So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Cheery_Daff

It felt like Spring was here briefly a few days ago, but I agree, today is filthy and grim again! Cold and grey and drizzly here, bleurgh. 

Staffordia

With regards to the WFA cup, if you go to the A to Z section, pick football, then competition you can bet on today's match. Chelsea are favourites. Presumably the final will be shown there eventually. 

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks for that tip @Staffordia - I'll bear it in mind next time I have a free bet to use! As it is, I'm hoping Arsenal and Southampton draw tomorrow(?).

Weather has improved here today, for now at least. The forecast doesn't look promising until the end of the month though, according to the BBC. I will be cycling down to see the cat in a bit - my last visit this time. I've barely seen her as she hides upstairs - she's a bit of an odd one though, so that's fine by me (liable to be friendly and then suddenly hiss/lash out).

Dinner last night was roughly halloumi and bean stew and is a 'would cook again'. The halloumi really made the dish, but the stew part would be quite nice on its own too. Peppers were green and from the freezer (Olio), some of the beans were from the allotment (all the beans were dried and cooked in the IP rather than out of a tin), onions were shallots (Olio), and I didn't have any pesto so we used some harissa paste (also Olio and had been hanging around, unopened and still in date, for a while). There's a portion of stew left over too.

Today I've got a small piece of work for an American client, and then the project from my main client last week has been returned and is a priority. When that's done I can return to the other project for him - so nicely busy. Also aiming to get to the dump today while I have the car (Mr MV is out tomorrow and away with work tomorrow night). Ideally I'll get some more seeds sown/down to the allotment, but that might be pushing it. 

No idea about dinner tonight as yet.

We have a supermarket order coming later this week - mostly dishwasher tablets that are on offer, but I have been adding a few things that we tend to buy only from there to the basket. Also, a R'ford recipe box may have been ordered for Thursday too... (no box this week though and probably not next either).

MS things:
* Picked up some fruity bagels and strawberries from an Olioer yesterday evening
* Clicks and HW done
* Comps entered - did a whole load more of these yesterday (would like to keep this up to some extent, but I'm aware it's time consuming when I've got gardening stuff to be doing).
* Ordered a couple of needed bits from Am and used S&S vouchers to cover the cost
* Seedlings are doing well I need to pot on my cukes too.

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine
* A good night's sleep
* Plenty of work

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Busy here today. I've got a meeting with one of my Cambridge contacts this morning for an update. Who knows whether this will result in work or them saying that there's nothing at the moment - it could go either way. My main client has sent yet another priority piece of work through, so I've just started on that and will return to the longer, slower piece when this is done (likely to take at least today, if not tomorrow too though). Have also done a small amount of work for a US client.

This evening I've got the YG Town Hall thing - now saying 6-7.30pm which isn't quite so good for £20 when I then have evening class at 8pm. Mr MV has gone away with work, so at least I can just eat leftovers for lunch and dinner (unless I decide I have time to get F&C - I never do when he's away, but I feel sometimes I should treat myself rather than eating whatever needs eating up!).

Yesterday I spent an hour at the allotment - planted some peas (and got the mesh covering them to avoid pea moth larvae hopefully) and radishes and did a bit of weeding. No sign of asparagus... I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I might give up if these don't work. Garlic and onions/random shallot are all looking healthy - maybe it was leek beetle rather than allium? Started to lift the dead red currant out, but will need a hand from Mr MV with that.

Came back and potted up my seed oca - they are sprouting nicely and will go in when the risk of frost has passed (June maybe, given the weather this year!). Dinner was orzo pasta bake - with improvisation as we don't have any onions (sauteed the leeks first).

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done - nothing today
* Comps in progress 
* PA survey
* YG survey
* New cat client/booking for August

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine
* Cat litter is out for delivery - one of the boxes is seriously low!
* Lots of work

Have a good day all!

themadvix

So Cambridge meeting was basically to offer me an 18-month fixed contract (for roughly a day a week, over the whole week), so that was a rather nice surprise!

Have also just done a small project for an entirely new client - contacted me through the professional forum I'm a member of (cunning plan to indicate how worthwhile my membership is as it's up for renewal and I was thinking of dropping down a level??!). They may of course only ever have this one job and/or not pay (it's for a small amount, so a risk I'm willing to take), but still, it's a nice change.

Better yet, we've mutally agreed to cancel this evening's evening class, so I will be able to enjoy F&Cs without shoving them down. Am just enjoying some leftovers for my lunch and then back to a) returning the little project, with an invoice (it's promising as they sent the billing details without me having to ask - they are German, so not surprising) and b) getting on with the bigger project for main client.

Definitely need to get a walk around the block in!

Swayingseaweed

Our asparagus doesn't usually appear till May and it has been quite cold/damp. Keep the faith, it will come (hopefully) 
Seaweed x

themadvix

Thanks @Swayingseaweed - that's so good to know. I have very little faith after I lost all my plantings last year - and no real knowledge of when I'm likely to see it! Although, I suppose now I think about it, the bits we eat are the shoots.... so maybe I'm panicking for no reason!

themadvix

Good news, the new (one-off) client has already paid!

Karmacat

That's brilliant!  From the new client to the Cambridge offer, to the timeliness of the asparagus  

EssexHebridean

Crossing fingers for asparagus to start peeking out sooner rather than later - although frankly the temperature has dropped enough again today that I can't say i entirely blame it for laying low for a bit longer! 

Great news about the Cambridge work and the new client, and that the evening class got cancelled with good notice so that you know where you stand.