Preparing for the biggest move of our life

fieldend

Sorry to hear about your DD, hope she gets well soon! Any news about the new job?

It's so hard for us single mothers to cover holidays and sick days... I have a ton of vacation days yet they're never enough. Luckily my mum helps over Easter and sometimes over the summer. My ex doesn't bother, he's covered about 2 weeks total in over 3 years...

Rebecca01

Hope your dd gets better soon and you can work out what is best to do about your car.

bellevie

DD woke up a lot brighter - after I had a sleepless night worrying about a day unpaid!


I answered my own question there, If I cant take a day unpaid without fretting then car finance isn't the way forward. I was reading the other day, if the worst was to happen, it would be cheaper to rebuild the engine than to finance a new car. Which really answers my question - plus my car isn't at that stage, it just need lots of niggly bits doing, which I can afford to do whilst I am not financing a car.


Not off the table but almost talked myself round!


Job applications in, should hear early part of next week re interviews. It will be a test 2 interviews in one week, that hasn't happened in a while!


Today was a truly horrific day. I was so tired after the midnight wakeups checking on DD, I last saw my clock at 4am, next thing it was 6.30 and my alarm was going off. Considering the lack of sleep, we got ready quite quickly, Mr T walked and we were in the car at 7.50 ready to get to school for 8am breakfast club.


Usual route, there are roadworks but over the weekend a solid brick wall has been built forcing me to go the opposite way to DD's school - no signs specifying diversions until you are too late to turn around.


The diversion expects you to turn around on the A road 2 miles up the road - except the other side is gridlock with normal traffic.


I have to detour down a country lane, lots of traffic in little villages until I end up close to our house. Turn a different direction where there are the usual traffic problems.


Left at 7.50 - get to school at 8.42 it should have been an 8 minute drive - 12 maximum.


I think I actually let out a scream when I saw the brick wall and that I couldn't turn back


Luckily, I take my breakfast to work with me, so DD ate my breakfast in the car as she missed breakfast club. Saved 3.50 - it wasn't worth the stress on my blood pressure, it must have been through the roof.


My manager was fine about it, but it set the tone for the rest of the day.


I was on front desk - we work in a rota, today was my day. It was heaving, at one point I had 12 screens of our system open as I couldn't get through each note quickly enough before the next sat down and started yelling at me about a random letter, delayed repair, rent increase, you name it I got screamed at for it.


Im a calm person, and Im good at what I do - all of the issues I managed to resolve once they took time from screaming to actually explain what had got on. Nearly all apologised when I solved their issues there and then but it didn't take away the effect of their aggression towards me!


My colleague left early - and she shouldn't have left when she did leaving me on my own. She only had to wait 3 minutes for me to lock up, but left me with someone else sounding off at me.


She really riled me, and I realised that actually I cant work with her much longer. She isn't nasty, but she isn't good at the job and I am fed up of fixing her mistakes - 3 of those yellers where linked to her doing / not doing something.


I had a 15 minute lunch then was pulled into a meeting that I really didn't have time for.


It then took me to the rest of the day to process left over work from the front desk meaning that I didn't get a chance to look at my actual daily work requests.


Gosh I was glad to leave at 5.


I had a message from a family member visiting for a long weekend soon, it should have been 2 of them, now suddenly 4 are coming. He at least had the decency to ask this time - though I couldn't say no for the life of me. Thank goodness I have the rest of the week off - I will need it to recover.


Now I ache all over, I will be running a very hot bath and going to sleep as soon as I possibly can. I think I might even have to give the soaps a miss

catriona79

Just a brief message to send some good vibes your way. Rest up and switch off.
A good night's sleep is a great start.

bellevie

Thank you!


A good sleep did help and I felt much more positive today - to start!


Im tired now, but not long until I get to sleep again

bellevie

Payday arrived at last!
I paid a little more off our holiday, booked Mr T's neuter & his first trim, moved £50 into my savings and spent £33 on myself & dd. A big shop today from Lidl- freezer wise covering enough for the next few weeks at least.
My rent will come out on Monday and leave me just enough for food & petrol for the rest of the month!


I will get a portion back through the bit of tax credits which is pre-allocated to other bills, childcare is paid up now until after the Easter holidays.


Off to take Mr T for his evening walk, will then do my checks across ynab & spreadsheet, make sure I am where I should be!

bellevie

Mr T should have been wormed today, but I woke up realising Id forgotten to replace his worming tabs. I popped to Tesco as soon as it opened but the tablet is a bit bigger than normal so Mr T is refusing to take it, even mixed in with his food. I think I will have to chop it up and try again tomorrow!


When we got to tescos they were doing a little 'find the clues' game for littlies, DD thought it was great fun, she had a little face paint done after and got an easter themed colouring book. I thought it was a really nice thought. If I hadn't already done a huge shop yesterday, I probably would have used the opportunity to pick things up at the same time.


We did end up buying the eggs for our guests. It had dropped to 3, but my relative has invited another 4th person when one dropped out. It made me a little cross really, as I didn't hide the fact I was relieved when the number dropped saying it made things easier as 4 was really just too much.


Its done now, 4th person is coming so I will be thinking of other ways to cut back whilst they are here especially if they insist on still going to London. Packed lunches are a must, and I will see if I can come up with cheap meal ideas for 6! Its always such a shock when they come, for DD & I a weekly shop will last a week or more, when they visit it will last 2-3 days at a push!I cant do nothing about it as I'm not about to let them go hungry. I am however going to rethink out cooked meals, see if I can do something that goes far - they have fantastic appetites!


I made a really nice chicken soup last weekend so I think I will prepare that for their arrival on Saturday. The rest of the meals I am still considering!


2.5 days at work this week, we are extremely short on the ground though, I will be more than ready for the early finish Wednesday I am sure!

MuffinTops

Hello Bellevie,
I've finally caught up with your diary and phew! You've really had a lot going on.

I hope the 2 interviews come your way and go really well. I'm sorry to hear about your difficult desk day with people shouting. I was surprised to hear your colleague just left. Some people really don't see what's going on, do they?

Good luck figuring out foods for people. Stews and soups are always good, as you've said. Taking tips from the war years, make sure you cook something that you can use suet dumplings or yorkshire puddings with as they're great fillers.

MTxx

bellevie

A brief update from me, I didn't feel in the mood prior to easter - mainly tiredness - which I think has been this cold that has come out building up!


My visitors left earlier, nearly didn't due to ferries being cancelled left right and centre - I actually loved having them here, but I was looking forward to some quiet - absolutely shattered!


I have the interviews booked in for next week! Same day, should be interesting.


One of my brake lights has gone - again! This is the last of the bulbs that the garage fitted, so I took the chance and got my cousin to show me how to remove it - not as tough as I thought! Mr T is in for a groom tomorrow, so I will pop to the shop and buy some spares to keep in the boot. At the very least I now know how to change the brake bulbs if ever they both go when I'm out as they did some time back.


When this last bulb has been replaced, I will then know if it was just a bad batch by the garage - I've marked the dates changed on the calendar too so I can monitor and get it investigated further if needed...


I had a bath at 4pm - minutes after they left, as hot as I could stand it, and I fell asleep! The dog woke me up - he too had fallen asleep on my towel and let out a snore.


I think its early night all round. DD should be swimming tomorrow before we take Mr T to the groomers but she isn't feeling too great so we will have to re-assess in the morning!

bellevie

So Mr T's groom was perfect, I asked for a tidy up - not too short and they really listened. I also had 10% off voucher through the VIP card so knocked a couple of pounds off.


Neuter happened yesterday, it was a shocking evening Mr T was in a lot of pain - more than I remember my old dog being in. I think there was different pain relief too as I don't remember being given any pain relief for M. I presumed whatever was in his system would last - they also kept him overnight. Mr T has 3 tablets to take, I was under strict instructions not to start until today. When I did get to sleep, I kept dreaming it was time to wake up to give him his medicine - and actually waking myself up!


I gave up at 5.30 and got up. He wouldn't take the tablet, I hid it in a treat he spat it out, I found a jar of salmon paste and hid it in a spoonful of that - he swallowed it whole no problem!


DD has had a bad cold so she has only attended 1 swimming lessons so far, she wont be going today and I doubt tomorrow. That was a waste of money, but I guess I wasn't to know she wouldn't be feeling well.


I am also feeling terrible, but dosing myself up on meds every 2 hours to enable me to get the things done that I need to. I think I'm over the worst of it.


Got bulb changed, I also discovered part of the red plastic is melting, there was plastic on the bulb so I think as the plastic has changed shape its touching the bulb and its causing that to blow. I took it to the garage, they can replace the lights but also want to run additional checks to make sure there are no electrical faults causing bulbs to over heat and melt the plastic in the first place.


All these brake issues started last August when water was coming in the footwell - they repaired and said nothing had been affected, then brakes went which turned out to be brake switch -it was replaced but not properly so it went right away again. Replaced again but bulbs continued to blow - one at a time instead of all at once. 3 different garages blamed the type of bulbs used by the former!


I really hope they discover the fault today and sort it once and for all. Depending on the cost, it will either come out of my savings or credit card.


I am hoping DD, Mr T, Car & I are all better by the weekend, so we can enjoy at least 2 days of the 11 I've had off work!