An in-between phase

PennysIntoPounds

Tidying
Admin
Jumped on the Hargreaves Lansdown MSE deal, it's not often you get £50 back for investing £100
I do now need to find another £100 to pay my account back though 😁

Shower and hairwash
20 minute walk getting some pasta from Olio, it's a big bag so adding £1 saved to the money I.O.ME

20 minute walk getting essentials from Aldi, entered a competition by post, found a couple of pans about the size mum is after

Comping
Small bit of spec work
Half wussy situps
Did initial prep for dinner- cheesy potatoes with baked tomatoes

Having spent ages on hold to the council to eventually be told that not only is there no planning department phone number but that it wasn't going to happen that they'd pick up calling via the switchboard, then being given an email address as the only way to contact them then getting an autoreply that strongly suggests they won't be replying to that either, went to the pub

badmemory

I'd be wondering if they actually have a planning department.

Chrystal

Have you had a reply from your MP yet?  It's a dire situation and surely someone has some answers? (can you organise a 'sit in' at  the council offices till someone from the 'planning department' actually talks to you?)

On a different note the cheesy potatoes with baked tomatoes sound lovely, but how do you cook them?

PennysIntoPounds

It does feel like an elaborate wind-up where the council just takes our money and sniggers that we think they even have a planning department @badmemory

We haven't yet contacted the MP again @Chrystal as we wanted to give the ward councillor a chance to get back to us but since it seems he also doesn't give a sh*te about us, if we haven't heard from ward councillor or planning department next week or two I think we'll probably go for official council complaint/head of council attempt, as MP previously didn't respond to us after we responded back about our initial contact with MP when the council just lied to them about what they'd done and we hadn't done, so not feeling like there's much hope there either!

This is a complex recipe, I hope you've braced yourself 😁

Fork or skewer prodded (pref along edges but they'll cope if all over) baking potatoes in microwave til they're soft

Cut in half lengthways and scoop out

Mix and mash in a bowl with a dash of butter, dash of milk, twist or two of black pepper, ton of grated cheese, put back in skins

More cheese grated on top if you like browned crusty cheese (nom nom)

Oven cook gas mark 6 or equivalent for approx 30 minutes

Tomatoes (pref vine but all bake nicely) cut in half and put in on same baking tray at same temp for 20 mins, or a bit less if you're using small tomatoes or prefer them firmer

TLDR: Microwave spuds, scoop out and mix with milk, butter, black pepper, cheddar, put back in skins, bung in oven for about half an hour, bung tomatoes cut in half in after ten minutes 

ladyholly

I think the time has more than arrived for formal complaints to your council in the first instance and then to the local council ombudsman if you dont get a satisfactory answer. I think i said before the best results often come from making a huge nuisance of yourself. Sad but true. I would also write to your MP again telling him/her in nauseating detail of the lies the ccouncil told and saying that as your MP you expected him to do some investigating why the council has been so reluctant to talk to you and that it is impossible to get in touch with them. Keep notes of all correspondance with dates etc and post either special delivery which is costly but sometimes worth it or even signed for which is less so. This way you have proof that letters have been received. Of course being a council they will be delivered along with everything else so no proof they have got to the correct person but at least they should get to the corrct building.

PennysIntoPounds

Spec work
Tidying
Admin
Receipt survey

Got £13.50 from Vinted so that's gone in the flat pot. £2.50 away from the next ten pound mark...

Comping

Had a bit of a tetchy session, the gastropub I've booked for mum's thank you meal sent me a text telling me to confirm, which drives me absolutely spare. I've made the booking, that's why you have my number. I appreciate people don't show up sometimes but I'm a full grown adult, can you treat me with the courtesy of believing some people honour their arrangements.
And if it was from a person I would have replied albeit been annoyed but it was an automated AI message so I replied along the above lines then got one saying 'we didn't understand that' which annoyed me even more, who's 'we', you're not even a 'you', don't take the p*ss pal. So I replied that they shouldn't use AI then should they and got the same 'didn't understand' message back at which point I blocked the number.
Okay, I retract the bit about me being a full grown adult 😁

Barbour said they'd replace the wallet if I sent it back and to tell them which off their website I want and they're all ugly

Cex replied asking me to describe staff members. How creepy. I said no, and what are they doing to compensate for my actual losses

Had to go through Insta settings to find what they'd turned on without my permission after they sent me a late evening phone notification that a random had commented on another random's post. Give me strength.

Survey
Entered some competitions, today I'm mostly looking forward to winning a fancy gentleman's clothing bundle but I will also graciously accept the chocolate and candle hamper as well as the bedding and skincare bundle.
Survey

30 minute walk

Someone from Olio is coming round shortly to collect one of the cat's scratching posts

Friends coming round this eve who have been out of the country so happy to be seeing them and that they're coming here which will be much cheaper than going to the pub originally suggested

Not sure about dinner yet but Mr PIP got a M&S meal deal with his voucher so hopefully that!

LadyWithAPlan

EssexHebridean said:

I jut looked out of idle curiosity and the TINY flats in the turning we lived in in Walthamstow are currently selling for £350k - £385k. I mean we are talking 45sq.m here! Interestingly, although they are 2 bed flats, most folk seem to have adjusted to using them as 1 beds, with additional living/dining space.

And NOW reflect on the fact that just 19 miles away, where we live, our large 3 bed HOUSE cost less than the upper end of asking prices for those flats... Mind/blown! 

I went looking in Walthamstow a couple weeks ago - tiny flats for £400-£500k ... I couldnt do it... i am going to  have to get a proper job to buy something to swing a cat in (not that i would) ... maybe DM me your area  now so i can see if I can manage space on a rail line..


Sorry re your lovely cat - always so sad.

Great to see your comp wins coming in - they always do eventually and its part of the fun to have random prizes arrive (though can lead to  excess stuff in the house i find) I currently have two HUGE bottles of  won  fake sun tan lotion ...  I really cant be bothered  so maybe be ebaying

PennysIntoPounds

Thanks @LadyWithAPlan we're missing her terribly

Deffo get those tan lotions listed and the money into your flat pot!

redofromstart

I think you really need and deserve to win a very large chocolate and tiny candle hamper. 

PennysIntoPounds

Thank you @redofromstart, I thoroughly agree 😁