I’m taking control of my life, now.

boxofpaws

I am going to try to post more often. I try to mentally log things that I think I can add to a good and bad list, and then summarise because I think that will be more interesting to read back on BUT  I love reading about the minutiae of other people's lives AND i tend to forget half of it.

This week has been tricky without the car. Haven't been able to see my mum, which fills me with guilt, and going to the dentist in the nearby city was a bit of an ordeal. 

Saturday was an average day. I wanted to cycle up to see my mum (7 miles as the crow flies), but feeling grotty after booster and miserable rain put a stop to that. I did ring the pharmacy in the next village to see if they had any lateral flow tests and they did, so despite the aforementioned weather and grot, I pedalled off. For some reason I thought it was a mile away. No, it was 3 miles. Drenched after the 6 mile round trip. Anyway, I have a box of lateral flows, which is grand. Had leftover chinese from Friday night for lunch, and it filled me up for the whole day, i didnt have any dinner, but made the husband an easy dinner of ham egg and chips. Went round for drinks to friends, having perked up later. They have just come back from a skiing holiday, it was nice to catch up. 

Had a successful day today. After doing all the ironing, I took a negative lateral flow test this morning. It wasn't raining. I felt better since the booster. A recipe for being able to cycle up to see my mum. Got friends to drop off her shopping to save me carting it on the bike. My sister was there when I arrived so it was nice to catch up. Vacced her whole house and sat with her and chatted. Set off before it got dark, just got home in time. Have prepped the dinner (steak pie and chips) ready for later, put some more washing away, mopped and had a little bath. Looking forward to the masked singer later when Mr Paws gets home.

Paws

girlatplay

You've had a busy weekend.  Good that you got to see your mum after all.

savingholmes

Well done on all the cycling. I'm sure that will have helped your fitness even if it was uncomfortably wet out!

Suffolk_lass

Phew, just read back up to date and re-subscribed. I missed your updates so much when you stopped posting, and eventually unsubscribed because I refuse to go over two screens full of subscriptions (and of course, subscribing has made me lazy about where I look on the forums, so had not realised you were back until I "saw" you on mine). I am so far behind (reading and posting) due to new pup, and he is already a complete money pit. Cute, but £££! 

I think the idea of each of you contributing equally to your joint account is excellent but I urge you to continue to make yourself feel poor or you are in danger of tripping your "I've got this; smug filter" as I well remember you are like me in this respect, and complacency is the enemy. I wish I was brave enough for the forbidden thing but I can't afford the time to learn at the moment. 

My thing is adding offers to the SM list online, or picking up stuff in store, in person, and I am always tempted by "the usual things" that I buy from habit rather than need. I have reduced shops right back to no more than one a fortnight with milk and (usually) eggs (in moult so none for a month) are delivered and occasionally DH does it as he is better at following the list, and I have succumbed to a few subscription items (coffee, tea, Maldon salt) for brands I choose not to compromise on.

We have similar amounts of wine in the house and I sometimes wonder why I pay the supplier to store their stock for them... 

I don't worry about the quantity or type as we have taken to sitting down to cocktails at between 4-6pm when we think of it. Sometimes it is a glass of wine (sometimes a cocktail of teabag, milk and hot water!), but it makes us stop and celebrate the moment. And once a week when the weather is warm, a group of us now meet to have a glass on the charity field. Strictly BYO but as some had not been out for over a year when we started, it was a lovely sociable thing and we have continued with it. Much cheaper than the pub and arguably much safer, all on our camping chairs or sat at the picnic benches! 

By the way, when my Dad died (also pancreatic, in six weeks from initial diagnosis) I did not speak to my FiL for at least two years as he had betrayed the heart bypass commitment he had made to give up smoking, where my Dad lived clean and died quickly and uncomplainingly with no such chance - in retrospect it was part of my anger and resentment part of grieving but it really did me no good. I put up a few pictures of him in his prime so I could remember him like that rather than recalling all the details of the time that took him and put them where I keep seeing them. It helps me with happy memories.

EssexHebridean

I also love the everyday life stuff on diaries Paws - I put it down to being a complete nosy parker on the quiet!   I do also love your good/bad things though - such a great idea to break stuff down like that. 

I'm full of admiration for your cycling exploits. Particularly while feeling grot as well - kudos! I loath cycling in rain - partly in fairness due to being a glasses wearer - I immediately enter territory where I struggle to see anything and then feel unsafe. 

As a result of reading the posts here by the way I've just stopped myself looking for a new favourite cleanser (The BarStewards at B00t5 have discontinued mine and it is down to the last dregs) and reminded myself that I do have others, so I need to use those first before replacing the much-loved one. Realistically I think there is a good chance that when replacement time does finally arrive through need rather than new-product-lust I'll probably go down the Clinique route - pricey but their stuff DOES suit me. 

oh, and cars definitely have access to our banking - then break down etc out of pure spite. This doesn't only apply to "eek - things are squeaky" either - but also to "things are trotting along nicely and I have plans for any surplus". Cars are evil, sadistic things. (I say this safe in the knowledge that mine is two miles away and can't hear me...) (I hope...)  

savingholmes

EssexHebridean said:

I also love the everyday life stuff on diaries Paws - I put it down to being a complete nosy parker on the quiet!  

Realistically I think there is a good chance that when replacement time does finally arrive through need rather than new-product-lust I'll probably go down the Clinique route - pricey but their stuff DOES suit me. 

oh, and cars definitely have access to our banking - then break down etc out of pure spite. This doesn't only apply to "eek - things are squeaky" either - but also to "things are trotting along nicely and I have plans for any surplus". Cars are evil, sadistic things. (I say this safe in the knowledge that mine is two miles away and can't hear me...) (I hope...)  

I too am nosy. I sometimes think - can I really ask that - and then do anyway

Cl1ni1que works for me too for skin care and lipstick - but for other stuff DD also got me on MU@ from Superd**g - like £1 or more per item but definitely a lot cheaper than previous eyelines etc and work well. 

I also agree on the car. I have a service coming up, my brakes may need doing and my cam belt and water pump is due... I think at that point I'll stop being debt neutral for a bit - but am grateful will still be on a 0% spending card.

boxofpaws

@Suffolk_lass - thank you for reading back through and posting here again. You have hit the nail on the head, we need to carry on feeling poor. This is why i am in 2 minds about paying off the overdraft. Expect to hear some more ramblings about this in the next few weeks.

Your village life sound so idyllic. I am lucky to live in a nice village but we don't have half the stuff going on that you do. 

That's horrible of your FIL, no wonder you were furious. Especially losing your Dad to Pancreatic cancer  - i feel like anyone who has lost anyone to this disease is in some terrible secret club. I feel changed forever. I am sorry you're in the club too. 

boxofpaws

@girlatplay and @savingholmes and @EssexHebridean - i feel a fraud! My bike is an e-bike. It's so excellent. I do the journey up to my mum's a lot, there is a cycle path almost door to door. If I go in the car it adds 4 miles on and costs nearly £5 in fuel and there is only really 10 minutes difference in time. I try to use the bike where i can. 

I am really happy with the no 7 stuff. I am pretty loyal, been using this stuff for about 20 years, I am sure its better for my skin than the premium brands, It feels really good quality and isnt expensive. I live in fear of them discontinuing the stuff I use.

It is confirmed, the car definitely hates me. While the mechanic was in there, he found another motor than needed replacing, so another £200 adding to the bill. Still I would rather he found it then, than have to strip the engine apart again later at the cost of another £800.

Where has that eek emoji gone?

EssexHebridean

Ooh - I found one recently....hang on....

there you go - type : followed immediately by sc and it should appear - scream being the keyword! I do miss the old one with the standy-up hair though! (And the old "faint" one with the thud... ) 

Drawingaline

I really miss the old emojis, but I am always on my phone for this forum so do have access to a wide range of them 🙄 is my personal favourite 😂😜