22 Foxhole East

f0xh0les

Every 2 years or so, someone goes in, bangs about for 2 days, then disappears. Very strange behaviour. 
Dave was here before the last lot of bangers went in. I also saw a pest control van parked up a few doors down about 3 weeks ago. So Dave may have migrated from there, or maybe the whole street is infested? Either way we will know soon if we are alone or if Dave has a friend...

kerri_gt

Let's hope Dave did not leave a positive TripAdvisor review 

Bluegreen143

Well done on catching Dave 😂 hope he was a solitary creature!

f0xh0les

So far, solo Dave.  No sounds of scratching. No motion on the traps.  All quite on the Rodent Front.

Architect rocked up this morning, said I could have nearly everything I wanted.  Agreed that you work from the top down on renovation projects.  I can put a double bedroom over the bathroom and a door onto the top landing, with a bit of jiggery pokery and a 12 inch drop of the ceiling in the ridiculously huge family bathroom we have.  That was very good to hear.  So I jumped on the phone to another company and they are going to come and quote on Thursday.  Now I know it is possible, I am excited and motivated.  

DS2 will finish his Alevels in June.  So anytime after that I can get moving.  I am not giving him the excuse of building works - he is predicted borderline C grades.  Which is a pass, but still, not a good one.  But still about what I got and look at where I am now     It is one of those things, that 3 passes at A level - grade C or above - is a tick box exercise for some further study, so that is what he needs.  He has refused the offer of a tutor, he has refused to go to the school run cramming sessions, but until the start of Feb, but he has started attending them. We can offer help, we can cajole, we can reward, we can threaten, but we can't actually physically make him do the work, and of course, he is an 18 year old boy who thinks he knows it all - a boy with a 20 year old brother living in the smallest bedroom and basically not trying to get a job. ... so an anti-role-model right in front of his nose.  What is really odd - considering both me and DH got out of our family homes asap and never went back,  is that when we talk to our kids about growing up, moving out, getting their own houses etc. they look totally baffled.  They think mortgages are a con, and cannot understand why anyone would not just rent and leave whenever they want to.    Short term thinking on all their parts, I think - why would you sign up to the long term?  I have done too good a job on providing a stable and secure home for them, whether owning or short term renting in 3 cities.   It is always the mothers' fault isn't it?

Anyway, in other news, I still have £200 in the budget (??), with 7 days left to go, £45 of savings interest coming in on 23rd, and £200 child benefit on 27th.  

Still no sofabed though - The Meatball Store has stopped the delivery of the blue one I want - it is in-store pick up only.  Will head down to the second hand furniture place this afternoon and have a mooch - they buy in new stock at auction sometimes, the returned things or damaged box things that other furniture shops dispose of.

And the kids have managed to total 9+ litres of milk since 5pm on Friday to 5pm on Monday.  So I will be buying milk today, again.

 

kerri_gt

Sounds like all go on the f0xh0les front.

I think for some the idea of ever being able to afford to put down a deposit for a home seems so far off it's impossible to comprehend for them. OH isn't keen on the whole mortgage thing either - even when I point out that (even with our larger than I'd like mortgage) it would now cost us more to rent. 

Pity DS2 isn't taking DS1 as a role model of what he doesn't want to be like. 

Annoying about the sofa bed - could you get that in your car?

trix-a-belle

There was a lad in the year above me at school who was the oldest of 3 or 4 kids with a couple of years for each gap. Every time one went off to uni his mum moved house so there was 1 less bedroom so they couldn't come back long term, until they were down to a sensible 3 bed. I know DS1 boomeranged a little to quick & DS2 doesn't have those aspirations but maybe you could pop into the estate agents for some house details of smaller places to leave lying around to make the threat & raise the concern levels

badmemory

Unfortunately boys of around 14/15 cease to notice anything around them.  I struggle to pick things up off the floor now & also to carry something with much weight.  My DS has walked passed some papers that I knocked on the floor at least twice a day for 3 weeks & today walked passed the rubbish bin all tied off ready to go out several times & just didn't see them.  As soon as asked he says yes of course & does it straight away.  I keep looking to see if somehow he has got a horses blinkers on.  It would make a change from him usual ear plugs & yes I do mean earplugs not head phones.

f0xh0les

Got stood up by Loftman 2.   Was all excited about him, but 2.30 came and went, although he neither came nor went either.

earthgirl2

My boys also walk past anything that needs doing (10 and 12) I was hoping that would improve! Sorry to hear about the annoying loft man. 

f0xh0les

Rang Invisible Loft Man this morning just to make sure he had not fallen off his ladder. Poor man sounded mortified. He is coming this afternoon instead... Hopefully.... If he stands me up again,  he loses out. 
Did the food shopping early and was back home before 9.30, have restocked on mouthwash and chest rub and box tissues and airwaves chewing gum. Panad0l was sold out completely though. They will just have to suffer the plunk plunk fizz paracetamol. 
Brrr it is cold today. 
DH's conference paper went down well with most, but not all. Which always perks him up 🤣.  As usual he started on another paper while trying to finish the paper he has just presented.  
Strike days next week have been paused due to an offer being made ...  School is still cancelled on Wednesday so school unions obv haven't had the same kind of offer made. 
Funny how the barristers managed to get a settlement so quickly isn't it......