So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Thanks Cheery. Have come in as meeting should be at 5pm, but no meeting invite yet so I've just sent a follow-up to see if it's going ahead.

Mr MV now working late and going for a drink or two after work with colleague who is 'leaving' - she's only going to another department, but they've been intending to go for drinks for a while, so it's a good opportunity to combine the two. Means I'll need to use my car for Olio - let's hope it's not the night the gearbox decides its had enough! (No reason why it should be).

Hmm.... one minute to go, why do I feel this isn't going to happen....

themadvix

Still no reply... well I'm not going to sit around waiting for her. 

In other news, the project my client mentioned back in January is still in the pipeline.... just their client is still not ready yet! Maybe before the end of the year? In any case, it's good news.

Have a nice evening all, I'm off to sit in the garden with Harry Potter.

themadvix

…and a choc ice!

savingholmes

Enjoy Harry and the ice cream. 

Glad the project might come back. 

Hope new client comes up trumps.

themadvix

Morning all,

I did enjoy my ice cream and Harry, thanks SH. I then walked down to the allotment for a spot of watering and discovered some ripe blackberries, so picked a large mugful (my allotment mug was to hand!). Huge collection from Olio - and had to use my smaller car! 5 bags of bread and fresh stuff, 3 boxes of crisps and two trays of garden plants (why did they think these would sell at a little Tesco, I wonder?). Kitchen was full too. Most of it now allocated - some went last night, but lots this to go morning. We kept lunch for Mr MV, some bread, pastries for breakfast today and some crisps and a pack of veg samosas (and I had a sandwich and pastry for my dinner last night). Would have had a couple of plants but they were ones that want full sun and I don't have any space for them.

Am going out with Mum today - she wants to visit a furniture shop in High Wycombe, so that will be a nice adventure (with air con!). We may pop to a nearby NT place for a wander too - must remember my membership card. Dinner tonight will be stir fry (also courtesy of Olio).

Work still quiet (it's August), and heard nothing at all from potential client. Assume they don't want me then! Will need to do Cambridge stuff when I get back (although might pop on and do a little bit shortly) and I've got cat sitting starting this evening, so that's some money in.

MS things:
* Lots of free food!
* Clicks done, up 16p on HW
* Several little PA surveys done

Gratitudes:
* Lovely chat with lady I've been giving lots to via Freegle and Olio - she's really in need at the moment due to unfortunate circumstances, but very grateful and appreciative
* Got rid of all the use by stuff last night by 11pm, so could go to bed!
* Quite enjoyed my early evening on my own - sitting in the garden watching the fish in the pond was very therapeutic

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Sounds so good, madvix, I do admire the way you squeeze everything in, and always focus on your gratitudes.  You sound back up to snuff again, do you feel that way?  And let us know what the NT place was like  

savingholmes

Sounds like a good day - lovely to help people through Olio too.

themadvix

Morning all,

I've been a bit AWOL, haven't I? Mr MV had Friday and Monday off to give himself time to change the gearbox in my car. Not ideal in the heat! Mostly done now, but some more parts required, so they've been ordered and will hopefully be here soon. As far as we can tell, it looks good.

I'm truly rejoicing that it has cooled down at last! I do not cope well in the heat and really struggled to stay productive - which made me feel bad, given that Mr MV was beavering away outside in the heat over my car! That being said, various things have been done over the long weekend, including harvesting yet more courgettes, blackberries (into the freezer), baking banana bread to use up some grotty nanas (and some dark choc that had been lingering) and biscuits and just some general housework.

Sunday we visited some friends for a BBQ to give Mr MV a much needed break. Was lovely to see them and we contributed potatoes to our lunch. Popped in to see the in-laws afterwards, which led to a 'quick trip' into the loft and another 5 boxes removed, which we had fun going through - some good memory stuff in there from in-laws' wedding (kept, of course) and football programmes, ballet programmes and various other bits, all of which have got to be listed on the Bay of E. It was 80% off FVFs this weekend, so along with some bits of ours that needed to go on (there's always something, isn't there?), I've got 60ish items on there now, with plenty more to list! Two auctions ended in sales from the previous stuff at the weekend, so I've got them to dispatch today, along with one of the items from the weekend (lots of bits have gone on as BIN - think they're more that sort of thing). Some postage costs will be transferred/converted from my stamps to top up the Devon savings (£64 now). 

We've booked to go and see Manchester Utd Women at Old Trafford in December. Tickets were only £6 each (it's disgusting really!) and we thought we'd stay at the Travelodge in Altrincham, which is our usual haunt and convenient for Old Trafford. Unfortunately it's currently £100 for the Saturday night, rather than the £40 or so we expected. Hoping TL release room offers from September, but if not, I think we'll look to book a night using our BAG/VED vouchers (although it's just occurred to me that these probably exclude Saturday nights). Very frustrating! Worse case, we'll be able to find a Premier Inn or Travelodge further out, but that's a lot less convenient (and may result in additional parking costs), especially as we were hoping to go into the city centre for the Christmas markets too. Will have to see what happens and prepare to be flexible/inventive.

Had some actual work yesterday and a catch-up with my Cambridge boss/friend and some work there too. Quiet again today, so I've got a to-do list to be getting on with. Have cancelled veg box delivery this week as definitely didn't need a set box (with potatoes and courgettes!) and didn't need enough to make up a box of my own. Will pop to Sains for these bits later. Hoping to pick some more blackberries today and will check on plums too. Need to get leeks in the ground, but can't be bothered with taking the car down there at the moment - might take a few at a time on foot!

MS things:
* Won a free bet (couldn't be bothered to lay as my BF account doesn't have any cash in it), so withdrew another £5 from L4dbr0kes Have also just added another free spin to my repertoire
* Clicks done
* PA surveys
* £2 YL survey
* Ebay postage 'profits'
* Ebay listings (of our stuff)
* Bananas not wasted, oven time maximised with biscuits, cake and paninis all in there

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with friends, although heat and children were both energy-sapping!
* Fun times going through stuff from the loft!
* Some lovely garden mealtimes with Mr MV - it's lovely sitting watching the fish as we eat
* Fresh and free blackberries on my porridge
* It's cooler - but where's the rain?!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Oh, and have given roofer the go ahead. Scaffolding expected on 5th September and should only take a week from then. Will need to find the money. Not sure I mentioned this but we have a share save scheme from Mr MV’s work maturing in November that is unlikely to be worth more than we paid into it, so will probably put this towards the roof. MIL has offered to loan us some money so may take her up on this in the short term. Mum has muttered about giving us some as she’s giving my Sis some, but I’ve muttered back that she doesn’t need to, so will see what happens there. We do have the cash in my buffer fund in any case and between us we should be able to scrape together the shortfall between sharesave and total bill, although it will mean a couple of cheap months. (Obviously we do actually have plenty to cover it, but now is not the time to be taking money out of S&S ISA if we can avoid it!)

savingholmes

Good that you have a sharesave funding - even if not what you'd hoped. Good luck with getting the roofing resolved. 

Good to have such a productive allotment. 

Glad some new work is coming in