NST January 2026: Shake and Vac

f0xh0les

Morning Turtles, greetings from the train to Birmingham.
  Got 3 surprise days of work offered yesterday, so I grabbed them. Probably for the best as my sons seem to hate me at the minute. Their choices are NOT my fault.  I just need a bit of space from them after 3 weeks of them doing absolutely nothing. 
Is work supposed to be a sanctuary?  I had heard it was. Asking for a friend   👀   👀 .
Had to laugh on the way to the station,  they gave the weather forecast  for  'The Salford Region'  Is there some kind of resurgence of the Manchester/Salford/Lancashire territorial dispute , like  the Denmark /USA Greenland nonsense? 
 Over to our North West Reporter @grandmanerd ....
Keep warm Scottish Flavour  Turtles 🐢 
Chin up!

grandmanerd

Manchester and Salford are both cities f0xh0les, divided by a river. Commentators/ newspapers confuse Greater Manchester (large region with many boroughs, including ours) with Manchester (the city, but again with lots of old boroughs dividing it). I get more annoyed when they mix up Wigan (a town) using it as being synonymous with Wigan Borough (large Metropolitan borough - double the average size) which contains several towns withtheir own history and culture. I don't subscribe to the fanatical rivalry - outraged protests in the local papers when anything 'Wigan' appears in the town (Wigan coat of arms on a street sign). Come on - it's been 50 years now (I had a question on the new regions on my geography 'O' level paper).

I'm still struggling with the cold. It rained overnight so the snow has melted but I'm still wearing my wooly hat at all times. It's cold enough to stop me thinking in a straight line. I've just ordered 2 mini heaters as I'm getting nothing from the radiator. I've been trying to work out how old it is and the answer is at least 20 years old. Will get someone to look at it and if necessary upgrade beforre next winter. I also want door curtains and an extra thermal layer to the front room curtains. As I've already spent money today I'll look through my wishlist and decide what to buy in the sales (online of course).

I have found a 5 minute habits list by ordinary and happy - will look at which are the most useful to me and start implementing them.  

Grateful for bedding and layered clothing (clean yesterday evening and all the stacked up laundry has just been set off), for soup and ricee pudding, for lists.

thriftylass

Happy New Year and Hello!

My apologies, I'm late as we just got back from Germany 2 days ago and I'm only just back to work and routine, yay.

Could I please join with my lucky number 14?

Will catch up on posts etc in today's lunch break.

DawnW

Dropped a black bag of nice items off at a homeless charity shop this morning. Gift aided - don't forget to do this if you are a taxpayer, as it makes a big difference to the charity 

Horrible icy roads, OH drove. Took the dog to be groomed in the next village. Bought bird food and a coat for the dog as I felt sorry for him in his underwear    He already has one coat, but it doesn't really work with his harness, and this one will.

Washing done and put outside for a while, now on airer to finish.

All food from home - making a chicken curry tonight 

Work tomorrow    Hope it isn't too cold!

Grateful for getting rid of a black bag of unwanted clothing, and being able to help a homeless charity in a small way, in this awful cold weather.

dizzyblnd

Well as expected today wasn’t a nsd. I needed petrol for the rest of the month (hopefully) and then I needed to order a birthday present. Days seem to fly past so quickly recently. 

thriftylass

Hello,

today is NSD #2, went to the gym, journaled, did my to do list and gratitude. Finances are not looking great after the holidays but the only way is up this year. Will revise my numbers this afternoon and adjust my plan for the year (and update my signature  ). Feeling more positive and ready to do the right things again. Long may it last.

Started listening to podcasts in the gym instead or reading the news (too depressing or polarising) or watching useless youtube (occasionally it is useful for a skill video). 

Got loads done in the house yesterday, a lot of tidying and cleaning still to do as both got neglected last year, but made a great start. The Christmas ornaments are still out and will have to wait till the weekend when I'll brave the cupboard of doom under the stairs. Finally did the last holiday wash yesterday and hung it out, it froze within 10 min, lol, will rotate that onto the drying rack inside tonight. 

Found some fish cake mix I had frozen, so that will be tea with broccoli. 


EDIT: 

Did my numbers properly this time, who am I kidding thinking what I listed in the past was all my debt. No point hiding from stuff now or pretending family debt doesn't count etc. I am ashamed about how much worse it got in the last few years. I know why, and on my part the root of the cause is sorted. Time to make things right. Admission and truth is the first part of recovery (as proven before I got sober)

Debt
OD	£1200
CC	£3914
Family	£3100
loan	£5618
(Mortgage	58243)
Total - mortgage	£13832

 :'( 

beanielou

Well done on facing up to it. First target the OD? 

beanielou

My mum had her operation yesterday. She hasent reacted too well to the morphine. So they are keeping her another night to monitor her. 

DawnW

Hope your Mum is ok @beanielou

Work today, so not much else accomplished. It was freezing in the shop. Pleased with my Mount*in W*rehouse thermal tops. They call them a 'base layer', which sounds very intrepid. I reckon it is just as cold in the shop sometimes as it is on a mountain though 

Dinner will be leftover chilli from the freezer, jacket potato and coleslaw. Looking forward to it, as I don't have lunch at work, just hot drinks. Very quiet day, so we left half an hour early. Now warmed up by the fire. Bliss!

Rowan9

@beanielou sending good wishes for your mum 

grateful today for my big woolly scarf and thermals at work today as heating still not properly fixed although it is a bit warmer in parts of the building 

for plain chicken lunch when tum felt a bit upset 

working with such fab people