Prosperous & Creative Soul & MFW Year 3

OpalGirl

I'm assuming that your handyman has a copy of your list since you mention it was something that was on it. I would revise your list to maybe 5 or 10 things that you consider priorities and then ask him to provide an estimate of how long each thing would take to complete explaining that you need to organise the work within your current budget. Then based on that information you could (if necessary) re-prioritise your list and say to him these are the things I want to do now and I would like them done in this order. I would be reluctant to lose him, you might get someone who will do things cheaper and faster but at the expense of quality, and you may end up having to re-do things.

beanielou

I don’t think that you need to loose the handyman. I think he’s worth his weight in gold. 

I would absolutely love to have someone like that. Ok I get he did one job that wasent top of the list & it took 3 hours. I get that but I would be thinking of the absolutely amazing job he has done for you thus far & that he has had your back & shows you concern. That is absolutely precious. 

lucielle

Agree with Beanie. Finding trades you trust is incredibly difficult. Do you really want to go through it again?  Maybe more communication and a detailed list would help?
Glad the scan was sufficient, hopefully you’ll hear soon. 

L

doingitanyway

I would keep the handyman but start working to a fixed price. I had a handyman who was great but a perfectionist so every job took forever. We switched to fix price and it was much better for me but also him as I was more relaxed with him

savingholmes

Thanks Crystal, KK, Jwil, Sandy, Watty, @OpalGirl , DIA, Lucielle and Beanie

On the handyman - he's done a cracking job today. Fixed my gate (and shortened it) and put in side pieces so it can be bolted shut. Hung 2 hanging baskets. Dug out two lots of bamboo and a grass and taken that to the tip. This was one of my top priority jobs and so it had bothered me that it hadn't been done yet. Tomorrow he's hopefully going to carry on if the weather is kind - and is also clearing some brambles too. I now need to decide what to plant in that terraced part.

He's taken the grass clump from the side border - so I again need to determine what to plant there and its spacing. I'm currently thinking a fatsia and a mahonia. He's also added some trellis that I brought with me from the other house. I can therefore get some wire netting too and over time try and grow climbers along the fence. There seems to be pretty lacy fern in a kind of spearmint/teal green and some other plant I don't regret but seems to flower. There's also a Verbena - so looking forward to purple flowers from that.

I've previously asked about a fixed price but he's refused. I need to revisit my list and see what's important / affordable and prioritise accordingly. I think I had a few wishes on the lists that had mentally dropped down in priority but I hadn't communicated that effectively. I think asking for a time estimate would help. I'm slightly frustrated by part done things too - so the stair spindles aren't yet in place etc. But TBF - that was derailed by his illness and then the bed assembly, move etc last week and the changes to the wardrobe which didn't feature on the original list.

savingholmes

My work meeting went well. I've done a first draft of a report update and sent it out for others to add their bits and return to me. Unsurprisingly that took me slightly over my time - but I did take a lunch break part way through. I have tomorrow off then back in for a half day Friday.

2 pairs of my new trainers arrived. A red one I loved the design but they feel too snug - that was an 8.5 in mens but even the 9 in a different colour feels snug - even though in this range previously I had a 9. They fit my foot length but the 8.5 was snug at the heel - and I have wide feet... They had changed the design slightly though - especially at the tongue. I think therefore these will be going back - but the debate is whether I change the red one for a 9 in mens or a 9.5 or whether one of the 3 pairs coming tomorrow replaces the need for it. I think they were a mix of sizes - with some in women's sizing so I'll have to wait and see. I'd hoped that changing weight would have meant I'd changed foot size too but that doesn't seem to have happened yet.

I still need to take my other returns back - a mix of curtains, blinds and a pole.

My review form arrived so I need to collate data for that. They say they don't want anything I submitted previously so will need to consider what evidence I have that is new and how to get any other info.

KajiKita

Glad to hear the work session went well. 

I’m not following the logic of you only sharing things on the review that are ‘new’ - surely the whole picture is important? 🤔

KK 

Blackcats

glad that return to work is going well.  

Strange to only be required to include "new" things in your review.
there are lots of things you've mentioned on your diary that might provide useful info.  Sleep issues, a fall you mentioned, your hospitalisation and ongoing rehab as a start.

Merlin's_Beard

catching up and re the fleas:

- don't apply any product more often than it says you can - the product works by lingering in their system so a second early dose is a double dose.
- check with your vet if there's anything else you can use on top
- treating the house is important, because 99% of the fleas live in your house as eggs, larvae or pupae (similar to a butterfly life cycle) - washing bedding at over 60C kills the eggs, frequent hoovering helps suck up the eggs, household sprays can linger for up to a year protectively depending on the brand (but obviously read the labels if any children or other animals in the house, especially things like fish tanks that can't be moved). 

The pupal stage is the hardest to get rid of, because it doesn't breathe/take in water/eat so nothing can penetrate inwards - a lot of the time you're waiting for them to hatch and jump onto the animal in the house so they'll die. Most of these will hatch out within three months - it depends on humidity/heat as much as anything.

The handyman situation sounds quite frustrating, but I'm glad the return to work is going okay.

badmemory

Merlin's_Beard said:

catching up and re the fleas:

- don't apply any product more often than it says you can - the product works by lingering in their system so a second early dose is a double dose.

This is why I mentioned the electric nit comb & the vet would have to say if it was suitable, but seems a possible option.  I sometimes think that some medications are a little overkill.