Learning to walk before I run

edinburgher

I finished the smoke detectors, including an unplanned trip to Scr3wf1x after the supplied wall plugs were terrible! 4 smoke detectors and a heat detector attached to the ceilings and paired, no pipes or cables hit that I know of  That's that for another decade

savingholmes

Well done on fitting the kit. Good to be safe... 

Suffolk_lass

Just popping in to see what is happening and it's a bit quiet here. We have had a bit of an episode in our house and I am woefully behind on the things I usually read. I always look for your diary as the first after my own. Hopefully nothing is amiss and RL is just a bit busy at the moment for you. Best wishes to all of you

Karmacat

Good catch, Suffolk Lass. Ditto-ing on all of that, Ed.

edinburgher

Hello folks. We are surviving but perhaps not thriving at the moment I've avoided posting as it's already the dark time of year and I'm not sure that gloomy posts help anybody.

Mrs E and DD2 have Covid, DD2 also has a rash and it's being checked out at the GP in case it is scarlet fever (my hunch says no). DD1 and I remain resolute in the face of Covid and appear to be avoiding it like troopers I have had a gastric bug of some variety and have been suffering the effects in some form for approximately a fortnight now. Overly frequent visits to the bathroom, bloating, stomach aches almost every morning and evening and reduced appetite (although this last one is perhaps psychological). DD2 is also reporting stomach aches.

I'm not really sure how to proceed but ordered some probiotics in an attempt to bolster our good gut flora. I'm also wondering if relatively frequent use of ibuprofen could have damaged my gut, I have been self-medicating for a little while as I'm still getting discomfort in a sensitive area and have been waiting for my referral for an ultrasound to be processed for nearly 3 months. I appreciate that it's just the way things are at the moment, I have every confidence that my GP would have sent me straight to the hospital if he thought it was something worrisome. Still, even these little things combine to make our daily life just that little bit less bright, don't they?

We're all nackered as well (perhaps with the exception of the kids). DD2 was meant to go into her own room with the start of some very gentle sleep training last weekend but that went out of the window as she is unwell. This, combined with no free time and work overtime meant that I reached the difficult decision to give my exercise class a miss for a few months. The price had gone up to a very high level and I couldn't justify it unless I was attending all the classes (which I wasn't). I'll maybe go back next Easter. We're hopefully getting a budget gym opening up 1/2 mile away from us in the spring and that would be ok for helping me to stay in shape.

Work remains very challenging and I'm finding it exceptionally difficult to move past the fact that I am probably a chronic procrastinator (that sounded funnier than I meant it to). I have missed a few deadlines and have had to really rein myself in to try and get back into the swing of things. My application for my bosses' old job hasn't moved forward, it will be early next year before interviews are held (if I get one). I have given some thought to withdrawing my application, I'm not happy there and I don't know if a change of responsibilities will change this or not. Perhaps I can just put it on a back burner for the next month and reconsider if I'm actually offered an interview?

Despite procrastinating about the bits of the job I don't like, I have been working a little overtime in relation to an area that I find easier and less stressful. This has been a boon, overtime is unheard of in my part of the public sector and it pays very well.

Financially, we've been feeling a little skint but Christmas is now largely paid for and my backdated wages after the recent pay settlement will mean an extra £1,000 in my December wage I've paid £500 off the credit card (now down to £4,410), put a wee bit aside for the girls and Mrs E and I will probably get to enjoy a couple of takeaways over the holidays.

Sorry to be a downer, wee glimmers of positivity in a slightly dark sky

*Edit: not scarlet fever

badmemory

If you have any stomach trouble you should avoid ibuprofen.  When I saw the doc a couple of weeks ago & said about taking ibuprofen he said I should not take it & should take paracetamol.  It doesn't work quite as well for me but as I saw a doc that had actually read my notes before I went in I decided to obey.  The first one I have seen in at least 20 years that I didn't land up saying "but I" to & he spent about 25 mins checking me out.  I do hope he stays.

astrocytic_kitten

No need to apologise for feeling gloomy Ed, pretty much any one of the things you’re dealing with would be hard on your own and you’ve got them all together. If you find writing it all out makes you feel worse that’s one thing, but nothing wrong with seeking support here if it’s helpful to you.

South_coast

edinburgher said:

DD2 is also reporting stomach aches.

Wow, her speech is coming along well then 🤣!

Don't feel that gloominess means you need to hide, we all appreciate that life is real and not an Instagram post

Baileys_Babe

Sorry to hear about your household's recent health troubles. I hope you all make a full recovery.

SuperSecretSquirrel

Hope you all get well soon Ed. I agree with AK and SC, life isn't a greatest hits album, there are ups and downs. It's up to you how much or how little you want to share, but don't hold things in for our benefit!