An in-between phase

PennysIntoPounds

I have been doing very badly at self care and productivity lately, too much death and uncertainty and stress all at once. And I am having an even worse period than usual, so really not feeling physically or mentally equipped to do anything other than basic survival.
Just need to get back to North London later via a couple of drinks for a friend's 60th and then I am giving myself permission to do nothing and not feel bad about it for the next couple of days. A 'head holiday' to recover and hopefully come back swinging (not as in being a swinger @Blackcats 😁)

Except some inconsiderate person has bought a couple of my vinted items that need to be posted tomorrow at the latest so fingers crossed that Mr PIP will be able to drop them off near work otherwise I'll be spending tomorrow evening traipsing the streets looking for a free locker!

EssexHebridean

I'm glad you were able to remember your Dad and smile PiP - and I'm not at all surprised everything gets to feeling a bit struggly from time to time - the messing about by the council would be enough to leave you thoroughly fed up all on its own I should think, and as for the noises from overhead neighbours, I well remember quite how much that gets you down over a period of time. 

WW I'm so sorry you weren't able to get to your Dad's funeral - as hard as they are, I can't begin to imagine how much harder NOT having one would be as that is, let's be honest, when most of us do say our final goodbye, isn't it. 

As for biscuits - they're fiendish little things. I have half a pack of almost stale bourbons on my desk at the moment - they are approaching stale to sufficient extent that I can eat two, then close the pack up again, so perhaps "almost stale" isn't so bad at all. (And as a nod to this and in solidarity with others who have fallen foul of what we might call Bixcidents, I have indeed just opened the pack, extracted and eaten two, and closed the pack up again!) 

Blackcats

My mum spent a lot of her last year in and out of hospital during covid.  No visitors - had to leave a bag of her things outside the door of the ward, knowing that she was the other side of the door desperate to see me.  We were able to speak on the phone but it's not the same.  Her grandchildren and great grandchildren who she adored lost the chance to spend time with her too.  Like many people I feel very upset that we followed the rules while the rule setters didn't!   So many families are still scarred by the whole situation.

if you feel well enough for any sort of swinging then swing away!

Seriously though treat yourself as kindly as you treat others and just do the bare minimum.  That does not include any form of sit-ups!

CRANKY40

Sending you a gentle hug while hoping that Mr PiP can drop your parcels off for you. 

We had the same thing with our dad. I live in Merseyside, my sister lives in Ireland and dad was in a care home in London. We didn't get to see him during his last months or go to his funeral but we did collect his ashes eventually and set him free in the Mersey with my uncle (his brother) and aunty present. It all seems like a bad dream now except it was real. 

I like that you still have your dad's plants and I'm so glad that your friend's medical issue is scar tissue and nothing worse. 

WinterWarrior

Thanks @EssexHebridean. So many sad stories 😢
For slightly stale biscuits….dipping is the answer 😬

Sun_Addict

Just caught up with your diary. Anniversaries of losing a loved one are always difficult. I lost my lovely mum almost 24 years ago and I still miss her terribly. Brilliant news about your pub mate though, what a relief. 

EssexHebridean

WinterWarrior said:

Thanks @EssexHebridean. So many sad stories 😢
For slightly stale biscuits….dipping is the answer 😬

Noooooo - dunked biscuits are an aberration, plus the risk of them dropping bits into your tea is just....no! (Can't tell I have textural issues with food at ALL, can you?! ) 

PennysIntoPounds

*Would make a joke about dunking biscuits in fried egg yolk but I think I'd get a knock on the door within ten minutes and it'd be @EssexHebridean, wind-battered and teary, giving me ever such a look* 😁

PennysIntoPounds

Yay, Mr PIP was able to drop off the vinted parcel

Have been having a refusing to do much day and inadvertently got a few things done 😁

Tidying
Admin
Werkly coop receipt survey

Finally moved the money from investengine ending/friend paying me back to allocated pots. £300 to next year's LISA and £11 to flat pot

Copied and pasted We Buy Books basket ISBNs so I can just repaste them when I haven't reached my cashout amount by basket expiry.
They appear to think people should go out and buy books at full price to flog back to them immediately for 15p to not have their trade expire. Ziffit is so much more decent for letting your basket sit there for a while

Norstat survey, though not the one which was closed five minutes after the invite was sent 🤷‍♀️

Shower and hairwash

Contacted electoral roll as they hadn't updated my change of address. Hopefully not going to be a credit rating issue!

Small bit of client work

Entered some competitions, today I'm mostly looking forward to winning £500 but that choc and wine would find a welcome home, as would the Italian hamper

Cancelled the Nationwide Start to Save account now it's finished doing the prize draws. Will compare interest rates when have more brain energy

Sent PiP money to pot

Lidl app needed updating and now isn't compatible with my phone. So I guess at least that saves me making myself mission it to Lidl

Finally paid my three years voluntary NI payments. Now to wait 39 weeks to find out in which way HMRC will have c*cked it up this time. Thirty nine weeks. Thirty nine weeks

It has been so rainy and blustery here today I'm thinking tonight might be the night for the treat dinner I said I'd get mum and Mr PIP from my premium bonds win, maybe an Indian takeaway instead of pizza...

PennysIntoPounds

Woke up early with horrendous period pains so the lovely lie-in I was looking forward to didn't happen. But some things were dun;

Tidying
Admin
(Do not have time or inclination for comping rounds at the moment, will try to get back on it when I can fit the day's to-do list on that day in the diary)

Survey for £2

Helped Mum sort out her postal vote for forthcoming elections

Bits and bobs off the to-do list, not all of which were just written on other days' 😁

Walk getting bits from Aldi- hadn't realised before 1L orange juice in a plastic bottle is the same price as their 1L orange juice in a carton. Not sure what to make of this.
Would presume carton better environmentally but then plastic bottle easier to clean and may be easier for facilities to recycle...

Did an instore coop mission, hope it uploaded okay, their website is often a bit dodgy

Walk going to pub with Camra discount for a catch up with Mr PIP before he went away for his Easter social whirl. I however am dedicated to moving as little as possible in between work that needs to be done over the next few days

Dinner is leftovers of mum's veggie spag bol, hurrah 😊