From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Thanks for your thoughts on TD's.  It's not insurmountable, but one issue would be where to put it - even a condenser one, which wouldn't need the 'ducting' outside.  A couple of houses around here appear to have a TD in the bathroom, as the windows are often open with white flexi hosing stuck outside.  But I'm pretty sure they are 3 bed houses, so maybe a bit bigger.  Although in theory, i suppose if we had a shower unit, rather than a shower over the bath, perhaps there would be a smidge more space in the bathroom, but whether it would be enough for a TD (to be able to access it too), I'm not sure - even with the complexities of running an electrical item in the bathroom. 

I am not going to put a wash on today!  There I said it..... 🤣  It's precisely the same as yesterday, still, overcast and not cold, but not warm enough to dry anything either - particularly without a breeze.  Also, I have consulted my 'Seaweed' - it occurred to me that a neighbour a few doors down, hadn't put their washing out yesterday (and it was a poor drying day), so I checked this morning - no washing pegged out!  So it clearly is not going to be a good drying day! I have to say, when they have their washing out, it is usually some chance that the load will dry, even though their garden gets far less sun than ours.

I used the Dehu on 'clothes' setting for 2 hrs yesterday, and then swapped it to 'economy' for 1 hr, and the clothes did pretty much dry.  A few bands and cuffs were still slightly damp to the touch - but that can be the case with line dried clothes.  So I was happy enough for them to be on the airer overnight, without contributing masses of moisture to the living room.  They are dry enough to put away today.  

I didn't end up making a SC meal for tea last night, as - ironically - I got tied up with lots of itty-bitty tasks that took me away from prepping the ingredients to pop in the SC to cook away!  So instead we had plant based balls, HM tommie sauce and pasta - which, if nothing else, is a crowd pleaser.  

DH was late home, but the new medicine was gathered from the pharmacy, so we've administered that.  Naturally he's now fretting that he's coming to the end of his anti-b's course, and doesn't feel a whole heap better.  All before the new medicine has been given time to take effect 🙄 

I have chased up the glazing co and a survey appt has been made.  All beginning to feel a bit real now.  

Right, I've spent too much time pottering and I need to get back out in the garden, finish off filling up the green bin.  

To for popping by.  Greying X

themadvix

No TD here - mainly because I was indoctrinated as a child that they are bad for the environment (we had one, but it was very rarely used). No space either though. I do have a heated airer which is very useful in the winter and I suspect will be more so when we have the heat pump as the rads won't get as warm. But it doesn't resolve the issue of damp air (we just tend to open a window or put up with it - we're fortunate that our house doesn't generally suffer and we only have a couple of loads of washing a week).

Survey appointment for the windows definitely makes it real! 

Hope Mr GP is feeling better by this evening. 

badmemory

Well confession time number 2.  My TD is in my diniing room & I do not open the window.  I do have humidity meters all through the house as after DS's shower the bathroom has been known to go to 99% which is why we have a dehumidifier.  But the dining room humidity has only ever gone up as much as 15% when drying to fully dry, which I don't normally do.  Usually it isn't even 5%.

Cheery_Daff

Glad the patient has his new medicine, and I hope his (and your!) patience can hold out long enough for it to take effect 😬

No tumble dryer here either, never had one as an adult, not even when we didn't have any outside drying space at all in the last house. Airers all the way (with a dehumidifier in this house, although we never bothered in the old house). I do the radiator dance - we have several tall ones which are excellent for drying sheets, jeans etc - I go round and turn everything after an hour and it usually gets dry within a couple of hours. Only do that when the heating on anyway but it does save having things draped everywhere! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey lovelies,

Thank you for your thoughts on TD's.  I think technology has changed alot with TD's and I wouldn't be surprised if they were a world away from the appliances I grew up with.  Thinking about it, mum did have a TD - it would not have been sophisticated - we're talking well over 40 years ago.  It was used only as a last resort, but given that she had to try to dry lots of washing, of heavy weight gauge in a north facing, enclosed yard, I think she warranted one!  But I do think at the back of my mind I have got that they are 'energy gobblers' - even though, as I said, I'm sure they've changed/developed.  

I'm not ruling it out, but I don't think I will be getting one soon either.  

DH rang at lunch time in pain.  I was like, "just come home, go to the doc's, ring 111, do what you need to do", and he's finding excuses to 'just finish'.  I'm sorry, I don't think the firm warrant that kind of loyalty, he needs to look after himself, otherwise this has the potential to last into half term..........

I've done a load of weeding and managed to get the mower to start and have cut the lawn at the back.  I need to do the 3 square inches of grass at the front, and can I get the blessed thing to re-start?  It is temperamental, and DH suggested putting more fuel in it.  Can I find the fuel can?  And of course, that isn't straightforward, we (apparently) gave my perfectly functional one to my dad, some years back, and accepted his 'hasn't got a siphon' in return - why?  My dad hasn't had need of fuel cans for some considerable time now 🙄

Anyway, I didn't come here to whinge, so I'll shut up.

I did find a lovely frog (I think - from the markings), in the garden as i pottered.  Frogs and toads are frequent visitors to the garden, can't think why, we've no water source.  And a couple of robins came to say hi again too.  

I now ache all over though.  Trying to pull start a mower is no fun.  

Tea has been forgotten again.  But now I've no idea whether DH is coming home early, will be at a medical facility somewhere, so I'll just do a cupboard/freezer rummage.   We'll not starve.  

Adulting ain't all it's cracked up to be........... but onwards and upwards, friends!

Greying X

themadvix

Cheery - am so glad you mentioned the radiator dance - it seems to be a no-no in these (forum) parts, but that's mostly what I knew growing up and have continued with the same until the very recent addition of the heated airer! I thought I was alone in radiator drying!

GP, you are perfectly allowed to moan here - especially if  it means you can avoid venting frustration at the (im)patient and thereby retain harmonious relations! And I'm not surprised if you've been trying to get a petrol mower going. Pull-start contraptions are not something I've ever been brave enough to deal with 😬

There's no water source (bar the water tanks that they'd drown in) at the allotments either, but plenty of frogs and toads. I think anywhere damp appeals at this time of year (and everywhere seems damp currently!).

Watty1

i hate pull starts.  I hate pull starts. I'm just going to leave that there

I have a pull start strimmer, lawn mower, hedge cutter, poop hoover and something else that for the moment escapes me and they are all *** difficult.  Why cannot a man let a woman design a push button.

Greying_Pilgrim

Watty1 said:

i hate pull starts.  I hate pull starts. I'm just going to leave that there

I have a pull start strimmer, lawn mower, hedge cutter, poop hoover and something else that for the moment escapes me and they are all *** difficult.  Why cannot a man let a woman design a push button.

I hear yah sister!  Considering it wasn't supposed to be a long term purchase, it's summat like 20 years old 😱 It owes us nothing, and I must admit, I'm amazed that we have been able to use it at all this season.    I just bit the bullet, and put the fuel from a can - which was not as DH described, but we don't have one like DH described 🙄 LG helped me haul the dang thing out the front, we tried to start it twice, and the starting cord sheered 🙄  It had started this morning, but it was down to a few thin cords, so I gave up.  It would have snapped on the next pull.  And I can't remember - I might be talking baloney - but I thought that it was easier to replace a pull cord if the existing one was still attached.  I might have that wrong - or perhaps its more for chainsaws or something 🤔

Anyhoo, LG is feeling like they helped (they sure did), and we put everything away at least (no mean feat, you have to get everything out to go through the garage, and then put it all back again when you're done 🤪.  The green bin will have to just do without the last bit of grass clippings.  

I don't need gym membership today.... 🤣

tmv - at least this one was on the surface.  Most of the toads we've found have been down in the earth.  We don't see that many slugs, anyway.  Although interesting, I pulled up a weed, and one of those really big, fat slugs (especially when they're still), was on the ground.  I don't suppose the frog would have tackled that - it was only just bigger than the slug.   Might have been a bit chewy too... 🤢

DH has stayed at work 🙄 they have taken him off the floor and put him - sitting down - to do training 🙄 This is going to rumble on into half-term, I know it....................

Right, I need to turn what little is left of my brain cell towards making summat for tea.  I may be some time........ 🤪

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Oh dear Greyijg 😕 I hope DH recovers very soon, sounds stressful all round 😕😕

Greying_Pilgrim

Ah thanks Cheery - DH did go back to the out-of-hours service last night (thank goodness for it, and they had said if there were issues to go back to them).  The verdict from the Doc he saw last night...... was that the first Doc should have prescribed 2 medicines in tandem, rather than one lot first, and the second being prescribed on Sunday when DH went back (and which were OOS in the pharmacy, anyway).  So apparently the infection has got somewhat out of hand and spread into other parts.  DH now has an appt (and again, we're grateful for the speed) to the ENT unit, unfortunately at the hospital in the metropolitan town - but at least it's for today.  DH will not be going into work.  He really has got to get rid of this infection.

Apparently I was talking baloney (when don't I??? 🤣) and the mower cord isn't any harder to fix if it snaps, but there is no way it 'wouldn't snap' - probably before I managed to fire it up, so waste of time hauling the mower out again, the grass still wouldn't be cut.  

Tea last night ended up being fish fingers, chips/baked potato, and mushy peas.  I needed something that didn't need hours of prep, and which didn't take long to cook, just in case DH came home and then announced he had an appt.  As it was, everyone was round the table for tea.  DH & LG got the last of the oven chips, and I had a baked tattie (no hardship for me).  Everything got eaten up.

I haven't checked, but I think we're in for another still day, weatherwise today, so again, no washing.  As it is now, I shall probably have to drive DH to the hozzie, as even if he could drive there, I'm not so sure if he should drive back - depending on what, if anything they 'do' to him.  

I applied for another reward from the insurance comparison site last night.  When I purchased the first policy, an email came through automatically, saying 'choose your option', but on purchasing the second, no email was forthcoming.  I'm pretty sure both policies were 'eligible' - anyhoo, we shall see, although I do hope they both track.  

I can't believe we're very nearly half-way through October - where is the time going?  

I must remember to replace the small tommie sauce I had bought to take on hols - I realised last night that I had all the constituents for a 'fishy' tea, apart from the (requisite) tommie sauce.  Needs must 🤭 But I must remember to replace it.  And at least I managed to grab it from the 'hidey hole', before LG spotted what I was doing.  I also need to give more thought to the hols, as there are a list of items we need to take, such as linens etc.  Totally OK, as it keeps the price of the accommodation down, I'm sure, and we've no need to purchase anything, I just need to get my ducks in a row.  

I should give some thought to a tea though.  Who knows how long we'll be out of the house today.  I mean, we won't starve, but I think we're a bit short on 'grab 'n go' or 'heat 'n eat'.  Right, I'll get onto that.  

Ta for popping by.  Greying X