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

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks @beanielou. It is very much eek! Sadly there's fresh poo somewhere I cleaned yesterday, so I have called the council recommended pest control company and someone is coming tomorrow (£65). My traps haven't caught any of our squatters overnight and with them being in the kitchen, I can't be patient about it. Sadly I've had to throw away several items that I just don't trust not to be contaminated - silicone bakeware (it gets tainted by smells, so don't fancy mouse pee as an added flavour) - it has been gnawed, plus my pizza stone and wooden pizza paddle (all in the affected drawer and lying flat). Some will be replaced soon, others might go on my Christmas list. I also think one of my wooden chopping boards will have to go 😢

On top of that, B&W Cat is not interested at all in food this morning [ETA, he has now eaten something] - one of my next jobs is to get the cream for his ears and hope it works (quickly).

I do have some work from main client this morning (no cats to visit today!) and am alternating that with further cleaning.

MS things to report:
* I did sell some cat food at the weekend on FBMP - £7 (stuck to my guns when £5 was offered - she paid full price in the end)
* Friend gave me £20 towards the open stuff I took round to her yesterday, which was kind as we'd agreed it would be in lieu of cat sitting (value of food was around £50, so much appreciated)
* As reported - pub dinner was actually cheaper than a mediocre takeaway; going to mum's for dinner tonight
* Surveys were done on Saturday - will catch up with yesterday's/today's later

Gratitudes:
* Dinner at mum's tonight
* Work
* Mr MV is back tomorrow (I know, he's only just gone, but in the circumstances, I need the moral support!)
* No pills for B&W Cat today - he's not entirely convinced this is the case though, so is up high, out of reach

Have a good day all!

debtfreewannabe321

We found we had mice on the day we were leaving for Paris 😏timing eh. It took weeks of trapping and releasing before they stopped coming every day, and then we had the bright idea of actually filling the hole where they were getting in …and that did it. We had a big hole in the floor of the car port which led to the kitchen (well under the floor boards) and they found themselves happily in the baking cupboard where I had stashed a big box of ferrer roche. They had a great time. We were finding mice poo tainted with gold wrapper for ages 😂.

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82128224#Comment_82128224

What a waste of Ferrero Rocher!! We think we know where they're getting in, but it will be interesting to see what the expert reckons tomorrow. I could not deal with weeks of this… 😬

themadvix

Picked up cream for cat - it had better bl00dy work (although having realised you need gloves on to administer it, suspect cat isn't going to be chill about it - gloves mean chemo to him) - it was £96 for a tiny (tiny) tube - like the sort used for sample toothpastes basically! If we need more, it looks like we might be able to shave £20 or so off by asking for a prescription, but it's still ridiculously expensive. Use within 30 days once open, of course. Vet wanted us to use it ad hoc…. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️😭

South_coast

I suppose it's too much to hope that the cat suddenly develops a taste for mice 🤷‍♀️?

themadvix

Definitely SC - not sure what he'd do if he saw one tbh! But as he's immunocompromised, I think I'd rather he stayed away! I've been trying to encourage his brother to help out, but given he once backed away from a (small) spider, I have little hope! 🤣

themadvix

Morning all,

Had to woman up and act as mouse chauffeur on my own this morning - after realising that BIL would already have left for work (and it's hardly the thing you want to start your day with, having no idea it was a possibility) and Dad is away on holiday! Anyway, mouse removal accomplished. Mouse man is coming some time between 8 and 5…. and will text to say he's on his way. Not entirely helpful… I need to clear an indoor cupboard really before he arrives, but am putting it off - both because of what I might find/disturb in there and because it contains all the things that Ginger cat would eat (such as plastic bags - apparently he has this in common with mice). I also have long-term cat client back to look after (having had a week off as friend has been caring for her).

B&W Cat was all purr-y and happy in the night (having only eaten half his food yesterday) but is now hiding - a combination of not wanting food at this time of day, me grabbing his ear with cream on my finger and uncertainty about pills, I suspect. I am really hoping the food situation improves later or I'll need to call the vets.

I booked my trip for my family member's funeral last night. Mum was talking about an Airbnb but for four adults who don't want to share a bed, it's not that easy - and the PI was £57, so I just got on with it (especially as she then said 'Your uncle is going away tomorrow' - implying that we wouldn't be able to book today either - and she goes away tomorrow!). Too much faffing - I wanted to get flights and accommodation booked at sensible prices. If they end up staying somewhere else, so be it - I think they'll both stay on for longer too. Sis was hoping to come but it is looking unlikely she's going to be able to, which is a huge pity. Apart from airport transfer, it's all walkable for me, so if I don't have access to a hire car (Mum or Uncle will have one), it's not the end of the world. I'll have to get first train out of home town on my way - at 4am-ish - but at least it's early enough that it will be before peak ticket time!

Another piece of work has arrived from main client, so that's keeping me busy in between cleaning kitchen drawers (only 3 to go) and dealing with cats… I will be so glad to see Mr MV tonight!

MS things:
* Decisive booking of flights and hotel - and obviously I don't need any of the extras on the flight 🙄 (and will use my Amex to get lounge access, thereby saving breakfast costs). Didn't book hotel breakfast either - sure I can find something suitable for less.
…. I'll let you know if I think of anything else - between cat food orders, medication, pest control and funeral arrangements, yesterday was flipping expensive. Ooh, I've just done my VB polls!

Gratitudes:
* Dinner at Mum's last night and a chance to catch up with Niece after her first week back at school - which she's really enjoying (she's got some great topics to cover this term!)
* Mouse removal went smoothly
* Ginger Cat is super easy to medicate and unsurprisingly doesn't seem bothered by change of diet
* B&W Cat did at least manage nearly half his food yesterday (complete with a hand-fed in bed midnight snack 🙄) and I've already done the cream on the ear today. Just 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 it kicks in and he starts eating more - he's feeling thin 😢

themadvix

Mouse man has been. We have six bait boxes around now, which I am very much not happy about… but equally I'm very much not happy sharing my kitchen with mice…. He'll be back next Friday. Boxes are not in cat accessible places - I just hope mice decide not to die in cat accessible places.

B&W Cat has eaten a reasonable amount of food so far and is looking marginally brighter.

Work is coming along - and I am now free to go and see cat client (it's even brightening up here, although I don't think I'll walk/cycle today - it's exceptionally wet underfoot).

MS things:
* Used a £1 off your shop voucher when I popped to Coop for a sandwich and some chocolate biccies - all baking is off until this is resolved 😢
* HW done (fruitless)
* 20p PA survey
* Checked in for my flights so I don't forget - boarding passes added to Apple wallet. A bit different from my little square of green paper used for my flight to Scilly!

beanielou

My worry is will I manage to get the boarding pass out of the wallet. Bring back paper.

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129961#Comment_82129961

Is it an Iphone @beanielou? Once you've added them, it should be simple enough - double squeeze the long/big button on the side (not the volume ones) and your wallet should appear - then just tap on the pile of 'cards' at the bottom and they'll come up for you to select the one you need. Hope that helps (and apologies if I've completely misunderstood). Afraid I can't help with an Android, but I'm sure someone else on here can!