Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 22: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Here is the link to the prior thread:

Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 21: Calmly through the day

Thanks everyone. I called the vet and made arrangements for her cremation and coming back here so all is sorted at least. I was expecting it to end one way or another today but sad we did not get to say goodbye. Oth if you do PTS you would always wonder if she could have made it. Glad she is not suffering and she lived to almost 18 and we have many happy memories of her.

I have been dealing with lots of state bureaucracy today and not coping that well with it given chemo and cats death but sorted after a couple of hours. Firstly the UK EHIC cards which we qualify as DH is French decided that despite sending them my marriage certificate, a bank statement and a hospital letter with my weekly appointments on that I do not live in the UK, argh. They have finally been satisfied with a poll card and have processed mine. And they sent me the thing for a GHIC wrong category but that is changed to. So one sorted.

Then we discover a letter from ESA and they have decided to put me in a work group and asked me to attend an interview at the Job Centre today at 11am and DH discovered letter at 12pm. I tried to call Job Centre 10 times and phone cuts out. Half an hour on the phone to helpline you chose the wrong option number. Another half an hour on the phone to correct option number oh we need to put you through. Then oh we need to put you through again. Then oh can you hold whilst we phone someone. Told them I am doing chemotherapy and I cannot attend in person so they have changed it to a work coach by call and made another appointment for 2 weeks time but I could potentially lose 4 months of the claim as I could not attend in person today. Plus I cannot work on chemo. So I don't know if will get anything. It was supposed to be automatic payment and go straight into support group but am in wrong category.

DH is now making lunch and hopefully the day will improve.

Managed to get a bit further in ESA process on about 100th attempt someone answered the phone number given. Apparently phones are being abolished there and there are only 2 and normally they go unanswered. But they called me back after 2 hours and did the first interview so now get a letter, then a 28 page form to fill in, then another interview then goes through and next appointment with the one today not until 9 June so not too bad. They seemed OK that I missed this mornings as they said was an error. But could be put in work group but not expected to work on chemo so just means get lower rate but anything is better than nothing.

DH has gone to get my chemo cap I ordered to the post office though they close at 4.30pm and its 10 mins drive and he left at 4.15pm and he needs to park. My hair is starting to fall out more now though still looks OK.

Then he will get more hay and also go to Asda to pick up some cheap shoes I ordered which I take to hospital a size bigger as my feet get gel things on them.

I still feel quite tired thought would have more energy off chemo but maybe lasts after too but neuropathy is much better again today so that is good. Looking forward to going away. DH told DS about the cat but he carried on ipadding, he did the same when DH's Dad died adding that people die everyday, all the time.

Been up the eye hospital this afternoon, for a pre-op assessment for cataract removal. They've agreed to do it under GA, and both eyes at once. As I'm severely short-sighted, this is good, as I'd otherwise be wearing glasses only suitable for my un-operated eye. I should be able to read without glasses pro tem, and after 6 weeks can get new ones from the opticians. The prescription will be a lot lower, which should make the lenses much cheaper. And hopefully I won't need to pay extra for ultra-thin ones.(At present, standard lenses would be classic bottle-bottom glasses.)

Silkie and Silkie's DH Sorry about your cat! 17 is a very good age and she seemd to have had a very good life.

Sue That sounds very reasonable, to have them done at the same time.

Silkie sorry about Silkiecat - she has been a legend on theses threads

silkie if you have the Twitter I can heartily recommend following @CarlBovisNature for his bird photos. He's an enthusiastic amateur who takes and posts beautiful photos every day. He goes to Skomer slmost every year to snap the Puffins and has some great shots of them somewhere on his timeline. It helps that he's a nice chap too, though who am I to judge.

Thanks Prok and Iwandered

Thanks DrTwo Those are lovely bird photos on that twitter.

Glad you can get your op done Sue

Have just discovered that some small person also loves my lime and sparkling water and the sparkling water has all gone so I had lime and water. Yesterday my chocolate chip shortbread disappeared, two big slabs by the same small person though its good DS is eating and drinking. Tonight DH is making aligot.

Have packed most of my things for Welsh / Welsh border trip. DH is back and managed to collect my chemo cap with seconds to go and my shoes and hay for the rabbit and silkie so all collections are done. DD is back tomorrow and main task tomorrow is more cleaning. Not sure how long my hair is going to last, still looks fine but coming out a fair bit now but want to keep up for the trip if I can but will take chemo cap incase that is not viable.

DH can now throw out the cats things - her bowls, her litter tray and litter and several cardboard boxes. It will look a bit tidier downstairs now. The silkie seems to have taken over the role of chief noise and demand maker though DH is happy to have the distraction.

That's so sad about throwing away the bowls and things, silkie. We couldn’t quite bear to part with it all when we lost our lovely old boy of almost 19. His food bowl's still knocking around somewhere and it’s been over 10 years

silkie so sorry about Silkiecat, hope you manage to enjoy your trip though

Thanks Shoes and Hilda I would prefer to get rid of the things Hilda as she was bleeding very heavily and infected so if we get a new cat in future would want them to have new things, we will get her ashes back in a cat statue which will go in the garden and loads of photos of her. We will need to eat her tuna in spring water stack.

We have lost four cats in the last 20 years and I have their ashes on the fireplace mantle. The most recent was my sweet girl Autumn, the calico in the picture. She was only 8. Her brother (the ginger) is still with us.

I've put away her food bowl in case we ever get another cat. I still think of her often.

I’m so very sorry silkie. I hope your DS is better now lemons and your DD is continuing on her recovery, makiwa.

I got two bunches of daffodils which, hopefully, will open for Easter weekend.

I'm so sorry Silkie, I will miss reading about Silkiecat on these threads.

Oh, yes, you are right. I have to get the twigs for my 'Osterstrauch'. We decorate in the night from Saturday to Sunday and I will bake a cheesecake to celebrate the end of lent.

We have two recipes his mother's and my mother's (well my great aunt's). His includes cherries and raisins.

Morning all, this is completely against the spirit of the thread but since you've listed to me banging on about my house buying woes I felt it only right to update you.....

we have bought a house!

Oh champagne! How wonderful, congratulations! Tell us all, does the location work, does it need much doing? Am guessing you’ve exchanged, when do you complete?

champage How lovely!

Thank you both! It's all extremely exciting

In a bizarre 360 degree journey we are back where we initially started in August / September 2021 and have been offered a shared ownership property. It's exactly where we wanted to remain and we've had to make no compromises in terms of the location / garden / parking etc. The only compromise is obviously that it is shared ownership, but we are resigned to the fact we are completely unable to afford to remain where we live (and love) without it, and quite honestly I don't see us ever moving. I am also able to buy additional shares up to 100%, though it seems fairly unlikely I would ever be able to afford the full amount.

Currently the house is being built and handover is expected in the summer, so no immediate rush which fits beautifully with DS's A-levels. If there was any other option I wouldn't have chosen a new build, but on balance it at least means there's no work to be done!

Champagne congratulations, sounds great for you and your family.

DD2 has improved and I am now showing signs of covid although tested negative this morning. We are currently making hot cross buns because you can't buy them here and it gives us something to do.

Thanks Nydj and Half.

Congratulations Champagne that is great news. Hope you are very happy there.

Looks like a lovely cat MissC

I am having day 2 of fun and games with ESA application, now they are not accepting the GP sick note and have told me after 3 weeks but no-one knows why and its a perfectly normal correctly filled in sick note. They told me to get another one. I told them they need to tell me why. 2 hours on the phone and no-one knows why and they have lost it as well. I am now filling in their 28 page form, 26 pages done and have just discovered as I am doing chemo I am supposed to get the hospital where everyone is running around all day for 12 hours treating cancer patients to fill in a 2 page form or the GP who is also completely overloaded. I have letters from hospital saying all info they need but nope can't take those as its not the form. I am sure this is all designed to get you to give up. Apparently it can only be accepted in their envelope and black pen and capitals. We are awaiting said enveloppe.

The hospital has also cancelled my 9.20am appointment and moved it to when we are supposed to be going to hotel in hospital. I have managed at least to get that moved to video though they normally phone 2 hours late but if I miss it they will cancel my next chemo and I want it to go ahead. Though may just take phone in car and try to do from car so not late for hotel. At least its 12.10pm. so could be worse.

DD is back tonight. DH has just announced he has cleaned the floor of 1 room and put the cats old litter tray etc in a black sack. He has said he has left the sack in the back garden. I will try and get him to move said sack to the bin. Whenever he clears rubbish he moves it to the garden so house improves but garden is trashed. He just seems to move things to wherever he thinks I won't see them.

Aww congratulations 🥳 champagne

After the downpours this morning it’s now sunny.

DH has given for a pcr (nhs so can) he was up all night coughing. I’m not the best of nurses.

DS seems better to me. Not 100 percent mind as he still lacks energy.

Congratulations, Champagne, that's fabulous news. A new build is fine as long as the builder has a good process for fixing the minor issues you will likely discover after you move in. I don't think we have shared ownership for houses in the US. I assume that as time goes on you buy a bigger and bigger share. What happens if you want to sell? Are they obligated to buy back your share?

Lemons, I'm glad your little one is feeling better. He may have just had a mild cold.

Makiwa, the rapid antigen tests can miss early covid simply because the virus hasn't spread to your saliva yet. Keep testing and I hope you feel better soon.

Silkie, is your DD in a better mood now that she's had her adventure?

There is more duck activity at the reservoir. I have spotted these two males who seem inseparable. I've started calling them the Duck Bros.

Congratulations champagne fabulous news on the house!

I have eaten an extra fruity hot cross bun from Morrisons and despite have slightly ‘over toasted’ it, I can report that it was delicious. It was swimming in butter so that may have helped with the taste too .

Good luck with the form filling for the ESA, Silkie.

Yes MissC DD seems much more relaxed and back to normal and its good as she has missed a very stressful 3 days here with cat bleeding everywhere dying, then me having 2 days of arguing with DWP for the sickness benefit claim, it finally resolved today and after 6 hours of calls someone worked out that my sick note had been rejected as it was for 6 months and they have a limit which they don't mention of 3 months and they rejected it totally. But now someone higher has approved it for 6 months and a payment for first 3 months is on its way arriving Wednesday, think its about £1000 for first 3 months (£75 a week) so was worth 2 days on phone.

Tomorrow should be more relaxing though my hospital call at 9.20am got changed to a hospital visit at 12.10pm but managed to get it swapped to video at that time. Then we leave for our 3 days away. I just had my counselling session. I hear DH talking to the silkie a lot and the silkie is enjoying the attention and talking back to him, she has taken over the role of demanding female requiring lots of attention and food from Silkiecat and DH has become preferred servant, they both seem happy with the arrangement but its getting loud in here.

DD is on the Eurostar on her way back. Hair keeps coming out though still 70% there so looks OK but hair getting everywhere. I need a bath but a bit scared to take one as the bath may get clogged. I have a chemo hat to take with us if it all comes out when away. More is coming out at back where no peas than at front.

DH has all tomorrow off which is good as we have a bit to do, rest of packing and some cleaning really. 1 room done, 3 to go. DH will get DD from train station this evening.

I had my DH shave my head when they started to fall out. I had two under two and enough cleaning to do without finding hair everywhere. They gave me a stunning wig (I still have it), but being in Berlin I did not use it much.