+++ Whoops! Here comes the cheese! +++

redofromstart

Thanks everyone.

The power did come back on after five hours, and again I am charging everything and have the hot water on in case I can have a bath.  I hate it when I can't have a bath.

Out for the day tomorrow on something important for DS1 with lots of driving involved so I really need some sleep tonight. 

Chased life cover people, and they have now emailed the claim forms so I have all of the relevant paperwork once we are able to register the death.

dawnybabes

In the few weeks after DH passed all sorts of major things broke, went wrong, blocked etc was a nightmare, I felt punch drunk, I used to regularly tell people that the first thing I was going to do when I got ‘up there’ was slap him ! That said I survived and now think he sent it all to make sure I was ok ! 

redofromstart

oh dawnybabes, it is so hard isn't it?  I am at the stage of 'well if you wanted to have an opinion about it then you shouldn't have gone, should you?'   I think I have a slow puncture on my rear tyre (his job) but luckily just a few days before he had showed me how to use the tyre inflator thingamajig that we own.  Its in my boot to take with us tomorrow just in case and all four tyres are being replaced in a few days anyway.   I was explaining to the boys that I haven't added window squirt or checked the oil in my car in 20 years. Isn't it self filling? 

Sadly I am not good at Admin or detail, nor am I a completer finisher.  I like gathering information and talk for a living, identifying what needs doing and the valid commercial way through, then someone else tidies behind me.  This situation is hard because I have done the talking and the identifying but it is up to me keep the momentum going and do the paperwork whilst not being in control of the situation or timescales.  Haven't even got the excuse of work as a distraction and realistically wont go back this side of Christmas unless the finances go very wonky indeed. 

This afternoon I shifted some of his clothes round but it is too raw so I stopped.  The gut wrenching realisation that actually it doesn't matter that a cat has slept on his favourite walking trousers (because he left them somewhere stupid) because he will never know, and will never wear them again. Equally I don't have to make sympathetic noises whilst thinking 'well don't leave them where the cats sleep'.  It all seems so unreal frankly.

Shall we run a sweepstake on when the power goes off again?  Apparently the temporary generator failed again, and it will still need a real repair.  Everything is charged, nothing more I can do.

PennysIntoPounds

You are doing wonderfully, and we are all here for support and advice when you need it.
Attempting things then stopping when it's too raw is a very sound way of doing things.
Hope the driving goes okay.
I will have 50p on 9.45pm please 

redofromstart

My 50p is on 5.45am tomorrow, and it setting all the house alarms off again.

Now we have qualified for the £85 compensation I guess it will drop in priority. Cynical?Moi?

greenbee

I'm going for 8.30pm tonight so you have to go to bed early or sit in the dark.

You are doing really well on the admin and sorting. And sensible to walk away from the too hard things. Like you I'm great at ideas and then get bored so like someone else to implement them. But I've got used to doing everything for myself - it's hard, and often exhausting, but it is manageable (and no, I haven't yet sorted out my mortgage application). 

badmemory

I used to service my own car back in my 20s.  The whole change the oil & filter thing.  I've been married & then seeing a garage owning friend for over 20 years & I don't think I know how to open the bonnet now.

Seasidegal58

Yes I'm in awe of how you've been coping with everything. Take it easy.....
I'll put money on 1am - just thought I'd hedge my bets at a time between what you and @greenbee mooted....

Watty1

Did the power survive the night?
I went to bed early last night and then had to get up to answer the door to be told the water mains needed repair and they would be working through the night. If they hadn't have woken me to tell me I'd never have known:)

redofromstart

No power cuts hurrah, but a long day of driving so I'm tired.