Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

KajiKita

That sounds good 😊 Presumably, main client would be happy to help you set up initially? Even if you have to pay something. 

Oooh, I’ve seen those about 😊 Verrrr cute! I’ve never seen the interior of one before. What a satisfying project to work on 😊

KK

themadvix

KajiKita said:

That sounds good 😊 Presumably, main client would be happy to help you set up initially? Even if you have to pay something. 

Oooh, I’ve seen those about 😊 Verrrr cute! I’ve never seen the interior of one before. What a satisfying project to work on 😊

KK

I'm sure he'd help - it's just whether the funding would be permitted to leave the EU quite so directly. It's not a now problem though!

Not much to see in our interior - it's literally a sleeping pod (with a shelf) - no kitchen as it has to be small enough and light enough to be pulled by a classic Mini! But it is cute and we can't wait to take it out!

themadvix

Morning all,

Slept terribly last night and am very stiff this morning. I think I was stressing about how to fit everything in before we go away (and worrying about forgetting to cancel the hotel for tomorrow night - now done). I feel like I slept with my jaw clenched and my shoulders hunched all night.

It is going to be tight to get everything done, but I think it's doable. I just need to get on with it. One Cambridge meeting has been cancelled and I've cancelled another one. Suspect no. 3 will be cancelled too as boss/friend isn't feeling great. She didn't sign my timesheets off in time for last month, so I've also not been paid, so I'm not entirely keen to meet! (She has apologised, but it does annoy me as I have to put it in her diary to do, and apparently I'm also responsible for moving the reminder if she decides to take the day off at the last minute - if I was just an employee and not her friend (and wasn't so financially sensible/secure), then I think it would be a rather different situation). 😒

Dinner was as planned, sausage and colcannon last night. Remaining 15 sausages are open freezing (will need to transfer them to a bag today). Tonight is going to be something easy - lentil bolognese I think (uses up open passata) - as I suspect I'll be working late.

And on that note, I'd better get back to it!

themadvix

Morning all,

Have just remembered those sausages - still open frozen! Better add them to the list (although I've got some beans to blanch, so would have found them).

Not being paid by Cambridge will work out OK, I think - as main client has now paid this month's and next month's invoices (with a forecast of work expected) as part of the winding up of the existing company. So I should be able to budget for this month's and next month's pay between those two invoices and a large but late Cambridge pay.

Still trying to finish up the big project, but have spent this morning so far doing one of the expected bits for main client. He isn't too worried about when I finish it - I'd like it done though. Cambridge meeting with boss went ahead yesterday, but was actually very productive, so that was good. And I managed to get out and get stepmum's birthday present and drop it off too.

I have a must-do list for today (work, pack, blanching beans and dealing with harvested peppers) and a 'would-like-to-do' list (clean and tidy house, plant shallots, onions, garlic etc.). Amazingly the sun has come out - first time all week! - which is tempting me to the allotment (definitely a would-like-to, not a must!).

Lunch is going to be leftover lentil bolognese on a jacket potato (Mr MV at a work meeting most of the day, should have lunch included). Undecided on dinner - might be a broad bean risotto, unless I can think of something quick to do with the broccoli that's just been delivered (possibly - I think we have a good recipe box recipe that might work).

MS things:
* Had a bit of a PA blitz yesterday afternoon, amongst the work
* 1P ticking over
* Clicks and HW done

Gratitudes:
* I got out for a quick walk yesterday early evening - it's been a case of making myself go with this weather, but I always feel better for the fresh air and nature
* Excited text from Sis at 6.25! (I may not have been entirely grateful at that time 😂 but I appreciate her excitement!)
* Leftover bolognese and jacket potato for lunch - always appreciate an opportunity to enjoy a jacket potato!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

We had a fantastic time at Disney. I think even Mr MV enjoyed it more than expected! We've not done the totting up yet, but I think I will have spent less (by a chunk) than the money in the budget pot. We will also get some form of compensation for yesterday's Leshuttle journey, which was delayed by 4 hours! We didn't get home until gone 1 this morning, which was not ideal (M25 was also closed and then we got stuck behind a lorry on a diversion that had hit a railway bridge (despite signs saying not suitable for HGVs, there were 4 ahead of us 🙄)) - and I spent far longer than I ever want to spend crammed into the back of the car with my niece asleep on me. I was very grumpy and tired by the time we got home. Not sure what form the compensation will take though - annoyingly it may be a voucher for another journey (presumably one-way) which is likely to mean we'll have to pay out to Mum and Sis in cash. We'll push for a cash refund if possible.

Today I'm taking ginger cat to the vets. He's been a bit quieter than normal lately in the pesky cat stakes and I wonder if it's the beginning of arthritis. In any case, it's likely to be expensive 😕 Especially as apparently the vets have now introduced admin charges for dealing with those insurance companies that they don't claim from direct - which includes ours. So we now have to pay the bill and claim back from the insurance co. *and* pay the vets for doing the paperwork. It's a disgrace, frankly. But we're also kind of stuck (and potentially will be even more so after today - don't think I didn't consider switching insurance provider before booking this appointment) as pre-existing conditions (which ginger cat has) are excluded if you switch. His premium is already considerably higher than B&W cat's premium due to the vets unzipping him to find the headphones he ate... (they both have the same pre-existing condition, which is entirely under control through diet, so I would risk switching them, but I suspect today may change that).

I've also got a couple of small bits of work to do for main client and some stuff for a US client, but otherwise I intend that it will be a quiet day - much needed! Lunch will be lentil and tomato soup to warm us up (both feeling chilly today - the weather was much nicer in Paris!) and I've no idea as yet about dinner!

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done this morning (although waiting on one bookie - clearly an AWS customer)
* Disney will come in on/under budget - in terms of shopping, we bought one Christmas present (for Niece) and a couple of small Christmas decorations). We also have a better plan for future visits (should there be any!) that would involve even less overpriced, under quality food (breakfast was dire, as was the McD's - but the hotel dinner was excellent; we took a packed lunch into the park both days (yes, we packed a bread knife!) and a packed breakfast on the second day after the disgusting breakfast on the first - which was definitely a winner as it meant we could enjoy the extra time in the park too).
* Avoided the Dart charge both ways because we were so early/late crossing!

* Some form of compensation due for disruption last night
* It's definitely soupy/stewy weather for the week, so that should be nice and cheap.
* Payment for cat sitting is a few bottles of beer
* Have two cat sitting bookings to sort out - one weekend one and another for 2 months (shared with my friend).

Gratitudes:
* Fantastic weekend with family!
* Enjoyed nature in the parks - lots of birds, absolutely stunning trees and some giant carp in the canal

Have a good day all!

Greying_Pilgrim

Dearest tmv - because I am old vintage, your description of Ginger cat getting 'unzipped' to retrieve headphones bought to mind a pyjamas case that was all the rage when I was young.  The children's animated series 'Bagpuss' was well loved, and I recall a school chum having this bagpuss pyjama case (do they still exist as a thing???) and I remember being so, so envious of this plush item, which was baggypuss, with a zip all up/down his front - which of course, you didn't see, as he lay prone on the bed, stuffed full of PJ's 🤣

Fingers crossed the vets are benevolent and Ginger cat doesn't accumulate a big bill.

Good tips about DL Paris.  And I loved your 'work arounds' regarding things to eat.  

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

I too had a pjs case, but mine wasn't Bagpuss, it was a tiger! I still have it 🥰 (although I don't use it as a pj's case any more 😂)

Hope your ginger cat is feeling back to full strength soon, without too much damage to your wallet 😬

Glad you had a lovely time away 😊

themadvix

Thanks both! I also remember the PJ cases although I didn't ever have one. The unzipping just describes so well what happened to him, especially as they then decided the items in question were in the colon and to let things take their natural course - further 'unzipping' wasn't required. And he's such a furry thing, he'd make an excellent PJ case (if you didn't mind ending up more cat than human - my jumper is definitely rather furry after holding him at the vets this morning). We have some medication to try, with a likely £1,100+ for bloods, a heart echo and urine sample (all under sedation, hence the high cost). We will see how things go - the vet had said she'd email a 'plan', but all I've received is the estimate - I'll go back and clarify the timescales for meds to take effect etc. We'll claim on the insurance, obviously, for the procedure and the ongoing meds, once we know what the plan is, but we'll have to pay the excess and 20% of the costs because of his age (and they'll no doubt hike his premium again 😒). Today's cost was (just!) £100.

GP, I took the Brownies to Disney 4 times. While not deprived, they weren't from an affluent area and certainly some of them wouldn't have been able to go as family, so keeping costs down was always important for us and I just transferred these skills to our family trip - albeit after the McD and breakfast, we'd adapt further another time (easier of course when there's only one child to consider and she's pretty grown up and resilient for an 8-year-old). Trips with the Brownies were also in January, so ensuring we got sufficient hot food into them was more of a consideration - hence a cheap McD's meal and a good hot breakfast - neither of which were quite as necessary over the weekend, when we were blessed with lovely weather.

It would be extremely easy to spend a fortune there - nothing whatsoever is cheap - even a helium balloon is 10 euros and the ears (seemingly almost a requisite for some - not us!) were 25 euros  (obviously if one was intent on wearing them, a Vinted/Ebay expedition beforehand would be the sensible option). Plenty of people must get into considerable debt going there - kids in entire outfits wandering round the park, with a balloon/ears (we even saw some people who were obviously staying in the most expensive hotel (300-odd euros pppn) who had a package that gave them seats and champagne to enjoy while watching the parade!). However, the cheapest hotels are perfectly comfortable beds for the night (there is self-catering accommodation, but it's a bit further out and because of the setup and safeguarding, it wasn't suitable for Brownies, so we've never investigated) and once you know that you need to take a travel kettle etc., it's not difficult to extend that to a few bits of crockery/cutlery/picnic stuff. A trip to the hypermarket on the way and again during Saturday pm's 'rest hour' (for everyone but Sis and I - I'd recommend another time for visiting a French hypermarket car park 😬) provided us with sufficient fresh stuff. Of course, 'picnicking is not permitted in the parks' but it's France, so lots of people do and there are no issues with this (if there were, you could always exit the park and eat just outside, in between the two parks and the Disney village). It was drizzling yesterday lunchtime and we found benches in one of the covered arcades to eat in - we weren't the only ones and no one moved us on. 

Once you're in, the shops are nice to look around as there's a lot of variation in stock between the many shops but the prices make it easy to say 'no thanks'. (Niece had had birthday and Christmas money given for Disney shopping, but even she couldn't be tempted to part with all her cash). Rides, character meets and parades/shows are all included, but queue jump tickets/photos are not (and expensive) - but they really don't make or break the visit. Hotel guests get an 'extra magic hour' - entry to the park between 8 and 9 am before day visitors can get in - so this is when to make a beeline for the most popular rides and get them out of the way and is one of the real benefits of staying in a park hotel.

Anyway, I could go on and if anyone wants any more information, feel free to PM me - I'm not an expert, but I've got a fair bit of experience - but you didn't ask, so I'll shut up now!

ETA: PA survey done and I've found a nice simple black bean and brown rice bowl recipe for dinner in the IP book - cooks the beans alongside the rice from dry, so minimal forethought required (I have chucked the beans in some water for a short soak as I find they're always nicer if they've had *some* soaking time regardless of the pressure cooker's ability to deal with them). I've also had a nap... but still not got this work done - back to it now!

Humdinger1

Cheery_Daff said:

I too had a pjs case, but mine wasn't Bagpuss, it was a tiger! I still have it 🥰 (although I don't use it as a pj's case any more 😂)

Hope your ginger cat is feeling back to full strength soon, without too much damage to your wallet 😬

Glad you had a lovely time away 😊

May I ask what you use the tiger case for now @Cheery_Daff?

greenbee

I had a pink cat pj case. Now I want a bagpuss one...