So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Morning all,

I slept better last night (hooray), but still feel pretty shattered. And my to-do list never ever seems to get any shorter - although that's partly because it has *everything* on it as my brain is like a sieve at the moment. 

Olio was quite large last night - we kept a few bits but I was very virtuous and not a single processed item passed my lips despite the delicious bready/pastry smells all around me. (Confession time: cat sitting friend whose cat I'm looking after from tonight works at M&S and offered a yumnut as they were being chucked - so I've asked her to leave me one of them in her kitchen! Better to have something I'll really enjoy though than just because it's there.) Mr MV had a doughnut and a custard tart as well as some granola squares 🙄 and then overslept and didn't have time for a run....

Main client sent me more work last night (just as I think I'm getting caught up) and I've done a little bit for one of the Americans this morning too. Cat sitting starts this evening and I've got a key to pick up at 11 for a month's cat sitting when I get back from the cruise (for the lady we did 3 months for in the winter). My meeting with Cambridge boss this afternoon may be cancelled, which would give me a bit of time back (she's asked me to cancel her client-facing meetings, because she's struggling (long COVID), but whether she'll want to have our 121 I don't know). I need to get to the allotment for a bit this afternoon as I've got to prepare somewhere for the 30-odd plants I ordered from Rocket Gardens - 10 Romanesco, 10 red cabbage and 10 spinach plants. I'm going to use the currently abandoned 'asparagus' bed, but despite covering it up, it'll need some weeding and I'm going to cardboard it and compost it, plus setting up the poles/netting etc. 

Washing is on the line - unwell B&W cat meant I needed to re-wash the clean bedding we'd put on on Monday night 🙄 and there's some other bits he's sat on too 😬 He's much better today fortunately!

MS things:
* PA survey - now at £21 with £4 still to clear
* NV survey
* MM profile updates  -tiny amount of points, but it all helps
* HG potatoes, chard, garlic and onion, and hm blackberry vinegar in our dinner last night
* Olio freebies - milk and oat milk 

Gratitudes:
* Lots of lovely Olioers
* B&W cat is feeling better
* Plenty of work

Have a good day all!

northwalesd

Glad to hear B&W cat is on the mend.

Staffordia

Stunning photo EH. 

themadvix

Today has felt rather like I'm on a hamster wheel.... stuff gets done, but not before more has ended up on my to-do list. This mainly applies to work, but also to housework/life admin. However, I've done my cat sitting and had half a yumnut, which is keeping me going until dinner.... Mr MV not home yet as he visited his parents, and is likely to want a run before dinner. Hoping he'll be back soon as I've got to go out for Olio at 8.30 and would like to have eaten by then!

Anyway, I'm back at my desk for a few more minutes. I did have Cambridge meeting in the end, which was quite good as it's given me a few bits to get on with tomorrow and Friday (not that I need them, but it ups my pay from there to nearer the max - I have set hours to draw down from).

Popped to allotment earlier and dug up some potatoes....

Mr MV just home now....

themadvix

Morning all,

I'm making relatively good progress with the urgent work my main client sent last night. Hopefully will get it done by the weekend, which will be acceptable to all. Olio last night was a wash-out. Loads of bread (and a few other bits), but nothing sweet, so barely any requests - one guy took a bit of bread but other than that it was my Mum and Sis (who I prompted) who've asked for one thing each. And of course, as they didn't turn out for it last night, those bits, with the bread, are still clogging up my kitchen!

Mum is coming up to collect her stuff and will take me to local market town as I need to visit a zero-waste shop (she's going there anyway, but will swing by and pick me up). It wasn't on the plan for today (and cat chicken from Costco may get pushed back until tomorrow - sorry boys!), but it's a good opportunity to get a whole load of jobs done there and hopefully be ready for the barbecue we're having at the weekend too. I have a list ready, but still need to sort out containers for zero-waste shop. However, this isn't happening until later.

MS things:
* Cat sitting
* 1P surveys while cat sitting
* MM survey (ditto)
* PA surveys - had a really good day with these yesterday and I'm now at £36 ish when it all clears
* Dinner was cooked with what we had in and will do for tonight too
* Olio furnished two boxes of eggs (after the 3 the other week, we're swimming in them!) and some flowers, which are looking lovely

Gratitudes:
* Flowers
* Cat sitting cat is much friendlier than she was last time around
* Unexpected trip out with Mum later (and Sis is hopefully popping over to get her present, but I may end up sending it with Mum)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Sounding good.  Here's to happy cats 😺

themadvix

Morning all,

Had a busy few days but a great night out on Friday, courtesy of one of my wins and saw friends for BBQ on Saturday - also lovely. Friday was a night out at a farm for adults - we got to play on the soft play and the pedal karts and feed the animals, among other things. It was fantastic fun and all free - dinner and drinks were included as part of the prize, as were tickets for four, so we took B&SIL. Brought back the side salad (which we really didn't need - loads of food provided) and the bottle of prosecco as we'd had plenty to eat and drink there. 

Saturday we had some friends and their little ones over for a BBQ, which was a soggy washout, but we all enjoyed the food inside. It was a veggie barbie - my school friend is veggie (and coeliac) and her husband is used to eating veggie (and Indian, so there's less emphasis on meat in their diet anyway), so I used it as an opportunity to try out some more of the recipes from Rukmini Iyer's Green Barbecue book - highly recommend. We've not had a duff recipe yet from her.

Yesterday was a bit of a recovery day, but we also got loads of housework and decluttering done, as well as popping into town on our bikes to order some glasses for Mr MV.

Today, I've still got looooads of work for main client - every time I think I'm catching up, he sends more (I'm not complaining!). Plus a physio appointment later  (back has been giving me a few issues and I don't want to go away with problems), popping to see Mum and then Dad with various things and will finally get to Costco for some meat for the cats. Lunch today will be (Olio) egg sandwich (we've still got a dozen to use by the end of the week) on hm bread. Tonight's dinner (after leftovers yesterday) will be BNS and chickpea curry as both are ready in the fridge for using up. Haven't been to allotment in nearly a week - imagine there'll be some marrows there! Will also chuck remaining courgette into curry.

MS things:
* Big win on mini HW, so £5.00 withdrawn there
* £2 of YG surveys completed
* Heard from the competition provider at last for my hotel stay win - they'd been emailing the wrong address 🙄 Hopefully things will move forward with that now
* MIL sent back my adjusted Vinted dress and it's now good to wear on holiday

Gratitudes:
* Fun times on Friday night - it really exceeded expectations! (And we thought at £25/ticket, including a nice dinner, welcome drink, marshmallows for toasting and animal feed, it was pretty good value if you'd paid for it too)
* Lovely to see friends on Saturday - it had been far too long!
* Time with Mr MV yesterday - it's rare to go shopping with him and it made for a nice change.

Have a good day all!

Suffolk_lass

Just catching up on one or two diaries here. It seems each time I go away it takes me double that time to get back to where I was. That farm evening sounds like fun. No danger of marrows here. My courgettes are only just starting

EssexHebridean

The farm evening sounds like great fun - what a good idea from somewhere like that to do evenings specifically themed to adults too! 

Karmacat

I'm glad the competition wasn't a scam, and it all seems to be happening now.  And that you had a bit of a recovery day yesterday