So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

badmemory

We used to go to slimbridge virtually every sunday, even when very busy it was so peaceful.

newgirly

Congratulations on the win, that’s fantastic! 

ch4rly2002

Congratulations on another win Vix. 4, that's amazing! Any tips? 

themadvix

Morning all,

Back home now. Thanks for the congratulations on the win and the recommendations for RSPB places - I'm very excited about both! I was a YOC member (RSPB junior membership) as a child (due to regular birthday present from Uncle) and it feels good to be back. As Mr MV pointed out (and I may have above, given I've not checked back), it will offset some of the emissions of our flights and cruise next month - which we always do when travelling by air.

For someone whose had a week's holiday, I'm not feeling particularly refreshed or rested! We seemed to fit quite a bit in while we were away and I'm definitely feeling that there's a lot of catching up to do now we're back. First thing this morning I went to the allotment and picked 3 large courgettes (definitely baby marrows), some chard, broad beans and a giant radish. The potatoes need digging, the currants urgently need picking and there's a lot of weeding to be done. But we do now have ingredients for dinner tonight (this, I think)!

In terms of spending, I think we were pretty good. We had two dinners out, takeaway one night and a few drinks/snacks. Otherwise we cooked at the campsite/packed our lunches. No spends on activities as we walked, pottered round Whitby and Scarborough and visited NT places (ok, so there was also a scone at one and lunch at Fountains Abbey yesterday). Hopefully the (depleted) holiday fund will cover it with a little bit to spare! Spending for the cruise will come from allotment savings and this month's income - not the recommended way of doing things! So it will be a frugal three weeks between now and then!

In upcoming events that will cost, I'm out for lunch tomorrow for a Cambridge colleague's maternity leave do (just checked menu and there's two only veggie options, neither of which fill me with joy), I'm eating out with my evening class friends on Tuesday and we're seeing some friends on 22nd. Also the night out at the farm that I won on 21st, but it should be low cost as I think food/drink is included. I think that's it?

In frustrating news, for some reason I've not been paid by Cambridge.... so I will be following up on that this afternoon.

MS things:
* £3 PA survey while away
* £30 market research money has been paid
* £5 withdrawn from a baby HW game
* No fresh veg needed for the next couple of nights
* Clicks, HW and comps done

Gratitudes:
* Lovely week away, with better weather than I think a lot of people have had
* Two lovely meals out
* Opportunities to use my NT membership
* RSPB membership (feel like a proper retired person now - no mortgage, NT, RSPB and RHS membership! 😂)
* Plenty of work to come back to

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Welcome back, you retired person you 🤣 I think that must be one of the funniest things I've ever read on here!

themadvix

(There’s just the small matter of *not* being retired to attend to! 😂)

Karmacat

themadvix said:

(There’s just the small matter of *not* being retired to attend to! 😂)

Indeed!  You work really hard.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, that courgette pasta recipe appeals to me - we would substitute greek style yogurt for the crème fraiche I think - I have saved it!

I hope you got to visit one or two of the RHS partner gardens in N Yorkshire

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I have to confess SL, we never have creme fraiche in it as it's just not something we buy (and I tend to be a store-cupboard cook). We also had courgette kuku last night which was also delicious (and I cba to make the spice mix, which I suspect would have been better - just used some curry powder). We didn't visit any RHS partner gardens (unless they happened to be NT ones!) in Yorks - we'd've had to pay for Mr MV and we were on a budget. But looking forward to visiting Wisley and Hyde Hall soon.

Friday I was in Cambridge for most of the day (although only a couple of hours actually spent working!). Lack of pay mystery has been explained although I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on it, as basically it was because someone was not processing stuff in a timely manner - not anything to do with my boss or me). I've had my next payslip though and it looks like it's all there though, so that will be handy next week.

I spent a good couple of hours at the allotment yesterday, picking red/pink currants, 3 more large courgettes, broad beans, a couple of pea pods and 4 strawberries. Swapped some rhubarb and currants for potatoes and psb with my allotment friend, which was lovely. Lots more to do there and I need to get back there later (after the Grand Prix). We saw my Sis and Niece in the morning as it's Sis's birthday today. We've declined the option to go into London with them today - we've just got too much to do. Mr MV is currently servicing the cars and has to fix the shower (pressure release thingy had burst as I was showering on Friday morning - water pouring out hose adjacent! I ended up washing my hair with a saucepan under the bath tap - not ideal!). I've been busy tidying and decluttering my bits in the bedroom this morning. A few years ago the house was beautifully decluttered, but it feels like things have been building up again recently, so I need to do this. A bag for the CS, a bag of bits listed on Olio and some bits ready to be redistributed to family. I've baked a soda bread for lunch and given the kitchen a proper clean and tidy - it's been a bit of a mess since we came back from holiday. I'm also doing some work - I've got two large projects on this week, both with fairly tight deadlines, so the more I can get ahead now, the more likely I'll be able to pop down to the allotment during the week. Currants have been processed and are currently sheet freezing before I chuck them in bags.

We've got quorn fillets to have tonight with the remaining PSB, courgette (shocking!) and some of the potatoes. Mr MV likes all the curries, stews, etc., but also likes plain cooked veg occasionally, so I'm trying to make sure we have at least one more traditional meal each week.

I'm feeling a bit more on top of the house now, with the tidying and decluttering, so hopefully that will help my focus this week - I definitely find that I can focus on the work more if I can't see a million things that need doing.

MS things:
* Clicks, comps and HW (small wins on HW) (Sis had a great win yesterday from one of the comps - a lovely birthday present for her!)
* Resisted takeaway curry on Friday night when at the pub - had broad bean and prawn risotto, despite it being 9pm by the time I started cooking!
* Lots of work
* Mr MV made a planned purchase at JL yesterday - using a £10 voucher earned from a phone contract sign-up and a 5% off voucher in the JL reward app

Gratitudes:
* Lovely to see Sis and Niece yesterday
* Drinks with BIL and SIL on Friday - and a good laugh about cat antics while we were away
* Visited a vegan market in Sis's town yesterday and we may have succumbed to an Indian takeaway snack box from one stall for our lunch - with delicious apple crumble samosas! Also had a lovely chat with the R'ford stall man

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Apple crumble samosas!  And an actual visit to actual Cambridge, even if it was for work.  After having a holibob!  Living the high life, madvix, sounds great.