Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

TallGirl

It was lovely having everyone here for lunch yesterday but it took time out of the day. My aunt funeral is on Friday which is when I have my haircut. Luckily DG agreed I could have her slot yesterday so I went and got mine cut. It is a new hairdresser as I did not like the way the other one did my highlights it really ruined my hair. It is quite short but I kind of like that my curls are back.

Electrician fitted the electric charger for the car that arrives in the autumn so that is all done now we just need to work out how it works and not lose the bits for it. He is back this morning to sort the outside lights on so they do not come on all the time and remove the old wiring which are DIY and not really safe.

The guy who can get rid of the lawn weeds are coming Friday or Saturday so all good there. More expensive but if I can only get on top of things it will be a lot better.

Started on my new Art Sweater even though the pink top is not done yet. I just fancied a change. I will try to work on both as the pink one is a Summer one so really needs completing. The Art Sweater will take ages as it needs to be embroidered afterwards with all the colours.

After this I want to do all the bill setting up it really needs doing but so far having the two accounts works well. Right off to do that.

TallGirl

I didn't post yesterday as it was a bit of a stressful one as Dgs laptop could not connect to the internet. It just coincided with the electrician removing a load of wires from the loft. Dg was hysterical as she could not work and as my computer was ok it had to be hers. We called the IT guy he said get out of the VPN and we did that but it did not work still. He could only come in the evening so DG went off on her own to cool off and I did some gardening.

He came at 6pm and he found the fault it was a setting DG had done herself on the VPN so all fixed. I also got a docking station so I can now hook up hardwire not just wifi.

I got all the mulch in the huge bag moved into smaller bags so the pallet could come out and get moved into the shed. The front now looks a lot better and I got the lawn done. It is not as hot here so easy to do stuff. I do not think the wasps are in the nest so I should be able to sort the shed out properly. I would really like to hang up my tidy for my garden tool and also some brackets for the ladder. It is quite a big shed but there is no bottom in it so I am going to use the pallets as the bottom I just hope they are the same height.

I am going to start the work for DG today and I will keep on working next week too. It is going to be super boring so I will have to do regular breaks hopefully sort the shed out. I am also going to the Summerhouse with the family hopefully Weds and Thurs.

Urgent to do

Swap September cinema shift

Washing on when cheap electric

To do

Research Robo lawn mover need to make decision soon

Sort kitchen cupboards MADE PROGRESS

Contact insole person in UK to get new appointment as mine broken.

Tidy up shed - it has a huge wasps nest in it so need to get some poison got poison

Fill up weights for pop up (Get stones)

Mow lawn DONE

Contact kitchen firm again DONE

To do for DG

Declare her part time job and find out how we do the travel expenses.

Do pension form for Danish Tax

Book time to get new Danish driving license

TallGirl

Morning I am off to my aunt funeral in a couple of hours so quick work beforehand. Yesterday continued a bit like the day before with Dg flipping out regularly about work. She is defo going to give notice (long one) for the job she cannot leave or they will close in the hope that it will force them to actively find someone not just ask on Facebook. We did have a lot of IT issues getting me set up for the IT systems but all sorted and I can now do the work. It is tedious but it helps DG a lot and keeps me busy.

She has a chat with a potential "job" which might give us lead for the side I am involved in. We will have to pay commission but until our own stuff takes off it could be handy to replace the part time wages.

We also got news that my dad has gotten into the nursing home which is 20min from me and 10min from my sister so that is just ideal. He will be that much closer and we can visit and spend time with him. He can move in 1st August so today my sister and I can discuss how we do this. We need to get some of his things over from his prev home but not everything obviously. There might be a few things he will need on top of that but we shall see no doubt there is a massive list he will need.

My sister gets back 29th July and we go one the 4th August so there is just a small window to get it all done. He is really settled where he is now but it was not long term so he had to move again that will be his 4th move in 2 months as well as the hospital so not good for someone with dementia but this is at least the final one.

You do have to pay for nursing homes over here but luckily my dad has a massive final salary pension which my mum never made claim on (silly her) so the house will not have to be sold to pay for care at least.

I got the electricians bill paid that was actually not bad. We saved ourselves £120 for not having a sensor on the lights out the back but we will need to rig something solar up for walking to the pool bar in winter. We had some really good ones in the UK so I might order one from Amaz@n again.

Still enjoying the knitting of the new sweater but have made some mistakes so had to unravel quite a bit but no problem I would like to get it right. Next step is to add the black bits to look like print. You get a pattern for that so that will be interesting.

I have also got some more Danish IA training on Sunday they found me someone so that is really good. It is $100 for 1 hour so not bad. My niece misses out but she is so busy now it is her holiday.

Anyway best crack on.

To do

Research Robo lawn mover need to make decision soon

Sort kitchen cupboards MADE PROGRESS

Contact insole person in UK to get new appointment as mine broken.

Tidy up shed - it has a huge wasps nest in it so need to get some poison got poison - now I do not think there are any wasps.

Fill up weights for pop up (Get stones)

Contact kitchen firm again CHASE NEXT WEEK SHE PROMISED TO CALL BACK yesterday

To do for DG

Declare her part time job and find out how we do the travel expenses.

Do pension form for Danish Tax

Book time to get new Danish driving license

daisy_1571

Are your mum and dad still married tg? Sorry to be thinking ahead but I'm wondering if she will get a widows part of his pension when the sad time comes for your dad, if there is anything you need to think about for the pension now like checking who the nomination for any lump sum in case tge awful girlfriend is named?

TallGirl

Thanks Daisy they are not married divorced a long time ago and my mum did not want to claim back then which was really silly as she had no pension back then however she did catch up later on in life.

I have nominated my girlfriend/wife on everything so all sorted yes. Very important. Many years ago I paid a lot for a review from an IFA and he did not mentioned this part so when my then husband died I was not nominated on life insurance or his pensions. How crap not to mention something that important. Had we not been married I would have got nothing when he died.

I am all sorted for the AI tomorrow just need to read the scripts once over but can do that later or tomorrow morning.

Yesterday with the funeral went really well. It was nice being there with my sister and hubby and catching up with cousins I have not seen for years plus the ones we saw in May. One of them owns a fitness centre about 1 hour from here with all the classes we like plus a golf simulator I do wish we lived nearer lol. God she was fit and looked amazing and she is exactly the same age as me. I felt very fat and frumpy for sure.

We are going to see dads new home on Monday and then I think I will travel down to the Summerhouse and spend until Tuesday there. I will go home and stay here Weds night and then return to spend another night. My mum will be there too so it should be lovely and it is right on the beach which helps when it is this hot.

This morning I got the garden and now patch of grass treated for weeds so that should start working in the next 14 days. I might have to reseed but at least the battle will be won as it was just impossible to keep on top of. I still need a robo mower but I think it might have to be a 4 wheel drive one. That is £500 more but could be worth it.

I do have a lot of work to do for DG this week so will do some tomorrow so I can take more time off at the Summerhouse.

I think that is it for now, have a lovely Saturday.

TallGirl

It is just full on eventhough I am enjoying the Summerhouse with the family. The house is lovely and 100 meters from the beach. I did get stung by a jelly fish yesterday not much fun and I am back home now working but leaving later to join them again.

This morning I have arranged for the internet people to finally send someone out. After insisting it had to be something with next doors internet connection they looked it up and we called the day after the new people got connected so that is a funny coincident isnt it. At least it is off the list for the moment. It is obviously not the neighbours fault she has just offered to water my plants which was really nice of her.

So is the kitchen dishwasher saga. The fitter is coming out next week to fit it back in that will be so so good I am so fed up with having to hold it while trying to use it.

The cats were so pleased to see me last night it was really sweet I let them sleep on the bed and Ginger did but he was a bit of a pain actually. Right now he is wondering around on my desk trying to get cuddles. Not very productive.

I should really get the insoles sorted too that would make it a hat trick as well as book our stay in the UK in Aug. We are now staying with friends 3 nights so it is only 4 nights we need. Two nights in a travel lodge and 2 nights in Brighton. We can tick off the bucket list of seeing a dragshow and staying down there. I need to call them as we need to book their roast dinner too and ask for late check out on the day we travel back from Gatwick.

We saw my dads new nursing home on Monday and it was a lovely flat. It has a lounge with a little kitchenette incl a fridge and a sink (obv no hobb). Then there is a bedroom and a lovely huge bathroom. There is also a balcony at the end of the lounge overlooking some gardens so that is so nice. It is 20min from here and 10min from my sisters. We can move all his stuff on my birthday 1/8 and then get it all installed on the 2nd. We can then drive over to get him on the 3/8 and then were off on the 4/8. So much paperwork but I am printing it all out and we can complete it together. He is exempt from digital which does help quite a bit but then we are stuck with printing and completing by hand.

Sadly his horrible girlfriend's daughter has found him again we do not know how she might just have called around until she thought she got him. They were coming to see him yesterday but may not have turned up I am going to call the home in a minute to see if I can arrange for me to pick him up early on the 21st for his hearing tests. I think I will come over on the Monday and then see him to prepare him. Won't get to see DG much as she is back Sunday but heyho cannot be helped. He will soon be here at least. Also we still have my sisters car which really helps so I think we will defo keep it. Update I phoned the home she had not been I think the daughter was just fishing by claiming they were coming for coffee that afternoon. Bloody horrible family they are. The carer said to me she could not help herself and she spoke to my dad about his family and had he been married before. She then asked if he had a girlfriend and he said NO. So cool lol.

We can see the new Skoda (not test drive it) so I think we will do that when we go to the airport or when we are coming back. That will be really nice to see it before we commit to the order.

Right off to book some hotels

TallGirl

UK trip all sorted bar a few train journeys we are not sure on but with the together rail card it is not too bad and they are quite short journeys so good to be flexible.

Travelodge was £94 but it is prime holiday and it will save us on Ubers and we can get the train easily from the other side of the water as we will have given back the car by this point. Train to Brighton and to Gatwick was really cheap £30 for 2 people 2 single journeys happy days for that together card I finally bought. There are still a couple more journeys as I said so more money saving even when not prebooked.

I have just had some lunch and I am almost packed to go back to the summer house. I am planning on staying until Friday as my sister will feed the cats Thursday morning or Wednesday night. Then I will have to work hard Fri, Sat and Sunday to get on with work.

To do

Research Robo lawn mover need to make decision soon

Sort kitchen cupboards MADE PROGRESS

Contact insole person in UK to get new appointment as mine broken. Fixed them myself DONE

Tidy up shed - :(

Fill up weights for pop up (Get stones)

Mow lawn

Contact kitchen firm again DONE they are coming next week

To do for DG

Declare her part time job and find out how we do the travel expenses.

Do pension form for Danish Tax

Book time to get new Danish driving license

TallGirl

Morning I am back from the Summerhouse we had a lovely time and although I had planned to stay for another day the internet is being fixed today so had to come back. It has been really nice spending quality time with them all especially my niece. We have also had my mum there which was great. She really is forgetting lots of things but she has a diary and she is not yet at the stage where she repeats herself all the time.

Just been speaking to the IT guy for 30 min but he is on the case it is all very strange that it is not working. I really do hope they can fix it as it is a pain and DG gets so stressed when it goes down. She had an interview yesterday for a consultancy post remotely with a London firm. She got an email saying they would like to speak to her next week so that is positive.

Today I need to do the work but also cut the lawn so my plan is if the internet is working I can break it down and get outside and do bits there and then back to work. I would also like to do some knitting I am loving the Art Sweater I have personalised it now getting rid of the following words, Boston will be replaced with Cats, Berlin with name of white cat, Dali with name of ginger cat and Art with Golf. I think it will be fun to have a personalised one. I had missed a few bits in the pattern which my niece spotted. It is basically a load of XXX XXX but you then have to find the % 3 + etc which shows where you put random 3 other coloured stitches in. The paper pattern is very faint and it is quite hard to spot them so I am so glad she went through the whole pattern for me and found loads I had missed. I do still need to progress with the pink summer top.

Anyway I must crack on.

TallGirl

Sitting here doing some work but it is so so boring I do not know how DG does it or actually I do know she would get someone else to do it as it is not something solicitors really do. Anyway it is progressing but deadly slow.

DG is in the air so all should be good as she has the car at the other end. It has been so so good borrowing my sisters car I really think we need two even just the cheap run around. I have managed to do the grass and burn the weeds and we are finally getting some rain. It has been a long time coming but it looks heavy so I really hope it carries on. My borders are looking so dry so a bit of rain will really help. I did manage to mov the new grass a bit of the new plot where the grass is really long. We might need a 4 x 4 robo so more to ponder over at this rate I might as well get one next year or at the end of the season if they sell them off that would be handy. I am still enjoying the raspberries it is lovely to walk past a pick a few every day. I would like a fruit patch on the new plot but would I get around to picking it if it is hidden away. I think it would have to be by the entrance I am making in the hedge.

Tomorrow I am off to visit my dad to prepare him for the hearing aid visit then staying at mums. I think she is sad we will no longer come over so often but she is adamant she will not come over here. She took 4 hours instead of 2 1/2 to drive to the Summer house which was a worry as she could not follow the GPS or her phone. I think train is the best option from now on and my nephew is driving her back tonight as he cannot get the trains either due to the planned engineering that takes place for a whole month. Honestly it is great it gets repaired and it is planned but a month really!!! Most Danes take 3 weeks off in the Summer so maybe it is not too bad for them.

I am really looking forward to having DG back it has been a long week but also fun in the Summer house less fun working on my own in the house. I am going to do 1 hour more and then I will call it a day. Forgot to say we got a call Friday my dad had a fall and ended up in hospital but they sent him home nothing wrong. Now had he been here we could have gone with him but soon we can.

DG has another interview next week for that London based firm so that is really good news. She can definitely resign the stress job she has to travel for this week and the other one is fully remote. We might even be able to meet them when we are in London. Anyway now I must get on with some work.

TallGirl

It was lovely having DG back and we had a chilled Sunday and I did a bit of work Monday before heading off for my dads. I visited him to prepare him and he seemed really pleased he was getting hearing aids again. Then we started talking about moving over here and of course he got totally confused with the dates and what we are doing. He did say he was looking forward to it. I showed him some pictures of his new flat and he did as to see them again so that was really good. Wish I had taken some more actually. I then got to my mums but nipped into my dads old house first as he has a friend in his current place so I could pick up his alcohol free beers and some soft drinks.

Dinner with mum was lovely and we chatted and went to bed quite early. She did not seem confused or like she had been in the Summer House so I could not bring up the dementia worry which was a shame but I also know it would upset her.

Tuesday I drove to my dads to pick him up and we got the hearing aids fitted. It only took 45 min but they want to see him again. All hospitals and medical stuff works via region so as he is moving this could be tricky. They said they did not want the check up done over here so it had to be with them. They kindly agreed they could see him 3.30pm on the day he moves here which I think will work well. It does mean he gets to his new place a bit late but otherwise we would have to make another much longer trip with him across the pay bridge. I have not told my sister she is on holiday so good for her to switch off from it all.

I had lunch with mum and then we both went to dads house and got packing. We got the TV off the wall in the old box it came in. Packed a load of clothes but not all of it. Some photos and some pictures we did not want to take in the big trailer when we come over. A neighbour popped over he really really wants to buy my dads house his garden backs onto dads and his son is a carpenter who could really use the workshops. My dads house has tenants but they pay very little and the house is actually in a sorry state. I think the tenant overheard my conversation with the neighbour (although I did not say anything about what we are doing as we cannot and my dad is very much alive). She came down and was fine. My mum asked what are you doing and she said she is saving for a deposit. She did say once the place is sold they have 1 year to get out unless the new owners are moving into that flat they are in. (There are only 2 and a cellar which is not approved for habitation so we are trying to get him out.).

Anyway I got back just before 6pm which was fine but i was quite tried it was about 4 1/2 driving in total yesterday which is a lot when you are not used to it. It is great to borrow my sister car though.

Speaking of cars we are going to see the new Skoda on Tuesday as we are in a town that has a Skoda dealer and it could be a bit pushed at the time we go to the airport.

So today I need to do some work for DG but I still have the old stuff to finish off. I also need to look at how I order some hearing aid stuff for my dad but I might wait to check with my sister first.

Dishwasher repair guy come today so cannot wait to get that fixed.