Vodka tasting is my new sport

Friday

Intended to drive up straight from school. Didn't. Had to go home to see if post (taste card) had arrived, and to finish packing (late out of Go). In van in time for Muppets, then traffic OK so made it in time for tea. Went to second nearest pub. Started as we meant to go on with Heads Up. Mum was convinced Nan was playing too... first film was ELF (her initials) then we had her 'favourite .. Airplane. Massive pizza. Still not decided if I actually like Stilton. Definitely do not like the smell. Got to choose a room this time (chose poorly, squishy bed, changed next night). 

Saturday

Up early for a Parkrun. Decided on the Sewerby one near Bridlington as it was on the cliff top path. The downhill bits were great but the uphills hurt my lungs! If I'd been at home I'd have stayed in bed coughing but didn't want to miss the opportunity for some Parkrun tourism. Pops came with me to get the obligatory knackered at the finish photo.

I thought my legs had fattened up a bit, but clearly not. Go on Sparrow!! 

Back to base for breakfast then out for Mum's choice... Malton for the food festival. Frequented by those with taste if the car park is anything to go by..

Quickly discovered that the art to enjoying food festivals is to try anything offered. Also discovered that if something offered is really nice then you can go round again later for another sample, just to make sure. In this way we had yummy caramelised sausages for dinner, washed down with three lots of toffee vodka (purchased on third taster) two of Rhucello, (purchased by Pops on first sniff) which consists of Rhubarb, sugar and alcohol. Only one taster of Gin and Tonic was required to discover that I think its bloody horrible. 

Mum following her nose... 

Tried some Espresso Stout while listening to the Brass Band. 

Sober enough to resist the sales technique of the vegetable slicer man. Just. Also had jam and coffee. And Maltesers from Ed, the self professed drunkest man in Malton. 

Tea break in the Mad Hatters Cafe to recover from all that eating and drinking. 

There we met the Drunk Octopus.. he was up for a fight.. 

Back to base briefly then found a pub through the Tastecard app. Nice meal for all, friendly place, and half price. Winner. 

In my defence I hadn't slept at all Friday night. I was reading and then.. 

Nearly did a Remi and made a hole in a wall with a printer

Very frustrating day. Soon much time used up doing battle with technology.

Run. Ok, 30 mins at 13.1/13.2 6.575km.

Cleaned flat.. cleaned muddy shoes, washed up, cleaned kitchen, tidied desk, filed bank statements.
Finished ironing. Put mountain of clothes away.

Hoovered, put washing airer away, tidied. Had a valuation on the flat. The guy was cool. Spent half the time talking about Lego. Showed him my robot and the Wall-E video.

Then had to get down to the to do list.

Tried and failed to pay the crappy maintenance charges on the flat. Realised I can't because of the account switch. Emailed them that. See what they say.

Sent off CMA AGM forms.

Tried to send off forms to Santander. Needed to print them off. Printer doesn't work. Tried to fix it. Took about 9 hours. In the end after only getting the "fatal Error" lights every time it turned on (even though at one point it decided it was happy to copy the two documents as it didn't have to talk to a computer) yeah, in the end.. stick your fingers inside it, poke around till your hand is all inky, turn on again, magically fixed as though nothing had ever happened!! So at about 10pm I was able to walk down to the post box, having started at around 1:30.

Update Tom Tom. Again you'd think that would be simple. But no. Had to reinstall the software three times, ended up downloading a different version. Then it started off saying 1hr51 mins to update, then changed its mind to 3hr 53. Left the blooming thing to it.

Thought I'd feel better if I did some actual tidying. Started by having to get open office installed on laptop. Then decided it would take ages and that I would use an app (as I have my phone with me when I need to find out what I have already). Sooo. An hour or two later, I got the right version of the app on phone and iPad, had to delete all the previous work I'd done, but got them to synchronise over iCloud and both be up to date. On the plus side, it's dead quick to scan books in using barcodes, and the star wars ones make a lightsaber noise when they are found!!

So, this is all dusted thoroughly and scanned in. And some books put in a pile to be boxed in the loft. So the flat looks less cluttered for viewings !!!! HARHARHAR

So, back to computer.. Tom Tom eventually sorted, printer eventually sorted. Half price geocaching premium membership sorted, and profile updated to show counties. New geocaching challenge found.. Little Quest.. a cache in each county, then a final micro.

Entry to the Round Britain Rally applied for.

Accounts investigated to find that cottages.com are in fact robbing me AND Mum blind. Grrr.

Book time.

Geocaching on a whole new level

Finally managed a 30 minute run, having had around 3 weeks off with the cough. Not very fast, but a starting point.

Washing on.

Games and clean at Clare's. Will pay for Episode 7, and I've started saving for York holiday instead of next year's Legoland trip.

Lunch and ironing.

Transferred old ISA to new one, earning 1.05 more %.

Booked another viewing. Phoned estate agent regarding Leicester Road, confirmed that it had gone to a cash buyer for waaaay more than asking price.

Opened at 123 account. In theory can earn some money each month, so transferred the house account over to it.

Read. Finished Winnie the Pooh book.

Lots of other faffy stuff on computer. This is what is taking up the time so no progress is being made on the actual stuff in the flat.

Finished last of paper statements into accounts.

CMA. Chatted to Rob. Now have a new goal. I'd been thinking of doing some trips on the bike over the summer, maybe staying in youth hostels. He has totally inspired me to have a go at the Round Britain Rally. Its a bit like star orienteering mixed with geocaching, but on a 6 month, entire country scale. My target this year is just to get a couple of landmarks and see if I can get wrist sorted. But we all know I'll end up wanting to do them all (impossible for me, unless spend whole summer holiday doing it and... hmmmmm)

More ironing. Darn it, past midnight again.

Oops. More stuff.

At least the plan is to move to a house with enough storage.. think half of it will have to be a library.
Yet more books at the car boot..

Then off to church to hear Shaun drumming. Glad I went, not only for him, but David's sermon was all about God's guidance. Something I'm in dire need of over the whole house thing. Brain whizzing round the problem rather than listening some of the time, sadly.

Then Tesco. It's like taking a small child shopping! Made myself put back the SWFA book I'd picked up when I found a cool t shirt. Then had to put that back too when I found another t shirt. If I was still on teaching wages I'd have had four tees and a couple of books and possibly an xbox one! Got to live on 6 apple, 2 bananas and a bag of spuds for the week now.

Tested the Leap reader (= played with the map, may require further 'testing') and put stuff away (well, put books in front of other books on an already over full shelf). Had dinner, then ironed. Watched Norwich get an extremely valuable 3 points agains Newcastle :-) Knitted, ironed (am gonna have to ask for a raise) read, napped, wished, did a chapter of the Mindstorms book.

Pooh and Poo

Started well.. breakfast in bed..

Then a 20 min run watching Downton.

- wash load on
- set up a new ISA
- put current account statement into accounts
- ironed shirts
- tried to book some viewings
- got very, very fed up so went out for a cuppa and a knit

- ended up finding a geocache

- more accounts
- got a movie for free
- more accounts
- more shirt ironing while watching alien.
- tried not to have nightmares

Nobody should be that into Downton!

Did a weedy ten minute run to test lungs.. was actually the ankle that failed.. but did leap about deliriously before I started.. because Matthew in Downton Abbey could walk again! Sigh.

- cleaned ensuite bathroom
- wash load on
- 100 emails deleted
- credit card bill put into accounts
- box of recorded DVDs sorted
- Shift at Go
- read and nap (oops)
- some shirts ironed

This time next week this needs to disappear.. now whether that's genuinely sorted or hidden remains to be seen..

Its like trying to buy a car wearing ripped jeans!

I get the impression that me and my finances are not taken seriously by house owners, estate agents and mortgage lenders. I may look like a 14 year old boy but I do have more than my paper round money. Oh and I think we should go back to the old days where you go see a human being and have a conversation about what you can afford and how reliable you are, rather that a computer formula that in my case says 'will only lend 1/3 LESS than current mortgage, despite 6 years of overpayment'.

Rant over. Maybe one day going to put an offer on a gorgeous house will be a positive experience. Sigh.

Anyways.. looks like I'm staying here so..

- paid stupid overpriced and useless buildings insurance fee to the Management company that have made ripping people off into an art form.
- put 2 pound coins in bank to pay for Lego
- put in offer on house. estate agent may as well have laughed in my face.
- collected shirts to iron
- delivered Isabel's birthday present a few days late but made up for it by playing lots of Top Trumps and watching dance 'shows'
- contacted HMRC AGAIN about my wrong tax code
- finished yesterday's assigned accounts
- did a load of washing
- scanned a load of labels and ski stuff
- got rid of lots of emails
- got an AIP on a mortgage.. not from my current lender!!!
- researched savings etc accounts. current interest rates laughable, but I guess that works in my favour mortgage wise.
- did some knitting in the sunshine on my bed. Mum correctly guessed that this would be sleep inducing.

Time for tea.

And I could do with Lego time to get less angry about the world.

... took ages to download the Mindstorms programme (almost a gig!!!) but eventually installed that and update firmware on the EV3 brick and did my first programme... not very impressive.. it moved forward a bit. Might give myself more Lego time at the weekend. Kinda lost motivation on the clean up.. looks like I'm going nowhere.

Tidy kitchen and big sound

Wednesday. Day one of the big tidy up. Almost got the tick list done, still got some accounts to do. Shouldn't have left it till after the phone call home.

The big thing from today was the viewing on a house. It is really lovely and ticks all the boxes. However, bids have to be in on Friday, so I've just had a very long conversation with parents about how much to offer. Best not to think about it or I will never sleep again!

Also:
Hoovered the dust off lots of things in my bedroom. Carefully in the case of the Lego.
Washed duvet cover, put on new one.
Earned some money cleaning Clare's kitchen, and losing at Rummikub.
Cleaned my kitchen
Scanned the documents that were on the breakfast bar
Discussed the house with a learned architect
Dusted the TV stand (again with the hoover)
Set up the soundbar Pops gave me
Fixed Mum's candle
Checked lots of emails
So far done half a credit card bill in my accounts.

Focus has been all over the place and time has disappeared. It does that.
Oh well, it's better than when I started.

 Sadly, not quite as neat now having put back the Lego and borrowed DVDs etc.

The Big Easter To Do List

Back in Loughborough and so the big tidy up begins. Mum can check I've not been slacking if she can read what I've done each day. 

Tues: 

Finished fixing parents laptop (putting programmes and files back on. Took forever)

Shopping for Nan

Washed Bumble inside and out. Should have taken a photo as it is rare for him to be all clean and tidy.

Travelled back to flat

Emptied van

Lugged it all upstairs

Unpacked

Watched footy. Updated iMac. So easy, especially when compared to that blooming Windows laptop. 

Checked email. Discovered offers have to be in on the house I only found out about at the weekend by Friday. Eek. Kinda wrecks the parents viewing in 10 days time plan. 

LEGO Club

is up and running at school. This week we discovered that the Parrot poos. :-)
Next phase is making learning resources..