So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Evening all, thought I’d have a quick catch up here while watching the football.

 Despite fairly atrocious traffic getting there on Friday and fairly atrocious weather Friday and most of yesterday, we had a lovely trip to Norfolk. Didn’t cook our dinner in the end as there was a group in the kitchen and I think we’d have been two too many. Had fish and chips instead, which was a reasonably priced £14. Room in the hostel was as expected - basic, clean, comfy bed and nice quiet crowd. Had the bonus of a basin in our room too. Friendly staff and we had a continental breakfast on Saturday morning for £12 for both of us. Would definitely stay again. Went for a soggy and windblown walk in town and along the front on Saturday morning. Did pick up a couple of bits needed from their refill shop that I’d not been able to get at ours last weekend, which was handy - for the princely sum of £2.09. Lunch in Blakeney (also rather miserable), enjoyed browsing our favourite shop there and bought some samphire from the ramshackle crab stall. Abandoned plans to go to brancaster in favour of less windy walk at Sandringham. Didn’t visit gardens but did get the requisite ice cream - no choice really as the Blakeney ice cream shop was shut! Headed back via a five minute charge at Kings Lynn - that was literally all the extra electricity we needed and easily could have got that from the Tesco chargers in Sheringham if we’d been more on it (blame the weather). Cats were fine with the automatic feeder, so a success all round.  We’ll be going back again fairly soon I think although we’ll likely just drive up early on the Saturday to avoid the Friday night traffic.

 Have renewed my RHS membership (using birthday money) - was still being offered the 25% discount for renewal by direct debit, which makes it £51. Still want to get to Sandringham gardens and also saw an ad for an Anthony Gormley exhibition at Houghton Hall that looks really good - RHS members can get into both free, which adds up to £36 so seems worthwhile, if I get another couple of gardens in too.

 Today has been about catching up with house, garden and allotment. House and garden are now clean and tidy, utility room a bit clearer, allotment looking tidier and I’ve planted sprouts, edamame and two sunflowers. Bunged some other flowers in the bed in the garden this afternoon too just to save them from dying in their pots.

 Have been feeling under a lot of pressure lately, trying to get everything done (and it still feels like we’re we’re both exhausted by the evenings and struggling to do more than the basics), but have calculated that if work continues to be as busy as it has been for the past three months, I’ll be on track to exceed my highest previous annual earnings by  1/6th this year, so not surprising the allotment is  taking a hit. I will endeavour to cut myself some slack.

 Did harvest rhubarb and raspberries today, and the first two cherry tomatoes are almost ripe! Need to harvest some herbs and get them drying- have noticed the oregano has finally decided the weather is acceptable!

Another busy week ahead, so it’s good to have got caught up. Right, half time, most go make the bed!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Have just had an interview for a focus group (about our solar) - have a diary to complete in a couple of weeks, and the two combined will be worth £120, which is rather nice.

Otherwise, I've been busy with various bits of SE work and a little bit of Cambridge work too. Need to pop out shortly, especially as I think it's stopped raining - need eggs and a cat litter scoop, and have a couple of bits to post. Dinner tonight is pizza and the dough is proving. Have to say, although it was hard work yesterday, getting up to date with the house and garden (ish) has meant I've been able to focus better today.

Called the vets this morning as B&W cat is still puking more than I'd like. He has to have a sedative before visiting though, so they've ordered that but can't book an appointment until we have the sedative. In any case, that will be a big bill, or an insurance job. I just hope there's nothing seriously wrong with him. It's usually grass or furball related, rather than food, and it's not every day, but it's beginning to be concerning.

As expected, I didn't get paid by Cambridge - boss didn't sign my timesheets off on time. I'm not overly happy, but there's not much I can do about it (given she's my friend and I value her friendship). It's a pain, but not the end of the world.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* 1P surveys done/cleared
* YG survey
* MM surveys cleared 
* No R'ford delivery this week - we can survive!
* Milk today cancelled as we had plenty
* TCB on cat flea treatment order (and pill putty as B&W cat was a nightmare with the lick-e-lix this month)
* I've just been accepted back onto the RM survey - it's been over a year and I've complained to them (as I've earned some points for other surveys but have no hope of getting to payout any time soon without being on the main survey), so it seems they've finally listened! Hooray!

Gratitudes
* Today has flown past
* Interviewer about solar was lovely
* Pizza for dinner!

Have a lovely evening all!

redofromstart

Hope B&W cat is ok. 

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks Redo. Vets appointment yesterday was a bit of a bust. Despite giving him gaba beforehand, she was still unable to get any blood. She was very young and I suspect a more experienced vet may have been able to do it. Her suggestion was to sedate him, which I'm not willing to do unless another vet has failed to get any. In the meantime, she suggested some probiotics as the furball paste contains these, so it might be that they are what's helping. So I've ordered them (with discounts, TCB etc.). So a rather expensive cat day yesterday. In good news though, walking him down there in the cat backpack hasn't hurt my back, so at least I won't need a physio appointment too!

On the car front it's been an eventful week. In good news, Mr MV sold my car to a very lovely young man who wanted a project (it's mechanically fine, but the bodywork after being hit multiple times by our dear neighbours was not) - he paid more than we paid for it in 2008! (In fairness, it's also become a lot rarer in the interim and we're talking a couple of £100s not thousands!). He has promised to share pictures of progress on the forum where we advertised it too - I'm so happy he's (nearly all our cars have had names and the Tesla is the first to be a girl - yes, we're weird) gone to a good home

In bad news, Mr MV was shunted from behind by a truck on the M25 in our 71-plate, brand new to us - never owned a car this new before - Tesla. Truck driver didn't stop, so we've got a crime reference no. and Mr MV is putting in a claim. The beauty of the Tesla is that we have the whole thing on camera, including reg. no. so there's no way the driver is getting away with it. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the fact that our lovely, virtually brand new car has now got a dent in the rear quarter after all the effort Mr MV put in to find a perfect one 😔

Discovered that RHS membership only gets me into Houghton Hall at a reduced rate in June/July - so we're going to Norfolk again tomorrow! It's not ideal, but we both want to see the exhibition and it'll be a lovely day out. Seeing friends on Saturday who are feeding us with leftovers from a party, so we don't even need to take a dessert. Pub tonight too, so it should be a lovely weekend.

MS things:
* No R'ford delivery this week
* (Whispers) Things are growing at the allotment (there have been a fair few more casualties among borlotti beans, but the cannellinis are beginning to put out more leaves, the broccoli is sprouting (not literally yet) and the sprouts and kohl rabi are doing OK too.
* Despite the stressful Wednesday (when the car crash happened and then we had to visit the in-laws to get my car ready to go), we did not succumb to takeaway - easy food was to hand in the freezer.
* Still very busy with work
* Platform paid out for work in June - there was a delay which had communicated, but these things always make me nervous - more so when I'm currently in the middle of two large projects on there. Better yet, the payment included the first half of the project, which wouldn't have made the usual cut-off. This certainly doesn't compensate for not getting my Cambridge pay, but it will definitely help!
* Mr MV had signed up for newsletters from the hammock company we wanted to order our hammock from - and he got early access to the sale with a $50 discount code, so that helped We had already budgeted for this (with other garden furniture, so until we've decided on that, we won't know if we've made a saving).

Gratitudes:
* Had a lovely day out on Wednesday with the old dears (Trefoil Guild) before Mr MV's accident
* The gaba made getting B&W cat into his carrier a dream. And he was very cute while stoned... although I was worried he was going to fall into the pond at one point!
* A little bit of breathing space from main client, which is alllowing me to get on with the platform job
* Sunshine (although the temperatures today might be a bit much for me!)

Have a good day all!

QueenJess

Ugh... sorry to hear about the car, that's so annoying.  At least you have the recordings.

I love kohl rabi - got 1 in the fridge right now.  They are so versitile.. salads, stir fries, stews... basically anything goes!  I do love them in salads and stir fries for the crunch though

greenbee

I'm going to be at Houghton tomorrow evening for a concert Enjoy the exhibition and the gardens. My mum has made very good use of her RHS membership and has been several times this year as well as to Sandringham and the walled garden at Holkham. 

themadvix

Oh enjoy Greenbee! I thought of you last week as we drove through Swaffham and surrounds. Think we'll probably take a different route tomorrow though.

I made good use of the RHS membership last year (with it being intended to just be that year), but between this and Sandringham, which I definitely want to get to, I'm halfway to saving the membership money already - and I've not visited any partner gardens nearer home. I'm hopeful I'll also make it to Wisley/Hyde Hall again this year.

Greying_Pilgrim

themadvix said:

...... Gratitudes:

* Had a lovely day out on Wednesday with the old dears (Trefoil Guild) .......

Oi!  I was minded to join the Trefoil Guild - I had no idea they existed until someone mentioned it to me.  Sounds like if you land on a good group, they have an uproariously, spiffing amount of fun!  Possibly more than the young folk 😉 I must admit, the people who told me about it, were well into their (extremely active) retirement years, and possibly would be ineligible to be summonsed to jury service, but still.......🤣

I no longer have my 1970's (and it was a hand-me-down then) brown cotton, Brownie tunic, but I do still have my yellow cotton collar (modern neckers are way cooler) and trefoil brooch 🤓

Greying X

debtfreeoneday

Sorry to hear about the car but great you have it all on camera. 

greenbee

Sorry to hear about the car. These things always seem to happen when you have something nice/new/special. But at least no one was hurt. 

I hope you enjoyed Houghton and got a chance to look at the Gormleys. The concert was fabulous - it was a fundraiser for https://www.yorketrust.org/ in the Picture Gallery, so we saw the Gormleys in the garden before and during the interval, as well as the ones in the park on the way in. I hear the walled garden is looking fabulous at the moment (as is the one at Holkham. I think my mum has been to see them so many times with visiting friends (and to Sandringham) that her RHS membership is well and truly paid. Sadly I haven’t got round to using mine. I need to be more proactive next year!