So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

savingholmes

Allotment still producing well.

Good meal planning too.

themadvix

Allotment has loads still there SH - I'm growing borlotti and yin yang beans to dry for the winter, so they're still producing like mad. Still corn there and the courgettes are making a comeback after a brief break. Squashes (only 2!) are doing well too. And there's savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts and PSB alongside the romanesco. It's all very exciting! 

Cheery, I think it's a combination of beginner's luck and beginner's enthuasiasm! But hopefully it'll keep going!

themadvix

Right, that hotel has been booked, I've finished my work (still might do some more Cambridge stuff, but I really need to speak to someone with my queries and they're all OOO today), invoicing done, accounts up to date.... I need some lunch now and then I'll start the paying myself bit of the process - lots of expenses due from new computer stuff and cat sitting mileage. Faffy, but worth the extra 20% it gets me.

Hoping Cambridge will be good this month as invoices weren't for much! That said, there'll be other stuff too - cat sitting, work platform payment and surveys.

Must have some lunch first though!

themadvix

So when I booked the hotel, there was a £4 charge to pay, which appeared to be for breakfast. As the brochure said breakfast was included Mr MV told me to complain... so I've live chatted the experience company and they're now sending me a bottle of wine to apologise (it turns out the charge wasn't for breakfast, but a surcharge because it's busy, but that really wasn't clear)! Very happy with my wine!

the_cross_rabbit

🥳 free wine
CRx

savingholmes

Always nice to get freebies.

Karmacat

Excellent news on the wine!

QueenJess

What is a mattress technician? 🤔

LadyWithAPlan

Very impressed with your growing - looks delicious as well.

I am also loving your success at complaining - it is always worth the time to do it.

What is Cambridge? Your work I assume.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks everyone, very pleased with the wine. I wouldn't generally say I'm much of a complainer, but sometimes things bother me and it does seem worth spending the time to let companies know (I definitely think my complaint to Malmaison was worth it for both me and them).

@QueenJess, I'd like to know too! Imagine they want to check how sunk it is. @LadyWithAPlan, yes, Cambridge is my shorthand for the work I'm doing there - at home. I'm employed through the uni's temp employment service - very novel to be employed again!

Well, an unexpectedly busy day today. Olio last night, which went well - there was a lot, so we kept about 20 items - bananas, hot cross buns, a salad for Mr MV's lunch, some bread, some pastries, some crisps. So I spent this morning putting odd bags of food out in the garden for people to collect. Also had a meeting with a Cambridge colleague which was useful.

I then wanted to get the bunting for my friend finished as it really only needed pinning to the bias binding and stitching together. So I did this - made two bits - one for her and one to sell (which she gave me the material knowing this was what I was doing with it). Then thought I'd look at the other bits (for family), which I thought I still needed some more flags for. Not sure why I thought that - had enough for three more comparably sized bits and so pinned and stitched and finished them! So now have enough for one each for me, sis, cousins, mum and aunt, which was the plan as they are made from my Nan's, great-Nan's and other family members' embroidery. It feels huge to have finished this! I've also had another meeting with Cambridge boss/friend and done some more work there and also done several platform jobs. 

Still need to get to post box with RM survey item and friend's birthday card and pop to allotment for some chard to go with dinner, which will be prawn and bulgur wheat pilaf (along the lines of this). I didn't get a food inventory done, which was on my list, but I'm going to save that for another day - lucky me!

MS things:
* Lots of free food from Olio
* Plenty of work today
* A couple of 1P surveys
* RM survey stamps

Gratitudes:
* Helpful colleagues - I was panicking a bit that I wasn't on top of things, but they've helped me with the bits I needed help with (such a novelty)
* The bunting is finished!
* Lots of lovely Olioers - so many because I had crisps!

Have a nice evening all!