From debt to freedom...

lucielle

Hi, just caught up.  You've been busy.  We used to have hens loved giving them lettuce to eat as they made happy clucking noises and they adored spaghetti!  Hope you get the plumbing sorted
L

Cherryfudge

I hope you solve the wet floors without too much trouble and expense.

The final day of the week on C25K often seems to be harder.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you CCL, SA, Lucielle and Cherryfudge.

I’ve tried to further investigate the leak. The main seeping is still from under the bath. I cleared out the airing cupboard and everything was dry except just underneath the base of the insulated water cylinder but it’s dry around  the sides of the water cylinder😦🤔😲. I pulled the carpet up in the hallway and you can see how far the water has travelled along the floorboards. I am hoping that the source of the leak can be found and stopped and using a dehumidifier might help with drying everything out.

Besides trying to be a leak detective, I’ve had a pleasant day. I watched a service online then had a zoom meeting with friends locally. Mid afternoon we got out for a walk. We headed off across the fields ( public footpaths) towards the sea, on the route we took about a month ago. We got so far through the fields, across a main road, then down a track but then the path took us through a field with cows with their young calves running with them. We ummed and ahhed  then thought better of it and retraced our steps to the main road. We walked further along the main road then spotted another public footpath sign that we’d not been on before. I do love these public footpath signs!  This new path took us through 3 fields and linked us up with other known footpaths to make a circular  route. 2 of the new fields were covered in buttercups and the grass was of sufficient length to ripple in waves when the wind blew across it. It was beautiful. I could have happily stayed breathing in the scene.  There were some tame lambs in the fields that  came running up to us as we crossed the stile. DS3 was absolutely thrilled! We saw the first foxgloves  and honeysuckle flowers of 2020. 

Listened to Boris at 7. Be interesting to see how it works out. I work with one of the named  year groups but not quite sure how we can maintain social distancing within the classroom. We’ll need to spend a fair amount of time disinfecting and cleaning the general classroom equipment that is used. No doubt I’ll learn more throughout the week. I only hope that DS3’s nursery opens as it will be difficult to work at school without the childcare being available. I do one day a week at the moment and the older DDs help with the childcare  but each has their own online learning to do.

Honeysucklelou2

Cherryfudge - interesting to know about the last day of C25K being harder. Trying to gear myself up for week 3!

Honeysucklelou2

I was able to ring the plumber this morning and got an appointment for this afternoon, which worked out well as I needed to be in work this morning, so got home in time. The ex was at home when I got back and I got a few rants directed at me☹️ but got to a point where I had to take a deep breath and let it all wash over me. The good news is the leak has been located I think. It’s looking like the floorboards will have to be replaced as the leak has spread through the them and as they are the chipboard type floorboards, I think it’s best to replace them.

By the time the ex and the plumber had left I was absolutely shattered. I think it was a build up of the worry relating to the leak and not knowing how to solve it. 

janb5

So glad you got the leak sorted out HSL and too bad Ex was there !
 I admire your stoicism in not reacting!
Is this sonehing you can claim on the insurance?  Do hope so.....

Kitten868

What a nightmare! If it's any help floorboards aren't that expensive and are easy enough to fit yourself. Have a look online to see of you can find the right width and click and collect. 
Other than the ex and leak you sound in good shape. You're doing so well. So impressed by you and your family. 

Keep going xxxxx

Humdinger1

HSL

Well done on everything you're doing. Is there any way that you can stop EH from coming over, given the abuse and the fact that he could be exposing you all to the virus as his living arrangements are secret? Sorry if this is adding to the stress but I think it would reduce it if you could stop him. Your solicitor would be interested I'm sure.   Love Humdinger x 

XSpender

Glad to hear that the leak has been located but sorry to hear the ex was being an ar5e.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Janb5, Kitten 868, Humdinger1 & XSpender.

I got up yesterday morning and found another wet patch on the carpet and water pooling by the bath, so I’m not convinced the leak has been identified. I’d gone and bought some isolation valves on Monday afternoon so they got fitted. The plumber had said until the floorboards are lifted we couldn’t be certain of the source of the leak, so the ex took everything out yesterday. The place is like a building site.  I’m in a tricky position because legally the ex is still a joint owner until the consent order is sorted which is on hold until mediation can be started. The ex does property work as his job, so even if I got someone in, as I did the plumber, he would be hovering or even asking them to leave. He was hovering and telling the plumber  he’d found the leak on Monday. Wanted to hide yesterday.

Had a virtual staff meeting yesterday. Looks like I’ll be back next week to prepare the building for returning children. At the moment, I go in once a week, so I leave DD2 and DD3 in charge of the younger children, which has worked up to now. DD2 has her own online lectures on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so I don’t feel it’s fair on DD3 to look after everyone, especially as she now has her own online learning to do from the sixth form college, so the younger children will have to return to school on the days that I work. It looks like DS1 will be back to work from June onwards too. I did get worried yesterday that suddenly we’ll go from being a household bubble, already compromised when the ex turns up, as I don’t know his living arrangements. When you factor in, how many people collectively we’ll be mixing with between us, it significantly increases the chance of getting the virus. To that end I’ve told  DS1 to get a bottle of hand gel to keep in his car, as I already do, to ensure that hands can be kept as clean as possible and reminding the children that they must keep washing hands regularly. DS’s boss has been proactive in supplying DS1 with a mask🙂.

XSpender - I am thankful to you. I remembered reading that you had booked a skip on your diary, so I that inspired me to sort that out yesterday so that all the bathroom rubble can be safely disposed of. 

Hoping to get a decent amount of work done today to try and have some time with my own children for the rest of the week.