NST June 2023 Flotsam and Jetsam

pollyanna_26

I have been struggling to access the forums. thunder and lightning over a number of days and nights meant the internet was pretty hit and miss, Yesterday both TV and dvd player were no longer working, I had a look outside at the TV ariel high on the side of the house but couldn't see any visible damage.

After I sent my previous laptop hurtling downstairs to land on a hard wooden floor a poster on one of the threads on the forum recommended the laptop she'd just bought but it turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Sometimes ok others not . It's a HP and has a very annoying HP announcer which is supposed to help solve problems but is just very irritating.

we used to have a couple of good internet providers but a few years ago sky took over O2 and my direct debit account without warning.

They have kept the account as O2 and it seems that connection is no longer secure which is why i'm having the current connection problems. I've written to them over the years tried phoning and online chat but no joy.It's really annoying to have any contact ignored.

I'm not sure if I can cancel that direct debit and choose another provider but youngest dd is the person with tech knowledge and she hasn't been well lately still being messed about with the BUPA dentists two years at least since starting treatment and paying a small fortune for each appointment.

I've has a quick read of posts and am glad things seem ok for the poorlies or their loved ones. rwally impressed with F0xh0les posts

Icould do with some of what you're on.

GMN you haven't mentioned whether DS3 has continued listing the vinyl but the sooner you get your home back the better. Too many trip hazards and stuff in your way at the moment.  With the way property costs are rising now a rental would probably be best for them rather than you trying to buy a property for them. auctioning the vinyl could help give them a start.

i've been meaning to ask if you have what my mum used to call a parlour in your house. Ourswas a large front room usualy used for big family new year gatherings. As the eldest daughter who loved reading and had two younger sisters who would spend

Sunday when we weren't allowed to play out after church having very noisy fights between their dolls  I was grateful  to be allowed to go in the parlour to read my books. Winter there  would be roaring fire.

You only seem to mention the room with the couch and the kitchen  I have wondered if there is another room downstairs.  a roll of lino does seem a trip hazard.

I anyone knows how to get some sense out of sky over an internet connection they took over without notice I would appreciate some advice.

Take care Turtles

pollyx

grandmanerd

No polly I just have the front room and the kitchen - but they are both generously proportioned. The house is 15' wide (5 yards) and front room and kitchen are roughly 4 yards deep. I've accepted that I'm stuck with them for the time being, just doing what I can to improve things but now I'm feeling slightly more hopeful. 

I've worked hard today (my ankle is getting stronger but having been outside twice this week, I'm being cautious. I now have 7 trees in a row (5 apple, 2 other - there are 4 altogether a rowan, a witch hazel and can't remember the others but they're all bird and bee friendly). I've spaced the apple trees as they are getting quite large. There is room for another row in front but I'll mix them up - the remaining 3 trees will go there but the rest will be large pots. I've moved a few bits off the path and it's looking a lot better. 

Many bags and sacks of paper, recycling and rubbish have left the house, weeding and rubble sweeping are ongoing and I've done many bowls of washing up as well as putting away about 4 bags for life worth of clean pots, pans, oven dishes away. I'm going to move the 3 boxes of my stuff back into the kitchen. All  the seed trays from the front room windowsill, the kitchen windowsill, drainer (top of the dish drainer) and the kitchen floor have gone outside and down to the bottom of the yard.

l've put all mum's rolls of cling film/ foil/ grease proof paper and freezer and sandwich bags into the shredder box (shredder head was broken and went some time ago) and put them in a base cupboard so I now have my large drawer free for utensils. I hardly ever use the bags and cling film (I only finished off my brother's roll of cling film about 2 years ago and he's been dead 16 years) but mum was mad about them. I'm not used to having them so I forget to use them.

I'm hoping I can get the trellis outside and paint it this weekend (I bought everything intending to do it over the Easter bank Holiday weekend but then my leg went on strike). If it's been stained it can stay outside and I'll get another part of the kitchen back. I want to clean the fridge but it may have to wait until tomorrow - I worked hard until gone 2 pm then waited for my food delivery - a bit late, it came after 3 pm. Then I had a shower, washed my hair and put my good dress on. I brought the CPAP machine down so I could rest my leg and maybe have a little nap and then see how I felt about doing more. 

Grateful for getting lots done, for DS3 going upstairs out of the way, for films (Donald Sutherland and Sean Connery) and books and the Armed Forces Day happening at the other end of the borough this year (otherwise the men would be clattering about dismantling stalls and collecting barriers until 9 pm).

f0xh0les

@grandmanerd can I suggest a big blob of blue tack and sticking the pinsentry machine to the bedroom wall next to the light switch? @pollyanna_26 have you tried anything else in those sockets just in case that set of sockets have tripped on the control board.  It would be the most painless of all possibilities. 
Just picked up DS4 from the coach. He is sunburnt to within an inch of his life and it is blistering and peeling.  He is now covered in aloe Vera and is muttering rude things about me. He is full lobster-boy    - complete with stinky attitude.
Poor DH was stuck at  Newcastle station due to sheep 🐑 🐑 on the tracks. He will not be home before 10pm now. 
In other more boring news.... The whole ground floor has been hoovered, and the kitchen/diner/laundry  room have also been mopped. I very nearly lost the will to live though.  Even did the stupid washing up.  Cleaning makes me grumpy and oppressed. 

ldee2111

Sometimes I look at things around the house and really want to upgrade them - the kettle with the wonky button, the bent colander, the scraped plates. And I have to remind myself that they do their jobs and I’ve bigger goals than pretty plates. 

Today was my day off but I ended up working for a few hours. Keeping a note of the extra hours so I can reclaim them back.

Meal plan for the week ahead done, Saneberries groceries ordered for tomorrow morning, under budget and a wee £2.50 off thanks to necktie points. Still waiting on the 20,000 points for credit card sign up. 

Grateful today for an excellent end of term report card from DS’s teacher, for seeing auntie and uncle  before they head back to Oz, and for my Dad popping in for a catch up. He was an absent father in my childhood but he’s making an effort now especially with DS.

Thrifty_Taylor

Finally had another NSD! Might even manage double figures this month yet.

Put the stuff for the dump in the boot & set off for work a little earlier. Was able to get a parking space today - yippee! Work went fine. Went to the dump afterwards, there were 3 pallets in one of the skips. Asked the staff member if I could have them, he even put them in the car for me 😊 they'll come in handy for something or firewood next winter.

Had an early tea, went for a walk round the block, tried to record some videos if rabbits for DH, but there weren't many about! Phoned him whilst I did the dishes, he said if he continues as he is, he might be home at the end of next week or the week after 😍 unpicked a very long zip on an L shaped settee cushion, then worked on my rug for the first time this week.

Grateful for nature (rainbows, wildlife, different coloured grass heads), great news that DH might be home soon, time to craft, watching some of the big festival on TV with DS1 when he returned from work

Starlight_at_Sea

Yeouch to sunburn, I hope he grows a new shell quickly! 🦞

Thank you @grandmanerd, really helpful advice. I have been not too sure what was going on today in there, but still not in pain as such, just a bit stiff. I dialled back the busy day, but still went to the regular gym class, I figured I would know quite quickly if it was going to hurt. I cut back on all of the back exercises, but the movement helped. 

Very little money-saving activity today. I visited my BF to help her put her shopping delivery away, and we made food plans for a couple of family gatherings coming up. Did a job interview - candidate was phenomenal, so that was a lovely way to end the week. Sorted a few problems out at work, lined myself up to better tackle some frogs next week. Work also happy to purchase one set of WFH furniture including a desk and office chair, so that will definitely help with my needing to set up in new flat as well as at my folks. 

Was a NSD today. Luckily I ran out of time to stop for snacks on either journey today! 

Shrewbie

On the coach home from my work do (caught the first bus back at midnight - party pooper but who cares) it was in a sort of botanical garden cactus nursery type of place- something different. Had four drinks but ate a lot of food. No NSD as bought myself an iced latte at lunchtime but I should be able to catch the metro home so at least all the drinks and transport this evening have been free! Night turtles x 

grandmanerd

F0xh0les - it was in a basket on the set of drawers next to my bed (not the side I sleep on). I've just been so impaired by this blasted ankle injury (it took me 2 weeks to work my way along the floor at my side of the bed, the increased medication made me so dizzy when I tried to bend down and half the time I was frightened of plummeting head first to the floor because the foot was so weak I couldn't push myself upright if my feet started to slide across the floor). It can go back in the handbag again - just hope I don't have any funerals to go to (I've also found the lunch bag sized 'bag for life' that I use as a 'handbag' most of the time - it goes inside a big bag but keeps my purse, glasses, phone, hankie etc together.

ldee2111

Feeling grateful for my lot this morning after reading a thread on a local forum with people looking for social housing in the area. Some individuals saying they have waited more than 20 years. People being forced into private letting because houses are too expensive. One young woman is desperate to stay in the area to be close to her Mum and because she’s lived here her whole life. I can totally relate to her. I’ve lived here my whole life too, as have a few generations of my family. The thought of being priced out of your home town, is really sad. I was also talking to one of the school mums the other day and they are in a 2-bed semi and are looking for a 3-bed semi for their expanding family, but struggling to find anything remotely affordable. 

Feeling very grateful to have a cosy home, in the place I grew up and wanted to stay, and for a sense of security and belonging. 

pollyanna_26

fOxhOles I've just spent a couple of hours pluggingand unplugging an electric heater,my whirly hot brush , iron and umpteen other electric gadgets in to each of the two double sockets next to the tv.

They are all working fine so it isn't the sockets.

It's a very long time since my son and I went to the new JL store in Liverpool One as I wanted a replacement or my trusty Kenwood Chef on its last legs after years of service.

The tv then was a Panasonic and had finally given in after many years and no problems.

Afew friends had Sony tvs which seemed trouble free sothat is what I chose. My mistake was to listen to the young salesman talking of the wonders of a Humax recording box.

It did work well and could record whole tv series.

However after a few years Sony and Humax had some sort of falling out and Humax said they would no longer support Sony tvs.

The tv did keep working but trying to unplug the Humax box meant the tv wouldn't work at all . I bought a tv recorder/player which began to struggle too.

My son had setup the tv and humax box but had argued oversome of the instructios so I think he made a mistake as whenever Winter Hill were doing an update it was a nightmare trying to get the new signal.

I have had a dvd and cd recorder still in it'sbox for a couple of years along with a special lead , batteries etc but can't get the images of the dvds to show or any programes to record.

After buying this new build in the mid 70s I'm about to move a couple of miles to a nearby village . Being so close to the sea the three storms in a row gave us a real bashing Arwen killed my gas boiler so I think it's time for a quieter life.

I have chosen a new TV but will wait for delivery until the removal men will be due and will be doing al the liting and shiting.

IDEE 2111. My mortgage on this then new build was 9,500 over 25 years . I made the final payment on the eve of the new millenium. It was affordable so I never missed a single payment.

How first time buyers are meant to ever get on the property ladder defeats me. Some I know cant even afford to rent ,landlords are really overcharging and even social housing is often unaffordable. I'm  glad my four children are older with their own homes but they are probably the last of the generations not to face a housing crisis.

GMN a long time ago I mentioned the BHF taking over the big Woolies store in the town when it closed. They sold alot of new things not just secondhand.

A long time ago when you were stressing about losing important paperwork and the other things you kept on your bed I mentioned the new furniture items they sold forjustaew pounds.

I got some solid pine brand new bedside cabinets and matching  ones for files and paperwork i link each one was five pounds and they have been really useful over the years. Something like that could minimise your panic over losing things it doesn't have to be BHF although they are really good and deliver same day although mine fitted in the car boot. Other charity shops often have storage solutions and the property auctioneers here have a section for al sorts of furniture including desks with drawers down the side which may be more to your taste.

You must worry when you can't find a library  book that's due to be returned or important paperwork. Having definate places for things would mean a lot less stress.

pollyx