So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks EH. I can make it (definitely a fan of the fp for rubbing in) - but the rolling out just frustrates me - it always seems to crack. It's some I do if I have to rather than just because we need a dessert (in which case crumble always wins!). I also have to be careful with my fp as it's elderly and I don't want it to get too hot and bothered - it's on its second motor already. I still need to pot some of my toms on.... it is a job for this afternoon!

Had a lovely day in London yesterday - dinner and cinema were covered by gift vouchers, but there was lunch, a few drinks and train fare to pay. Plus I took the opportunity to see the geniuses and get my phone battery replaced. It was on its way out (less than 85% health) - and beginning to become unreliable. So £85 spent there 🙄 Did save £8/10 by cycling to station rather than bus/driving. Mr MV may have regretted this when we were cycling home at 10pm after having walked 25000 steps already.

Have spent the morning doing some Cambridge work that aligns perfectly with my self-employed expertise, so that was nice (even if I wasn't getting paid what I charge for it!). Just sorting out some queries for UK client now (although I need to make lunch as Mr MV has a meeting at 1.30. Hoping to get to a nursery this afternoon and I must buy tea and a hi-vis jacket (we're one short for our trip tomorrow). 

In good news, the thing next weekend I was volunteered for I am now no longer needed for! 

We ordered the boards for our decking on Wednesday evening - they were substantially reduced from Wickes and it would be nice to have the decking ready to enjoy this summer (rather than finishing it in September, as per the patio), so I decided we'd use some savings to pay for the wood while it was on offer. More wood needs to be bought to finish the framing, but it wasn't on offer, so we'll buy in store (using our reloadable gift card for 6% off) and get it delivered separately.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW: small win today
* PA surveys
* NV survey

Gratitudes:
* For our Christmas/birthday presents that meant we had an enjoyable day in London yesterday
* Sunshine today - looking forward to getting out in it shortly
* An exciting day out tomorrow!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Tomatoes potted on, lettuce potted up into its final home, courgette and squash sown and I’ve been down and cut the grass on my allotment. Peas look to be doing ok there. I have celery, summer savoury and cosmos just beginning to show their heads too - I love it when seeds start to show - so exciting!! Calabrese and cabbage will need transplanting soon and I should probably plant out my spring onion seedlings - maybe a job for Sunday. I think we’re more or less packed and ready for the morning.

newgirly

Have fun on your exciting day out 😊

EssexHebridean

Hope the day out was fun!

I got our toms dealt with on Friday in the end - all ow either in larger pots or modules so that will do them now until it's time to transfer them to either their final pots or the growbags - still not decided, but it will probably be a mix of both. 

I've been pleasantly surprised at how little drop-off there is on my phone battery so far - it's coming up for 3 and a half years old now and while the capacity has dropped to 85%, the performance capability is still peak apparently. I do make sure I have a power bank with me if I'm out for a full day now, but only rarely need to actually use it. Certainly it's a far cry from the last phone which had a new battery at 2 years old and that then dropped right off to unreliable within another 2 years! 

themadvix

Evening all,

Thanks NG and EH, we had a lovely day! It was a long one as we didn't get home till gone 10, having left the house at 5, but would definitely do again. Still waiting on Sis to tot up what she spent so we can work out what we owe in terms of petrol and dinner (ended up in Pizza Express in Canterbury, which was a contributing factor in being so late back). Niece had a wonderful time, loved her i-Spy books, which did turn up in time (after I'd given up on that happening). We made good use of our spirits allowance - bought 6 bottles in total - mostly on the boat, where it was very good value (Sis and I split a 2 x 1l bottles of JJ Whitley vodka @£19 offer, and Mr MV bought a litre of dark rum and whisky as presents for both his brothers - all very well priced, and we bought two bottles of rhum agricole in the hypermarket - you can't get it here (it's rough as anything and not common in France either, but it is the only way to make a genuine Caribbean planteur). Also bought various bits of cheese, all at much better prices than here (320g of Port Salut for 2.85 euros vs £2.95 for 180g!). Definitely some lessons to be learned for next time - don't eat a big breakfast on the ferry, because then it's French lunchtime and you're not hungry - and then you miss the opportunity to eat in France (we ended up in the hypermarket cafe, and they didn't have any veggie baguettes left, so I ended up with a chocolate crepe, which while lovely, wasn't really what I wanted). So next time, no breakfast on the ferry (take something with to eat), have a nice lunch in France and buy baguette and cheese to eat on a (later) ferry back.

Sunday was spent in the garden, with me doing various jobs and Mr MV doing more decking. We took it fairly easy though!

Yesterday was a productive day - lots of work done in the morning and then I met the ex-Brownie friends for a walk and a cuppa - we met halfway between us on the trainline, which worked well. 

Quieter day workwise today, but I have done some data entry for Cambridge. Two loaves baked, granola made, various other jobs done and an hour at the allotment weeding (bindweed and mare's tail). Oh, and a quick trip to the dump too. Picked some rhubarb at the allotment and can see that some leeks are ready to harvest, but the spinach is bolting now. Broad beans and peas are settling in well; garlic and onions are looking really good! Small supermarket delivery arrived, as did the wood for the decking. 

MS things:
* Saved £1.50 on 4 pints of milk from the Coop - had a £1 off your shop voucher and a 50p voucher for milk. Bargain!
* Dinner tonight will be fish pie - fish bits are defrosting and keeping the fridge cool.
* No R'ford delivery this week - we've still got plenty in
* Clicks and HW
* Sadly no win for us on the National this year, but betting and checking in on the race on the ferry was fun!
* Various platform jobs yesterday (main client says to keep time free, but as yet nothing has materialised).
* Have now got marigold and cosmos seedlings coming up
* Had to do a worm rescue this morning as several had decided to escape the wormery. I think they'd got a bit wet, but all ok now.

Gratitudes:
* A lovely day out with Sis and Niece on Saturday - we went to Wimereux and would highly recommend - beautiful, large sandy beach, some lovely little shops and a nice vibe (and about half an hour from Calais)
* Sunshine today, although it's not particularly warm
* I have finally done my evening class homework - it was tricky and I had been putting it off.

Have a good evening all!

Jessy103

Sounds lovely vix, just one question, when do you want us round to sample the drinks?! 😛🤣

themadvix

Jessy103 said:

Sounds lovely vix, just one question, when do you want us round to sample the drinks?! 😛🤣

😂😂 anytime Jessy! Mostly gifts though, apart from the rhum. I’ll be turning the vodka into rhubarb and ginger vodka and distributing it as presents probably (although I am rather partial to it). Forgot to add that we got a free case of wine with our ferry too - so three bottles of rose each for my sister and I! (Even if it’s terrible, it would retail at £4/bottle here, so that makes the ferry crossing something like £20!

themadvix

Morning all,

Busy day today: am working on a short piece for main client, which is nice and straightforward as well as being a bit different. Then I have two Cambridge meetings and I need to meet Sis in town as she's having eye drops put in and will need looking after (Mr MV is picking us up on his way back from work). I'll pop into the fishmonger while I'm in town too.

Have done a load of washing and it is out on the line; pizza dough is on a long prove (Sis is staying for dinner as she can't drive for a while). Have also done yoga and some pilates - I am trying (day 3 now) to get in two short yoga sessions a day - my flexibility is awful currently and I'm already beginning to feel the benefits. The pilates was a new addition today (beyond my physio exercises) but I want to get back to doing core strength stuff for my back.

Can see the very beginnings of parsley seedlings just coming up - very pleased with this as parsley is notoriously difficult to get to germinate Removed a snail who has much the shoot on two of my oca seed tubers - I'm hoping they'll both recover. Not sure where the molluscs are appearing from - the greenhouse is dry (plastic little one), there's nowhere to hide and they've (fortunately) not munched anything else. I'll get the wool pellets onto the oca I think.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* Pizza will use up the end of a jar of peppers 
* Mr MV has taken lunch to work (that's 2/2 days in the office so far)
* Refund for damaged item in delivery yesterday

Gratitudes:
* A good evening class - my homework got a good response and my extra practice is definitely beginning to pay off.
* A robin in the garden this morning
* Parsley seedlings (and everything doing well at the allotment).

Have a good day all!

EssexHebridean

Ah your trip sounds ace! Glad it all went well even if you didn't quite nail it on the eating side of things! 

I wasn't aware of that with parsley! Mine is coming up too - I was already pleased but now I know it's a tricky little devil, even more so! 

I'm also trying to get back to the regular yoga - it definitely makes a difference doesn't it! 

newgirly

That does sound like a great day out, it takes me back to my early teenage years when my parents would take us on a booze cruise and laden the car up so heavily we had to sit on boxes of beer with no room to put our legs down for the whole journey home 😆 £20 is such a bargain too! 

Can I ask, is the yoga/Pilates something you could start to do online at home as a beginner or would I have to have classes? I’m intending to get fit once I’m able to 🙂