Learning to walk before I run

Greying_Pilgrim

I feel your pain ed - we got rid of LG's first seat to the tip, because of the advice about no-one should accept a secondhand car seat - even though ours had been well looked after and hadn't been in an accident.  Chazzers won't touch them with a barge pole.  We did give the second one to my cousin, but it was to be used in 'Grandma's Taxi'.  We were able to give the booster seat away too.  And the only reason we could take LG's cot to a chazzer was because it broke down to a cot/bed, and could legally be sold.  All this gear was from JL, and we'd looked after it so well. I realise the mattress for the cot couldn't be re-used (even though it was clean, we'd used waterproof under-sheets), but the law had changed in the interim with regard to the cot bars, so that couldn't be sold.  

From a safety aspect, it's understandable - but from an eco/recycling/materials management perspective, bonkers.  

Greying X

Suffolk_lass

I'm in need of stopping the weight gain too, and after accidentally removing Mr SL's access to my Google Drive, I have been bimbling around in there, moving things and reinstating his access, this morning. In so doing, I found a file; the British Heart Foundation Healthy Eating book that I have both as a paper and electronic document. I have had it for years and years, but it is remarkable how good it is in terms of what should be on your plate - if (and only if) you think they know what they are talking about. I tend to think they do. Shout if you want a link (I have put a copy in my forum named drive, in case).

I think I shall also fast. Black coffee in the morning, any starchy carbs at lunchtime (eg bread with soup or potatoes in it), we can even have our main meal at lunchtime sometimes, being retired. A simple protein with veg meal in the evening, followed by yogurt with stewed or frozen fruit and nuts (sometimes nuts and seeds in the yogurt, sometimes as a snack). With a piece of bowl fruit and a possible alcoholic drink about twice a week, it should work. Randomly starting on Monday.

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass- I might joint you in that...

A bit more of a challenging day. My entire team is on leave bar me and today would be the afternoon where statistics for a letter to our Cabinet Secretary had to be updated! I ended up getting my work pal to interrupt their annual leave to help, as I couldn't identify where the stats had come from (I tried). I felt guilty and am beating myself up about it even though they said they were just hanging out around the house and to phone them if needed. Silly, I know      

First bathroom fitter came out to quote this afternoon and has suggested we'd be looking at nearly £10k for a full replacement. Not sure if we're willing to pay that, he tried hard to pooh-pooh the idea of refurbishing as opposed to replacing. While I shouldn't be surprised at that, it didn't feel very customer orientated. Another fitter coming out on Tuesday and potentially a third on Wednesday if he CBA (third guy already comes across as flaky). Getting quotes is one of my least favourite things. The boring chat. The minor criticisms of the guy who went before (but not so much that they look like a jerk). The forced attempt to build rapport instead of just saying encouraging factual things to demonstrate expertise or showing examples  These things are sent to try us. 

• £7.92 to Extension
• £1.29 to EF
• £10.15 withdrawn from Prolific, £4.26 to tax, really not enjoying working for pennies on the pound!
• [whisper it] - I may have money left in groceries this month! £360 left with only one more big shop to come
• *Edit: Ooh! Nectar points for new AMEX and Christmas holiday booking have arrived, I now have £300+ worth

Nowt else to report so I will sidle off into the sunset. Happy weekend all.

KajiKita

Stop being so hard on yourself. It sounds like you covered all the other gaps with everyone being off and if the stats aren’t something you have ‘touched’ before, how could you known where they originate from. You can reciprocate to work pal at some point in the future. It’s called being part of a team … 😉🌧️

Whisper … we might be under grocery spend allocation, even with the huuuge cat food delivery this week, this month too 👏😊🤞

KK

beanielou

Agree with KK. Don’t beat yourself up. Have a happy weekend. 

badmemory

It sounds to me Ed as if you are now part of a team that would feel bad for letting the new guy find himself in the position of not knowing something.  Not the kind of team that would be laughing & leave you to sink or swim.  Give it a little while & you will be returning the favour.

edinburgher

Thanks folks. I don't think I've been set up to fail, I'd just had such success with the writing/policy work since starting that I'm itching to be as good at the quantitative stuff, too 🙂

greenbee

Ed - it's not unreasonable to have to ask for help this early on, and if it wasn't obvious where the data was then better to ask than make it up   Besides, if you hadn't been there, someone else would presumably have had to be in. Or it wouldn't have been done. 

Suffolk_lass

Maybe quietly suggest a SOP; seat [or statement of) operational procedure might be a positive thing - you could even draft one and ask others to improve it/tell you if you missed something. It's a great way of testing your own understanding, and a legacy for others.

In preparation for Monday, I took one for the team and eat the last half portion of ice-cream that was in the house while we settled down to watch The T's final last night

edinburgher

We had a lovely (if brisk) trip to the seaside at Ayr today. A plooter on the beach, a promenade along the promenade, a few ££ wasted spent at the amusements, and a McDonald's on the way home (seaside fish and chips never happened). We also managed to get a hipster coffee, apparently Ayr has hipsters now?

The spot where we parked was lovely and quiet even though it was right next to the council building. Now, while I appreciate that it is an entirely different proposition in peak summer when it is hoaching with holidaymakers and beach BBQs, we still mull over a seaside home at times. You can get a 5+ bedroom townhouse in reasonable (if unimaginative) nick for about the cost of our current semi, double the sqm. Schools would also be less good. Hard to tell if wholesome lifestyle factors like seaside walks and air count vs more tangible factors such as school quality/rankings...

• £2.83 to Extension
• £2.80 to Emergency Fund
• £7.60 withdrawn from Prolific, £3.19 to tax, rest to personal spends
• Considering a $15 AI study tonight that could lead to better paid studies in future. A somewhat underwhelming $10/hour, not sure if I CBA