System Failure !

MrsPorridge

Well done on clearing the overdraft and CC AC.

another_casualty

Thanks mrs p 😼. 

So, on Friday  evening I had a few issues with my wifi . This led me to phoning Vodafone .
Listening to their messages most people would have followed their advice , hang upand go online . No good to me . Anyway the offshoot ; my broadband and mobile contracts with them expired a few months ago ..
This meant that they actually reduced the price of my broadband plus sim only contract ,and new contracts taken out for both .
I received a new router today, and have just fixed it all up so that everything is connected from the iPad to the printer .
The delivery chap from DPD didn't trust me as my speech was all over the place .
He looked at me suspiciously as I pronounced " casualty " poorly and "Another " ok.
Still , everything is up and running and my Vodafone bill will be cheaper .
Vodafone have improved a lot over the last few years imho and I rated the customer service very high indeed . 

The only thing is, I could have done with longer cables etc. The new router is ( just about ) in a better area away from tv/ stereo etc 

Saturdsy turned out to be a great day where 4 of us had a pub crawl in Poole .🍺🍺🍻🍔🥓
Again, speech was ropey and I was weak internally but I managed it ok 
Good to see my other 2 friends again . One of them had a 3 hr journey home due to missing train by 2 mins . There is replacement bus survice and we chose the right day ..more or less 

No exercise since Thursday , and I'm due a live session with mr trainer tomorrow 🏋️‍♂️🥵
The last time we had a session was Thursday , so I won't beat myself up over it 
I have some tidying up in the flat shortly, so will get cracking on that .

I'll leave it there 🌞🍂

MrsPorridge

Glad you were able to meet up with your mates AC.  Well done on the cheaper Vodaphone deals.

another_casualty

I've dug out the dehumidifier on Sunday ..
This morning was the first time the windows were misty . 

I have been increasing the ventilation in the flat a lot over the last year or two. 

Something to always keep an eye on in Victorian flats . I put new trickle vents in the windows in the flat a few days ago .  All this should help .

Very sunny day today 🌞
I sawed some more branches from the Buddleia this morning . I'll do some more tomorrow  all going well, and that should be it . The idea being that in theory , it won't grow so much as this year , and that the " gardeners " from the property mgt co actually maintain it this year . The idea then , is to cut it down again around this time next year ..

I've just had my first call from my new job coach at the job centre regarding all things universal credit . 🙀 The lady was very understanding and was the kind of call I was hoping to receive . It was a catch-up . I had to politely inform her that although I couldn't provide a fit note at this time , it was due to me not being asked for one from the job centre and also that my surgery is not seeing anybody and has been taken over by shore medical group who amalgamated my surgery with others. 

Due to 😷I would have been assessed by the universal credit doctors by now .
It was due to be may this year . The job coach did tell me that I will be assessed in the not too distant future once again . 

The main thing she was focused on at this stage is my well-being . She was pleased I was getting out again etc. 
I had to remind her of my condition ( myasthenia gravis ) and the symptoms .Tbh
I thought that was all on my page so to speak . 

She will speak to me  again on 1st of December . We'll see what gives . 

I received a summary from the speacialist at St Thomas's hsp regarding our phone appointment last month . This time I'm not impressed about his assessment of the phone discussion . " managing well " is something I'm not doing all the time . When the assessors from universal credit eventually see this , they may well pounce on that .
I do expect the same as my last assessment where I have to appeal / go to citizens advice again / then tribunal . 

Still, it's not worth worrying  too much until next month .  

The main and standard thing to do  is to be polite at all times, comply as best I can and hope for the best . 

Got a text from mr trainer 🏋️‍♂️. Full of apologies as he wanted to change todays session until tomorrow . Obviously not a problem . I did a quick step workout and was breathless when the job coach phoned . She was a bit concerned 😼

Anyway, I'll leave it there ..😼🌞

MrsPorridge

Ah, the old dehumidifier, we got ours going two weeks ago - the "joys" of living by the sea.

another_casualty

Time for a brief reflection , and a summary of how things seem to be going . Good / bad / indifferent ...
It is almost 5 years since that move ! On 4/11/2016 I gave one weeks notice to that ..company ! Not one month as I saved up all holiday pay for the great escape .
Got into Poole via storm Angus  on 11/11/ 2016 and a very delayed train journey carrying the equivalent of a horse on my back 🐎
In that time I was renting in a posh flat on Poole quay , renting a place around the corner from my future flat for 6 months and eventually buying the lease of my Victorian converted flat . Only been to London twice or three times since ..
The positives are  that I don't miss London yet . I don't miss the awful commutes , and bizarrely I seemed to have dodged a major bullet with the covid situation 😷and more stupid holdups to my days than D*ck Turpin ever did .


Back to now ..
Just saw a different doctor who was great . She is niot my designated doctor and I was told who my new doctor will be . She sounds good too .
Reason I saw Dr on a Saturday , was due to that stomach issue and going online via shore medical instead of phoning 111 as advised by mr trainer 🏋️‍♂️
Training still going well btw 🏋️‍♂️ 

As for universal credit ; I did get a new fit note from the nice doctor today .
The fit note has the shore medical address and not my surgery. So I had to leave a message for my job coach . There was a message on my journal for a voluntary appointment with a Disability Employment Adviser. I advised the job coach that it's probabky best to have appointment . I also advised her that if she wants to know more about my complicated condition , she could look at the" My Aware" website .
In all honesty , I think the best way forward is that my outlook is to do voluntary work in a library or charity shop a couple of times a week . That would possibky build my confidence and if things are too much I could just stop and go home . We'll see..

There are other things to mention in due course, but I'll leave it there.. ☁️

MrsPorridge

Five years - can't believe it - how time flies.

Good news that the new Dr is nice.

I think voluntary work in a charity shop is a great idea.  Will be a really good way of meeting people.  When we first moved to Cornwall I worked lunchtimes only in a fish and chip shop - was great as I met lots of people, plus got free chips

another_casualty

Things have been going on ...and off! 

The last 2 weeks have been dominated by things going wrong . Mainly the led ceiling light fittings in the kitchen ! This has led me to dancing on steps with an iPhone in one hand and trying to remove a fitting with another . I got good adviice on the home section het3 plus friends . Thing is, the whole fittings had to be changed and not just the lightbulbs
Fire/ water resistant fittings . To simplify things here , I had to get electrician out ( recommended by James the builder , the lady who sold me the flat and recently named on next door ). He gave me a quote to replace all 6 light fittings in the kitchen . That was in the morning . By 2.30 pm job done . £280 plus I paid a little extra as I do with good tradespeople . I enquired about other 7 in hallway/ bathroom ( 7 in total ) and he advised me to contact him next year should any go wrong . These are more modern , brighter and should last 5 years. I paid in old £20 notes. The remainder will have to be paid in the bank next year at the latest . So, I will have 2 more light bills but not as expensive and will do each one at a time as and when . 

Regarding the 5 years , the door on my washing machine had a mind of its own all last week and kept opening randomly and consistently . Nothing now for a few days 
👻

One of my bass guitars needs to be serviced . Will take it in on Friday with friend and will both be having a couple of ciders 🍺
My main Synthesizer has a fault also . Allen key ordererd.Friend had a look last week.
Moog were helpful and are trying to save me the cost of getting it looked at 
🤞my friend can fix next week or so . Still works , but pitch wheel is loose .

As for job coach . She sent me confirmation of receiving new fit note , which takes me up to the end of may . Whether I'll get re  assessed before then is at the back of my mind , but
I'll wait and see what happens when I come to that bridge .

Training bern irregular due to the light issues . Should be having live session with mr trainer tomorrow 🏋️‍♂️🥵
I decided to take a chance and stock up on sasparilla . Haven't had it for a few years.
A lot of people don't like it , or know what it is . Some say it's like vimto.
As for the crisps ..I had 4 packs of kettle chips in 6 weeks . Urge gone now ..

As for the credit card, I got a letter apologising and that my present rates will not change for the worse . Message to myself ..use very sparingly only if needed

I'll leave it there ..

harz99

I hate those LED ceiling light fittings, it's almost impossible to replace a blown bulb as the fittings seem to weld together over time - won't have them in any property I live in again after twice needing a Sparks to change the whole thing after 3 years use. A fiver lamp versus 60 quid to change the fitting isn't very MSE. 

another_casualty

harz99 said:

I hate those LED ceiling light fittings, it's almost impossible to replace a blown bulb as the fittings seem to weld together over time - won't have them in any property I live in again after twice needing a Sparks to change the whole thing after 3 years use. A fiver lamp versus 60 quid to change the fitting isn't very MSE. 

After what I've been through over the last couple of weeks, I too hate them 😾
Where I was caught out there , was the electrician actually fitted those in before I moved into the flat . The new fittings are thankfully and at last just a straightforward change of fitting . They are water and fire proof .  Not quite shockproof due to the quote 😼