Progress is...

Cherryfudge

You did it! Well done!

My take on assertiveness is that while we may not be inclined to do it for our own sakes, it might prevent the same thing happening to someone else.

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - Thank-you hun, nice to have someone on side! 😃

I completely get the moral compass of going things for the greater good & tbh that is my default as well. 

Atm though, I very much feel the isolation and a bit of stand up for yourself cause no one else will!  That being said I know several of my work friends are in agreement and rooting for me, but when it comes right down to it, not one of them would put their necks on the line for me, even though I would do so for them!

I'm WFH today which is good as I'm physically exhausted but not good in that I actually had to communicate with MsMM about something we are working on together and had to call out another moving goal post.  She had to admit (in writing) that she'd mis-stepped and tried to back track.  In this case I have to be honest, everything is still draft so who cares about the changes, but I do not cope well with poor communication and had to ask for clarification. - At least it's in writing and I can keep a screen shot of it!

She also dumped some news that is directly related to the HR meeting, so I point blank asked her if she was going to inform them of this news or should I, as it was not in keeping with timelines discussed in the meeting or with my notes. Told her I had too much work to do today (35 short reports to read & analyze) but that I would do it on Monday, in the form of a screen shot! (I've been watching certain utoob videos that while they make me laugh, teach valuable lessons on how to stand your ground in the workplace.)

OK - so to bring this diary back to an MSE perspective, it's the third weekend of the month tomorrow, which means c/c clearing & YNAB juggling to prepare for a pay-cheque in just over a week.  Remuneration was hard won this month I have to say.  In some ways I feel like money has been hemorrhaging out this month as there have been some major spending items like a B-Day and another large dentist payment, but given that everything was budgeted for, I should really be thankful that these things can be paid and everyday life still paid for.  Life is squeaky at times, but it's clean 😉

rtandon27

Happy Summer Solstice!  Longest day of the year and the whole neighborhood, including dogs & cats & birds, not to mention a few noisy neighbors were up at the crack of dawn!

Saturday morning & it's already too warm for words!  I've closed the blind next to me to keep out the heat & have a desk fan going to keep the air circulating.

Third weekend of the month so c/c clearing & YNAB juggling are my priority!
I also bought a ticket for tonight's Lotto with the pitiful winning from earlier this week.  Only '3.8' million!  Enough for me to quit my job and live quite comfortably until the end of my days 😁

routine tasks...
✅ YNAB juggling
✅ c/c clearing
✅ supplements
✅ meal plan

not routine...
✅ order new wireless keyboard - harder exercise than I imagined - all I needed was a plug & play portable compact silent keyboard that did not rely on Bluetooth and switched between devices - and no I do not need it bundled with a mouse - almost impossible - finally found one on the big river site and bonus it is pink! - needed because the bright sparks who run our IT department 'forgot' to update the drivers for the keyboard I currently use & it may take weeks or months before they get to it!  In the meantime, I need to pay attention to my ergo set-up! - absolute PITA -  but if this keyboard works then I'll get another one for home and forget about carrying it back and forth as it was 80% less than the brand name one I currently use! ETA - it arrived - screen is now back where it belongs and I can type without straining - it is however cheap for a reason & not quite silent - it's not got the soft easy feel of the one I normally use!
❌ carry case for keyboard - for now, not worrying about this, as it should fit into my laptop sleeve if it is as thin as promised
✅ apple & rhubarb crumble - and another recipe's worth of filling and dry mix in the freezer for next time
🔱rice krispie squares - c/o to next weekend for Canada Day!
* review work schedule & to-do's as reports went over on Friday eating into my weekly wrap-up time

looming tasks...
💡 finish blue badge reapplication currently half complete (by June 25th)
💡 do bus pass application
❗ renew passports - one is expired - the other will expire soon
❗ get on with activating my tablet and start using it! 
❗ file the paperwork (have sorted through a huge pile that now needs filing)

medical follow-ups...
✅ complete OT progression survey - hard going but done!
🔱follow-up on specialist recommendation from OT - monday! - need to call
🔱ollow-up on eye specialist (forgot about this one!) - where is the dang referral?
🔱have a look at nutritionist through healthcare - during the week sometime

garden things...
❗  new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH STILL needs to get some hardware for this
✅ mucho pruning done & OH enlisted to take it to the bin at the end of the garden
🔆 started deadheading roses - blooming over - one bush done - a bazillion to go!
🔆 tame climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - started the tame - it's soooo overgrown!
🔱 trim down and rehome butterfly bush which seems to be in a plastic bag of all things! - not this weekend
🔱 source a pot for my baby lilac tree - next weekend
🔱 source a pot for the baby birch - next weekend
🔱 source a pot for the baby sycamore - next weekend
🔱 get gutters cleaned and order new drain guards - ask window cleaner & guards bookmarked on big river site
🔱 start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed - maybe on wednesday?

hmmmm - and as usual a bit of a tada list...
✅ one load of laundry dried & folded & put away
✅ one load washed & hung up in the summer house to dry
✅ one load sorted and turned - and also hung up to dry
✅ solstice sorting of make-up & lotions & potions - a couple of things reordered (do this twice a year if needed)
✅ summer perfume (xmas pressie in the sales) has replaced the last of the sample size scents
✅ face misters are out ready to deal with the heat!
✅ empty potion bottles are in the various recycle bins
✅ 90% of the sample sizes have been used up & am working my way through the last of the full-size products!
✅ did a grocery order as we decided no time to go in person for yellow stickers & cancelled the veg box

new things (there are always new things!)...
* make vanilla with spare vodka & vanilla beans
* source thai fragrant rice - prices have gone up!

Cherryfudge

Getting close to using up all the sample sizes is quite an accomplishment! 

rtandon27

Yesterday's commute home was a bit nightmarish!  Passenger Assistance at the big busy train station was appalling & did not provide the 'turn up and go service' that they advertise everywhere.  I was tired & cranky & fed-up by the time I finally got on a train so called up customer service and had a right moan! Result was very MSE - refund of a full fare round trip ticket for the day!  I was not after that at all, and would be much happier if they trained their staff to stop being so d@mn lazy and unhelpful but hey every penny helps.  I think they feel that if they shut you up with money compensation you won't take it to the rail ombuds or the press.  The customer service rep was shocked when I said I never ask for help on a regular non-chaos day because it's more stressful than managing on my own.  We ended up spending 20 at MrL as it was 8:30 before I arrived home, so all in I've got 66 to go towards this months 'spensive transportation budget.

beanielou

Sounds dire. This is exactly why I am afraid to travel by train. 

Cherryfudge

That's awful about the station staff - though at least Customer Services were helpful. With the price of train travel, a full refund is always worth having! I agree money isn't the ideal solution but you have to hope the complaint gets fed back where needed (and money is can go towards something you'd like or find helpful).

I hope today has gone better.

rtandon27

@beanielou - from what I've seen pre-booking assistance works a treat, but it requires that you also show up early and wait around at the larger stations.  I wouldn't use my commuter experience as the benchmark for travelling by train with assistance.

Unfortunately excess time is not a luxury I have when working long tiring days and doing a long commute at either end!  My railway offers a turn-up-and-go service which only requires a 10 minute window which is completely manageable.  At my own small town station I don't even need to do that as all the staff know me & assist no matter which train I show up for with no notice at all.  My darling OH is also there to be a body guard on the platform and ensure that pushy commuters don't bowl me over. 

The big busy station however is not just full of commuters but by enlarge Londoners, followed closely by tourists.  Those three categories combined result in an atmosphere that I refer to as 'Turtle X-ing', very difficult to manage during a normal rush-hour let alone when trains are delayed and chaos rules.  That being said, I usually get one of two trains and know which platform they are on normally so when everything is running smoothly I can get to the train and just ask the guard to assist with finding me a priority seat.

@Cherryfudge - haha - I chuckled at your lovely suggestions about spending the money on myself or something special!  I set a little goal for delay repay & compensation payments to see how much I could reduce the monthly cost of commuting.  So far it averages from 75 to 100 a month.  You know I'm nothing if not practical, so the money it frees up goes straight to the monthly mortgage overpayments!  I'm aiming to knock 5 years off my mortgage term asap so that I lift the burden of being forced to work past retirement age!  Ideally I'd like to retire as soon as my private pension is at maximum payout, but I'm not sure that is an entirely reasonable goal!

rtandon27

Mid-week ongoing list revision (taking a brain-break from wfh things!)

routine tasks...
*will revisit this section on the weekend

not routine...
* new keyboard is not the best, will be looking at my second and third choices
* another apple & rhubarb crumble - from the freezer
* rice krispie squares - for Canada Day!
* make vanilla with spare vodka & vanilla beans
* source thai fragrant rice - prices have gone up!

looming tasks...
✅ finish blue badge reapplication currently half complete (by June 25th) ALMOST FINISHED THIS ONE
💡 do bus pass application
❗ renew passports - one is expired - the other will expire soon
✅ get on with activating my tablet and start using it ACTIVATED & now being updated, another frog eaten!
🔆file the paperwork (have sorted through a huge pile that now needs filing)

medical follow-ups...
* follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment
🔱follow-up on eye specialist (forgot about this one!) - where is the dang referral?
🔱have a look at nutritionist through healthcare - during the week sometime

garden things...
❗  new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH STILL needs to get some hardware for this
* green bin to front to do the front bed before pick-up on Friday
🔆 started deadheading roses - blooming over - one bush done - a bazillion to go!
🔆 tame climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - started the tame - it's soooo overgrown!
🔱 trim down and rehome butterfly bush which seems to be in a plastic bag of all things! - not this weekend
🔱 source a pot for my baby lilac tree - next weekend
🔱 source a pot for the baby birch - next weekend
🔱 source a pot for the baby sycamore - next weekend
🔱 get gutters cleaned and order new drain guards - ask window cleaner & guards bookmarked on big river site
🔱 start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed - maybe on wednesday?

Cherryfudge

I love that Delay Repay is helping pay your mortgage! It all helps.

Happy Canada day (and rice krispie squares).