Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

DH set out after lunch and I cleared the little table and DS2's desk, which is now set up with some of my things. I moved the oddments that he'd left in the adjacent drawers all into one drawer so I have the others - a good start. I've also disposed of about half a dozen supermarket magazines which looked nice when I got them but are so seasonal that I've no appetite for them now.

I had a bit of a shopping trip, discovering charity shops have started their sales so I've got 20 Christmas cards and a couple of books for £4.99. I called in to the supermarket as I was suddenly feeling a bit hungry and weary, and spent about £2.50 which includes a couple of pieces of salmon (now in the freezer) and some watermelon. Last stop was B and M, where the doll I'd thought of getting for DGD was down a third in price. I also got various stocking fillers.

I've had half my watermelon pieces and some paracetamol but I'm closer to asleep than productive. The thing is, if I go to bed at seven. who knows what time I'll wake up hungry?

Expenditure:
Fuel £45.49
Housekeeping £3.82
Gifts £39.27
Medical £1.52
Household £2

Cherryfudge

I managed to stick it out till quite late, which is my usual second wind coming into play I'm normally quite energetic from about 10pm, though living with a morning person, neither of us gets to maximise our best time of day! Then I woke up two or three times, but eventually slept well and feel better for it apart from being so congested. I loathe colds but it really feels they don't hit me as hard since Covid.

This morning is nice and sunny so there's laundry happening. I also accidentally discovered the big river company now sells my cappuccino in a tub so I've set up a recurring subscription using Prime (while I have it - I may have to rethink this) and a subscription discount. I've ordered two tubs which is about 120 cups, but I have about one of the caffeinated ones a day, so roughly four months' worth. I saved £6 with the discounts so I'm pleased with that. Okay, so there's storage to consider but they can go in the cupboard with the emergency supplies and it can be decanted into a jar that will fit in the kitchen cupboard. It also means I don't have to have  large mugful if I feel I can cope with a  smaller one, and it eliminates the wasteful sachets that won't recycle. Pleased with myself!

(It shouldn't mean I drink more coffee, as I have been limiting that for a long time).

I realise I am strongly avoiding wrapping presents and writing cards, so I'm off to do a couple before I allow myself any more internet time.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £33.98

Cherryfudge

A start has been made on the presents, but only the dog has everything in order! (I didn't wrap hers, they just go in a bag). Two actual wrapped items have been achieved.

My hair has been getting very split due to winter conditions so I gave it a 'proper cut', not just a trim. It feels much better and theoretically saved me about £80 or whatever a hairdresser would charge nowadays.

I also had a small adventure in terms of spotting a hedgehog trundling across the garden. I rushed round to the neighbour, whose partner is a vet nurse and specialises in hedgehogs, so he caught it and told me it's an autumnal juvenile and wouldn't last the winter as its weight is too low - so it will now be kept indoors in a garage with a heater and fed till spring.

I also made a batch of ginger syrup and had some in a chocolate Horlicks, which was very nice. Lunch was the remains of yesterday's pasta and sausages medley, so I won't have a main meal tonight and DH can finish the curry for a couple of days ago.

I'm tired again - breathing is harder work for now! So I'll have some down time and see how I feel this evening before I push on with Christmas things.

Cherryfudge

I had an enjoyable evening playing with a spreadsheet for my course! There are some bits I have no clue about, but some I worked out by prodding at it till I got a response that looked right! I've also dragged out very old skills to make a poster using Publisher. I did a course in it years ago and haven't used it since, so a lot of it is new to me but I kept it simple and came up with something that's visually striking, though not technically complicated.

Other than that, we watched Celebrity Bakeoff, DH wrapped presents and I crocheted a bit more of the gloves I've been avoiding. Only one and a  bit to go.

Cherryfudge

Today is yet another mild day... I had a Facebook notification reminding me that it was the same in 2015, so I will not mutter about climate change but instead rejoice that I was up in time to put a hot wash on while electricity was cheaper, and that I can be out of doors if I choose.

We had sad news this morning: L's Grandad died last night. He was the sort of octogenarian who danced at parties and will be greatly missed, and of course there's the added thing of 'and at Christmas, too'. 

My breathing is still stertorous (I had to look that one up) which is a bit tiring but other than that, the cold isn't too bad. I'm going to try to balance my energies without overdoing it, and there are lots of bits to get done, or not, as the case may be.

After all, the world keeps turning whether I delude myself that I'm pushing it, or not.

Yesterday my head was fuzzy: thinking just wasn't switched on until I came to the computer homework, one piece of which I want to check before I send it in today. I really hope my Excel skills aren't dire enough to stop me doing the course in January, though when I think about it, I'm not looking for a job that requires a high level of skills. (It's more avoiding significant mistakes that worries me). Duolingo was my bugbear yesterday. I kept getting things wrong! I know that's part of learning, but for now I'm doing the minimum as the cold has obviously centred in the bits of my brain that process language. It's a very strange thing that one day I can sail through and another I just don't get it.

Only a day till the turn of the year now, though looking at sunrise and sunset times, it's harder to get the sun out of bed over the next week than it is to make me behave like a morning person. But it's on its way, really it is.

Cherryfudge

Good news! Payslips are published and mine includes not only pay for the first few hours at my new job, but also backdated holiday pay from my previous job. I'm not mentally with it enough to work out if the amount is what I claimed (I contested the fact they would only pay me five days from last financial year, as it wasn't my fault I was owed more than five days leave). However, it's quite a chunk so there will be no problem paying off the credit card.

I have to say, though - I'm not liking the fact they kept me waiting so some things had to go on the cc.

Keedie

My condolences regarding L's grandad, but he sounded like a great character. 

Good thinking on your part in getting saving that baby hedgehog's life. And congrats on the holiday pay even though it took them too long, I'm glad that you finally have it. I deal with HR and pay queries at work, and when people aren't sure if their pay is correct, they just contact us and we have a look into it for them. Not sure if you have a similar service?

Canva is also good for making leaflets, posters, invitations etc and it's free for the most part, some bits are on the paid pro version (denote with a crown symbol), but there is quite a lot that is free. That's what I have been using to make my savings challenges.

Cherryfudge

Thanks @Keedie.

The neighbour's partner was packing something into her car this morning so I'm guessing the hedgehog is on its way to be cared for. This couple are very knowledgeable: he once brought up a nestful of blackbirds that had been dumped out of a tractor onto a wall. They all fledged and some stayed around for a while. They were naturals to go to for anything hedgehog-related.

Re the pay, I have a feeling it's come to me after going through HR, but if so, then they're the people I need to ask.

I'd never heard of Canva, but anything I can explore to improve my skills will be useful. I went back into the online Excel tutorial this evening and am still wondering why the first formula they show you has both '=' and 'SUM'. Not even 'SUM='. To my English-speaking brain, it's tautological. And why use ':' when you mean 'all the way up to and including'? (Okay, it saves time and paper). This new language will take a while to learn!

I got myself to the shops this afternoon but had a visual migraine and felt rather off-balance, so I didn't stay out long. Some ibuprofen helped, but I stayed at home though we were supposed to be going to a party for my Wednesday group from church. I sent DH who knows them and I knew he'd have a nice time! I've had a quiet evening but still got palpitations, so I think it was wise to stay in.

Finally, the workmen have come and commissioned our boiler! They didn't arrive till around half past six (so much for afternoon) but it didn't take long. The only thing outstanding is for them to send a new Hive as this one won't connect to my phone.

weenancyinAmerica

@Cherryfudge - just remember that all formulas in Excel start with = , no matter what the formula is for. 

Cherryfudge

weenancyinAmerica said:

@Cherryfudge - just remember that all formulas in Excel start with = , no matter what the formula is for. 

That's actually a massively useful thing to know, thanks!  

=NOW TIME FOR (COFFEE:BREAKFAST)