Moving on

Cherryfudge

I think the interview was okay. I was first in and when I came out I had the impression there were a number of others waiting who hadn't been there when I went in. I gave quite a good account of myself and liked the interviewers, but you never know how good the 'opposition' is. I should hear back by the end of the week. (Quite hopeful as they can offer more hours than the other relief post!)

The person I thought would interview me wasn't there, but it's been obvious that the possibility of having to speak to her has opened up thoughts about the old job again (even though I'd be under no obligation to mention it). I was walking along thinking I could text my friend to ask if she thought I could get back in somehow, but I realised that's ridiculous as the pressures are unlikely to have lessened and it's not 'my place' any more, so many people have gone. I do miss some people I used to support, though.

DH has been painting part of the landing today, he's back to work tomorrow. No further spending.

Honeysucklelou2

Well done on getting through the interview.  Hope you hear back soon…the end of the week is quite a long wait unless I am used to education ones that are on the day!

Cherryfudge

I thought it was a while to wait, too, @Honeysucklelou2. Perhaps they allow themselves plenty of time so they can offer to first choices but not lose other possible staff? The last time I had an interview, they decided in no time.

And a random fact - I have 40 hair scrunchies - maybe 43 if you count Christmas ones. That's not counting elastics. MSE's first scrunchie millionaire?

Sun_Addict

Fingers crossed for the interview. I suppose it depends how many others they have to see. Where I work it can take up to two weeks before you hear anything as they have to interview everyone, discuss the scoring then let unsuccessful candidates know first. 

That's a lot of scrunchies!

Seasidegal58

Good luck on the interview outcome Cherry. 🤞 The company where worked before I retired had very much the same interview procedure as @Sun_Addict's so a little bit of a wait to know the outcome. 

You could always parcel up the scrunchies you don't want anymore and try and sell them on eBay!😀

Cherryfudge

Thank you for the good wishes, @Sun_Addict and @Seasidegal58. I will wait patiently... and enjoy free time while I have it, especially as tomorrow will be a Things To Do day.

@Seasidegal58, you're assuming there are some I don't want! I have a few duplicates, admittedly, and some that are really nice to look at but don't stay in too well. A few years ago I did a bundle of hair accessories which got snapped up for £1 on Marketplace, so I might do that again some time. I really like co-ordinating them to my outfits, though. I think all I'm missing now is a soft sage green, preferably in velvet because the velvet ones stay in best.

Cherryfudge

Another cold day! We caught a mousie so I took him out to a spinney in the fields. I'd hoped that after a few mouse-less days, that was it, but perhaps this was the same beastie returning, as DH doesn't take them as far as I do Apparently they can make their way back from a couple of miles away! I didn't go that far but there are lots of other places on the way where it can make its home if it decides to head back.

I lit the fire about twelve thirty and it's been going ever since though it hasn't done its usual magic of heating the rest of the house. I think some of the wood is probably not the most heat-producing. Here's hoping the engineer comes to fix it tomorrow but he's not acknowledged a text so I'm thinking I may be saying exactly the same thing tomorrow night.

I heard from J and L, with whom we were supposed to be having dinner tomorrow. J's unwell, so we're postponing.

I've done quite well finishing up various foods today, but I've bought a lot recently, too, mostly tins. Achievement-wise, other than relocating our intruder (though it might think this was its home, which is sad really) and getting some exercise, all I've really done is keep the fire going and light candles. I need a nice bright, warm day to get me moving and achieving things!

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £15.62

Seasidegal58

I saw a mouse in my flat a few months ago (we've been having rodent problems in the block which hopefully is now being sorted!). I bought one of those humane traps on Amazon for a tenner and put peanut butter inside to tempt him. He was tempted all right!  I had read that you should release them as far away from your home as possible or they will make they way back in. I took him about a mile away near the seafront in a wooded bushy place and let him out. I haven't seen him since. I thought he did quite well out of me - a free peanut butter dinner and a holiday by the beach!🐭

Cherryfudge

Seasidegal58 said:

I saw a mouse in my flat a few months ago (we've been having rodent problems in the block which hopefully is now being sorted!). I bought one of those humane traps on Amazon for a tenner and put peanut butter inside to tempt him. He was tempted all right!  I had read that you should release them as far away from your home as possible or they will make they way back in. I took him about a mile away near the seafront in a wooded bushy place and let him out. I haven't seen him since. I thought he did quite well out of me - a free peanut butter dinner and a holiday by the beach!🐭

Not bad going for a mouse! I used a humane trap too - they seem effective so long as they aren't accidentally tripped by humans. Ours got cracker crumbs, but had to wait around all morning so I added some granola to fortify it while it gets used to outdoor living!

Cherryfudge

Today has totally not gone to plan so far.

• we were supposed to be going to J and L's for tea but J is sick.
• I was supposed to be starting my course, but it's been postponed a week due to sickness.
• the engineer was supposed to be coming to fix the boiler and install a new Hive... well, there's a story.

To cut things short, I know he comes from a distance. Nice guy, a good communicator face to face but somewhere along the line this totally breaks down as he rang to say he had no record of a booking today, and could he come on Sunday? I pointed out it's cold and going to get colder. (TBH I struggle to do anything when I'm huddled keeping warm, I've a deep aversion to cold). He said he hadn't realised the heating was off, and talked me through repressurising the boiler. This bit went okay, but the filter started to drip again so he instructed me how to tighten the washer on the base (all via facetime and in a gloomy cupboard where I was on hands and knees, twisting to see where the valves etc. were!). Somehow I turned it the wrong way and the water flow increased, so I turned it the other way and the cap flew off! I got drenched, the cupboard floor got drenched, there are even water marks on the ceiling downstairs! Both of us took a break once the boiler was empty (at least it was nice warm water by then!), and I got the towels I'd grabbed into the sink and put a fresh one down for drips, then got changed. Then he rang back and we spent a while identifying the right cap for the filter - it turned out to have shot to the back of the cupboard where it could only be seen by changing angle, but we found it (all via Facetime). Then I had to find the white washer that fits in. After showing him various bits of plastic (he didn't tidy them away when he was working here) I found it still in situ. After that it was simple to put the cap back in place and repressurise the boiler, and we have heat and hot water again!

He's not yet taken delivery of the Hive to replace the broken one we received, so he's back on Sunday - and actually although in a way he should have come out, this was a better solution for both of us, so long as my tightening of things that needed to be tightened is enough. I have no long-term faith in this so I've put a dish under the filter and will ask him to check on Sunday.

Did I mention we have a nice warm house again?

So here we are, Thursday afternoon, and about time I got down to some housework. Oh, and a mouse has been in. Somehow it took the bait but the trap wasn't sprung so that's been reset, this time with some nuts so it can make a few journeys and one of those is bound to catch it.