Let's get this sorted then!

Sun_Addict

Oh poor tortoise hope he’s ok. They seem so laid back I wouldn’t think of them climbing. Hopefully he’ll heal without the need for a vet 🤞

I hope you can make inroads into the work backlog.

Rhyddid2026

Thanks @Sun_Addict , you can count on me to have the pets that don't quite conform to expectations. Although Horsfield's are known to have a bit more…. errr… personality than other tortoises. He can use his front claws like wolverine and climb vertically in corners or soft furnishings. I think he was trying to climb on top of the cave he sleeps in. It's been removed now. Everything is removed for now. He just wants to be outside but it's -1 here tonight and it'll be a while until it's warm enough for him to be out in the daytime.

I've had a nice meal out and now I'm home in the warm, and don't really need to go anywhere all weekend. Bliss!

LzzyIsGod

I totally agree about Horsey's - one of mine has the nickname Houdini because he is a master of escape - how he hasnt got out permanently is a miracle. But yes they are renowned climbers and diggers wirh superb memories! Hope his little head recovers xx

biggerpickle

@Rhyddid2026 well done on the 25% debt reduction, super impressive! And congrats on the promotion too, though hope the workload settles soon.

Rhyddid2026

Thanks @biggerpickle, I'm sure it will.

@LzzyIsGod on further investigation this morning I think he climbed on his cave, fell on his back, and in trying to get back on his legs his head rubbed on his shell. The dent is the same shape. This morning you could hardly tell anything had happened, it's healed pretty fast, but I'm still cleaning his head and leaving his enclosure bare for a couple of days. He's very grumpy about that but at least he's safe. Probably.

Not that it's about money at all, but I have saved myself quite a bit by not reacting in panic to the original scene. I'll still take him to the tortoise vet if I'm even slightly worried though.

The sun is out today though it is really cold. I'm enjoying a couple of hours of garden chores.

Rhyddid2026

Not sure if any of you remember, but I overpay my loan slightly but 1stD won't update the balance to show the reduced interest. When I asked last year they say they don't do that but I can get a final settlement figure instead. Not quite the same, but I did ask for that yesterday (as I'll temporarily have a large amount of money in my bank account this week and I am so sickeningly well behaved I occasionally like to play 'what if I was a villain').

Anyway they've given me a figure of 6700 if I want to clear it now, or 6500 if I clear it at the start of march after my next DD. My loan account shows I owe 7655 at the moment.

I don't have that kind of money and it still doesn't tell me how much I actually owe, but thought I would record the figure here. I might just ask them for a settlement figure once a year or something, out of curiosity.

MillQueen

Interesting to see the settlement figure and you are doing well with the overpayments. Your diary makes me smile, as I read back through some it today, and your creatures, seeds and plants paint a lovely picture. A nice life you are maintaining for yourself.

Rhyddid2026

Aw thanks @MillQueen I do love my little life, even on the hard days. The critters make me smile. As I type the dog has gone out into the garden, left the doors open, and the chickens have wandered into the living room. It's not ideal but it has made me chuckle, they're all wet from the torrential rain so drying themselves off. I am going to have to put them back out though as I do not want to be cleaning chicken poop off my rug!

In other news, I have just persevered and tracked down my NHS pension. As I thought, not much in it (I can't make sense of all the figures, but it looks like £1,600 in total). Every little helps. I'll save all the details on my pensions document though to save me the hassle next time.

I won't be doing much outside today if this rain continues, so best I crack on with the dreaded task of sorting shipping for the boxes that have been in my living room for months.

I have a chance of a weekend away at the start of May with friends. I went last year and it was very cheap and a lot of fun, so that's giving me a bit of motivation to sort some stuff out.

Edited to add - first few seeds have been sown! Spring has now officially (in my head) arrived!

Also, just worked out my net worth for the first time ever. It's not as bad as I thought. It's -877, which is obviously not great because it's minus, but that should change within a couple of months.

FootyFanDan

Those hard days can also make you appreciate the little pleasures. I love the stories about the pets and their little things they do that make you smile. I agree with @MillQueen this log of your journey through the good and bad is such a great read.

jwil

Aren't NHS pensions defined benefit, so would that be £1600 per year?

Great result with the loan. It really annoys me when we can't see up to date figures on accounts. There's no excuse for it these days.