Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

It might sound silly but I am reluctant to offer to help where people might start to rely on it in case I do end up working and can't continue, this is why we are not able to sign up for any of the volunteer schemes. I will find a way of doing something. 
Far less ignorant people out today,everyone returned my greetings while I was out running.

juliejim

Sorry to hear about your gran AJ.
You're doing a lot better than me with your motivation to get stuff done. I've got more done today though so that's not too bad. 
Hugs
Jue

ajmoney

I haven't done anything today from a getting stuff done point of view.  I ran, had some lunch and then went out to get some supplies.  I walked the long way round via Tesco to get some wine I like but it is a small store so didn't stock it (maybe not a bad thing), went to Boots to get what I actually needed and then might have dropped into Mr AJMs on the way back.  We discussed how he might be able to work from home as he is "back to work" after the school holidays tomorrow, the crazy interest rates and mortgage OP plans and how we both learned to play our instruments and ways for us to improve ourselves.  Back home now with yesterday's washing looking at me needing to be put away and debating what time I am going to eat.  The sun has finally come out so I have pulled the blinds back to make the most of it.

savingholmes

Sounds like a positive day to me. Hope you have another good one tomorrow.

glass_half_full

ajmoney said:

I am lucky enough to have a few birds visit my garden, I have seen blackbirds, magpies, bluetits and pigeons. I think there will be more that I haven't seen yet. There are the most wonderful songs last thing at night and first thing in the morning, I have just googled various bird calls but haven't identified them all yet. Can anyone suggest good websites or any apps the identify their songs and calls please? I am sleeping with my window open and am enjoying being woken by a specific bird call, quite early but I am able to get back to sleep.
I grew up in built up towns so never learned much in the way of nature. I observed birds in the last house but didn't really hear their song. While I am in a town I am close to the perimeter and there are a few tree plantations around me, there is a main road behind my house but lots of trees and I would like to learn.

Hi AJ,
Been following your diary, hope all is ok. Nature is great at the moment for helping as a distraction. I have also been watching the birds in the garden. We have a hedge on one side in which a Blackbird is nesting, they are there every year. Last year I bought an artificial nest in a garden centre. I fixed it to a post in this hedge and forgot all about it. Now there are robins nesting there too. They are flying in and out all day. I cant recommend an app to you but I see there are several in the app store, maybe download one and try it out ?  

ajmoney

I think I have pigeons nesting, I would rather other birds but hey. My neighbour was telling me yesterday that they used to nest in the huge tree that was taken down last year so I guess I should feel lucky they like my garden.  They are starting to sit around the nest a fair amount so I don't know how long I will have to wait, I might look into this as I don't know anything really.  There are plenty of blue tits and blackbirds around but I don't know where they are nesting.

I cleaned my hall yesterday and master bedroom today quite thoroughly so they are as dust free as they can be.  I can't get the vacuum far enough under the bed but have gone as far as I can.  I am planning to go around the house doing this in each room and then next time I might go a bit deeper and wash down the walls and skirting boards as I have only been vacuuming these.  I still haven't finished some of the sorting but figure once I have done the other rooms I won't have a choice.  In 8 days I will have been in the house for a year.

ajmoney

What a day.  I had a fairly productive morning of practice for work and at 1.30 sat down for a work video meeting.  It lasted nearly 2 hours and then I went straight into a video chat with some of my swim friends, gradually each one dropped out until 2 of us were left.  I knew the other one left was struggling with this situation so I deliberately waited so she could chat, hopefully she is a little lighter this evening.  We have made a promise to send each other one photo every day, I have set tomorrow's topic to send a photo of our favourite view from our house.  I hoping to gradually change her perspective of the situation to give her a little relief as apart from walking her dog and dropping shopping on her parents patio and standing a little distance away she is not leaving the house or interacting with anyone.

I am glad I was in a positive frame of mind for today but certainly feel like ithas taken it out of me.  I was meant to be going for a run this afternoon but it was a fairly long one which I don't really have time for so am going to have some dinner and then go for a walk along the seafront.

savingholmes

Walk along the seafront sounds an amazing option. Glad you were able to catch up with others and offer mutual support.

ajmoney

£25 cashback in my account from my energy switch, I have gone against everything I normally do and have put it into my ISA instead of my mortgage.  I am lucky enough that I will continue to be paid through this situation so OPs etc aren't a worry but unless I get extended from work there is the possibility of me starting a new job in 2 years time and I want to ensure I have a bigger cash reserve than I currently have.

I am attempting a different plan for today, I don't particularly want to stop the work routine I have had in the morning but there are a couple of things that aren't getting done so this way I am hoping to do those today and see how much work I manage to do around it.  This morning I am going to:

attack my living room on my clean a room a day (if time allows I may do the dining room too as they are connected)

go for a run - another video chat this afternoon will mean I might over run again and I need to get this in today

put in the garden or pots the plants I bought last week - the sun is on that part of the garden all morning and I am finding it too cold in the afternoon

I have no idea if this is going to work and the gardening bit might happen over the early part of the afternoon as I still need to do some practice but I shall try and mix the day up a bit.

savingholmes

You are sounding positive today. Running, cleaning and gardening - well done you. I am managing the gardening...