The Final Furlong

cathybird

Dottles1 wrote: »

Hi Cathybird, I love watching the birds going about their business but I'm not sure what to do while I'm away. I'll leave plenty of fat balls and seed feeders I suppose but should I just put out a large amount of mealworms and suet pellets or will they jus get snaffled in the first day?

I have pet birds in the house as well as feeding the birds outside and the hedgehogs when they are not hibernating, so when I'm away I pay for pet sitters to visit the house to feed all of the critters. However I also put out loads of fat balls and seed feeders to minimise the amount of time the pet sitters have to take. The sitters are very useful because they also open the blinds in the morning and bring in the mail, then they visit again in the evening and close the blinds. I have lights on timers so it does help to give the impression someone is at home. If you didn't want to do that though, do you perhaps have a kind neighbour who could keep an eye on the feeders for you, or a trusted friend who wouldn't mind visiting perhaps once every couple of days to also bring in mail etc?

Dottles1

Thanks Cathybird, I may spread the load between family members. GS is having Tilly so he might call in when he walks her if ask and my son and DIL live nearby too so I was going to ask if they would check on the house a couple of times while I'm away so I'm sure they would check then. Problem solved (I hope).
I had wonderful day at the YSP today. The weather was cold but beautiful and we had a very pleasant stroll for an hour and a half followed by lunch and a cuppa. It was so good to catch up with her. We talk on the phone regularly but just having the time for just the two of us was special. She has lived away for many years now but I do miss her. The plus side is that we've both agreed to meet up more often.
Back home now and have been out with Tilly, we're both snuggled on the sofa with the heating on, another 15 minutes and I must get on with some marking, but coffee first I think.
On Wednesday evening I'm gong with friend P to see a streaming of "A Winter's Tale" with Judy Dench (I love a bit of Dame Judy). We have one of those cinemas with reclining seats, so with a cup of hot chocolate it should be very festive. Looking forward to that.
I still have a few bits of Christmas shopping to do but I'm getting there. How are you all doing?
Right that coffee won't drink itself...
have a cosy evening all
Dottles x

Dottles1

Broke Bear, how lucky were you to go to uni there? It is a most beautiful part of the world and the people are so friendly if a little blunt I too am very fond of North Yorkshire having lived in a couple of different places in my life.
Dottles x

Dottles1

I woke with a massive headache today so did not go in to work. I don't tend to get them these days but I think it is probably stress related. I managed some sleep and dosed myself with pain killers . At lunch time I got up and have been attempting to mark some assignments this afternoon, i know it probably didn't help but I have so much to do in a short time. If I let myself get behind I start getting stressy.
Anyway I've stopped now and hoping I'll be well enough to go in tomorrow.
I had some good news though, we've been given a 2% pay rise which will be in December's wages and will be backdated to August. It's not a lot but better than nothing. I have decided that I will put the back pay into the spends for my trip and then the extra can go into the emergency fund each month before I get used to having it in my pocket.
I'm off to have an early night so will speak tomorrow.
Goodnight all
Dottles x

doingitanyway

I would love to go to the sculpture park and will one day
I love the bluntness of Yorkshire people. I know where I am with them and it suits my personality.
Sorry you were unwell and I hope you feel better today.

cathybird

I've always got on well with people from up north as well. I like the plain speaking. Sorry to hear about your headache, Dottles1 - hope it's completely gone now? xx

Dottles1

Morning all
Thanks for the sympathy, I can report that better day was had yesterday, I felt a bit washed out and tired but much better thanks. Though I did fall asleep in the classroom, a story for another time .

Last night I went to see the live screening of "A Winter's Tale". Now Shakespeare is not something I watch often, but the fact it included Judie Dench and Kenneth Brannagh tempted me and so I trotted off with friend P. Oh my it was wonderful. It was quite intense at first as he uses such a lot of words but the acting was amazing and the story powerful and the costumes and scenery fabulous. I soon settled into it and became engrossed. I would definitely recommend if you get the chance.
Today is my long day at work, 8.30 - 9.00 however, I think the person who I've been covering for will be back next week so hopefully this will be the last one. I hate to say this (whispering and not mentioning the age word) but I'm beginning to realise that I'm not up to these long shifts anymore. I seem to take longer to bounce back than I did which really frustrates me but also makes me value my self-care more. I'm recognising that when I work so hard it is usually my life outside of work that suffers because of tiredness and I want to carry on enjoying my outside life as long as possible. It's a pickle really isn't it as we need the money that work brings to afford the pleasurable things in life.
Boo to the government changing the pension age (yes I am one of those 50's women). Still, it is what it is.
I can hear the bin lorry outside but it is so dark here this morning that you could be forgiven for thinking it is the middle of the night but I will have to get sorted in a minute. I'm not organised for today's lunch which is irritating as I wanted to have a NSD today. Oh how times have changed from when I looked forward to buying my lunch out. I'm off to have a mooch in the cupboards to see what I can whip up quickly.
Have a good day all
Dottles x

beanielou

I certainly can’t do those long days or anything like them any more either.

cathybird

Dottles1, 8.30am to 9pm is a hugely long shift, and in fact I wonder whether your employer even has the right to ask you to work it? ... I was working somewhere about 20 years ago where there was a 12-hour shift on Saturday and in fact it paid pretty well, so people were willing to do it. But I think myself it's really too long. Glad to hear you enjoyed A Winter's Tale, Dame Judi is the business

Dottles1

Morning all, A lovely sunny morning here so a walk with Tilly is planned earlier rather than later to make the most of it. I had some private work again yesterday and a bit more planned for the next 2 Fridays which will help with both finishing Christmas gift buying and a bit towards holiday spends. I feel like I'm almost there on both counts so am going to try to finish it in the next few days.
I had a lovely surprise yesterday as GD2 face-timed me to show me the wedding dress she has just bought. She had planned not to show anyone but was so excited she couldn't help herself. She did look beautiful and is so happy.
Yesterday was a bit of a wash out where jobs were concerned. After private work I drove my son to a meeting which took about an hour there and back then went straight to nurse appointment. My blood pressure has been slightly raised for the last month or so even though I've been on meds for years. I really don't want to take any more medication if I can help it so really need to get diet and exercise in order. My diet isn't actually bad but I could do with being more committed to losing some weight and make it a priority now.

I think you're right about the long shifts Cathybird. They should be finished now as I was covering for a colleague who is expected to be back next week. I have told them that I won't/can't do them beyond Christmas though so if she doesn't come back they will have to make other arrangements. I have also said that I will need help with the marking that is coming in as I can't keep working at these levels. The trouble is that there is no free time in my working day to do it and so I end up spending a lot of my own time marking papers. I'm not the only one, most of my team are in the same position but all I hear is " well that's teaching".
Anyway I've come to the decision that I will definitely leave at the end of the summer term. I will make a plan of how much I need each month and work out how I can get that from my private work. I'm also going to ask pension providers for projected figures for if I take them early (at 62 rather than 65) and what I would lose in doing so. I have been getting some offers of private training work and referrals from people who know what I do already so I think it is time to bite the bullet.
Funnily enough, now that I've made a firm decision it feels exciting rather than scary. Now I just need to gather information so that I can make informed decisions.

Today's priorities will be:

walk Tilly in the sunshine
sort gifts and make a list of what is still needed
check holiday money pot to check what is still needed
arrange ESTA
Tidy house as it's a mess
mark 9 papers
get tickets out for tomorrow's Christmas Fayre

Plenty to do so I'd better get a wiggle on.
have a good day all
Dottles x