So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Morning Afternoon all,

Lol, RT, your story did make me laugh! We are very much insourcers here, so generally one or other of us has to work out how to do something - fortunately oil and wiper blades are very much within our skillset.

Thanks for the solidarity Cheery - it's sometimes very difficult to just get started! Determined to keep the momentum going now though (and Mr MV apparently wants to get the decking started this autumn, so that's hopeful!) - a trip to BnQ or Wickes (or both?) is on the cards for later.

Despite *still* not sleeping well - I am so over this - I'm feeling pretty focused and productive this morning. I think in large part, it's because I've finished what I need to with the awkward customer piece of work and set it back to my client. I'm now powering through the next bit of work, giving me hope that I may get fairly up to date before I'm in Cambridge tomorrow. Have also managed a Cambridge meeting this morning and a small piece of work for a US client.

If/when I get to a point I'm happy with my work, I have a charity shop trip to do (literally 5 mins walk) and a trip to the allotment. Cat sitting continues, but I cannot emphasise how excited I am about Thursday when I will not have to clear up after any cats but my own! It feels like I've been doing this forever! (Don't get me wrong, the cats are delightful, but the endless visits are taking their toll - I am ready for a break.) That being said, I'm looking after the gherkin plant (Friday) and will need to visit my Dad's fish tomorrow and Saturday as Dad is away 🙄

MS things:
* Dinner last night did indeed use a quantity of (bought) carrots up
* PA ongoing survey up-to-date
* Clicks and HW (it's been ages since I've won anything on the HW, beginning to wonder if both of these sites have effectively gubbed me)
* VB payout is en route - £15
* The Eon cheque for £186 arrived Mr MV can't decide whether to pay it off the loan (0%), add it to the energy bills pot (but hopefully we won't need it) or (my suggestion) add it to the 'mortgage' pot (i.e. the savings representing the money transfer that needs paying off (which is on 0% for 18 months...). Decisions, decisions 😂

Gratitudes:
* It's a bit cooler today, thank goodness! I think this may be contributing to my ability to focus
* Still warm and dry enough to enjoy meals in the garden
* Lovely affectionate kitties to look after - they really require a fuss!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Have just realised that my phone contract has ended, so have initiated the process of switching to Smarty (where Mr MV already resides) - cutting my phone bill virtually in half from £10.92 to £6/month and I still have free EU roaming (and same network coverage). If anyone would like a referral do PM me - both you and I would get a £10 voucher out of it.

Work is going well. I won't get to the CS today as they stop taking donations at 4pm and I'm not braving the post-school chaos if I don't need to. However, I think I will probably get a visit to the allotment in. Have also arranged to pick up 8 apples later from an Olioer (from her tree) - eaters I think and probably not enough to bottle, but I might make some rough puff and turn them into turnovers or similar. Another job for (a quiet?) Wednesday!

themadvix

Briefly popped down to the allotment and did some picking - another two portions of berries for desserts, 300g of French beans (bearing in mind I picked at least this on Saturday and have a growing bag already in the freezer), another 150g Borlotti beans (podded), meaning a total of 475g so far this year (and loads more on the plant) and a huge bunch of chard - I'm taking some to the apple lady. And I ignored the baby corn and spinach, which looked like it needed picking again! I love the beans though - so easy to grow and so productive - and great dried or frozen for seeing us through the year.

Must go and see a lady about some apples...

EssexHebridean

Beans are definitely something we want to find space for again - might be a "pots and canes" effort possibly - although we do have our metal obelisk that they grow well up as well. we grew borlotti beans when we had our allotment and loved having them. 

rtandon27

On the way back from a shopping trip this morning we walked past a half barrel of cooking apples with a sign on it that says 'Help Yourself' - a few houses before that we'd seen three apples chucked on the ground with one bite out of each of them!  I have a feeling the neighbourhood kids haven't a clue about the difference between an eating and cooking variety. 🤣🤣🤣 If I ever get through the blasted pile of 'must be done todays' I might just venture back round the corner and help myself to enough for a jar of stewed spiced apples - goes well with pork shoulder during the colder months!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Lol RT, that seems like a probable explanation!

Yes, EH climbing beans are definitely worth it and would be excellent on an obelisk. 

A busy couple of days here - in Cambridge all day yesterday with cat sitting before and after and then evening class in-person and a trip to the pub. Today I've been cat sitting, catching up with my work and doing *more* Cambridge work plus returned key to the flea-y cats. The owner was very apologetic, had bought friend and I lovely (delicious!) chocolates and also gave me more than the cash needed to my expenses, so all is forgiven.

I was getting close to being caught up with my work but main client has since sent through two more bits... but at least tomorrow I don't have to go anywhere (especially if I go and feed Dad's fish tonight). Last cat sitting happening very shortly!

I have quite a long to-do-before-we-go-away list, including preserving, picking and other allotment-related tasks. I'd hoped to get to the point where I had time tomorrow, but I'm not so sure of that possibility now. While I was out earlier, I popped to Aldi for the white wine vinegar needed to pickle the gherkins, so I think I now have what I need for that at least. Not sure I'll use my friend's sachet of salts for it as the BBC GF recipe talks about salting beforehand to retain crunch - will try and get that done tonight as it has to be left for a while.

I've decided to pay out for the licence renewal this month before it goes up, but annoyingly I've also had a hosting bill through - there seem to be a lot of business expenses at the moment!

Dinner tonight is going to be spag bol I think - not sure if I mentioned, but I got some sunflower seed mince from the refill shop a few weeks ago and we had this in a bolognese. It's really nice. Not ultraprocessed and shelf stable - it's what's left after the oil has been removed. Not particularly cheap, but certainly something to keep as part of the repertoire and brilliant for camping!

MS things:
* PC follow-up survey after product test done
* PA longitudinal survey  -am keeping on top of this
* Lots of Cambridge work
* Clicks and HW done
* £40 interest earned on my EF this month
* Olio tonight

Gratitudes:
* Lots of work
* Chocolates from client
* Last cat sitting!

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I'm doing well with work so far - one piece down, another nearly there and the last bit is short bit (and I may save for tomorrow). Had an update from my UK-based client - she's retraining but planning to still do some work on the side, so potentially may need more help from me, although she's training to be a teacher, so I'm not sure how realistic it is to continue her freelance work long term. So that's mixed news. (Of course, given its difficulties, she may change her mind about being a teacher too.)

My plan is to finish this piece of work and get down to the allotment this afternoon to pick more beans etc. before blanching them, pickling the pickles and generally getting up to date in the kitchen. 

Small Olio collection last night and I didn't keep any of it. I am considering whether to continue tbh. It's getting harder and harder to get rid of the stuff (because the founders haven't negotiated well enough with T and other companies, they are struggling to stay afloat and therefore want users to pay for the service - so now you have to watch an advert or pay up as a supporter before requesting items, which obviously slows things down/puts people off. THey are also trialling quotas, so people can only collect 20 items a month unless they pay - which is not the idea at all when you can't get rid of the bread as it is). People are consistently rude and/or don't read the pop up and my listing *both* of which say 'say what time you can collect in the first message' - it's a key tenet of Olio and *so* many people don't do this. There are still some gems, but the majority just irritate me and it feels like it's probably not good for my blood pressure. The fact I rarely keep anything I collect now is, frankly, a minor point in the balance.

I have fed Dad's fish this morning and dropped the rest of the Olio bread at the CS - they are always grateful at least.

MS things:
* HW and clicks - small win on the HW today, the first in aaaages
* £20 of S&S vouchers claimed as NT vouchers - giving us some budget for NT cafe visits next week
* Milk cancelled for tomorrow and while we're away
* No R'ford box as we've got plenty of our own food to eat
* Lots of work
* Smarty SIM has arrived, been activated and my number should transfer tomorrow 

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine - making the most of it as while we're away autumn is going to arrive!
* Godfather-in-law (what else to call him?!) thought of me - Godmother-IL is ill and he had a spare ticket for something and lunch at the British Museum today - did I want to go? Would have loved to and so touched that he thought of me, but just too much work on.
* Possibility of an RHS day out with friend next Saturday - she can't commit yet, but it would be lovely to see her and we both love gardening.

Have a good day all!

EssexHebridean

How lovely to be thought of like that - and how kind too!

I've tried Olio a few times but locally it seems there is very little engagement with T's - if indeed there is any. Just the occasionally listing of stuff that looks like it must be over-purchasing by individuals, and generally that's gone by the time I look anyway, even on the odd occasions it might be something that we'd be interested in. Then adding an extra layer of "guff"  over the top to make it more time consuming really would put me off I'm afraid. I'm not surprised in the circumstances you mention that you're beginning to think that it's probably reaching the end of its time for something you want to stay involved in. 

badmemory

You are a busy person.  I think the phrase is "I don't need this".

themadvix

Thanks ladies - I think you're right badmemory, I am just dithering a bit because I know the community building side of it has been great - I have two good friends now that I would never have met if it hadn't been for Olio and I like some of my Olioers and appreciate the chats we have. And also, I'm not sure what I'd do instead - it's important to me to volunteer in some way, but this is definitely becoming less the way I want to do it.

I have been to the allotment, picked more strawbs and rasps for desserts, some more baby corn to go with tonight's dinner, a lot more French beans, a huge amount of spinach and some more borlottis. The French beans, including two previous pickings are now all blanched and drying before I stick them in the freezer. The gherkins are all sliced and stewing in salt - I'll pickle tomorrow. I still need to wash and wilt the spinach and pod the borlottis, but I needed a break and a sit down.

Have received a cat-sitting request for 19-22 October - I knew it wouldn't be long before I had one now I'm all caught up! For one of my regulars - the 'feisty' (read draws blood) ginger cat - so I'll say yes. It's only a once-a-day visit so straightforward enough - because she's not really sure about me, I don't feel obliged to sit with her and her owners are fully aware of her feisty nature (and lovely).