So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

try_harder

We have just come back from a four night Havxn holiday too and like you amazing weather and a paddle in the sea .We tend to go on these holidays a few times a year due to how very reasonably priced they are .Glad you had a fantastic time .I love Devon .We used to go to North Devon every year 

savingholmes

Glad you had a lovely time away and pretty much on budget too.

newgirly

Sounds like a really good value and fun break, might have a look for next year myself 😬

themadvix

Morning all and thanks for your comments!

Definitely great value, aren't they, TH! 

Another couple of bits I forgot to mention on my post yesterday were the collection of 3 tins of mushy peas, some bread, 6 eggs, a leek and satsumas from a local Olioer and that I made Foxgloves' garlic flatbreads, which went down really well with Mr MV. Very cheap and now a bag of them in the freezer.

Dinner last night was fish pie, but it was a bit of a disaster! Just one of those cooking sessions where nothing works out as planned (sauce didn't thicken, less fish than I thought, used every available item in the kitchen....). However, as I poached the fish in the milk for the sauce beforehand and everything was hot, I didn't bother putting the oven on - just grilled the top of the pie for the crunch instead. That did work. Also bought cat chicken yesterday and instead of using the oven, I cooked it in the IP - because I only have a small one I had to do it in batches, but even then, because it is lower power than the oven, I was able to maximise use of the solar and it cost less to cook. Will do it that way again I think.

Today I have a meeting with a cat sitting client and a friend - the lady needs cat sitting for three months and we are planning to split it between us, but I'm not entirely sure it's going to work out. Friend (also experienced cat sitter) seems to want to charge more because it's a long-term commitment, but I think client is going to want discounted rates. I know what I think is reasonable and don't want to fall out with either of them, so if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but I'm still stressing because of the risk of confrontation and upset. Why did I get into this?!

Have had a cat sitting request for another of my regulars, but I'm away at the beginning of their trip, so not sure if that's going to work out either!

In more positive news, I have an upcoming project for a client I did some work for in lockdown - should be a substantial amount and a great rate too (especially given its in USD), so that's good. Also have work from my two main non-US clients, so keeping busy. Also a bigger project for Cambridge with some longer term deadlines, so looks like I'll be working there for the foreseeable future - and I get to do some training too!

We still have scaffolding up - I will see if I can get Mr MV to hassle them about this, but he's busy with work and had a carp night's sleep, so he may not get around to it/I don't want to pile pressure on (I'm happy to call, but don't know if they'll talk to me as it's all in his name).

We are having a R'ford delivery this week, but have made my own version of a box as everything was a bit too duplicated with what we've got - this will stock us up on onions, carrots, ginger without extra peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, squash (all of which were in the expected box and all of which I already have!). Saved money too - £17 instead of £20.

MS things:
* Clicks done and HW
* MM survey done
* Did I mention I've ordered my heater airer? Waited until LL sent me a 10% off welcome voucher. 

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine again today
* Work opportunities
* Looking forward to seeing ex-Brownie-leader friends tomorrow

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Cat sitting meeting went fine and we've agreed a price I think we're all happy with. I need to type up the notes and sort the paperwork out. It's not a great hourly rate, but it's guaranteed work Dec-Mar and a complement to my other work. I have two other cat sitting bookings for December and that will now be it for then. I've put my rate up again on CIAF too - the increasing petrol prices just make it unfeasible for them to stay as they were. I've noticed people are tending to only book one visit a day in any case to save money, so this balances that out - they still are charged less than two visits, but I get slightly more for that visit.

savingholmes

Nice to have some income certainty. Putting up your rates sounds sensible too. 

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks SH

What a cold and dreary morning here.... forecast is for improved weather later, so I'm saving putting the dishwasher on until then. 🙄 Where is that battery?!

Busy day yesterday with work, Cambridge meeting about new project and meeting ex-Brownie friends for a walk and a chat in the afternoon. Not a NSD (not that I worry about that generally) as I bought an artichoke plant at the garden centre we had a cuppa at - half price and something I have been thinking about for the allotment; it was my turn to pay for the drinks; and then I was absolutely starving on the way home (I'd looked at the cakes at the cafe, but was with two very virtuous friends, so refrained) so may have had a McD's apple pie.... whoops. Glad I did though because food was definitely needed and there was nothing snacky at home. Dinner was leftover curry from the night before - a curry sauce jar from one of my Olio collections, quorn and leftover roasted BNS chucked in for good measure. Olio collection last night yielded lunch for Mr MV (a salad box), some Ryvita crackers (one box for Mr MV to take to work and keep in his drawer for emergencies, one for home), strawberries, shallots and a couple of pastries. 

Today I've got loads of work again, which I have been cracking on with. It's cold though (not actually - 17.8 according to the thermostat, so not too bad and heating would come on if it dropped below 17), so lots of tea required. Might warm up my microwaveable sheep too.

Mattress technician is coming today, so hoping to make progress there. Will chase up laptop manufacturer if I haven't heard from them by midday as they've received the returned one but haven't yet dispatched new one. Did I mention scaffolding is coming down tomorrow? Hooray! Not heard anything from M&S about my complaint about my Sparks discount yet. And my heated airer is still OOS (there's been a further delay from what I was told to expect) - not entirely surprising and not a problem at the minute (although I do need to do some washing ...).

MS things
* HW done (absolutely zilch for the last few days), clicks done
* Free Olio food
* Didn't use the oven Tues or Weds (will do tonight, planning on breading some fish, making wedges (hg potatoes) and enjoying one of the dented tins of mushy peas)
* Bargainous, healthy artichoke - just need to decide where I am putting it

Gratitudes:
* Big catch up with ex-Brownie friends as we haven't seen each other in a couple of months (and a lot has happened in those months!)
* Electric blanket (so glad I bought it last year, as they are OOS everywhere at the minute)
* A free evening this evening - no plans (an early night beckons as we're both exhausted)

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

themadvix said:

I was absolutely starving on the way home (I'd looked at the cakes at the cafe, but was with two very virtuous friends, so refrained) so may have had a McD's apple pie.... whoops. Glad I did though because food was definitely needed and there was nothing snacky at home.  

I used to love those back in the day - it was agony trying to wait for the apple filling to cool down long enough so that I didn't get burned 🤣

themadvix

There's always a risk of getting burnt with them, isn't there! My favourite though, was a BK apple pie - not been seen for about 25 years though - a little wedge-shaped box with a deliciously soft pastry on top of the apple.... wish they'd bring them back!

themadvix

So mattress technician has been. Very nice man, but it's a pass or fail test and the mattress passed. The system does allow for him to record that I'm not happy with the result, which is interesting and suggests that it might not be the end of the matter, but we'll see. Apparently because it's a pillowtop it can be expected to form dips of up to 4.5 cm after 3 years. How that is a) acceptable and b) not something they have to tell you when purchasing (i.e. that pillowtops are specifically more likely to do this) is not entirely clear. Any suggestions as to where I go from here (to take this further) would be welcome - we spent £900 on this mattress 3 years ago on the basis that you get what you pay for (it's the Premier Inn brand (different model)). Clearly this is not the case, but we can't afford to keep buying mattresses every 3 years!

In better customer service news, my first R'ford delivery since June (because of allotment) arrived and the milk bottle had a split in it (put it away in fridge door, opened door a couple of minutes later and the tray was swimming with milk 😲). Most of the milk rescued into other receptacles, refund requested and they've credited me with that and £5 for the inconvenience - I Riverford! (I might treat us to a recipe box as that's about half the cost of one.)

Struggling with my back today - it's not been right ever since the physio poked it! 🙄