So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh,I shall eagerly await kefir grains, thank you! How exciting! 😊😊

I haven't cycled that far for many years - I was in my early 20s back then, remember! Most I've cycled recently was a few years back - I'd entered a 66 mile 'race' (more of a day out than a race) but then got tonsillitis, so once I was better, I cycled to see my sister. I think it was about 30 hilly miles to Mchester, then about 35 flat miles the next day. Gosh I was tired 😂 I do love cycling, and I love cycling TO places - I much prefer that to going for a bike ride just for fun. If/when we move again that'll definitely be on my list, and in the meantime I shall endeavour to get a bit fitter!

themadvix

Morning all,

You're very welcome Cheery! I'm with you on the cycling to places too - generally I find exercise far more enjoyable if there's a point to it! I will shortly be heading out (in drizzle) to collect from two different Olioers and go down to Currys to collect the airtag for my bike. I'll also pop into M&S for some bits from their zero-waste hoppers and hopefully get some bird seed from the pet shop if they still have the big tubs you can scoop and weigh yourself (also zero waste, but last time I was in there they seemed to be getting rid, which is utterly stupid given they've been doing it like that for years and it's the way forward!). Should easily cover my exercise for the day.

Have finished some work off (there may be more yet) and even hung some washing on the line (yes, it's wet out, but it was a wool wash and I couldn't bear the damp sheep smell taking over the house!). 

Last night's dinner was an unmitigated disaster - the chips and corn and veggie burger were all pretty minging (especially so the chips). We saved it by hanving ice cream for dessert! I had planned another Olio dinner from the freezer for tonight, but I might make something else instead in view of that and save the other meal for Thursday. I'm not collecting my usual Olio slot this week as I'm out for dinner tomorrow, so instead am doing Saturday (after doing an additional one on Friday - good job we have no life this weekend!).

MS things:
* Eating Olio food, even though it was not particularly nice
* PA surveys
* 1P surveys
* HW and clicks - 40p won
* Collecting more reliably nice bits from Olio this morning - rolls, pancakes, cucumber and baby potatoes
* Redeemed £5 voucher from RM survey to spend in M&S
* Signed up to new RM survey provider

Gratitudes:
* Mr MV didn't complain about the awful food!
* No homework for tonight's evening class!
* Get to go for a good cycle today (even if it is in the rain)

Have a good day all!

newgirly

Wow, the distances some of you have cycled has blown my mind, I’d be worn out driving that far 😂

themadvix

@newgirly 🤣🤣

I've cycled 11 miles today according to my bike and I'm shattered! However, that is as far as Mum's house pretty much, so that should be doable - with either a lift home or a train back. I did get various jobs done and all food collected.

I forgot to say earlier that I resowed my seeds in my heated propagator yesterday, so hopefully, without cat assistance, they will thrive. Also cleared out my car ready to sell - it still needs cleaning inside and out and Mr MV has some uninstalling of bits to do.

Aside from the cycle, my main client has been keeping me busy today, so that's good. Have also managed a few PA surveys, so am at £22 there once it's cleared.

themadvix

Morning all,

Up early (for me, anyway) today as I made Mr MV's lunch for him this morning (yes, we should have done it last night, but the ham was frozen). He had tried to do one of these finger-pr*** blood test things last night through his work health insurance, but his body doesn't react well to needles (not his head, his vagus nerve), so he wasn't feeling great this morning. In any case, apart from the butter and the mustard, his lunch was free, which is better than using the canteen.

My main client is still keeping me busy, so I've got work to be getting on with. Also going to be heading out to pick up some rolls from my Olio friend later (hopefully it will have stopped raining by then - I did try to time my collection time for after the rain is forecast to stop!).

I'm out for dinner this evening with my ex-Brownies friend. Mr MV will either have something from the freezer or head to his parents for food. I'm really looking forward to dinner as it's at one of my favourite restaurants and we've not been there in ages/had takeaway from there in ages. It's in walking distance too, which makes a nice change.

I am pondering cycle insurance at the moment. My bike is insured on the home insurance policy (for home and anywhere in the world) for £16/year (including Mr MV's). But there's no accident or public liability insurance and the insurance details are somewhat sparse (i.e. the two-month's of free insurance I've got with the purchase of the bike is very specific about the locks used, where you can lock up etc., whereas there's very little info in the home insurance). The cycle specific insurance is £60-80/year though (depending on cover). If we had to claim on the home insurance, it would put the premium up though and I guess theft is a strong possibility with a valuable bike, regardless of how securely you lock it up. But the price differential seems quite dramatic! I think it's probably worth it, but would value anyone's opinion (Bailey's Babe, definitely looking at you if you're reading!).

MS things:
* HW and clicks done - several small wins on HW today
* YG survey to do
* MM survey to do
* My lunch will be leftover lentil bolognese with an Olio roll (unless Mr MV wants this for dinner, in which case I'll have something in a roll)

Gratitudes:
* A good evening class last night (and *polishes halo*, have already done most of the homework - I did say I was up early!)
* My legs have recovered from yesterday's cycle
* There's signs of life in my new sowings!
* Saw lots of wildlife on my cycle yesterday

Have a good day all!

Baileys_Babe

Personally, I would get separate bike insurance not just add it to the house insurance policy. Fingers crossed you never need to claim but better to be safe than sorry. Remember once your car has been sold it will be your main vehicle.

We lived in Oxford for many years and some of the bike thieves were very brazen and would take an angle grinder to a lock on the main streets even in the middle of the day. Thankfully we were both able to lock our bikes up inside at work.

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks BB. That's what I was leaning towards anyway, but I appreciate your input. I'll try to get that sorted today.

Yesterday I took advantage of a bright morning and very minimal work to cycle to Mum's! I made it, in good time, but the route definitely needs tweaking for the time of year - it involved a very muddy uphill bridlepath through the woods at one point and I had to get off and push as the wheels were turning and I was going nowhere. However, it was a path I'd previously fallen off on going down it and despite the conditions, I stayed on my bike (when intended) and bike performed admirably given that it's a folding one with 20" (chunky) wheels, not a hybrid/mountain bike! It has given me a lot of confidence that Mr MV and I won't be too limited in going for longer leisure rides in the summer. Made good use of the folding aspect yesterday too, as I had to pop the (by then very muddy!) bike in mum's kitchen to secure it and then popped it in the car to get it home. Also investigated the cycle access to the station in Mum's town - very, very disappointing. Despite the town having recently been dug up to install segregated cycle ways (much to my parents' annoyance 🙄), you can't technically get to the station with a bike - access is through a shopping centre and there are signs on the doors that say 'No bicycles' (not no cycling....). Obviously I would ignore this if I needed to, but it would still involve taking the bike in a lift, which is less than ideal. The better alternative would be to cycle partially back the way I'd come and get the train from the little village station, so I think I'd do that in future (when it's not peeing it down with rain!). Another thing I established yesterday is that while the bike is easily folded and moved around on the wheels, it is a) very heavy to lift (I'd not really done so before) and b) even harder to lift without getting muddy!

Mum and I had a mooch round the town, including charity shops (£2 spent, £1 on a small random gift and £1 on something I'm hoping to sell for a profit on Ebay), and went to JL for a free piece of cake (and I bought the tea, £4.50!). Then we picked up Niece and spent some time with her before Mr MV came and picked me up. Dinner was courtesy of Olio and much nicer than the last Olio meal!

A gentler morning this morning (although I'm not too achy). My main client should be sending me the delayed project so that will keep me busy. This evening if the weather holds, I think Mr MV and I will cycle for a drink and then it's my additional Olio collection tonight. Lunch will be paninis and dinner will be orzo pasta bake (unless we succumb to the smells of the restaurants and takeaways - but we mustn't given the increase in the SVR yesterday!).

MS things:
* £5 cashed out from a bookie after a £7 win
* PA surveys  - now at £28
* 1P surveys - now at £19.58
* YG survey

Gratitudes:
* Lovely to pick Niece up from school
* Nice to have a catch up with mum
* Daffodils, views and wildlife on my journey to mum's - and excellent calorie burn - 600 cals! (Plus then an awful lot of walking too, so a good exercise day yesterday!)

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Another great HW day - £20 withdrawn from one bookie and sent to savings (£17 won today).   Also £3.48 TCB retrieved and sent to savings.

Had a nice evening last night - we cycled to the taproom for a drink and then picked up fish and chips on the way back. Then I ventured out for my Olio collection. Kept a fair bit of bread this week as there's room in the freezer for it. Mr MV is doing car stuff today and I'm dealing with the last few Olio collectors. Will head to the allotment at some point to plant some potatoes.

I have cucumber seedings and tomatoe seedlings already coming up in my heated propagator - second time lucky!

MS things:
* PA now at £30 (when all cleared)
* 1P surveys
* HW winnings
* Free tenderstem broccoli, bread and treats from Olio (and a sandwich no one wanted that Mr MV can have for lunch)
* Last RM survey posting for Kantar done and points redeemed - £5 for Starbucks and £10 M&S

Gratitudes:
* A lovely evening with Mr MV and we've given a standing invitation to BIL and SIL to join us at the taproom on a Friday
* Some really helpful and friendly Olioers - others, who should know better, I despair of!
* A dry, relatively warm Saturday - at last!

Have a lovely weekend!

Suffolk_lass

You are braver than me, germinating cucumbers already, I won't be planting any squash seeds until we get back from Scotland at the end of April. It is reliably too cold here to plant out until mid-end of May and I don't want to contend with leggy or straggly plants that I can't plunge deeper into compost. Of course in a warm greenhouse you will be fine (very jealous of Monty's).

Our early things are chitting potatoes (they went in on 20th March last year but not yet this year), onion sets are in, and seeds; tomatoes, chillies and bell peppers have all germinated. The tomatoes I potted on yesterday, chillies will be next week, if they all have proper leaves (some do, but some are still seed leaves). The Bell peppers are in the kitchen and seven have sprouted but they are very slow so far. I also have a window box of salad cut and come again plus French radishes in the greenhouse as insurance against shortages.

I think I will leave proper salad crops another week and maybe put some beans direct in the ground mid April. I have some broad beans to go in this week too if it stops raining and the bee prep is complete.

Enjoy your weekend

themadvix

Morning all,

@Suffolk_lass, I may be brave or I may be stupid! I've never grown them before from seed, so it may be a disaster! We do have a very sheltered garden to pop them out in though, so that may help. They have outgrown my heated propagator already though, so will have to transfer them to the kitchen windowsill later today. I'm hoping they'll be able to go out at the beginning of May at the latest - but will have no doubt taken over my mini greenhouse by then.

Had a fairly low-key weekend here, mainly due to exhaustion. Second Olio collection on Saturday night, so kept some more bits then, but most went and kitchen was reclaimed yesterday afternoon when the animal rescue lady collected the leftover bread for her animals. I did pull some rhubarb and put the first batch of rhubarb and ginger vodka on to brew. Mr MV kegged his latest homebrew (although we don't hold out much hope for it - but it was using some very old ingredients). Saw family yesterday afternoon as it was my uncle's birthday. 

Jobs for the week:
* Contact Eon - Mr MV has handed this over to me - if they won't speak to me, I'll grab him when I get through and get him to give them permission to talk to me.  He just doesn't have time.
* Chicken for the cats - plan on getting this and cooking it today as weather is nice... debating whether Costco are evolved enough to have cycle parking....
* Get to B&Em while I have the car to get the stakes I need for allotment - £6 at B&Q and just £2 there!
* Get 1P to cashout - at 1973 points
* Work, obviously - this is my main focus this morning, but as the weather is going to be horrible the rest of the week, I do want to get out today too.
* Send a couple of birthday cards
* Chase refund of pint of milk that didn't show - it's not arrived as expected

MS things:
* Free food (Saturday's stir fry was almost entirely from Olio - just less noticeable as it was actual ingredients!).
* Resisted the urge for takeaway last night - mainly by looking at the mortgage stuff again
* Signed up for the new RM survey panel
* S&S done
* YG survey done

Gratitudes
* Lovely to see family yesterday - Niece was on great form and spent quite a while attacking Mr MV - he's her favourite
* Blue sky today
* No random use by leftovers from Olio - managed to shift all of them!

Have a good day all....I'm typing this while on hold with Eon... I want my money back!