Renewed focus: the (less-than?) five-year plan to move

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks @beanielou, yes it definitely is!

No work was forthcoming yesterday, but I had a productive day nonetheless - various bits of admin in the morning, then B&W Cat had a nice long afternoon nap and I was able to crack on in the garden for a couple of hours without being whinged at/having to supervise cats. Emptied all the dead tomato and pepper/chilli pots (harvested the remaining chillis) and cleared the greenhouse, weeded the patio (it was in dire need) and swept and tidied by the back door. The garden looks SO much better for it.

I was hoping the weather was improving today but it seems to be getting worse - so washing put out yesterday is getting wetter again 🙄 It should be dry and sunny this afternoon - but it seems unlikely now that a) the washing will dry or b) the grass will be dry enough to cut - both of which are annoying.

Still no work, but I've done/cleared a bunch of surveys this morning and bread is on its final prove. Am waiting in for a parcel, but when that's here I need to collect some pills for B&W Cat from the vet. I might also go down to town on my bike. I could meet friend for a cuppa later - I know she would appreciate it, but I do have a lot to get on with here too. I'll think about it. Gym later and dinner will be egg and beans on toast. Last night we had masala carrots, so I've got leftovers for lunch (and Mr MV has taken lunch to work too). In the meantime, I've got bathrooms to clean and am going to put a picture up - the others require screws to hang them from, but one has a wire and I have the requisite tools (and confidence) to get it up!

MS things:
* Have cashed out £62 from PA. Usually do this at month end, but I forgot when paying myself last month and I don't fancy letting the balance get too high. Another £4.97 pending.
* VB clicks
* 1P surveys

Gratitudes:
* B&W Cat is slowly getting better at eating by himself 🤞🏼
* Mum popped round for a cuppa yesterday
* I can see blue sky! The sun is coming!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

I did get to town yesterday, returned some library books, got my Greggs free cuppa (not on the month-end deadline!) and bought some vegan protein powder. I've been tracking my protein intake for the past couple of weeks and while I'm getting enough (just, with focus) to maintain health, I'm not consuming enough for the weight exercises I'm now doing. I am already feeling more tired from the exercise, so I want to avoid making the situation worse. It's not something I've ever used before, but hopefully it will make the difference. I did get enough protein yesterday as a result! It's expensive, so I'll keep it as a post-gym drink rather than something for every day. Went to the gym and squeezed in a quick swim too - I'll count it as 1.5 of a visit (approx 1.5 hours too). Showered and hair washed there too, so saving shower gel, water and electricity for water (electric shower rather than from heatpump, so a bigger saving).

Main client has sent a large project, which is likely to keep me busy for a while, especially as it's likely to be interrupted by other projects. I do need to pop out at some point today as I have the car - we need another couple of cat food bowls as B&W Cat doesn't finish his food and lick the bowl clean any more. I have a 10% off voucher that I can use towards them though and will take stuff for the donations box too, which will get it out of our house. The FBMP person did not reply/show up yesterday…ho hum.

Dinner tonight (no gym) will be cauliflower laksa - which reminds me, I need to go and pick some kale for it.

MS things:
* 3rd part of 3 day PA survey completed
* VB clicks
* 1P surveys
* 2 loads of washing on the line, making the most of the sunshine (both to wash and dry it)
* Use of gym for showering

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine
* Enjoyed my swim, even if brief
* Plenty of work

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Spent a productive hour after work in the garden yesterday - washing in, recycling out and then cut grass and emptied hot bin, producing a good bag full of compost. Also played with the cats and was delighted to see B&W Cat jumping after his toy for the first time in months. 🥰 Also popped to allotment and picked kale, sprouting broccoli, some beans and the final squash (I only intended to pick the kale….). We then didn't eat it as we decided to walk to the pub for the exercise 😂 and had home cooked fish, chips and baked beans for dinner… Whoops! Laksa will be tonight's dinner and I need to get on top of the veg in the fridge - and either cook it or freeze it.

Continuing with the large project for main client today, but also need to pop to WR (will use YG voucher) and hoping to get to the gym ahead of the post-work rush. New FBMP person didn't turn up last night (after saying they were sending someone in 30 mins while I was at the pub - didn't ask if it was convenient 🙄 - I put them off until we were home), but has said they'll come tonight… we'll see… As the tinned food is now taking up space in the kitchen (can't leave it outside the kitchen as Ginger would eat the plastic wrap), I hope it goes tonight.

MS things:
* VB poll
* Work
* Gym visit - today will be 7.5 visits this month so far (based on swimming and gym being separate visits), making the cost/visit £10.50 with half the month still to come
* Homemade compost bagged

Gratitudes:
* Playtime with the cats 🥰
* My mum finally went to see my physio (it has taken ages to persuade her) and she was able to help - funny that!
* Nice walk and chat with Mr MV at/en route to/from pub

Have a good day all!

themadvix

WR visited and remainder of voucher spent (plus 8p). Managed to get a non-food item there that I would have bought in JL - thereby contributing to my totals for the first little treat of the month. I'm less than halfway there, so doubtful I'll get it, but we'll see - I may pop there again before the month is out.

Grabbed my free cuppa while I was there and brought it home and have now cancelled tomorrow's milk as I bought some in WR. Also dropped a donation off, so more stuff out of the house.

Struggling with focus on work…. but I was at my desk at 8 this morning, so am nearly considering it done for the day.

themadvix

Morning all,

Another 2 hours at the gym/pool last night and home to the cauliflower laksa. I was thinking of popping for a swim later, but I think I might give it a miss - I am quite achy and tired today. I'll see how I feel later - I've got to go past the gym to give Stepmum her birthday present, so I can make a decision then.

Dinner tonight will be a stir fry - will put the rice on before we head to the pub and get the veg all washed and chopped too, so it's quick and avoids temptation while we're out.

Not sure of plans for the weekend. There's a slim possibility we might go to London - have a membership card to use for access to a gallery - but there's not a lot on there that we'd be that interested in. If we did go, we'd use the Amex dining credit to feed us, so probably only cost would be the train tickets. But we might well just stay at home - there's house stuff to do, allotment to sort and gym to visit for a change of scene. And maybe a nice autumnal walk too (although we could definitely do a nice walk in London too).

Grim article in the Times today - apparently a lot of the big salmon producers are now or soon will be feeding the salmon chicken meal. 🤢🤢🤢 I've cut back on salmon a lot because of the awful conditions in fish farms (almost all salmon is farmed, and everything labelled as Scottish salmon is farmed), but tend to eat it when out or if being fed by someone else. No more. The very occasional bit of salmon from now on will be from wild caught only (Leap brand) or, if I learn that organic farms don't do this, then possibility organic (but organic farms are also very poor and the Soil Association is considering removing the label). I'm not looking forward to explaining this to friends and family when they invite me over for food. It seems nothing has been learned from the BSE crisis…

MS things:
* CC pots up to date and Amex paid
* B&W Cat seems to like his new food (which is seemingly easier to eat, which was the whole point of the change)
* VB polls
* Dinner will be mostly homegrown

Gratitudes:
* Am definitely feeling the benefits of the gym
* A lovely walk round the block in the sunshine - enjoying the colours of the leaves
* B&W Cat seems to like his new food (yes, this is intentionally repeated!)

Have a good day all!

beanielou

Yah to B&W cat.

themadvix

Morning all,

Had a lovely weekend and didn't go to London. I'd forgotten that the farm with the bakery had it's autumn market on Saturday - we went there and had a mooch. I enjoyed a bun from the bakery and bought a loaf, Mr MV had a side dish from one of the traders as a snack and we bought some foodie Christmas presents too. Then home for a late (small) lunch and some chill time, before I headed to the pool (I wanted to get a Garmin challenge badge - needed to swim 1000 metres last week and I'd only done (and recorded) 425m). Dinner was a tofu rice bowl.

After my swim I used the sauna… and it melted the coating on my glasses. 😢 So Sunday morning I went to the opticians and ordered a set of new lenses… £200 😭 I will not make that mistake again (and, in fact, I may well use the spare pair I am wearing now (where the coating has started to peel) for sauna use as I still have a further spare pair of lenses - I am so short-sighted that I feel quite vulnerable if I'm not wearing them). Fortunately, my glasses fund has exactly enough money in it - and they'll be going in the same frames I have, which are also still available, so if the frames go soon after, I should be able to order the same again. Very much not ideal though. While I was out, Mum and I popped to JL and enjoyed a free cuppa courtesy of JL rewards (there was also cake, but Mum paid for this) and I popped into WR for a couple of bits, including £1 off YV yoghurt and a free loaf of sourdough, both courtesy of the yeokens app - it was a bit of a faff but worth it for a freebie/something I needed to buy anyway.

Sunday afternoon was very lazy - some TV, a card game and a 'roast' dinner (with Quorn escalopes) and rhubarb crumble (last year's bottled rhubarb).

Today Ginger Cat is at the vets for his investigations. Another big bill (the 0% cc has come out again), but most will be covered by insurance. And I'm hopeful they don't find anything of concern - certainly I think the vet who admitted him was happy with the reduced frequency of his vomiting. I have the large project from main client to be getting on with and am re-training B&W Cat to use his microchip feeder - he's terrified of it and we think it must be because he associates it with feeling ill. With no Ginger here to get in on the act, B&W Cat is getting treats in the feeder to persuade him it's safe. Really hope this works as he's definitely more of a grazer these days than a two-square meals a day kind of cat.

MS things:
* Free loaf and reduced yoghurt
* 30 local free range eggs from the farm for 8.50
* Boots points on my lenses
* Didn't go to London/did go to the gym
* Free cuppa for Mum and I
* Lots of hg veg used for meals
* Have managed to book myself for two gym classes next Monday - they book up quickly

Gratitudes:
* Ginger Cat wasn't expecting his pill popping experience this morning, so it went better than expected!
* An enjoyable, chilled weekend
* A cardamom bun (and realisation that this was the first time this month I'd been to the bakery - progress!)

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Have just collected Ginger from the vets. His heart condition appears unchanged and from an initial look (but the vet will take further measurements to check), his stomach doesn't look to be inflamed and everything is OK there. So 🤞🏼 the food is working and he won't need medication. This also gives me hope that his brother will be able to come right down from the meds he is on. Bloods are being sent off, but hopefully nothing to worry about there either.

This is excellent news 😁 Unfortunately it comes with a £1500 bill, but insurance will pay most of that (it's on the 0% cc for now).

Popped to Sains for some smoked tofu earlier (and choccie biscuits) - remembered to use the 88p voucher I got when I hadn't opted into the Nectar price offers before I started scanning my shopping last time. Also 30 bonus points for the choccie biccies (which I've not yet opened - but only because I found leftover roast potatoes in the fridge!)

beanielou

Good news on ginger cat.

themadvix

Thanks Beanie - it really is - having to medicate both cats every day would have been hard going, even now B&W Cat has adjusted.