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

Greying_Pilgrim

tmv - pardon me asking, do you open freeze the leeks without blanching?  And if so, is it because you're planning to use them quite soon?

Greying X

themadvix

I do and no, not particularly - I can't be bothered to blanch them! I did it last year when they'd started to sprout scapes and I needed to pick them quickly and they seemed to be fine.

greenbee

Sorry to hear about Octopus, but it validates my decision to use a local independent which has done a good job for my neighbours when I get round to it...

themadvix

You're probably right greenbee, but I can guarantee it will cost a lot more - and we probably wouldn't have done it (and certainly not now) if it had been more expensive. 

I have drafted an email to Mr 🐙 which is currently sitting with my mum for editing (and Mr MV will need to look at it too). Mum's found a bit online that suggests we should have had proper plans and I've now got the list of things the auditor flagged as the response I received said that everything had been installed to standard - erm, no, it definitely wasn't. I don't intend to use the list from the auditor, because I don't want to get him into trouble, but it's useful to know what he said and have it in writing if it comes to it.

In other news, I've got a Cambridge report temporarily off of my desk and caught up on some admin work (both Cambridge and non-Cambridge). Mr MV returned about 2pm and has been constantly in meetings since... And he's just gone into another one - at 5pm. It had better be the last one!

Can't say the Budget has thrilled me.... but saying any more than that will get me into trouble here. Understand the need to tax EVs, but how will they establish how many of those miles are in the UK without it being an enormous invasion of my privacy? Why should I be paying tax for using French roads where I'm already paying the tolls for the privilege? Not very thought through. 

beanielou

How dissapointing on Octopus.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Have since discovered a more orderly process for escalating complaint, so will start with that. Haven't sent it yet and suspect it's going to be longer and much more extensive by the time we've finished with it. Have also heard from the man who puts remedial works in place about the fails from the audit (he apologised for the assumption made by our coordinator that everything had been fitted correctly - good to know someone knows what they're talking about!). So we'll need to copy him in I think. I think it's unlikely they'll actually do what I want and re-run the pipework entirely, but I'd like some acknowledgement that they have failed to plan and that this has led to the issues and will cost us money to rectify if we have to hide the pipework (and they will have to redo the pipework in the cupboard because that's totally unacceptable (and is on auditor's list)). We shall see.

Discovered that I've received a refund for cancelled part of cat meds order that is £4 less than I paid - so am following that up - certainly not aware that there was an admin fee.

Apparently Plumbworld are chasing DHL about our missing basin.

Anyway, it's Mr MV's birthday today, so I am trying very hard to be cheerful. He was very happy with the present I got him (if anyone watches Jetlag on YT, it's their Hide and Seek game). He has spent this morning grouting the tiling and getting very cross with himself over it  - I am quite sure it will look lovely in the end 🙄 We're off (once he's finished with the grouting) to have lunch at a Turkish restaurant - they do a really good value and very filling lunch deal, whereas their evening meals are quite pricey. I am sure we'll have a quick drink in the tap room too. 

Mr MV has tomorrow off - I don't, but I'm not actually sure there'll be anything to do - no US clients for the rest of the week, Cambridge I'm pretty up-to-date with, so unless main client has something for me, it'll be some invoicing and then freedom. We may go for a walk if that's the case.

Gratitudes (because I really need to focus on these):
* Three days of celebrations for Mr MV's birthday and then it's December, with all the festivities that brings (two Christmas meals in two days next week)
* A quick catch up with Dad and Stepmum who dropped Mr MV's card around
* Progress with the cloakroom
* A lovely whatsapp chat with a friend (although I might have moaned a bit - oops)
* Our house is warm, we have food and we have two lovely cats to share it with - what more could I want really?!

Have a good afternoon all!

beanielou

Happy birthday to Mr tm. 

Jessy103

Happy birthday Mr MV 🥳

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks ladies, I've passed your good wishes on! We had a lovely lunch yesterday and a couple of halves in the tap room. Saved on dessert by popping to the Turkish-run supermarket and getting a couple of bits of baklava after that, which did us for 'tea' last night and elevenses today. 

Mr MV has made further progress with the grouting this morning. I have done a bit of Cambridge work, invoiced for the month and paid myself (and done the requisite money shuffles). So I have money again - we bust last month's grocery budget (not helped by DIY spends coming from food budget). Personal spends for tonight (tapas) and tomorrow (country music club night - ticket already bought, so should just be a couple of drinks at London prices) will come from some extra that I had squirrelled away knowing Mr MV's birthday would be expensive and is right at the end of the month. So we're good there. 

I think December should be easier personal spends-wise:

- Monday's Christmas lunch is already paid for (and as I'm cooking it I might get a refund anyway); 

- Tuesday's lunch is paid for by Cambridge and I'm cunningly driving, so no pressure to go in on a bottle of wine; 

- Saturday we're going to friends for mince pies and mulled wine - again I'm driving, so no real need to take anything (unless I bake something) - Mr MV might take something to drink that we already have in

- Germany - we should have breakfast included with our hotel (as long as the expected upgrade works), we've got £100 dining credit that can be used at a couple of restaurants so dinners will be partially covered, and so it's just market lunches and gluhwein plus anything we buy for ourselves;

- May have lunch with ex-Brownie friends while we solve the murder mystery (already bought from present fund)

Think that takes me up to Christmas - we'll need to pay (or part pay) for the Chinese takeaway on Christmas Eve but no other expected spending. There's some flexibility there though if anything crops up that we fancy.

I have just sent off a more comprehensive complaint to Octopus. I didn't go straight to the top in the end as there is a process and I think it's only fair to follow it and give them a chance to come back properly (especially given one of my complaints was about our Install Coordinator, who is clearly not up to scratch). I've also spoken to someone from the MCS scheme who rang to audit the install (paperwork side of things, although they may send someone out in the future) - he sent me details of where to take my complaint if I am not happy.

Had a response from the cat medicines company and they seemed to think they'd refunded the correct amount, even though it's £4 less than it should have been. I've forwarded them my order confirmation which shows how much I paid... still waiting to hear back from them. It's clearly not an admin fee though, so hopefully it can be sorted?

The replacement basin should be appearing within the next hour or so - big 👍🏼 to plumbworld for rectifying that asap.

We've finally received refund for ours and the in-laws supermarket deliveries that didn't have discount. I am hoping this means the account is sorted and discount will be applied when I set up a delivery for next week (pretty desperate as we're out of eggs, cheese and all sorts of things!). 

Our toilet has just reappeared in the hall - I suppose it's a marginal improvement on it being in the garden?! 😂 I'm not entirely sure why - we're not ready to reinstall it, but Mr MV mentioned wanting to let it dry off? 

All in all, it feels like some progress is being made and I am feeling happier than yesterday. I think I find the complaining process so difficult - it's like writing a report really, isn't it - and that's what makes me miserable. I also get cross when dealing with it and find myself shaking. Having got it all down and sent, the pressure is off.

Right, off to help Mr MV with some DIY and get some broad beans in compost! Have a good afternoon all!

rtandon27

Well done on getting through the tough complaint process Vix xxx