Get a grip woman!

We are looking to replace DH's commuting car when he retires next summer. I am currently looking at an electric car with £0 Vehicle excise duty (road fund tax) and that I can charge from a few solar panels on my garage roof.

I do also want a couple of solar panels so I can heat the growing-tunnel I am planning to grow lots of my own (beyond our current allotment sized veg garden).

Currently very taken with the VW E-Up (except it sounds as though it is for Yorkshire people, with Yorkshire accents) but it is probably beyond my hoped-for budget. It is the balance between buying something that immediately loses 20% of its' value, and buying second-hand and having to allow for replacement batteries in the budget.

Used a whole cabbage out of the fridge (it had been there all month (ahem)). Made two batches of soup. The slow-cooked one looks a bit brown (made with roasted veg and cabbage in the slow cooker overnight. Yesterday's lunch one was lovely and fresh-tasting.

We let the YS shelf (The "Poor Shelf" as a friend's Mum calls it!) drive this week's purchases. So YS fillet steak in a stir-fry with some reduced S-Fry veg last night and YS Cod-Loin with Prawns from the freezer to try the recipe Waitflower trailed on TV this week - I have prawns in the freezer.

I also picked up a pack of Lamb neck that I will stew with fridge veg and Pearl Barley for an evening slow-cooker short-cut, and some minced steak that Morries mince on the premises to use up the off-cuts from other cuts (I prefer this to the pre-packed 3 for £10 style packs).

Other than that we are just waiting for pay-day really. Roll on 26th which is DH's pay day. I only have 5 left. And fewer than 60 working days left. :eek:

Massive Smassive milestone!!

In other news my weight-loss continues to hover around 6-7 pounds after 3.5 weeks of the 8-week regime. I am sure this is because I am eating more "free things" and because I did it before and my body simply processes things differently.

Yesterday I had emergency dental repairs (under £60) with a new titanium post fitted to the tooth next to my upper front tooth and this morning I woke up with the tip of the repair in my mouth (obviously I am grinding my teeth at the moment). My dentist is miles away and my agenda for today is extensive so out came the "Diamon-Deb" (metal nail file) and I have manually filed away the sharp edge that was lacerating my top lip and tongue tip (why are these things so irresistible to our tongues?) as a DIY interim solution.

Pay Day today (and breathe!!). I need to do the full update in due course but have paid for the oil 1000l = £530.25 - over £150 more than last time. I have also chased Plusnet (cockup in the systems put our annual line rental payment into the usage part, which meant we are showing a £166 credit and they are charging us the premium charge for line rental each month, and no bill :eek:).

Then there is Flow, who we left in May but only issued the final bill on 30th August (I knew I owed them money and nudged them twice). They took it by DD on 12th Sept and issued me a (probably 4 months overdue time-triggered) letter to say my account was overdue! At least they answer their phones and resolve things in the call-centre. Very excellent Customer Service, as always. Shame about the cost.

I've booked the Boiler Service too and the Chimney Sweep is coming this afternoon. Does anyone else have that "12,000 mile service" sensation in their home when it all needs doing!? - The Sweep has to do the chimney before we can have a fire - it is a condition of our House Insurance (being thatched). Obviously with a wood burner it is essential anyway!

Off to get a haircut now (at the Barber - £14.50!) before a quick clean and tidy ahead of a meeting here at 3pm.

Meal tonight will be leek and cauliflower au gratin and I will use last night's leftover Ragu to make a chili for tomorrow

I'll never be as organised as TOPM but this is my way of being accountable for today's list.

Haha - don't worry KC there was no pain involved with the dental repair, just some white dust. He also replaced a crown and I managed to floss out the extra cement I could feel between two of my back teeth where he stuck it.

Re the weight loss, this is me joining in with my DH to whom I recommended the diet (because it worked for me) and there is a competitive determination to be near where he is, even though that is unlikely. I would like him to lose 4 stone from where he started, over the next year or two (so nothing drastic :eek:) - in terms of time I mean, not total. He has given up school puddings and custard and the biscuits and cakes that proliferate in school staff-rooms, especially the Food Tech part of the Design and Technology Department! He is finding the starchy carbs harder but at least it is autumn, not winter. I have promised some potatoes and bread/crackers at Christmas.

Anyway, he is up to 11lbs whereas I am at 7. I suppose I could also aim for 4 stone but I think I have been big for so long, it might be a bit drastic. Three is enough for me, over a couple of years..

My tooth survived last night! no more in my mouth this morning!