NST July - Own your choices

Calling14 · 25 July 2016 at 8:44PM

Today I called in sick, very rarely off but couldn't have hacked sitting down with sciatica. Went for treatment today, let's just say for a little lady she has some strength. Feel better but sore.

See how I sleep tonight and try and get to work tomorrow.

Spent £25 on treatment but for 40 minutes good value to be pain free. Usually put in a claim to medicash but claimed a lot lately so will suffer cost myself.

Bought friend some flowers today, she looked awful and was feeling dizzy when I just bumped into her, just wondered if she is eating properly as I know she is trying to save all her money towards vet bill she has. Try and check on her tomorrow, hoping I have gs free day another sure up to chasing him about yet.

Won a back neck massage treatment off fb local shop so will book that for next week.

Glad wedding went well Fmess I need to sort out details one I have got. Not sure whether to risk new hairdresser before I go or just make do without cut/colour. Save pennies towards pressie.

Bob you never go they might come back to you, dont give up hope yet.

crazy_cat_lady · 25 July 2016 at 9:43PM

Hope you're feeling better soon Calling. I agree that the £25 is worth it if it helps. I am having physio on my leg at the moment which is costing quite a bit but making such a really massive difference to my physical health...
Fmess - so pleased that you enjoyed the wedding.
Made a tiny PAD today, did some more of mins game (19 again today), more crochet and got the car in for its service. Still feeling tired, I think the winding down from work is starting to hit me now and I'm on the verge of a couple of down days until I rest and pull myself round a bit.

Bobarella · 25 July 2016 at 11:00PM

Calling I dont think you need to count the spend on your treatment. Its a vital health spend. Really hope you feel better soon. Even hearing about yours reminds me of the ripping sensation you get.

Bobarella · 25 July 2016 at 11:02PM

Eager Elephant your applecake sounded gorgeous btw.

mothernerd · 25 July 2016 at 11:24PM

Best wishes Calling (would send hugs but they might make it worse). Well done everyone acheiving goals and succeeding with the weekend challenges.

Didn't sleep very well - tried to sleep for a couple of hours, read for a little while, tried a puzzle (16 x 16 sudoku) to try to bore myself into sleep etc. Due back at the bungalow today and tried but failed not to anticpate problems and/ or get worked up.

Very gentle morning (getting and staying in a state of zen calmness). Took a book back to the library before I got to throwing it at the wall. Went on Saturday as the ones I had left were on the heavy side and middle of the night reading sometimes demands something light and frothy (absorbing dramas work some of the time). This one was too frothy - period innacuracies so gross as to be unbelievable. Basic premise was that the 'heroine' was a bright working class girl who had turned down a university place because she wanted to be an actress (in 1939).

Am I being patronising in thinking that everyone should know that up until the 1960s at least, a working class girl would have had to be exceptionally gifted and determined to fight for a chance of a university place - no-one would have offered a place to a 'bright' girl who wasn't interested.

My preferred activity was to take out the pile of receipts I found the other day from the drawer, sort them into date order and write up all the business receipts. Also found over £100 worth of bus tickets relating to journeys to or on behalf of mum. Don't have the taxi receipts.

Walked to the bungalow, heart sunk as I was offered a lift by the least useful of mum's partner's sons (after I'd done the difficult bridge of course, although it was a little easier today).

Today we were expecting a visit from an assessor to see if mum can get attendance allowance. I had asked her if she wnted me to be there when she had quietened down on Saturday. Useless son immediately took hold of all the paperwork mum was holding and proceeded to work through the list, giving a running commentary of his 'actions'. I had gone to the bedroom to fetch the filing box and then went back out to unlock for the son who actually does sort a lot of mum's paperwork (not thrilled with this as mum deliberately snubbed my offer to do it but the man himself is okay).

Useless son was compiling a list of all the 'family' members who visit regularly. Started with himself and his favourite sister (pair of chocolate teapots, both make more noise than a donkey and talk less sense). He was halfway down the page before he paused to ask if I wanted to be included. Only consolation was that the most useful son and one of his daughters (the grand-daughter who does their housework, shopping and a lot of the hospital visits) only got the two slots above me. The other twin went after me (me and useful brother were exchanging sympathetic looks by this point) and then I added 2 of my mother's cousins who have also taken her to recent appointments. (I also put their details in my book as I want to send them party invites but didn't have information). I got possession of the list and started to annotate it in terms of who actually gave useful support (only one name was asked for in the end so grand-daughter got it).

The assessor arrived and we started to go though the process. I knew the dates of my mother's hospitalisations (and had the paperwork to support it - the stuff I did once I had finished moving her into the bugalow, all in date order and sorted by year), the successive problems (a bad fall down the stairs at her partner's, diagnosis or rare disorder, shingles from flu jab as immune system is kaput, day surgery on both eyes this year followed by problems with one eye as the shingles had attacked it), how they had progressed and affected her.

The list of things she used to do and can no longer was suitably long (from everyday cooking to tap dancing well into her sixties.). Idiot son talked over my mother, tried to answer for her and meant several questions had to be repeated. I did tell the assessor to 'ignore the idiot' when he went out of the room and his brother didn't contradict me.

Got a lift most of the way home with good son (other one smokes like a chimney and car interior stinks - he said his brother does to).

Very tired possibly due to lack of sleep and tension. Fish and chips from freezer - not diet friendly but better home cooked and they were both 'bulky' items (intended doing another freezer shop mid-month and now nearly at the end).

Keep forgetting to say (financially relevant) that when I filled in my tax return I opted to pay voluntary N.I. contributions for the year. This will take me up to having 34 out of the 35 years I need so that in 7 years and 180 days I will qualify for a full state pension assuming that by then it has not been abolished and we are not all living in a Phillipines style economy where we all (well 90% of us) work till we drop dead and if overtime is required they just lock us in.

Today I am grateful for my lovely cheerful turquoise dress, an overheard snippet of conversation from yesterday and for being able to relax.

Edit Thanks for reminding me crazy cat lady, I am fed up of the state of the kitchen table (diy bits and bobs). Have taken decisive action and 71 things have left the house, mostly to recycling (until Council improves/ clarifies recycling policy or lets me onto the tip without a car some things will have to go into the black bin and landfill). Found another box of bolts under the stairs - sure these are from 'beds boys have broken' and they are gone. Some bagged for cs.

SpekySquarehead · 26 July 2016 at 8:31AM

Good morning,

I've had a bad NSD month, way off my target.

Yesterday was indeed a spend day as I bought some supplements which I needed to arrive before August.

Today though, my birthday, will be a NSD. Unless I go home to no birthday cake in which case I'll have to go out and buy one.

Have a nice and no spend day everyone.