New job = New focus = Still a good life

Pippilongstocking · 20 January 2017 at 6:38PM

Looking at the groaning cupboards and freezer, after tonights celebratory visitors takeaway (do not say a word!), I think we need to buy no food this next week and possibly for the next month.

#nogroceryspendchallenge

I cannot promise to not buy bargains, although I probably shouldn't.

old habits die hard

beanielou · 20 January 2017 at 6:39PM

All sounding good

Cheery_Daff · 20 January 2017 at 9:40PM

Hooray, welcome back! :hello:

:j :j

No spend grocery challenge sounds good

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Pippilongstocking · 21 January 2017 at 8:20AM

Good stuff but we all know that I'm likely to epically fail at not spending on groceries

waves hello to the world, Beanie I hope you're good and yum to Brownies cheery.

Today is the second day of no spend groceries as I went to no shops yesterday I didn't spend anything (aside the sneaky chinese).

Currently scratchign my head over two seperate bills for class 2 NCIS due at end of January tried phoning twice only to be taken through all the rigmarole and told 'sorry we can't speak to you on this matter at this point.'

ARGH.

Any NCIS Class 2 enlightenment welcomed.

I'm off to read up more

Been up since 5 so soup is a brewing and pancake batter with sour milk (almost cottage cheese like) is made and an extra 'cup' of sour milk bagged and about to be frozen for a pancake emergency.

So to NCIS. ETA done some reading here

Clarified things a bit but phooey, also says I can appeal, might do that as not sure where this figure they've got came from and I did my books properly.

Must make a house list later as things round these parts need a bit of TLC.

Cheery_Daff · 21 January 2017 at 8:57AM

What plonkers! Clearly they have no idea what they're doing either. Pah. Lob some sour milk at them!

Mmmm pancakes

I'm still in bed so no soup or pancakes here..

although meeting my friend at parkrun in an hour so best get up i suppose!

Making giant vat of soup later to freeze for work lunches. Did same last week but only lasted four days :eek: must work on quantities!

:rotfl: found 3 carrots and a parsnip in a sorry state under a coat on a shelf (don't ask) so need to see what i can salvage and have plenty of other carrots and dried soup mix/pearl barley stuff so fingers crossed.....

Mmmm pancakes... jealous now!

Pippilongstocking · 21 January 2017 at 9:10AM

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

What plonkers! Clearly they have no idea what they're doing either. Pah. Lob some sour milk at them!

Mmmm pancakes I'm still in bed so no soup or pancakes here.. although meeting my friend at parkrun in an hour so best get up i suppose!

Making giant vat of soup later to freeze for work lunches. Did same last week but only lasted four days :eek: must work on quantities! :rotfl: found 3 carrots and a parsnip in a sorry state under a coat on a shelf (don't ask) so need to see what i can salvage and have plenty of other carrots and dried soup mix/pearl barley stuff so fingers crossed.....

Mmmm pancakes... jealous now!

Throw root veg in jug/bowl of water for a few hours (cold) its remarkable what happens, you'd think they'd never been droothy and almost look like brand new.

It was a LFHW work trick I'd never heard of and was utterly amazed.

Imagine vegetable being full of water. :rotfl:

Enjoy the run!

PS I came home to a saved half litre of milk (sour) in the frige, spring onions nicely propped up in a glass of water and old bread saved in a wee bag in the freezer. Tea made from cupboards with two extra portions of pasta made with it. And, reduced meat nicely portioned and frozen, a couple of 19p neeps and a reduced pack of yoghurt.

House sitter no 2 is a LFHW colleague who just said, well I saved the milk, obviously.

Here's tomorrows lunches (extra pasta and sauce) all boxed ready.

We both said, brilliant pancakes and scones at the weekend then woop.

We are a strange bunch.

Pippilongstocking · 21 January 2017 at 9:58AM

List for contemplation and potentially some moderate action.

Food related
Meal plan
Sort out fridge and cupboard
Portion up soup brewing
Freeze sour milk
Check on on bread purchases and freeze anything looking pathetic.
Something yummy for tea tonight potentially premature roast dinner
Veg from garden (tatties and J artichokes, the odd stray shallot)

Hoose related
Hoover
Logs to top up
Kindles to do same
Wash floor
Quick swipe bathrooms
Washing fold and away one more load to get rid of holiday clobber
Skis, boots, gubbins and bags away in attic
Gear in storage box (attic was making it mouldy)
Start researching cleaners as I fear they are not telepathic
Check dug food and any non-food essentials (we need brillo pads for sure)
DH put up new knife rack
Order extractor for kitchen
Contact painter
Find out about the 4m tall whizzy ladders, if too expensive keep borrowing from work
See what other decluttering I can do
Freezer to reuse place, fridge too and old chair
Think about looking for a table soon for kitchen which isnt size of a small continent
Repair curtain hook in lounge which appears to have been wrenched from wall again (pesky visitors and they're superhuman muscles)

Finances
Update spreadsheet with work spends/expenses
Timesheets to wages on Monday
Contact NCIS re payments required - there is a chance I can appeal, but do I want to find out more (£208.96 bill) !!!!!!?!
Same re second letter from SE 2010-2015 all are submitted and thought were OK (£730.80 bill) second WTFlyingF?!?!
Email DWP about different bill for £119 (? again has someone gone crazy with my paperwork?
Check DD/DS re money this month, all should be OK but touch base
Pay £100 to DH for holibub contribution, he's very good and gives me 0% interest, for washing his socks.
Cost dog walkers/cleaners and do budget perhaps think about contacting them, again both are not telepathic
Check at work if its possible to make a 'dug bedroom' in one of the buildings we use, save dog walker expense?
Same for roofer
Mortgage is 15 years 9 months can we overpay something this month
Sort paperwork id required for joint account in town
Refund $CAD40 I found in my sallies pocket or research how to do this where gives best rate, how did I miss that?

Family and fun
Touch base with DD re a visit/meal catch up not seen her since NZ
Skype DS in France, sort him a wee parcel with few treats
Pancakes for post holiday disorder DH for brekkie + maple syrup although this may make things worse. (ready but no one is up)
Garden with a chum and dig her up loads herbs/plants to help her with a sale in April whilst she is here with a car
Natter to hen whilst cleaning her out ask if she's like to start laying more than one egg a week
Dig up some tatties
Look at bulbs emerging from earth
Charity shops with pal?
Make a nice tea for us all
Walk hounds
Move free wood up the garden to chopping stack.
Date night with chum on wed, find cc card see what vouchers we have and take it from there.
Organise meet up with pal with babbies
Organise date night with OH to see T2

Organise date night with SIL soon
Book flights for April trip and check out cheap accommodation post snowdrop madness recuperation
Find mutt/house sitter for said escape start putting feelers out
feed birds

and then watch them with a cup of something

Yuk stuff
De poop garden
Pull up some nettles
Get rid of carp in wheel barrow
Declutter greenhouse
Sort car for work

There will likely be more but tis a fine list.

Pippilongstocking · 21 January 2017 at 12:36PM

Ive eaten pancqkes moat productive

Cheery_Daff · 21 January 2017 at 12:47PM

Glad you're back Pippi - your epic lists make mine seem tiny and achievable

:j :j :rotfl: :rotfl:

I shall experiment with your root-veg-in-water tip, although they are destined for soup pretty shortly anyway. And I fear it won't get rid of the mould

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Pah to pesky paperwork. HOw vexing. Sounds like you need some kind of admin assistant, not a dog walker! :rotfl:

Post us a pancake if nobody gets up to eat them

cazmanian_minx · 21 January 2017 at 2:38PM

That is some list! Best of luck with it!

New job = New focus = Still a good life

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