Cherry takes the reins

Another list for today:

piano practice ...a bit
Training session at work DONE
find details of Mum's shares NOT DONE
email re Mum's shares DONE - but got a bounce back so will need to think what to do next
email re annual leave DONE
ironing DONE
put clothes away started
Do meter readings DONE
Wash lounge curtains DONE (and ironed and hung up again )
Tidy up/pot on plants in lounge DONE

Back again after exhausting myself working at Mum's! I made real progress though every time I do this, it brings home to me how much there still is to do. In fact, progress always seems to unearth a new lot of things!

This time around I had to clear spaces around radiators so the company can come in and replace them. I've just paid the deposit for the work but while clearing I found a radiator I hadn't known about! The man who does radiators think it may necessitate a larger boiler which will of course cost more. I pointed out that it hasn't been used for decades and no one's missed it (it's behind furniture on the landing and there's a very good updraft from the hall to warm the area). He's going to see what he thinks when he goes back to start work. My question is whether the boiler he's recommended is going to be only just sufficient and if so should I go for a slightly more powerful one? If we sell the house, would a potential purchaser want to add heaters, and be put off by the smaller boiler? I'm not a good judge of whether a house feels warm to other people as I would rather be a bit too cold than too hot.

Anyway, I spent an afternoon out in the unseasonably mild weather cleaning windows and window frames at the back of the house and repairing and painting an external door which really needs replacing. A colleague who is always doing up his house has now recommended a firm I hadn't heard of (door shopping not being one of my vices) which has a branch local to the house, so I may actually get the door replaced. In the meantime it helps the look of the house and might just last the winter.

Of course, all this eye candy was a displacement activity as I really didn't want to get down to the heavy work of clearing around radiators. In the late afternoon I couldn't put it off any more and worked through till midnight: amazingly I have done most of it and the lady who does the garden will shift some more. I tend to do the bedrooms as there's all sorts heaped up there. Only one of four was already accessible. Now it's three of four so I texted the radiator man to explain I had discovered a marble table in front of the other one and there's nowhere to move it to!

I suppose I have made a very small bit of progress towards actually clearing stuff: a mop handle went in the bin, for instance! I am really poor at decluttering at the best of times. Until things are orderly I find it hard to assess what's rubbish and what isn't. I have heard that people tend to overvalue their own possessions and I can believe it. We don't see the wear and tear or the replace-ability as others might. I pulled out a folding table Mum had kept by the cooker (she couldn't stoop to get things from low down), cleaned it and the surrounding area and used it to hold some big and probably value-less large vases. That sort of thing is just taking up space so I need to make some decisions and possibly send to charity but with no car I'll just collect more together till it's worth doing a delivery.

Sorry, lots of waffle!

I started and finished the trip with shopping trips and have a few Christmas presents and some clothing... I'll post separately with costs as I really need to get ready for work soon.

Thank you Happierdays - the clutter clearing is one that will run and run!

So: spends for the last few days:
12th:
Train fare £57.10 - I'll reclaim most of this from the estate but I could have done it a bit cheaper if I hadn't broken the journey to do Christmas shopping, so I will pay the difference.
Clothing £21.45
Gifts £40.45
Housekeeping £9.64
Household £3.50 but this item was faulty so had it refunded later in the week.
Toiletries £1.00
13th:
NSD
14th:
Household £3.50
Housekeeping £1.00
Pets £2.50
Gifts £13.49
15th:
NSD
16th:
Housekeeping £?
17th:
Household £14.60
Housekeeping £10.89

No piano lesson this week as I had to work, and no run for absolutely ages (since I was on holiday). Hurricane Ophelia was my excuse yesterday, and some days there's a lot to do and it's hard to fit in running but tbh I felt rather unwell on hols and the running didn't go well, and now I'm back I'm coping with a couple of issues (nothing dangerous but getting me down a bit) and the motivation isn't quite there. I do know that once I get back to it, I will feel better though.

Another NSD, another run (new pb yesterday ) and another extended shift at work.

Phew! Glad I now have a couple of days off.