Life is a minestrone as the song says - my new diary

teapot2

Today I'm going to clean the fridge out, the empty shelves are showing up the gunk at the back  so be good to get that done before my shopping arrives.  I've emailed an order this morning to the local shop for fruit and veg as I'd like to support them.
Hoping to do a bit in the garden later and also plant up more seeds.  I've washed out lots of pots and had a seed audit so need to get on with it.  Its been sunny here but has clouded over now and is a bit breezy.  
I need to read the meters and send the numbers in, this month's energy DD will move to summer payment rate so will be about half of what its been in the last six months.  
I was supposed to have an online work meeting this morning but that has been postponed so just work admin to be done.  Will get that over with first then on with the domestic stuff.  Best get on with that not sure where the morning has gone!

Karmacat

Things kind of blur, don't they!  I'm going to start reading my meter every Wednesday - being optimistic about the future, its the day least likely to be impacted by long weekends away!

teapot2

Karmacat said:

Things kind of blur, don't they!  I'm going to start reading my meter every Wednesday - being optimistic about the future, its the day least likely to be impacted by long weekends away!

Sounds like a plan and optimism is definitely needed at the moment

teapot2

The fridge cleaning turned into a bit of a mission.  Because the door doesn't open right back, I've never been able to get the shelves out.  If I take the shelves off the door I can get the veg box out with a bit of manoeuvring but that's all.  Normally I wash everything I can remove and wash the shelves in situ.  Today I pulled the fridge out so I could get the door wide open and took the shelves out.  I removed the plastic strips at the edges and cleaned under them - shudder, and cleaned the gunk from inside the strips with an old toothbrush and good old Stardrops.  Its sparkly clean again and hasn't looked as pristine since it was new I also cleaned the sinks thoroughly with Milton fluid and used descaler round the tap - looks all sparkly too.  I've got a steam cleaner which I haven't used for ages, hopefully I can rectify that in the coming weeks and use it for a bit of deep cleaning on the hob.
I cashed out on 1poll today so £25 should arrive in a few weeks.  There have been lots of Corona related surveys on Prolific in the last few weeks so I've done quite a few.  I sent in meter readings this morning so hoping to still be in credit though of course I've been home for the last two weeks so will have been using more energy.
I spent ages on the @sda website trying to update my order, every time I went to checkout more had been removed from my basket again so I had to go back in to try and find alternatives.  Theres a family birthday at the weekend so I've offered to make a cake and the ingredients kept disappearing.  I'll log in again tomorrow and see whats in there.  Didn't manage to get into the garden but quite a bit achieved.

beanielou

Your fridge cleaning puts mine to shame. 

Any tips on the microwave? I have a line of something stuck right at the back and can’t get it to move even with a toothbrush. 

Thanks 😊. Xx

teapot2

beanielou said:

Your fridge cleaning puts mine to shame. 

Any tips on the microwave? I have a line of something stuck right at the back and can’t get it to move even with a toothbrush. 

Thanks 😊. Xx

LOL my fridge cleaning is normally minimal but this are not normal times .  I've used lemon in the past for microwave cleaning.  If you don't have an actual lemon you could use the bottled variety.  Put a jug or big mug of the lemon juice plus some water in the microwave on full power for 4 or 5 minutes then leave the door closed for 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove the jug and the steam should have loosened anything that was dried on.  I think this might work even without lemon juice just using a bowl of water and the steam created.  Just make sure you leave it long enough for the liquid to cool down before you try to remove it

teapot2

Am working mid afternoon so going to spend some time planting seeds this morning and out in the garden too hopefully.  I'd like to reinstate my compost bin if I can.  I rather left it to the occupying nest of ants in the last couple of years.  I could move the compost out of the bottom and see whats going on at the top.  The cooncil are not emptying garden waste bins at the moment so I could compost the grass cuttings and any non woody material at least.  
Also to do a couple of work emails and fill in a form my colleague sent me.  Breakfast first

teapot2

I've planted some peppers, chilli and various herbs seeds so will leave those on a sunny window sill in various propagators [one of which is a veg box and lid from an old fridge] and will see what happens. I got a bucket of lovely compost from the bottom of the compost bin and then removed some of the woody stuff.  The ants were not impressed and ran up my arms in protest!  I aerated the more compacted bits with the garden fork and dampened the top with the watering can.  Grass cuttings seem to compost fairly quickly so hopefully that will eventually begin to work again.
Work went ok and I think I'm almost up to date with work admin.  No work tomorrow which is the first free weekday since lockdown started and I'm looking forward to that.  My online shop will be delivered tomorrow but lots more had been removed from the order basket so no idea what might turn up.
Made stovies to use up tatties which were starting to majorly sprout and had some for tea with veggie sausages and peas - yum.  I picked the first of this years rhubarb from the garden so will think of what I'll do with it tomorrow.  Going to watch a bit of tele and chill before bed.

beanielou

Stovies  

teapot2

beanielou said:

Stovies  

I do like home made stovies yum, and there was enough for a second day with a fried egg