I’ve only gone and done it! New start here we come!

mumblingtaff · 10 June 2021 at 1:50PM

Just a quick update - not a lot going on here apart from working from home (its really busy!) and isolating. Bit of a headache too today so hopefully it'll stay at that and not get any worse.
The buyer has been in touch and things are now in the hands of the solicitors and the surveyor has been booked.
Its quite sad that the dog has more of a social life than me at the moment - he's out whooping it up with the dog walker and his canine mates as I type!
Nothing much else to report - its a sorry state of affairs

mumblingtaff · 11 June 2021 at 8:29AM

Morning all!
Its Friday! Although every day is the same for me at the moment. 5 more days of isolation to go....
The big excitement for today is a shopping delivery this afternoon - I've managed to eat my way through most of what's in the fridge so needed a top up of fresh bits and some essentials.
Today is very cloudy and quite a bit cooler so I'm glad I cut the grass yesterday and had a tidy round in preparation for what will hopefully be a warm sunny weekend in the garden.
Trying to think of some things to do today to keep me occupied - work was really busy yesterday even though I'm at home but I think its likely to be less so today. Lots more children sent home after positive cases yesterday so I think those staff remaining at school (there's more off than just me) are just limping through to the weekend and will hope for a quiet day. Fingers crossed for them.

So, a list to keep me motivated to do things today...
Mark year 7 tests
Do the prep for a TA audit
Do some sweaty exercise
Sort out the meter readings
Start sorting out the shed
Do some budgeting
Look at car paperwork
Load of washing
Ring parents

The estate agent head office rang yesterday to talk me through what happens next and the surveyor is booked in for July so there's nothing much I can do now with regards to the move. I had a look at houses online yesterday but until I know what sort of timescale I'm looking at there's not much I can do apart from browse. Feel a bit in limbo but things moved so quickly once I'd made the decision to resign and move back that perhaps a lull won't do me any harm

mumblingtaff · 12 June 2021 at 12:36PM

Morning all!
Its Saturday and I'm still under house arrest! I get released on Wednesday so just 4 more days to go..
The dogwalker has been great and has just picked up the woofer for an extra weekend walk so he's out galivanting again - lucky pooch

No big plans for today (what a surprise!) - I'm hoping the sun comes out so we can spend a bit of time in the garden later on just for a change of scene. I've already done a bit of cleaning and tidying and changed the bed and sorted a bit of laundry so there's nothing left to do in the house and the garden is tidy - I'm running out of jobs to do!
Wales are playing football later so I'll watch that later even though I'm not a mad football fan - fingers crossed for Cymru

I looked at the budgets etc yesterday after now knowing that I'll be paid more than I expected in August - that will make things a lot more secure during the move. The buyer asked me yesterday if I could move out in September if we can get the conveyancing sorted by then - that suits me so its a date to aim for. Exciting scary stuff!
My union fees went out of the bank yesterday so as that payment will get me through to the end of the academic year I've cancelled the direct debit now - £22 a month saved. I've also given notice on the gym and the last payment will be on June 15th and I can use it until July 15th - that's another £20 a month saved - not loads but it all adds up. The house monitored alarm needs 3 months notice for cancellation so I'll give it another week or two and then cancel that too - need to make sure that its active until I go so the timing will be key. That's approx £100 of outgoings saved in all.

The bad news is that the dogwalker (who's also my friend) will be hopefully going to Spain to stay with her poorly mum for a while from June 30th - that means that I'll have to find alternative arrangements for him for 3 weeks until I finish school.
There's a good doggie day care that I could drop him off at on the way to work - its £21 a day so it would be approx double of what I pay now for the dogwalker but he'd be safe and well looked after. I'll have a think about it and contact them - he's a bit nervous with people he doesn't know until he gets to know them a bit better so I'd have to make sure he was happy before committing - they do a free trial afternoon so perhaps we could try that first? The things we do for our furbabies!

mumblingtaff · 13 June 2021 at 12:18PM

Bored Bored Bored!!!
I really don't know how people that were shielding did it! I'm on day 8 of 10 and am frustrated and fed up of myself.
I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon and evening taking down a huge ivy that had grown up the side of the house. I liked and it and thought it looked nice but the buyer wasn't as keen so I've battled it and taken it all down - it passed a few hours at least.... It needs a good brushing with a hard brush to remove any little bits of brown stuff left but I don't have one so that will have to wait until I'm released. A good job done though.

This morning I've done some exercise for 45 mins to keep me moving, hoovered and dusted the whole house even though it didn't need it, done a load of washing, had another little go at the ivy remains and spoken to the family. I think they're bored of me too!

Awful scenes at the football yesterday - thankfully he's ok by the looks of it - fingers crossed for him and his family.
Wales squeaked a draw so that's better than it could have been. I'm not a football fan but will probably listen to the England game in the garden this afternoon. Its quite muggy and a bit overcast here so far but it was the same yesterday so hopefully the sun will burst through soon.

mumblingtaff · 20 June 2021 at 1:30PM

Well its been a funny old week - 2 days of isolation, 3 days of work, Welsh football hope, pay day, a couple of post Covid runs and plenty more things to do.

Work was like I'd never been away - 4.5 weeks to go now and I am counting the days. I'm still working as hard as ever but with the light at the end of the tunnel looming thankfully. There's no let up to the Covid cases in school either - we had a mobile PCR testing unit there for Thursday and Friday due to the comparatively high number of cases. I'm sure there'll be more cases reported by the time the results get processed. Tomorrow will be fun with track and trace with the students - another big batch sent home on Friday and I'll be amazed if that's not the case tomorrow too. Everything else is carrying at the same time - governors meetings, internal QA, the lot.... Not long to go now though and its just confirming that I've made the right decision.

I've started running again too - done 3 runs, gradually building up in distance - today's was an 8k plod and I'm knackered now! Need to get back on with it though - 10 days of being at home with nothing to do except work and eat isn't ideal

It was pay day this week too - have squirrelled away another wodge into the escape fund and cancelled a couple of direct debits that I've given notice on the contracts for (gym, union etc). I've also let the alarm company know that I'm cancelling but its a three month notice period and that fits with the expected moving date.

Did a biggish shop yesterday at Aldi and spent the grand total of £34 - got plenty to last the week and a few treats, just need to pick up some diet coke cans for work today and that's me sorted grocery wise.

Spent yesterday afternoon scrapping ivy roots off the wall - at least it was sunny - the buyer was concerned about it so I've removed it all - flipping hard work! Along with the run and a thorough clean of the house made sure I was shattered by bedtime. Started watching The Pact last night and it seems quite good so might watch a bit more after the football tonight. Everything crossed for Wales but it doesn't matter if we don't win - should go through to the next round regardless after the fab win over Turkey.

The solicitor has sent me a load of jobs to do - that's an hour or two this afternoon sorted out. At least there are things happening.

mumblingtaff · 20 June 2021 at 4:42PM

Just a quick one - just done the tax reclaim for working from home last year during the lockdown. It was really simple - took 2 mins! As its for last year, I should get a cheque rather than a change to my tax code as I haven't claimed for this year because we went back to school before the new tax year. Not sure how much it will be for but anything is better than nothing

The union fees refund came really quickly so who knows when I'll get this.
Every little helps....

The home insurance renewal letter came yesterday too - its just a couple of pounds more for the year than it was last year so I'm not going to bother to change the supplier with just a possible 6-8 weeks of the policy to cover the current house. The ending the policy charge is £35 so that's something to bear in mind too.

And some good news - my dog walker has managed to find someone to cover her while she's away. He's coming to meet the dog next weekend with her so he can get to know him a bit. Fingers crossed he'll be ok with him - its just for 2 weeks but he's a funny little thing with people he doesn't know. I had budgeted for the cost of doggie daycare so that will also save me a bit too.
He's also having his booster jabs on Friday - approx £60 - he's an expensive best mate

Right, the football is starting - come on Wales!!