Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Ooh something to look forward to 😃 Breakfasts are a waste of money on me as I only eat dry toast, I can’t face anything else in the morning. There was a post a photo of your breakfast challenge on one of my apps and I thought there’s not a person on the planet who’d be interested in my breakfast 🤣

You might have got attention just for that - all the people looking for the hidden other ingredient! It reminds me of a training exercise I had to do once where we had to make rhythms out of what we had for breakfast. I've completely forgotten what the purpose was, but over (possibly thirty) years I've remembered that someone had a 'cup of coffee and a fag'. Who said it, why we talked about it, what we were supposed to have learned, I have no idea, but I do know what they had for breakfast on some otherwise-forgotten day.

Make a rhythm out of yours and you get the sound of someone plodding through snow, or a tap dripping, depending how you pronounce your 'd's.

Cherryfudge

CL21 said:

I love a hotel breakfast 😍 Venice sounds lovely too

Thanks. I was most disappointed when I could no longer tolerate refills of coffee, but I make up for it with bowls of muesli, fruit and yogurt, fresh fruit juice and possibly a pastry or two (sorry SA).

Cherryfudge

This morning seems a very long time ago, but I've not been out so no more spending. I don't really know what's happened to the day. I did a load of machine washing which got 80% dry on the line, and the handwashing too. DH has cleaned the innards of an old clock and taken the cleaning fluid (petrol) to the tip, and went to his volunteering in the afternoon and a meeting in the evening.

I spent some time fighting the printer unsuccessfully for some forms sent through from DS2's solicitor. In the end I printed bank statements and DH got the forms to print. To be honest I was choosing between this and contacting the work counsellor, but DS's forms needed to be done and I really didn't want to get down to the phone call.

My phone has run out of charge twice today, so I'm fairly sure the battery is dying. I'll go to the phone shop tomorrow.

It may be less cold but the damp air makes it feel colder. I'm layered up and carrying a hot water bottle. DH has lit the log burner now and I probably don't need it any more, but he's watching telly and I'm not interested so the hot water bottle comes with me. On a positive note, I took note of @Auntycaz's advice and checked the pressure on our boiler, which turned out to be in the red. I was able to set it right thanks to a spot on bit of advice on a post-it note I found with the boiler manual (oddly enough, in my handwriting, though I think I may have taken dictation for the boiler installer). Said boiler is now happy again.

I've made almost no progress on the foods to use up list I posted elsewhere yesterday, but DH remembered the remains of a jar of pasta sauce so we had that with salmon for dinner.

Tomorrow is our day for looking after DGD, and in the evening, provided no one's ill or called in to work, my friends are coming round. Wednesday is DGD's longer spell at nursery and I've said I'll have her in the afternoon as part of the settling in process. It does sound as though she is getting the hang of it now.

Cherryfudge

Another day looking after DGD, but a bit of spending too: a new battery for my phone, hot drinks at a cafe for DH and me, groceries. There was also a quick drop in to a charity shop resulting in two books for DGD, one for DH and a ball of craft yarn for me.

One of my friends couldn't make it this evening but two of us guzzled pizza and watched 'Shadowlands' (the film about CS Lewis, not the World of W arcraft). A lovely film.

Tomorrow is H's birthday but she couldn't decide what she wanted so I'm getting her a voucher which I'll deliver while I'm there tomorrow afternoon.

Spending:
Entertainment £5.30 (coffee/tea)
Phone battery £30
Book (DH) £1
Gifts (books for DGD) £1.50
Hobbies 50p
Housekeeping £1.41 + approx. £14.

Cherryfudge

Today's DGD care didn't start till nearly lunchtime as she managed most of the morning at nursery. It was a lot milder, but rainy, so A took us both back to the house and once the rain cleared up we had a walk out, managing to get birthday things for H which were all ready for her when she got in from work.

DH gave me a lift home again in time for tea, which was liver and onions. I also succeeded in making two pints of yogurt using the Instant Pot - I'm very pleased with how it looks and as an added bonus, it tastes nice.

Tomorrow I'm back at work in the afternoon, and looking after DGD till one, when she goes to nursery again. I was asked if I'd cover a sleep in at work but I've said no. I will probably do some at some point but I can do without it now.

Spending:
Gifts £30 + 2 cards £5.94
Housekeeping £4.75

Honeysucklelou2

How lovely that you have been able to look after DGD! The Venice holiday sounds wonderful.

Cherryfudge

A good day today despite having to get up at a reasonable time. I looked after DGD from 8.30 to lunchtime and J drove us over to the nursery (near our house) so I could be at work from 2. I heard later that she'd settled in much better and is starting to explore and interact more.

I nearly forgot lunch (having been fed some of H's birthday cake) but got inspired and made scrambled eggs with anchovies and lots of salad, so I feel healthy. What's more, I've had my five a day and not only dared to use some of the home made yogurt in my oats later, but actually enjoyed it. So some healthy eating has happened.

Work also went nicely so I feel good about the day. Also - nothing spent.

Cherryfudge

Credit card paid off in good time. It was much more than usual due to holiday payments going out. I need to decide whether to pay myself back as these should come out of the holiday account, or let that accrue as it earns interest. However I still have a float in current and need more coffee so I'm leaving that decision till I'm not in a hurry.

Sun_Addict

I probably have 10 plus a day veg wise but then I’ve always preferred a plate full of veg to anything else since I was a child. Fruit wise not so keen as I’m more a savoury person. 

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

I probably have 10 plus a day veg wise but then I’ve always preferred a plate full of veg to anything else since I was a child. Fruit wise not so keen as I’m more a savoury person. 

I know that's the way to go - the UK 'five a day' is less than the recommended amount in some other countries. I feel better when I have more vegetables and while I like some fruit, I'm a veg person too. I think I get lazy and lapse into easy carbs.

Didn't do too well today though. It's been a rush and I barely got lunch, let alone healthy lunch. It's just been a full-on couple of weeks really. I don't regret saying no to the sleep in tomorrow, in fact everyone else has done the same and the manager is now doing it. The whole system of sleep ins needs a review as it's very hit and miss. Some people get them regularly. some have none scheduled but will take them if cover is needed and others don't have any for personal reasons. The proposed new rota gives them all to team leaders who can then swap them out if they wish. I think I've already said here that I need to cut back on what I pick up.

So this morning I got to church cleaning a bit earlier than recently and spent a couple of hours hoovering - which is a work-out, believe me! Then a fleeting visit to the shops where I entirely failed to buy salad-y stuff so I ended up having microwaved pizza for dinner - but it was nice and is no longer cluttering up the fridge. I also got a couple of tins for the winter emergency cupboard.

A team leader called me in to discuss the extra claim I made over the new year and which I wasn't sure I'd got right. She recommends I withdraw it and claim for the whole night as a unit as waking nights are now being covered by a single additional payment on top of basic pay, instead of an hourly rate. The upshot is a claim for 10 hours instead of four and a half, which is quite nice.  

When I got home I realised the poor goldfish wasn't looking too bright and he's been neglected over the past couple of weeks. I've now done a partial change of water, a clean of the filters and added some aquarium salts, and already he looks brighter, though that could be because he likes the feeling of water being poured in and will swim into it for fun.

So apart from the CC bill, it's been a low-spend day. I'm tired now and I need to get to bed as I'm on the morning shift.

Spending:
Housekeeping £5.56