My journey to a debt free life

Onebrokelady

Weird day at work today because of the strikes. It felt like a weekend due to less staff and not many patients. I was supposed to be in clinics but they were all run by the consultants who had to do all the things we would normally do with their patients. I worked on the ward but did end up going to clinic to do a couple of blood tests because I was the only person who could do them. My boss said I could refuse but I didn't mind doing it and would have felt bad refusing. I'm not out on strike because I'm with Unison and our members didn't vote in high enough numbers to be able to strike.

I had a good day and got lots of IT jobs done that I've been having problems with plus some e learning which we never get time to do.


Im off now for two days 🎉🎉 but I have to get up early tomorrow because the boiler is being serviced. We are then going to look at beds and mattresses for DD and she also wants to look around Matalan at the home department. I love a good mooch round there but don't have plans to buy anything. Luckily I enjoy window shopping 😀. DD is on holiday this week so that's why we aware going tomorrow.

She also wants to do a local walk but it's a total of ten miles. I have serious reservations about her going on her own as some of it is quite secluded so I've suggested I go with her. I haven't done a walk of this length for years so I'm not sure if I'm capable. There is a nice pub at the halfway mark where we can stop for a rest. I'm walking for just over an hour when I walk home from work but this would be four hours total. Can I do it ? Should I challenge myself ?

B is also under the weather this evening. She has been fine all day according to DD but she wouldn't eat her tea and has been eating grass so tummy issues. Tonight she just won't settle so I'm not sure what's going on. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep that's for sure. I hope she is ok tomorrow 🤞🤞I had a word with DD about our trip to Italy for my birthday and voiced my concerns about leaving B and she said its up to me when we go. DD1 said we can leave booking it until  nearer the time and we weren't planning on going until September/ October time anyway so we will wait and see. I have a horrible feeling that this will be our last few months with B so there's no way I'm leaving her with strangers 😟 DD1 has offered to have her but I think it would be too much. B is sleeping with me at the moment to stop her wandering around the house and I think she would get distressed if she was elsewhere. DD1 also has two small children to sort out and her own dog so it would be a lot of extra work.

Cherryfudge

It sounds as though your DD is understanding about postponing the trip to Italy, or at least waiting till nearer the time. Why don't you do a trial overnight stay for B with DD1 and see how that goes?

Ten miles sounds like a big walk to me - I did it in lockdown but at my own pace, and haven't done much since. Your hour-long walk will stand you in good stead, but how does the terrain compare? I'm assuming it's not laid out in such a way you could take a short cut home from the half way mark. So I don't have any useful advice, sorry! But the weather looks good for a walk from here.

milann

Could you call a taxi if it’s too much. I’d be more tempted to work up to it more gradually…still challenging yourself each time. You don’t want to scupper yourself. 

Onebrokelady

Today I had to get up early today for the boiler service. That's all done now and he said it was very clean which I'm glad about. It's connected to really old radiators so god knows how much muck is inside them. 
I was out of the house by just gone 9 to take B for her walk through the fields. Our normal short lane walk is closed due to work being done so we need to come up with an alternative for those days when time is short or she isn't up for a longer walk . She had been ok again today so I think yesterday was just a dodgy tummy.

Went to look at beds and DD ended up buying the one she liked so that's all sorted. They offered a putting it together service for £60 🙀🙀but I told her not to bother because I can do it for £30 ( joking 😂😂) seriously I have lost count of the amount of beds I've put together and it's only a metal bed frame it's nothing complicated 🙄. 

We also had a look round  Matalan but didn't buy anything. We did see lots of pretty things though. We walked there and back which is 5 miles all in and I managed it ok but I think the 10 mile walk would be too much for me at the moment.

Onebrokelady

Cherryfudge said:

It sounds as though your DD is understanding about postponing the trip to Italy, or at least waiting till nearer the time. Why don't you do a trial overnight stay for B with DD1 and see how that goes?

Ten miles sounds like a big walk to me - I did it in lockdown but at my own pace, and haven't done much since. Your hour-long walk will stand you in good stead, but how does the terrain compare? I'm assuming it's not laid out in such a way you could take a short cut home from the half way mark. So I don't have any useful advice, sorry! But the weather looks good for a walk from here.

Today's walk was 5 miles and I did it ok but I think 10 miles would be too far. I will see how I am tomorrow. The terrain is flat and a mix of paths, grass tracks through fields and mud paths alongside a river. Today's walk was  flat concrete paths all the way so quite hard on the feet.

Onebrokelady

milann said:

Could you call a taxi if it’s too much. I’d be more tempted to work up to it more gradually…still challenging yourself each time. You don’t want to scupper yourself. 

No chance of a taxi as it's not accessible by car. In the summer you can get a boat along the river there and back but it's not running yet. I think I might wait and try it in the summer but get the boat one way and walk the other 😊

SusieT

Onebrokelady said:

milann said:

Could you call a taxi if it’s too much. I’d be more tempted to work up to it more gradually…still challenging yourself each time. You don’t want to scupper yourself. 

No chance of a taxi as it's not accessible by car. In the summer you can get a boat along the river there and back but it's not running yet. I think I might wait and try it in the summer but get the boat one way and walk the other 😊

A walk there, and relaxing on a boat for the return sounds a good compromise, you get to relax afterwards as a reward for the effort The ground sounds as if it will be harder work than normal roads and fields so even if it is the same distance it will be harder work, plus waiting until the boat starts again gives you time to consolidate your fitness and be used to walking further

Onebrokelady

I got this letter today about my pension. This is what they told me on the phone but I'm still non the wiser 🤷‍♀️

Onebrokelady

I've had a productive day today without really going  anywhere 😊 I applied for renew my passport which I have been procrastinating about for months. I do it all the time, someone will ask me to do something that I don't know how to do and instead of getting on with it I just put if off as I presume it will be difficult or a pain in the bum. I got my passport photo done the other day and did the application today. I messaged my boss to verify my identity so I just need to wait for that and I can send my old passport off. 

I also paid my EDF bill and the invoice for the boiler service. DD showed me some earrings she likes so I've ordered them for her birthday in March. I jus need to get her a card now.

 I still haven't put in my claim for universal credit yet. I meant to do it on Monday and just totally forgot. I need a wage slip so tried to print one off on Monday but I can't print anything at the moment as we have to log into the printer by scanning our ID badge which have a code on them, mine has stopped working so I'm waiting for a new one. I had decided to look it up at home and do a screen shot but by the time I got home I had completely forgot. I will do it tomorrow when I get home.

Its been lovely and sunny here today but very cold so I've only been out with B and to sort the 🐓.

I spent some of the afternoon doing my cross stitch that DD bought me for Christmas 2021. It's a Christmas design too 😀 I can't do my knitting at the moment due to my needle snapping in half.
 I thought I had another pair in the same size but I can't find them anywhere. I'm going to go and pick up a replacement tomorrow hopefully. The only place in town that sells knitting needles is John Lewis so I will have a look on my way home, if they don't have any I'm going out for coffee on Friday and there is a wool shop nearby so I will look in there. 
My cross stitch was driving me mad today though. The floss kept getting knotted up at the back of the work then when I needed a new length of thread it got all tangled with a knot in the middle of it. I made three mistakes I had to undo and resew as well. I did finish the reindeer I was working on though 🎉🎉

Tomorrow I'm on my yearly mandatory study day from 7.45am until 3.45 pm so will get home a bit earlier than normal. First up is  adult ,child and neonatal basic life support where we get to practice our resuscitation skills 😳I hate it it makes me really nervous as I always think I'm going to forget what to do. The only mistake I've made when doing this is accidentally hitting the dummy in the face and the resus officer told me I would likely end up getting punched in the face if I did that to someone over in the ED, how they would be capable of that when being resuscitated I will never know  🤷‍♀️😀

Cherryfudge

Onebrokelady said:

we get to practice our resuscitation skills 😳I hate it it makes me really nervous as I always think I'm going to forget what to do. The only mistake I've made when doing this is accidentally hitting the dummy in the face and the resus officer told me I would likely end up getting punched in the face if I did that to someone over in the ED, how they would be capable of that when being resuscitated I will never know  🤷‍♀️😀

One way of proving a successful resuscitation, I suppose!

I have very little idea over the pension, I'm afraid, though I think the longer you go on contributing, the more you get eventually. If you can claim UC and allow the pension pot to go on growing, that would make sense to me, but of course that doesn't take into account your health, or the costs involved in working vs savings from not working.

It may be worth saving a few pennies by asking if charity shops have knitting needles. A lot hide them behind the counter in case they get used as weapons, but  I've found pre-loved needles are often worn in and a bit smoother than new ones, besides being cheaper and helping a charity. You can then spend the money saved on your coffee.