22 Foxhole East

f0xh0les

It is official,  DH will be on 50% deductions because of the marking boycott/asos.   We are actually quite lucky, Nottingham, Sheffield and DMU have decided on 100% deductions if there is one single day of strike / industrial action / boycott.  Really not sure this is lawful, but they have decided to do it anyway.  So that means we will be around £1700 - £2000 light on June's payday at the end of the month.  Luckily he has just had his £1k  for his book.

Will inform DS1 and DS2 at suppertime.  It may be the rocket they need lit under them.   Luckily  I can absorb it through savings, but still, a big PB win in the near future would be handy - if any of you get a say in the matter, put my name forward will you?

I get my energy bill statement tomorrow, so should have an idea of how much it is going to cost over the summer months.

So happy I paid off the mortgage, and that I do not have to worry about interest rates going up.  There is nothing like our 5 year 1.8% fix out there right now.

Got the top floors all nice and tidy and hoovered, did the hall, and realised the suck power was rubbish.  Had noticed it was not brilliant on the middle floor, so checked the hose for blockages, changed the bag,  cleaned everything and checked everything I could find, and was just about ready to order a new one - I think he is 9 years old I have had him since Manchester - , when I thought the only other thing could be the filter, so spent £6 and ordered a new one.  If it fixes it, I am a genius, if it doesn't, I have a spare filter for the new one, and will be better at keeping it clean.

Step Gran had a Hennery Hoover, but I gave it to her friend down the road who used to be her cleaner, she coveted that Hennery. Not sorry I gave it away. Hope it lasts her 9 years.

All the mattress protectors and sheets are on the line behaving themselves.  It is not warm here. 14 degrees and cloudy. June weather!

apple_muncher

f0xh0les said:

Nobody has heard any Rat Related Activity since I murdered Emma.  So my fingers are crossed we just had the two (not so little) bugg3rs.  Might leave something out, and see if it gets nabbed. Then we will know for sure.

Can you be sure the food won't be nabbed by one of the DSs???

beanielou

I am sure that can't be legal.

f0xh0les

Nope! there are no guarantees in this house when it comes to food!

I heard a scrabble in one of the loft bedrooms this morning, but it  could have been this really annoying magpie on the roof chasing a caterpillar. I had the radio on on my phone, and by the time I had turned it off and stuck my head out the velux, there was silence.  Will investigate further.

Have told the boys about half salary payment this month, and every month until the work to rule ends.

Cornish_mum

Hi Foxholes if it gets sticky re DH & ASOS don’t forget he can apply to the UCU fighting fund for lost earnings; https://www.ucu.org.uk/MAB2023
I can’t believe the decision to doc 50-100% for ASOS it’s barbaric and not proportionate. 
CM

f0xh0les

Thanks C_M  he has never taken from it before, but said last night he would consider it.

This morning I am a mess. DS2 has 2 x A level exams today. I have barely slept a wink, you would think I was the one doing the flippin' thing. 

apple_muncher

Good luck to ds2 (and to you by proxy...)

f0xh0les

Today is Happy Outside Wall Paint-Stripping Day!!!  Going to go as far as I can before the sun hits me full on, and I spontaneously combust.

Woke to the words 'Just found his body dead in the street, right in the road, DEAD!!' which did nothing for my blood pressure!  I think it was about an animal, I assume people would warrant at least a panda car?   So have been wide awake since 5am. The shouty bird started at 3.50 again. The Twit.

No rain forecast for the next 48 hours so Operation wall will continue.

f0xh0les

Half a wall left to second coat and I am done! - well, done with the white anyway.  I can start stripping and repainting the  4 window sills, in black this time. Trellis will be going up this afternoon. The pots and planters will go back into their places and it will all look fab.

DH has been 'felt up' about possible  work in the Cultural Home of the Cuckoo Clock for a couple of months next year - hilariously, in the city his sister lives in.  So he rang me on his way home  (a ten minute walk) because he was so excited and to ask permission ??? from me??? So he was all jolly about that, and I told him to apply!! Right now!! Before we eat!!!

Then this morning he has been invited to attend a publishing fair, and to publicise his book in November! in Brisl - that is Brisl, not Brazil. Both places  where they drink an awful lot of coffee 

It is so nice people are coming to him, and he is not chasing these things all the time. Word must be getting out.

In order to mitigate the 50% decrease in his wages this month (and possibly retrospectively for last month ) he has taken all his holiday entitlement in a huge block. He has never taken even half of his holiday allocation in the last 8 years.  Leeds has also announced that they will withhold 100% of wages if there is any industrial  action or refusal of extra duties in a month, and staff will be reclassified as volunteers.  Volunteering any labour for free.   Just wow! 

DH finding other income streams and strengthening his links to other, and foreign, universities is going well (he has just marked a PhD Thesis for one in Oz). So things are looking up in relation to work in his field, but are total pants in the university sector regarding pay and conditions. The gender pay gap at Uni-LE is 20%.  It is not right.  They expect a medal as it was 20.3 last year.  Whoop flippin' whoop! 

mark55man

well done OH and well done you on making any progress on decorating in a heatwave