"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Last lot of work expenses from 2019 has been paid, so by the time all the CC bills go out I'll just about be straight in time to get the next lot in!

Christmas lunch went well (at least, everyone enjoyed it, and we all still appear to be alive), and the timing even seemed to work out. The new oven seems to be behaving, although I need more practice with it - and I definitely need more work surfaces!

We did midnight mass, which saved time in the morning. Boxing day we went to my brother, and I left lots of leftovers with them Today has been work - I've got some reading to finish before NY and various odds and ends that need doing. My mum is still here, so junk food and alcohol consumption are at a minimum which is probably good for me (weight is going down again, and hopefully I'll get to my stretch goal soon - I've had to start wearing belts to hold my trousers up!). She is currently cleaning all my godmother's silver plate cutlery as she wasn't impressed by the state of it when we laid the table on Wednesday! That and reading the paper has kept her occupied while I've been working.

I've paid the electrician, so bills are up to date. Once my mum has gone home I'll start properly on the 2020 planning and budgeting.

juliejim

Pleased to hear that you had a nice Christmas and the house and garden is getting sorted.

greenbee

Thanks Jue

Today is a work day, so of course I overslept and am tired. Thankfully it's reading work, so I can do laundry/cooking etc at the same time. I'm currently making a ragu with the YS mince and chicken livers from the last couple of days - I'd forgotten how long it takes to do this properly, but will have lots in the freezer when I'm done and it has also helped make inroads into the carrot/celery/stock which was threatening to take over the fridge.

Bin men took the cooker packaging this morning which was nice of them as it didn't all fit in the bin.

Sun is shining (of course, it's a work day!) so I might go out and hoover up some leaves from the garden as a break from lying on the sofa reading.

I've cleaned up the dehumidifier and brought it in, as I've had to dry so much washing inside this winter that the utility room door is sticking, so it can't be good for the house. I had thought about buying a new one with a laundry mode, but this one works so I might as well use it.

I dropped my mum off yesterday with a friend who drove her home, and then went shopping and picked up some pans in the sale to replace some of the ones that don't work on the new hob. I also managed to put a bit more of the garden furniture away - it's still all very damp in the garage. It'll be nice when the last of the odds and ends has been collected and I can get the rest in there. Hopefully it'll dry out properly over the rest of the winter.

I've got tomorrow off, so need to spend the next couple of days working slowly through the laundry, doing some physio (appointment is on Friday morning) and maybe even going for a run (I'm wearing running stuff today, but I have to run before I eat - particularly when the days are short like today).

greenbee

I've done some laundry - and I think using the dehumidifier is helping.

I stripped my bed this morning and managed to turn my very heavy mattress on my own (cleaner was due to come but changed her mind - what annoys me is not necessarily the change of mind, but the fact that she messaged me 8 minutes before she should have been here... this isn't new as in the past she's told me after she should have been here). I've washed the mattress cover, but am holding off on washing the sheets and pillowcases until I've cleared the rest of the backlog. Towels are currently in the TD and the airing cupboard is full...

I've hoovered up a whole lot of leaves from the garden, although I'm not sure that I can see the difference, and also put some cardboard in the recycling bin. Freezer has been sorted and the ragu, turkey with mushrooms and peppers and chicken liver pate I made yesterday has been frozen. DW has been on lots to wash everything up. Broccoli and stilton soup made today, the last of the silver has been cleaned and the leather chairs polished - they're 1970s danish chairs, and really need new covers at some point as the leather has split in lots of places. All the polishing stuff has been put away, and the rags binned. I need to clean up the old plastic tablecloth I used and write on it so I know it's for cleaning (I have two the same, but the other one is bigger). Logs and kindling have been brought in.

Still lots to do, but I'm slowly getting stuff back to where it should be. I'm considering putting the xmas decorations in one of the bedroom wardrobes when I take them down.

Failed to go for a run - the problem is that I'm out of the habit.

Really do need to do the work reading I should have done on Monday...

juliejim

Is it time to look for a new cleaner?

You've been busy as usual.

Are you doing anything tonight for New Year?

greenbee

Cleaner is going in Feb/March anyway, so I do need to look for someone new. Preferably someone who does ironing as well, as there isn't always 2 hours of cleaning to do now there's not so much building work. Mind you, the kitchen floor could have done with a wash today...

Nothing planned for tonight ... I guess I could wash the kitchen floor

I have just remade my bed, and am now exhausted. Probably because I'm still wearing my thermals.

Karmacat

Or you could test drive a sofa, and a nice wine glass and a bottle of something slightly bubbly

Happy New Year!

greenbee

I ended up on the sofa, with pizza and red wine and chocolate. Which has made for an unproductive evening. And I feel fat and sluggish.

juliejim

Happy New Year! Hope it's a happy and healthy one for you!

greenbee

Happy New Year! Same to you Jue

Lots of stuff I needed to do (like finish reading a very boring book for work, and go for a run) hasn't been done. But other stuff has.

I did stay in bed reading until late, so have made inroads into the book, but it's taking time. I can manage 100 pages a day if I really focus, which I haven't done since Monday.

However, I have hoovered downstairs, washed the kitchen floor, dusted, taken all the cushions off the sofas, hoovered them, debobbled the cushions, and cleaned the lampshades with sticky clothes brushes as well as cleaning out the fire (ash is on the compost heap) and dusting.

I'm now going through a pile of my dad's CDs to decide what to keep.

Tomorrow I need to pick up my dry cleaning, buy washing powder (how did I run out?) and go to the CS - as well as try to get a response from a few more people about what we're doing at the weekend. Oh, and look at the list I've been ignoring for the last week...

My office is a tip, but I can't face drilling out the wall plugs... neither do I see the point in putting everything back while that needs doing. I also have pictures and shelves to put up which require a bit of focus. And appointments to make.