Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

I took DH his lunch and found they were just booking him out, so that was positive. There are a few blood test results to come but they think, based on what they've learned so far, that it may have been brought on by a drop in blood pressure from having a very hot bath. I'm not sure that explains the whole thing, but it could be compounded by low iron levels or low B12 etc. Anyway, I'm happy to say he's been fine all day.

Both of us were shattered after our 2.45am finish, so we've been dragging ourselves round today. The gas engineer came out to check the boiler and spent about 25 minutes working on the gas meter, which had been capped last night, only to announce that the previous person had done something wrongly and he couldn't get access to it. DH has kindly taken on the burden of negotiating between the two companies who both think the other is at fault. I was busy getting overwrought as I'd been advised to do a pre-course course for digital skills so they can assess my level, and I only really had today to get booked in. The booking in turned out to raise questions I couldn't answer so I rang the people concerned but got a recorded message. In the end I just filled in a minimum and to my surprise this was enough - I'm eligible to do the course free and I start in a couple of days, just one afternoon a week. Then I had a call back from the department I'd rung and she was very reassuring and recognised the entry form isn't very accessible, but told me she could see my submission from her end and all was well. End of panic, though this evening I've got my new laptop out and am getting used to it so I can use it for the course.

DH went off to the library to do some family history research, and I spent some time on work admin. The electronic timesheet is back in its right form but I double-checked and I've definitely been paid more than it says, so one of the emails was to ask my former manager to look into it for me. I had a nice reply straight back which helped me feel less at sea. Then there was an invitation to a work meeting about fifty miles away that isn't directly to do with me, so I've emailed to ask if I had been included by accident. After that I got my first timesheet submitted for my new job. I won't get the pay till the end of January but I feel that it's sort of on its way once the time sheet goes in.

I fetched an old electric heater down from the loft, which made a big difference, and DH later found another so we've warmed up this evening. Dinner was the rest of the curry from the other day - all gone now. Tomorrow I don't have my evening gathering as someone's away, but we are looking after DGD1 while her parents have a Christmas shopping day. I'm hoping I can organise myself to start a tradition by doing some baking with her, but realistically this may not happen. We will also have to be a bit fluid about who does the actually looking after as one of us may need to be around to let engineers in.

Expenditure: 
Housekeeping £2.81.

Cherryfudge

Well, it's Tuesday already - I dozed on the sofa after dinner and of course I'm not so sleepy now. I've been playing on the new laptop, not really putting it through its paces but loving that it's carried over my passwords and everything else I've needed so far. It's slightly smaller than the one I'm used to, but the keyboard - oh, the keyboard! All mistakes are my own, not the foibles of the keys. I can't say I'm not making any, but I've really not lost my speed at all. I've not timed myself but I'm pretty fast again - probably not far off the speed I got to when typing was my job. I'd be a lot faster if I was as accurate as I'm speedy.  

I have some more spending to admit: I remembered something I wanted to get for DH for Christmas and I've had a bit of a look and found it for £15.99. There were more expensive options but I resisted them without going for the cheapest ones. I realised that I can now subscribe to Pr1me for anything else I want to get before Christmas and maybe a couple of January items as there's a birthday as well as sales coming up. So I clicked the button on that and got free delivery. It only 'works' if I remember to cancel so there's that to do later.

A funny thing from DH and I discussing his hospital visit - both of us realised that if this was serious and he didn't make it, he hadn't yet claimed the lump sum from his pension! It wasn't at the front of my mind, but I did think it. Mind you, my judgement was that he wasn't unwell enough not to travel on his own, so it wasn't all that urgent.  

I've been trying to keep putting him off claiming his pension - he has a few years to go before pension age so it would only be to supplement our earnings, and the longer we leave it, the more there is in there, though as time goes on the increase gets smaller.

WelshmansDaughter

Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate

badmemory

If your DH has pension questions why don't you suggest he looks at the pension part of this forum as there are some really helpful & knowledgable people on there.  A read of a couple of threads on there will very quickly tell you who knows their stuff.

Sun_Addict

What a scare with DH, glad everything seems to be ok. 

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

What a scare with DH, glad everything seems to be ok. 

Thank you.

badmemory said:

If your DH has pension questions why don't you suggest he looks at the pension part of this forum as there are some really helpful & knowledgable people on there.  A read of a couple of threads on there will very quickly tell you who knows their stuff.

It's a bit of a complex situation as he's got a frozen pension at a good rate and a current pension that's a lot smaller, and as we're in our sixties, it doesn't make a huge difference to the end result when he starts to draw on the main one. The only thing that's potentially a game changer is the lump sum - if he dies before he takes it, I'd lose out, which is a gamble really. His general health is very good, he has a permanent condition that's held at bay with medication - and then something like this recent event happens and makes us realise nothing is certain. At the moment we are getting by on his wages and a small amount from me, but that's not going to be sustainable in the long term, which is really why he's considering taking the pension early. To me, it's better off staying untouched for another year or so, or more, and growing a little bit while we have money in the bank to cover our day to day needs.

If my income doesn't rise in the next few months, we might take it out to give us things like holidays, or if one or both of us were to get some life-limiting condition then we might take it out to enjoy it. However, both of us like to work so we're hoping to carry on a while longer.

I hope that makes sense: pensions confuse me!

Cherryfudge

About eleven years ago, I worked nights and DH told me that two days after a night shift was my worst time. I feel rather like that today after our drama the other night!

DH had another blood test today and all is clear with no further symptoms. We told A and H about it and H said she's had a similar episode once that came and went without explanation and she never knew what caused it.

The current stress is that we still don't have gas or solid fuel heating. The local company has spoken to the emergency people who've admitted they made an error with how the meter was capped, but we've still not found out how it can be resolved. However, today reached the relatively mild heights of 6 degrees and we've been out and about. It was 12.5 degrees indoors when we got back but it's about 14 now and I've turned off the heater for a while as I was a bit too warm!

We've been looking after DGD1 while her parents did their Christmas shopping: really lovely to have one of 'our' days together. DH took her to the group at a nearby church that he used to take her to, I walked her back to her house while DH got his blood test done, and she fell asleep. I hadn't organised any lunch for myself (night shift head, you understand) and ended up buying more than I would eat. In the  afternoon we had a walk while the sun shone (and it rained, with a huge rainbow). We sheltered in a big shop and DGD spent a happy time tidying the displays! I'd planned to start a new tradition and do some baking with her, but she wanted to play catch while we were indoors so that didn't happen and I made little cakes when I got home.

Expenditure:
Gift £3
Housekeeping £11.95

Cherryfudge

Wednesday again, and my evening group is debating whether to swap to next week as so many are away, working or poorly. This afternoon I've offered to help the children's team from church with an event, so I need to organise myself this morning which I'm spectacularly not getting round to.

Things to do: check work emails, install Microsoft 365, check I know how to work Teams after a few years of not needing it.

I'm still waiting to hear from the boiler check people, so I'm based in one room with an electric heater and my feet on a hot water bottle.

Very grateful we have electricity. No gch/hot water but we can still cook, heat, run the shower and appliances.

Last night DH tried showering instead of a bath and complained there wasn't enough water coming through and he was cold. When I went for a shower I found he'd altered my settings, used for washing my hair, and turned it right up. Untrusting soul. The system can't cope with being asked to heat the full volume of water so it reduces the amount going through and makes it too hot to use. I turned it back to half heat using both elements and had a really nice shower. Today I feel all the better for clean hair and a proper wash!

I will report back as and when I get things done: it's gorgeous out (sunny) so washing is going in the machine and at some point I will make myself get some exercise.

Cherryfudge

Afternoon update:

Microsoft 365 turned out to be effortless to install, phew.

I've not even looked at Teams, I got waylaid with having accidentally sent out a meeting invitation which I thought I'd just sent to the manager to query. Turns out I don't have the access to recall it, presumably because it originated from someone else. There's nothing more I can do about it now.

The washing is on the line and there's still frost on the ground so hopefully the dry air will have helped it dry a bit. I'll put what I can on the airer before I go out, and some will go in the dryer.

The room I'm in is comfortably warm but elsewhere the house is 12.5 degrees which is not a good idea. I've already spent time drying condensation off windows and ceilings.

The manager from northern gas networks is going to ring our engineers to clear the work for them to do - I hope that's the beginning of the end of the problem!

Cherryfudge

I had a really nice time helping out at the children's event this afternoon. Turns out I am not a natural at candle making (the activity I was supposed to support), but I am better than I was yesterday. Slightly.

My evening group was called off, probably meeting next week, so I had a quiet evening in and think I remember how to use Teams, which I'll need to tomorrow. I've also finished week 2 of the course I started recently.

Something I don't think I mentioned was passing the 1,000 day mark on Duolingo recently. I'm pleased with that, though now - where do I stop? I also had a nice assessment which I am fairly sure is AI generated, telling me what a great student I am. Something's definitely changed since I did French at school!

I've not spent anything today: freezing cold weather has its positives.