app I'm trying out, so I should be getting a refund for a bottle of conditioner and a small payment for carrying out the job. As I could buy any conditioner for the job I got my normal one which was on offer and had just enough cash in small change to cover it so when it shows as payable I can at least use that to make a small extra payment to the credit card.

At work I also found an envelope in a drawer with my name on it, the Chef said it was left by the group who had a lunch with us before I had the time off, lovely thank you card for me and a nice (paper money) tip which I have deposited in my giant savings tin. Moving my smaller savings tin around that one's starting to feel quite full so hopefully I'll have a glut of £2 coins coming my way to try and get it filled up.

ZTD

scubaangel wrote: »

Most likely, I'm a wonderfully fun combination of confident enough to not care what other people think, with terrified of people thinking I'm arrogant added to painful shyness often covered up with alcohol or a work related facade.

How does "confident enough not to care" hang around with "painful shyness"?

What I am depends on mood, and how much sleep I've had among other things...

scubaangel wrote: »

Popped over to a localish branch of the bike shop to have a chat with them about bikes and sizes, as expected they wanted to upsell me to a more expensive bike

"Modom would look faaatastic on the new Bling-a-Blong 5000..."

scubaangel wrote: »

At work I also found an envelope in a drawer with my name on it, the Chef said it was left by the group who had a lunch with us before I had the time off,

Were these the PITA crew?

scubaangel wrote: »

lovely thank you card for me and a nice (paper money) tip which I have deposited in my giant savings tin. Moving my smaller savings tin around that one's starting to feel quite full so hopefully I'll have a glut of £2 coins coming my way to try and get it filled up.

Yes, I sorted my shrapnel tin out the other week...serious money... :eek:

scubaangel

It works quite nicely - I don't care as long as noone expects me to actually interact with another human......

More seriously I'm comfortable with myself, my looks and my shape (albeit I'm not so happy with my weight but thats down to lazyitis so far this year), I'll wear what I'm comfortable with and am perfectly happy to carry on not wearing make up, styling my hair to the point of breaking off nor dying it as seem to be the norm for so many women my age. I'll also what I want to do when I want to (within reason) and not worry about other people's take on it.

But don't ask me to make conversation with someone else (even people I work with other than those in my team) without the aid of a glass of wine or three.

Yup, apparently using it at most a couple of times a week to cycle to work will result in my needing a bike of around £900-£1100.....or not, my £50 second hand hybrid has worked just fine so the £500 model without disc brakes and carbon forks will suit me just fine until such time as I do get addicted (as the sales person claimed I would) and need something I can take for touring weekends......

Logged in to the bank and money is now all residing in the same account. Am waiting for £50 from paypal to clear in to my bank then will order the new one. Looks like quidco have a slightly better cashback rate for the retailer than tcb so will go through them.

ZTD

scubaangel wrote: »

It works quite nicely - I don't care as long as noone expects me to actually interact with another human......

See, I would have expected you not to be working in the profession you are with a desire like that. It's what IT was invented for...

scubaangel wrote: »

More seriously I'm comfortable with myself, my looks and my shape

Well that's half - or more - of the battle.

scubaangel wrote: »

(albeit I'm not so happy with my weight but thats down to lazyitis so far this year), I'll wear what I'm comfortable with and am perfectly happy to carry on not wearing make up, styling my hair to the point of breaking off nor dying it as seem to be the norm for so many women my age. I'll also what I want to do when I want to (within reason) and not worry about other people's take on it.

Rebel.

scubaangel wrote: »

But don't ask me to make conversation with someone else (even people I work with other than those in my team) without the aid of a glass of wine or three.

What makes it so hard? I find it difficult to make small talk about the inconsequential, or indeed about myself...

But that's probably repeating myself...

scubaangel wrote: »

Yup, apparently using it at most a couple of times a week to cycle to work will result in my needing a bike of around £900-£1100.....

Cheaping out or what? :rotfl:

scubaangel wrote: »

or not, my £50 second hand hybrid has worked just fine so the £500 model without disc brakes and carbon forks will suit me just fine until such time as I do get addicted (as the sales person claimed I would) and need something I can take for touring weekends......

Get addicted to a comfy saddle. Most Bling Bikes have a razor-blade saddle which goes right up the Kyber Pass...

scubaangel wrote: »

Logged in to the bank and money is now all residing in the same account. Am waiting for £50 from paypal to clear in to my bank then will order the new one. Looks like quidco have a slightly better cashback rate for the retailer than tcb so will go through them.

That's unusual. Quidco have been off the boil for quite some time.