Progress is...

rtandon27

It took me all day, half a tube of pringles and a tot or two (or three) of irish cream whisky to feel even half way motivated to list anything!

important tasks...
 ❗ do bus pass application
✅ check when current energy fix ends (Oct 3rd) & diarize 49 days for switch (Aug 15) - have set up new tariff - savings of almost 10% locked in for a year - surprisingly with my current supplier - still waiting for 50gbp that I requested back last week, and have reduced monthly payment by 6gbp going forward!
🔱 never ending paperwork filing - woo hoo it's now sorted - need to hole punch and file!
🔆 my savings need juggling

routine tasks...
✅ YNAB juggling
✅ grocery order - not doing one this week - may need to pick up some yogurt
✅ meal plan - eating from the freezer and eating out for our staycation
🔆 weekly digital planner
✅ supplements
✅ Weekly surveys & contests
🔆  laundry - lots to be done this week!

non-routine tasks...
 ❗ clean up of spare laptop that needs to go back to the office - laptop is in the office, I've not cleaned it up yet!
🔆 across the pond banking
🔆 send a message to BFF across the pond - we are talking this week - the 5 hour differnce means one of us is always asleep when the other is ready to talk
 ❗ Delay Repay
🔱 Nightmare Train Delay snot-o-gram!
✅ yoga mat cleaning spray arrived & has been applied to mat!

medical follow-ups...
 ❗my dermatologist referral - have docs names - now need to book
🔆 follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment
🔆 follow-up on private eye specialist

never ending garden things...
✅ harvested 2 growing bags of potatoes - not a great yield and most are small - about 400g - one meal's worth
✅ weeding & pruning
✅ planted 2nd pot of chives in with potted baby lilac - they idea is to underplant the trees with herbs
✅ grrr - pot trolleys inner rim is smaller than tree pots - out rim is same size to those can go back & new ones have been ordered
🔆 pick and process apples
🔱 4 bags cotswold stone - trip to W!ckes planned
🔱 transplant baby trees into their new pots - one of three done! - have soil for other two and pot trolleys for underneath as they are quite heavy
🔱 start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed (needs doing in autumn)
🔆 need to transplant two chili plants & one more pot of flowers
🔱 once lavender is dry from rain make lavender bundles for drying - bumper crop - I've got one bundle complete
🔆 trim down and rehome butterfly bush - during hols
🔆 new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH has acquired the hardware!
🔆 finish taming climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - during hols

social calendar...
💖10 days of no work - lots of plans with OH but may have to revisit these as life throws us a curve-ball

rtandon27

So far on our Staycation, we are making the best of it as energy levels permit...

1) Visited with baba - what an angel! - so happy to see mama again - spend time having cuddles and drinks, then dropped baby off to daddy and went for a burger and another drink!  Very MSE as we had 2for1 being a Thursday evening!  I then had to travel home - wow was I shattered!
2) Friday - I was WFH - had pickety bits at home for dinner instead of eating out - OH not well enough to go out!
3) Saturday - the usual chores in the house
4) Sunday - OH needed to rest so we spent the day binge watching the telly!
5) Monday - lovely afternoon at our town's world festival - snacks and coffees were had - a cheap day out!
6) Tuesday - car needed a repair - so we took the train to visit a town with a cathedral - had a cheapy pub breakfast, walked a circuit over the course of the morning to take in the sights, with lots of rest stops for OH - the a lovely late lunch at a Lebanese place - so tasty! - picked up a boquet of flowers then headed home to pick up the car -  naps were had!
7) we are headed out to a spa - 75% off via my health care plan! - I'm worried about being bored, OH is looking forward to doing nothing!

...we vetoed Edinburgh, Glasgow & Belfast in favour of being close to home with the car as OH needs to get to various tests before his follow-up appointment on Monday!

ETA - I won't be bored - several inclusive treatments, a fitness class or two and all inclusive meals, and outdoor activities!

rtandon27

Back from a two night spa trip in lieu of a city break!  Fun was had, but would I do it again?  Probably not...

1) I missed my own bed & pillows and did not sleep well, despite the fancy pillow spray that was supplied as part of the package
2) I loved having a room that opened to the great outdoors & a quiet courtyard
3) The spa was too crowded and I'm from across the pond - we don't queue!
4) Staff were amazing, but fellow spa users were not - bad manners abound!
5) Pilates class was meh - I've had better classes streamed live on my pilates class app - I did however learn which of my muscles are overcompensating for the damaged ones post-hemi-plegia, so can focus on strengthening those going forward.
6) The treatments were amazing - fabulous pedicure & massage, amazing facial - but then again, no need to stay overnight to have any of these services
7) The pool & whirlpool & steamroom & fancy showers - best bit - I could have stayed in the pool all day, despite the chlorine! - but then again our local hotel/spa has day passes, so could just spend a day there instead.

OH on the other hand was introduced to reflexology and would be more than happy to have it done it again in that setting - he spent a lot of time resting and lounging around in his spa rove which is just what he needed atm while going through lots of medical tests.

Cheery_Daff

Glad you've had a relaxing trip away RT, sounds like it's been very much needed with lots of medical stress at the minute xx

rtandon27

@Cheery_Daff - thanks hunny - it was much needed for OH - gave him a break from the house stuff which is his 'job' & the worry of tests that take for ever!  He rather enjoyed lounging around in a robe for hours on end.  We are still in partial vacation mode - had a takeaway bf delivered this morning & dinner last night! (all healthy but with flavour!) I was dying for something tasty after 48 hours of 'healthy' spa food - think salt/pepper/garlic as the only descernable flavours!

So the weather has turned to autumn in my neck of the woods - laundry from Weds morning is still not dry so I'm bringing it in from the summer hours bit by bit and running the dehumidifier to take out the last of the damp.  I have another 3 loads to go & three days to do it so not too bad!

Also have a pot of bone broth going, as there were several chicken's worth of bones & pots of juices in the freezer ready to go.  We also have pork drippings/gravy & onions in the freezer for a meat broth at a later date.  Two pots of roasted root veg soup left in the freezer along with roasted carrot/parnip/potatoes for the next batch.  Cozy weather food beckons

Freezer audit has happened and grocery order is started, I'll need to stock up on salmon portions and chicken breast portions so that we have ingredients for easy meals for the month of September.  We are good for sausages & mince for the moment but on the hunt for stewing meat, craving some lamb after having a lovely tajine for dinner on our spa break.

Both new passports are now in hand, so need to find a black ball point pen to sign them!  I have at least 2 dozen gel ink ones to hand, but only blue, purple, pink & green ballpoints to hand.  UK passports sent my new one seperate from my old one via post.  The across the pond one handed me both in hand at the same time!  Across the pond took under a week & UK two weeks - amazing given that it was supposedly a 6-8 week turn around for each of them!

Time for a weekend list!

important tasks...
 ❗ do bus pass application
 ❗ clean up of spare laptop that needs to go back to the office - laptop is in the office, I've not cleaned it up yet!
🔱 never ending paperwork filing - woo hoo it's now sorted - need to hole punch and file!
🔆 my savings need juggling
🔆 find a black ball point pen to sign passports - Iknow ther is one in the house somewhere!

routine tasks...
✅ YNAB juggling - I was paid yesterday! - have topped up all the assorted pots, as August was hard on the fininaces, we had a car repair, my passports, a stay/va/spa - cation, presents, private medical expenses & annual nhs meds pre-pay - have put the rest towards Dec basic expenses - happy to see we are currently covered for 3.5 months, but 3 is realistic for us once all the big bills for the car come out over the next few months.
✅ grocery order - in progress - we have cleared out the fridge so need to restock fresh fuit & veg! - looks like I'll be spending 1.5 weeks worth of grocery money upfront
🔱 meal plan - rough plan - needs to be easy and simple as OH has lost his appetite & does not have much energy atm
🔱weekly digital planner
✅ supplements
🔱 Weekly surveys & contests
✅ laundry - 3 loads done, 2 loads dry, 1 to be hung up, 1 to be washed if there is room left!

non-routine tasks...
🔆 across the pond banking
🔆 send a message to BFF across the pond - we are talking this week - the 5 hour differnce means one of us is always asleep when the other is ready to talk
 ❗ Delay Repay
🔱 Nightmare Train Delay snot-o-gram!

medical follow-ups...
 ❗my dermatologist referral - have docs names - now need to book
✅ 1st dermatology procedure done for me at the spa
✅ chiro booked for Monday, my lower spine needs some relief!
🔆 follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment
🔆 follow-up on private eye specialist
✅ medical pedicures done for both of us at the spa
✅ therapy massages done for both of us at the spa
✅ reflexology done for OH at the spa
✅ OH 1st test completed & doc phone call happened
✅ doc has referred OH to 2nd consultant - follow-up is required for 1st test
✅ OH doc appt monday for follow-up
✅ OH blood work Monday
🔱 OH hospital appt thurs (letter arrived in today's post with instructions)
🔱 OH private consultant booked for next week

epic list of garden things...
🔆 pick and process apples
🔱 4 bags cotswold stone - trip to W!ckes postponed
🔱 transplant baby trees into their new pots - one of three done! - have soil for other two and pot trolleys for underneath as they are quite heavy
🔱 start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed (needs doing in autumn)
🔱  need to transplant two chili plants & one more pot of flowers
🔱 once lavender is dry from rain make lavender bundles for drying - bumper crop - I've got one bundle complete - argh - rain is promised for days!
🔆 trim down and rehome butterfly bush - during hols
🔆 new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH has acquired the hardware! - on hold until he feels a bit better
🔆 finish taming climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - during hols

social calendar...
💖10 days of no work - lots of plans with OH but may have to revisit these as life throws us a curve-ball

Cheery_Daff

That's an epic list there! Can I ask a silly question? What do your little symbols signify? What's the difference between a  task with a sunshine and a task with a trident? I've been trying to work it out for weeks! 😂

Glad you've got your passports back, and quicker than expected too!

rtandon27

@Cheery_Daff - haha - it's not as mysterious as all that - the 'trident' is a WIP - I've started or half completed it - think many paths to the same destination type of vibe - for instance it takes me several goes each week to finish my YNAB tasks and in the middle of all that I'm doing laundry too! - the sunshine is just prettier than a dot - it's a bullet point of sorts but more attractive & more motivating! - exclamation marks are my way of trying to get my butt in gear - I'm very good at avoidance of certain tasks - and of course my green tick-marks are self-explanatory - my tada list!

I'm amazed it was so quick for both of them - I've heard horror stories for dual nationals post-pandemic, but I did have supportive work friends helping and proof-reading so I didn't miss out anything or make any silly mistakes!  I think perhaps it also helps that one of my two references is across the pond military of a fairly high rank - 🤔 😅 

Baileys_Babe

Thanks for explaining your bullet point system, now you have told us it is obvious.

I often use a flower as a bullet point and I currently have a list and in each section I have used a different flower, just because it makes me smile.

themadvix

Definitely feeling I need to update my bullet point game now! Thanks for the explanation RT.

Cheery_Daff

Ha,  thanks for the explanation! Love that ongoing works in progress get their own little symbol,  very cheerful. 

Take it easy though.  Having a poorly spouse coupled with all the uncertainty will take it out of you xx