A whole new world, for now

doingitanyway

Well done on a good Christmas and lots of family time

in_need_of_direction

So dd texted shortly after 11 last night to say that she had made it home. It’s been an odd couple of days. In a way, I will be glad when routine is restored. If I’m struggling, I wonder what the dog makes of it all.

I’m not in the best of places and need that to change. However, in my usual fashion, I’m putting off sitting down to identify what the changes or goals might be. I think it’s the usual fear of failure kicking in. If I articulate what I’m aiming for, then there’s something against which to measure myself and I’m not sure how I’d handle coming up short.

I have a diabetic clinic appointment on Friday. This is the one deferred from last summer that should have been in April. It’s also needed before I can start the blood sugar diet as my meds are quite extensive and may need tweaked to avoid hypos. I need blood tests roughly a week in advance and that was a nightmare being passed from pillar to post and directed to a completely unmanned area. It shouldn’t be this difficult. Also, the common areas in the hospital were filthy with the same litter on staircases both days I attended.

Yesterday I dealt with a minor work matter. It was good to get that done. Today I need to call with a client for an hour or so. Still, it will be money in the bank for me. Today I need to bank a cheque and issue two invoices and maybe a quote or two.

I also need to get cracking on targets and aims. I had a bit of a meltdown about how the house is and about how issues are visible only to me. I’m not even talking about big things thought the increasing damp in the kitchen is one esp since it was damp proofed last year. I’m talking about not being able to unlock the garage due to a dodgey lock, the living room clock that needs a new battery but is a two person job, the broken hearth tiles that were broken when we moved in in 1990, etc. In addition the garden is beyond a mess.

This rant needs to end and action needs to be taken. I’m thinking of the jwil approach and listing progress. This occurred to me when I was putting a pulled out of a magazine recipe in the recycling as I’d found an alternative that worked and that I’d written up. It may just be one page but it’s one page that won’t end up on the floor if the cook book stand is moved.

So I’m off to ponder. Along with changing the bedding. I do like to start the ny with clean sheets. We won’t be out with our usual peeps for dinner. The father of the main organiser was found having died in his sleep yesterday. He was 93. A nice way to go and the family are quite accepting of this. Unsure when the funeral will be due to the holidays but it’s 155 miles each way. Have offered to drive unless it’s on Friday as I need that appointment.

Today I am grateful for
This place that forces some degree of accountability and prevents the complete burying of my head in the sand
A lack of trauma for my bereaved friend
Safe return journeys for my babies

I will be back later today. I need to make a start

doingitanyway

I get the household repairs issues. These are my main source of stress.
Is it possible to monitor your own sugars so you have more control or am I missing something obvious?
Is the dog back with you FT now?

beanielou

Wishing you a happy & healthy 2019 filled with good fortune & adventures xx

Cherryfudge

Lots of good wishes for you in 2019 .

I hear you about the house issues: DH has made good use of his time off to do a couple of necessary jobs that I didn't feel equal to so the lounge wall paper has progressed a little and we have a couple of pan lid holders installed so the saucepan cupboard is much more accessible and we can find the lids.

I'm sorry to hear of your friend's loss though as you say, it's a gentle way to go. I hope the funeral arrangements are straightforward.

I have given up on having all my resolutions lined up before midnight - for me it's now a New Year's Day job. I might post one or two - the financial ones - and I'm always interested in people's goals/resolutions (whichever way you approach it), so if it helps to post your thoughts as you work towards identifying what to do, I shall read with interest.

jwil

I'm with you on the house issues, that's why I'm prioritising those savings this year.

I find the lists very helpful for tracking progress, when I get into one of my 'I haven't achieved anything' moods, I can look back and see that I have actually done something.

Happy New Year, hope it's a good one

Fortune_Smiles

Happy New Year INOD.

Fortune x

in_need_of_direction

NYE visitors, how lovely. Happy 2019 to all. I’m determined that we will all achieve so much this year. With the cheerleading we all benefit from, we are bound to. Apart from linked in, this is the only site I have ever posted on and I’m so glad that it’s here and that a rare moment of bravery prompted my engagement.

So, first things first, I can monitor my blood sugars but cannot adjust my meds and I want to get below safe while taking my multiple daily taking to safe while taking fewer meds. This requires medical engagement. Unfortunately as I now am under the care of a hospital diabetic clinic, this is out of my gp’s hands. The hospital engagement is pants. I was there last jan and was supposed to be reviewed after 3 months. Friday coming will be the first review and only after I sought an appointment.

I also, in a moment of madness, signed up again for the couch to 5k that starts 21 jan. exercise will therefore hopefully need to be factored in. That said, I think this is my 7th program with only 2 completed to date.

Last night we sat in. I had planned to scope out NY resolutions. Instead we watched some tv, the Big Bang theory followed by a mission impossible movie that we hadn’t seen before. We also spent money. I had some offers available that expired at midnight last night. We used one to get a painting for £230 that had started at £795 and that dh really liked. This was, in the main, funded by a Christmas gift. We also spent £39 on a couples 2.5 hour dance class. We did one last year, had a giggle and got moving for the duration of the class. The cost is less than the income I will get for work delivered yesterday. We need to do more of things like this.
I also made a just over £20 op to the mortgage yesterday. This is a combination of cashing in loose change and a tt.

I have decided however that the mortgage ops are taking a back seat. Money is instead going into house maintenance. This is going to be on a room by room basis. The starting point will be the sitting room. This needs the chimney swept and the fireplace tiles replaced. I’d also love a new carpet but that’s a nice to do rather than an essential. Tomorrow I will book a chimney sweep. When I find out when they can call, I will decide when to order the tiles. These have been researched and a stockist of repro Victorian hearth tiles has been identified.

There are 3 more areas to be commenced immediately. These are the garden, this can be done on a half hour by half hour basis. I did an hour 2 days ago and filled a third of my brown bin just by scooping up stuff that needed to be moved. It was also a period of activity for me and created a safer path to the garage.
One area to be tackled is what was, until last year’s new boiler, the boiler house. This is a small red brick structure attached to the house. It is currently used only to house the mop and the dog food. Ido however want it made weather tight as I believe this is one source of the dampness in the kitchen. There are bits of this we can do such as chipping away the old plaster to see what lies beneath. The old boiler vent needs to go and the hole needs bricked up. The door is rotten and needs replaced possibly along with the door frame and the roof isn’t completely weathertight.

If we get it weatherproofed, I will want some type of shelving or storage racks, possibly ikea, so that it can be used. We will get a padlock for the door and it may become an overflow drinks store given that the garage fridge is going. Which brings us to the last initial area. The garage. This smells of damp and cardboard disintegrates in there. My plan for today is to try climbing a set of ladders to see the state of the gutters and possibly start clearing these out. There is also a sheet of what’s a cross between wood and cardboard attached to the wall that is soaked through and needs to go. Getting the lock sorted so that I can access the garage needs to hit a to do list. Our next door neighbour keeps a tumble dryer in a lean to between their house and my garage. I’m concerned that this may also be a source of dampness but need to rule out the other possibilities before having that discussion.

Then there’s the work that I need to get on top of. I issued a big invoice last night. It’ll probably take a month to be paid but that’s fine. I have enough to cover my monthly salary and expenses for the next six months.

I am now going to have a discussion with dh about all of the above. Wish me luck!

Today I am grateful for
The inspiration, thoughtful challenge and support that I get here
Seeing potential positives in 2019
The sb, tcb, pa, etc. benefits that have arisen thanks to the good people here

redofromstart

Hope the discussion with OH was productive ?

Happy new year to you!

Chrystal

Wishing you a Wonderfully Positive 2019... sounds as though you are starting it in the right frame of mind. X