Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Pay is in so I've done my first August mortgage overpayment.

We now owe under £3,000! :j:j:j

VelvetFreak

YAY! Under $3,000 is amazing

Cherryfudge

Another day off and we've already had some heavy rain. The damage done up in the Dales yesterday is really bad: part of a road bridge has gone, there's just a gap. People are posting photos of roads and properties under water and of big hailstones swimming in sudden puddles. I felt most sorry for the owners of holiday cottages that are flooded.

I really ought to be spending today working on the house: it's cluttered and in need of a good clean. I also want to have a further look in the kitchen cupboards now there is more leeway to move things around. I'm hoping to make some sort of a plan to use up things that have been there too long. Lentil and vegetable lasagne is looking like a good option for tonight.

Here's a list, feel free to ignore:
do some 15 minute sessions on various bits of the house
take faulty item back to shop for replacement
do meter readings
pay off CC
move money into savings (I think the holiday fund will get a minimal amount this month as DH has had some largeish expenses
do a bit of research into places to go on holiday
try again to put my timesheet in.

parsniphead

Cherryfudge wrote: »

I'm not sure I can make an entirely coherent story out of the past few days so I'll ad lib.

On Tuesday, DS2 and I drove over to Mum's old house. Being of the younger generation, he uses a sat nav all the time, so I now know it's a fraction over 100 miles. It took about half the time it does when I go by train, but then DS2 drives like the proverbial bat out of hell.

We stopped at a town about 5 miles from the house where we were able to go to both @ldi (for me)and L!dl (for DS2 to go to the bakery). I spent rather a lot - about £26 at the first one, then more at the second - details when I get as far as receipts. I did, however, get lots of food, a fish slice and a whole nesting stack of those glass bowls that have lids and which some people are using instead of plastic takeaway-type boxes. Someone at work uses them and I decided it would be a more environmentally-friendly option for lunches/leftovers. Really pleased with them so far.

My sister had left the hall full of boxes - long story short, the van they hired was too small to take all the things she was wanting. DS2 and I loaded his car up late on Tuesday and he set off about 8 on Wednesday to drive up to the borders and deliver it all. That done, his phone ran out of charge and it took him ages to find his way back so he arrived, rather worn out, about 6 in the evening. Meanwhile I had done a lot of cleaning (nobody else approves of me spending my time doing this as I 'should' be clearing, but I find it hard to see if something is finished with or worth keeping/passing on till it's clean). I also found my sister had somehow managed to get the jammed windows at the front of the house to open - which as you can imagine, was wonderful in this heat. It also meant I could reach to repaint the outside window sills, which only took about an hour and a half and isn't perfect as I couldn't reach the totality and the paint is not as bright white as elsewhere, but at least it no longer has significant peeling paint. DS2 reckons it's a waste of time as a future buyer will paint it anyway, but I think it adds to curb appeal and also complies with the insurance requirements about making it look lived in.

Yesterday DS was ready for jobs to do, so I had an inspiration and asked him to take things to the tip. He did three tip trips. We also made significant inroads into The tray Cupboard of Doom and The Garage of the Undead, the Undead being the exoskeletons of hundreds of spiders dotted across the biggest webs outside Hammer Horror Studios. Those are now consigned to history, as are some of the more moveable garage contents. I'll do a list later - I had to make one, didn't I?!

As you know, yesterday was seriously sweltering but we set off home about 4pm, just as the storm broke. A few miles up the motorway, I suggested we pull in to services as the rain was so heavy that it impaired driving, and I knew it would only last a few minutes. However, it then intensified to the point where we couldn't safely change lanes so we rode it out and sure enough, a few miles on was dry and sunny again and we went cross-country over the high ground to arrive in time for tea. It was 33 degrees up there on top of the world, but the news says Cambridge reached 37 so I suppose we had it easy.

I have brought back a car load of stuff, though DS2 chose an ottoman and two bar stools for his room so I didn't take all the space. One of my discoveries while clearing was a kitchen cupboard that hadn't been cleared at all, but I saw it quite late on so one drawer and a few items from the base are done. Among these I found some lovely little recycled glass oil and vinegar jugs and as I'd been planning on getting an oil pourer, I've saved a few pounds bringing these home. I found a toy that had been my brother's (he died about 30 years ago) and of course more books... and the rest of the set of teaspoons that I took a fancy to!

The Tray Cupboard of Doom was under the draining board and a bit cobwebby (hence reluctance to tackle it) but not as bad as I'd thought. Out went a rusty vegetable rack, though I kept the plastic baskets to sort/store small items. One of the trays was full of cassette tapes which I've added to a shelf of them under the stairs - most won't be kept but I can postpone that sort of decision to a winter's evening. (Decision making is emotionally very tiring so I pace myself). I found a plastic bag of neatly folded teatowels which was quite fun - I put them all through the wash though they had obviously been put away clean. Some I've left there, others were used to wrap glasswear for the journey home. They are memories from very early childhood - Pat Smythe showjumping, anyone?!

Other than that - the sideboard under the stairs is now clear and clean on top - there were four phones, and answering machine and video security equipment on there! Also some old diaries which I'm adding to my stash.

I managed to open a huge, heavy suitcase which had thwarted us for ages. (Try pushing the catches in, instead of sliding them). There was a lot of paperwork in there and some photos so I've only really made a small start. It was fascinating to find a book of instructions from Dad's work (gas board) about how to deal with householders while converting their premises to natural gas back in 1968. ('In any event the size of the operation is such that a very small percentage of human error causes a good deal of extra inconvenience and in some cases a lot of bad publicity. Some of us are more human than others!')

I didn't do much in the garden but 'Maggie' (the lady who looks after the house and garden when I'm not there) has been on a mission and cut back vast swathes around the front and side of the house. I'm so pleased I'm thinking of sending her a small 'thank you' voucher as well as her usual pay.

I think that's about it... for now. Facts and figures to follow. I have work this afternoon and all weekend and it's still quite warm (mid twenties - quite warm?! Show how hot yesterday was!) so I'm sort of taking it easy, while trying to look as though I'm making progress on the unpacking!

Blimey cherryfudge I feel exhausted just reading your posts. I think you may be superwoman.

Cherryfudge

LOL - remember it was over a few days, parsniphead. I'm definitely not Superwoman.

I started off doing 15 minutes on jobs then forgot to set the timer, so I've done more than that on the kitchen. I've also got myself presentable (dressed, washed, makeup, shoes), tidied away various clothes and put a load in the washer. I'm just stopping for coffee and a jam sandwich and to regroup.

L is here (borrowing our Internet ) and the mug I ordered a few days ago has come. Love it. It must be the best part of 60 years old (old Denby, again) but from its appearance it could be brand new.

I've also tried unsuccessfully to put my timesheets in. I think I will have to hope for office time on Friday, when I'm doing an early and the office won't be as busy - it depends whether I can get time away from the 'shop floor'.

Cherryfudge

I made a bit of progress on my list but didn't complete it as I decided to go into town twice and ended up worn out. I had a sort of siege mentality in case the rain comes back and I ended up short of something. The reality was the day cleared up and was warm and muggy but no rain after lunch.

DS2 is supposed to be coming home today but hasn't turned up. Mind you, he never said exactly what he meant by 'coming home today'. It could mean he starts off from Dublin at 10 to midnight, and as he's not known for keeping in touch (and has been known to lose phone chargers), I'm not unduly worried.

I have just been annoyed/brave and gone round to a neighbour (yes, at a quarter to midnight) to let him know I can smell smoke from inside the house - he burns rubbish at night and it's got beyond a joke. He apologised so I hope he'll stop for good.

Today's list:
do some 15 minute sessions on various bits of the house Did a couple
take faulty item back to shop for replacement Done, successfully
do meter readings Not done
pay off CC Done - it goes off being zero percent soon so I'm wondering what on earth my log in is for the one I opened to give me access to a bank account that I never set up?!
move money into savings (I think the holiday fund will get a minimal amount this month as DH has had some largeish expenses Not done
do a bit of research into places to go on holiday Done - but not come to a firm conclusion yet.
try again to put my timesheet in. Tried and failed.

I did quite a bit of siege-shopping so the spending isn't looking good. Not much in the way of anything else.

Spending:
Housekeeping £12.57
Gift £1.00
MS:
10th coins to savings 3p
Using water bottled at Mum's where it's soft, in the iron here.
Decluttering:
Some cherry tomatoes and a jar of jam, as part of my quest to use things up before they go off. Other foods partly decluttered!

VelvetFreak

Hope the rain sorts itself out for you soon, Cherry. The neighbour sounds irritating. I live in a block of flats and have two particularly nosey neighbours who drive me up the wall. Can’t take the rubbish out to the bin without one of them staring at you like you’re a criminal :rotfl:

parsniphead

Well done on tackling the neighbour cherry. After my ongoing problem with my neighbour and the barking dog I feel for you.

Velvet freak your comment about being a criminal and throwing out rubbish made me laugh.

Cherryfudge

I don't think this man is a 'bad' neighbour - in fact he told me he burns the rubbish at night rather than daytime as people have washing out during the day - and we tolerated it for about a year, but in the end having to close windows on hot nights and still smelling the smoke... that was too much.

I hope he doesn't think I'm a 'bad' neighbour now!

Cherryfudge

I begged some time at work to put in June and July's timesheets - not even sure if they are accurate so I'll have to trust that my manager picks up anything that's not as it should be.

I have, I hope, claimed all the sleep-ins I've done and added the half an hour of non-sleep-in time that is needed when I'm not on rota for the sleep (which is always). Then I added the weekend enhancement for any weekend hours that I'm not on the rota for. Besides this I'd picked up a few actual shifts and part shifts, and I have my few hours of gardening too.

On top of this our shift timings changed over this period which makes basic calculations easier but I spotted there had been an error totalling my hours on the master rota - just things put in the wrong boxes which don't make any difference to what I work but was confusing. Then the change in shifts meant I've ended up working extra hours because - of all things - no one, even me, noticed I wasn't supposed to be there! Crazy. I did speak to my supervisor about it and he suggested I look for alternatives so I'd better get on and do that.

Relieved to have that lot out of the way, even if it comes back for correction!

I thought today was an NSD but I've paid the window cleaner for two sessions as we missed him last time.

Spending:
Window cleaner (household) £10.00
Paid the lady who sees to Mum's house, too, but that comes out of the Estate account.
MS:
Last of DH's last-month's pay is now in savings. We had a bit more than I thought so there's enough for a couple of holiday meals in the holiday account.
Those timesheets are in!
Leftovers for lunch and some for tomorrow too.
10th coins into savings = 10p.
Decluttering:
None today.

I'm thankful for DS2 getting back safely (around midnight last night), and a not-very-rainy day today.