So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Morning all,

Another day, another Prime Minister... hopefully this one lasts a bit longer as we need the stability!

Our night out with the in-laws on Saturday was lovely - Mr MV and I wandered round to the Granary and Coal Drops Yard for a look first, then met the in-laws at the champagne bar (where we were entertained by the antics of a mouse!), then dinner at the German Gymnasium. It was delicious, huge portions and a lovely building. Love German cuisine too, so a real treat. Picked up a TGTG bag for Sunday's lunch too. In MS news, MIL has very kindly told us not to pay back the loan we had with her for the roofing work (£2k). We fought this, but have lost! It's our Christmas present (the others will be getting the same, for similar things).

Sunday was a very low energy day (I drove to the station, so not hungover!) - I did sort some ebay bits for listing as there was 80% off FVFs. Had a veggie roast for dinner and filled oven with pudding and florentines for the week too.

Yesterday was a Niece day and we met one of my school friends and her two little ones - the eldest is the same age as Niece. A great, cheap day out - park in the morning, picnic (my sister even made me sandwiches!), then into the city centre for a wander around the cathedral (visitor displays to entertain 5-year-olds!), a cafe visit (£10.50) and the library, where the children made halloween masks. Only spends were cafe and £4 on parking. Picked up some Olio rolls and bananas in the evening and we had borlotti and ricotta bake - it was a Riverford recipe, but not up to their usual standards - don't think I'd bother with again. Did use homegrown borlotti beans though

Mr MV headed off early to Cardiff for meetings this morning and I've been sent a deluge of work, which is lovely (plenty of variety). 

MS things:
* Clicks, HW done
* RM survey item posted
* Heating still not clicking on - still over 17 degrees here (using wheat sheep and tea to keep warm)
* Heated airer has been dispatched by Lakeland
* Finally got around to ordering the thermal fabric for the window coverings
* Item sold on FB marketplace for £25 pending collection (it's had loads of interest, so will find someone who wants it, I'm sure)
* Have loads of 'panel survey/discussion' type invites (for projects, not to new communities) - will investigate if it's worth doing any of these
* R'ford delivery coming this week but not a set box (as again, it duplicates what we already have available). Credit on account due to milk leakage, means it will only cost £8.60.
* Friday's milk cancelled as we're swimming in it (and R'ford bringing more). Milk now £1.38/pint from milkman for glass bottles and organic. Will have to look at this - and use less/buy elsewhere but I really don't want it in more plastic (R'ford milk comes in plastic, but is cheaper, which was part of the original compromise when I switched to the milkman). Am expecting/hoping we can cancel some of Monday's, but need to know it's still fresh by then. May make rice pudding if it's getting less fresh!

Gratitudes:
* A lovely night out on Saturday
* Very generous parents--in-law
* A lovely day yesterday with niece - she's so good and a pleasure to look after (great to see friend too!)

Have a good day all!

LadyWithAPlan

I really like the German Gymnasium. The Dishoom in Coals Drop is really good as well and in an amazing old building
They have done a great job with the updating of Kings X and Coals Drop.

Karmacat

I've walked around that Kings X renovation before lots of the venues were fully open, when I'd arrived *much* too early for my train - it's an amazing site, I'm so glad they've opened it up like that.  It sounds fantastic now!

German food, yum.  Seriously under-rated.  The first time I rented out rooms in my house, I had a German lodger (studying physics in English!!!!) and when her parents came over, the cooking smells in the house were just tremendous!

And your gift from your in-laws!  Lovely people  

themadvix

We saw them queuing outside Dishoom, and I've heard of it. Gather from the guys talking at the table next to us at GG that you can't book at Dishoom. (Odd men, one was scraping the sauce up onto his knife and licking it - do table manners not exist any more?!)

It is lovely round there (I just had very uncomfortable shoes on for walking - would have enjoyed it more in something more comfortable!)

newgirly

I have the Lakeland heated airier, it’s fantastic, heats the room too 😬

themadvix

newgirly said:

I have the Lakeland heated airier, it’s fantastic, heats the room too 😬

Your recommendations of it over the years are one of the main reasons I’ve bought it! And others in here - don’t know anyone in real life who has one, but our friends are also trying to buy one at the moment.

 Finally finished work for today - just time for quick walk to allotment (for walk as much as anything) before mum arrives for dinner.

savingholmes

Great news on the £2K gift. It all helps. 

Glad you had a fun night out too.

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks @savingholmes - the £2k certainly does make a difference! We had it lined up to come from the Sharesave scheme we've been paying into with Mr MV's work (ends next month), but now that can go towards the mortgage come Jan or June.

I've had a headache since yesterday evening, so really not feeling my brightest this morning. Mum came for dinner last night - salmon, with hg potatoes and she brought some pak choi. Was nice to see her and we enjoyed Bake Off together - I've not really been watching as it's on when I'm at my evening class, but I've seen a couple, so it was good to get an update!

Rotovator has sold for £35 more than starting price (received an offer for £100!) - as this was inherited with my allotment shed, I am *very* pleased with this! Man is coming Friday morning to collect (Mr MV will be here). This money will remain in the allotment pot for improvements there - fruit cages, rebuild of the strawberry bed etc (although I'm still thinking on that one). Did a little bit of weeding at the allotment yesterday when I popped down there - would like to do the same again at some point today - I think little and often is the key (especially for my back).

FB sale went through yesterday too, so that was another £25 for the pot (I will need to go to the bank on Friday afternoon as we have a lot of cash (for us!) at the moment and it's not earning interest if it's sitting around here.)

Workwise, still plenty to be getting on with and still a nice mix of things. And I have Cambridge work to crack on with when I have a gap. Olio tonight. 

'New' laptop did exactly the same as original new laptop, so I've written to the manufacturer again and asked what they think I should do. It must be one of their component drivers not liking Win 11 - it's the only possible thing that could be wrong. I don't necessarily want to run Win 11 (it's horrible), but I've just bought a brand new laptop and it *should* be able to run Win 11. 

I was waiting for the laptop to arrive (in the hope it would work) before downloading a piece of software needed for some of the Cambridge work (they've purchased a licence for me, so I'll now need to see what the situation is if I have to transfer it at some point). Nothing is simple, is it?

I've just sent an email to the mattress retailer to follow up there as I've not heard anything back from them. I'm not happy about the mattress situation and if they feel that pillowtop mattresses are likely to get such dents more than other mattresses, then I think this should be highlighted at the time of purchase. It was not, so I have pointed out that this constitutes misselling (I have not checked the legalities of this!)... we will see what they say. I'd like *something* back from them, even if they're paying me to go away, frankly - £900 is too much to spend and be dissatisfied with the product.

MS things:
* Clicks done and HW - no wins today
* RM survey stuff to prep and process
* Heated airer is being delivered today  
* Have signed up to the Octopus energy saving thing - we did the trial earlier in the year and it worked for us (and we got pennies back then), so don't see why not to do it again this time round, when it will have a wider impact.
* Thermal fabric arrived, so will have to do something with that at the weekend
* Had our water bill - DD will be going down £1/month to £14. Very pleased with this! Have used water butt more for watering and we've not had a big water change in the pond this year. A second (larger) water butt is on our list for the next few months, so hoping we can improve this further.

Gratitudes:
* Paracetamol is helping the headache
* Heating still of as it's remarkably mild
* Electric blanket

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Another early start as Mr MV had a meeting to go to elsewhere today. He should be back by lunchtime though.

Olio collection done last night and we've got lunch for Mr MV, apples, Indian snacks, some chicken slices, fresh noodles and a pastry each. I have a weird selection of leftovers for my lunch - bolognese sauce, two cooked new potatoes, carrot sticks and hummus (Olio) and stuffing (from our weekend roast!)! Dinner will be stir fry to use the noodles, two hg peppers that need eating, the last fresh borlotti beans and a couple of other bits that need using. R'ford delivery should be arriving today.

Feeling much brighter today - the headache has all but gone, which is hugely helpful. Have done various bits of work this morning and will now turn my attention to the Cambridge project for a few hours. Planning on pinching Mr MV's car when he gets back to pop down to Mum's town to do a couple of jobs (and help her out with a couple too). Need to get to allotment (with car) to collect rotovator later - and the man may yet come today for it.

Heated airer is doing its thing and we are now exporting electricity, so it's costing nothing to run. Have just popped a sheet over to see whether that helps keep the heat in (it should, I'm just doing a bit of testing to see what works and how best to do things). That being said, apart from a brief shower earlier, the weather has been better than forecast!

MS things:
* Clicks done and HW - no wins there today
* PA surveys done
* PC survey done
* YG survey done
* Free Olio food
* Cambridge pay arrived and small cc bill paid. Down to just two in use now and hopefully it'll stay that way - that's the issue with switching for points all the time, things (milk and R'ford) are tied to other cards and payments taken before you realise. (Two cards because one is Amex - best for points earning and flexible on redemption; and Virgin Atlantic - best for Virgin miles, no flexibility in points use, but Mastercard, so use for anywhere that doesn't take Amex). All cards paid off in full every month.
* £4.50 TT from Cambridge pay into savings (and still some left in current a/c, just undecided as to where to send this.

Gratitudes:
* No headache - definitely one of those things that you don't realise how bad it was until it's gone
* Grateful Olioers
* Some flexibility in my day today to get some non-work things done

Have a good day all!

newgirly

Glad you are glad you are feeling bettter Vix, with the heated airier if I have a ton of washing I just slap a load of wet towels /bedclothes over the top instead of a sheet it still all dries and holds the heat in, either way having something over the top really helps.