Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Cheery_Daff

Indead beanie xx

We made it home, low revs, blower on (although no heat was coming out - possibly connected, and the reason we booked it into the garage in the first place). I'll ring the garage in the morning. How very tiresome. 

So the rest of the week may be a bit complicated given that we now don't have a single reliable car, and I don't want to do a long journey in either unless it's to the garage. 

Wednesday - I was meant to be going to work, and then Mr C to a band rehearsal in the evening. I'll have to work at home (not a problem - I was going in for a big staff announcement meeting which I suspect may involve redundancies, but they are usually online/recorded as well). Mr C will have to forego his rehearsal. 

Thursday - Mr C was going to visit his dad, dropping me off in work on the way (but only so I could share the driving). Neither of these things will happen. 

Friday - we have an appointment in our local town first thing. Either we'll be able to get the bus (which also involve a good 45 min walk to the bus stop) or we'll cancel it - will decide tomorrow. I'm in favour of the bus, but I suspect Mr C won't be! Will will need milk at some point anyway, so that'll involve a walk to the local village (site of the bus stop). More vexingly, Mr C has a gig in the evening. Not sure how we'll manage this - might have to limp a car to the train station, then he can get 2 trains and someone can collect him at the other end? Or there's a chance someone may come and get him, but it'll be a 3 hour round trip. 

Rest of the weekend is free, thank goodness. 

Very glad this happened AFTER friend's funeral today, not before. 

So we'll see. It's only just occurred to me that the breakdown people might be able to actually fix one of them while they're here - but which one do we ring about?!  

And on that note, tv and crochet, I think. We've got 2 pints of milk, which would usually last us less than a day, so we are on rations (or we'll have to walk to the shop tomorrow afternoon )

Cheery_Daff

Ha, no way Mr C will agree to the bus on Friday morning. Appointment is 10am, the only bus before that leaves just before 8 and gets us there an hour and a half early And we'd have to leave home just before 7 to reliably walk to the bus stop Let's see how tomorrow pans out and then we can decide... 

Cheery_Daff

So. 

Breakdown people are on the way. Spoke to garage - we can have it towed there if the breakdown people can't fix it, and the garage will try to fix it as quickly as possible (at which point we can swap it for the other car).

Next time breakdown renewal is due, remind me to tick the box for a courtesy car! 😂 Always assume we wouldn't need one as we have 2 anyway, but two 17 year old cars does not a reliable transport system make 🙄😂

Wonder if we'll get comments about mileage this time? When the big car broke down, the guy had to ring his supervisor to check they covered cars with mileage as high as ours 😬 (it was about ,174k at that point, I think, now 186k). The little one is about 167k 😂 

Fortunately their policy goes on age of car, not mileage (and we have to pay an additional £25 each time we call them out, which is fair enough).

Strongly suspect we'll need at least one, if not two, new cars quite soon, but we'll keep them going for as long as we can... 😬

Cheery_Daff

Little car is wending its way to the garage. Garage will try their best to fix by Friday for me 😬 fingers crossed! 

Had another big work announcement - yet more changes 🙄 My own job is not at risk at the minute, but other people's are, and there is a whole big load more upheaval, hot on the heels of the previous upheaval. Sign. 

Anyway, head is all over the place today but I NEED to get some things done. Best thing I can do is just keep deep breathing and crack on with finishing things that will make it more likely to be attractive for another job elsewhere, should one appear... 

So. I'll put my phone in another room, make another cuppa, light a candle, and try to forget about all the nonsense for a couple of hours 🙄

rtandon27

I like the way you create a bit of zen in order to get work done!

Cheery_Daff

Well I've tried!! Got a few hours of actual work done at least, and some messing about in relating to upcoming changes. 

In other news, I have a pay rise (just a standard annual one, not because I've done anything special 😂), so that's nice - an extra £88.98 a month, on top of the extra £40.54 last month (delayed from several months ago). Unfortunately there's been an issue at the bank so we're all being paid a day late 🙄 Not complaining (too much) - I am, as ever, grateful for a decent job that is not (currently) at risk.

Very ready for today to be over, but I'm going to hide the phone and try for another hour first...

rtandon27

Think of it as money earned for surviving another year!  This year most of my annual increment went in taxes 😅

greenbee

Great news Cheery My last payrise (no increment - all theoretically 'merit based' was minimal as budget was restricted so I diverted part of mine to my team. This year apparently budget is going to be even tighter 🙄 (our CEO is a billionaire... I wonder why...)

Cheery_Daff

rtandon27 said:

Think of it as money earned for surviving another year!  This year most of my annual increment went in taxes 😅

I never even look at pre-tax amount, only ever work out the amount I'm actually paid. But you've reminded me I must check the 40% tax threshold - I've never hit it as I dropped to part time before I got there, but I know I've been close a few times. Not sure what practical difference it would make but it'd be good to know!

greenbee said:

Great news Cheery My last payrise (no increment - all theoretically 'merit based' was minimal as budget was restricted so I diverted part of mine to my team. This year apparently budget is going to be even tighter 🙄 (our CEO is a billionaire... I wonder why...)

Grr, that's vexing indeed! 

Put the heating on gain. Mr C is feeling rough still, and the washing I did on Monday (I think) still isnt properly dry, despite the dehumidifier (to be fair I did too much in one go and it's been quite heaped on the airer..) Going to give it all a blast on the radiators and warm us up at the same time 🥶

rtandon27

Thanks to YNAB, I've learned to look at my salary as a pre-tax amount and have categories for PAYE and NI and Pension - I've even realized that about 4.5% of my gross funds the NHS! More goes there than to council tax! OH brings in a Pension less than I pay in taxes so I remind him that it's me paying his pension 🤑

Pre-pandemic I'd pay most of my overtime in taxes but now I don't do any but between seniority and annual increments I've hit the threshold again!