Well not a lot going on in august to be honest. The quiet before the storm as september has been the busiest month this year.
Iva wise it is still ticking along nicely. We have now made 19 of 60 payments. I have to say it is absolutely flying along, I just pray nothing will go wrong, there is always that little nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it will, but thats me, always been the pessimist, I call it self preservation, anything better than the worst scenario is a bonus, but it does stop me enjoying things sometimes.
Still waiting for the six month review to come back. In the end I rang my ac manager and told her I was sending it anyway, not a lot of point now to be honest it is our annual review at the end of november. What a christmas 2011 will be when we finish. Cant wait for it.
So what have we been up to. First two weeks of september were our two annual weeks off. The first week we spent doing a bit of decorating here and there, nothing major just a tidy up.
We have a very posh downstairs loo now though. I got some lovely tiles that were reduced from twenty odd pounds a box about a year ago, for just £3 a box and we have used them. A slap of paint, new lino ( which I got as someones offcut from a bootsale for £2) new loo seat and it looks great total cost was about £15. The paint we already had from doing earlier rooms, so we now have a lovely loo at little cost.
Then we had our sun newspaper hol. This one had the family coming as well. I still recommend these as a great cheap way of having a change of scenery, weather doesnt matter, if its nice its a bonus, but we al need a break from the routine. Total cost for us was £112 sounds more expensive than the £9.50 advertised, but the park we went to offered extra nights for £19 and so we booked another 2 and we also upgraded the caravan to give a bit more space. So instead of monday to friday we went saturday to friday, so a week barr one night. Food was bought with our sains vouchers and the budget for the week anyway. The weather was great much better than at home, where a lot I know were flooded out. Luckily the rain we had was always overnight, I love being in a caravan when it is raining, sounds daft but its sort of cosy.
We had a day on the beach, my grandaughter even went in the sea, slightly mad I thought but at her age I would have probably done the same. We went on the old steam train to Dartmouth, that was fun, seeing the old carriages, and before any of you say it, no I cant remember them lol, I can actually just about remember being at new street station, and the noise, smell and the steam, but must have been about three, a very vague recollection.
We also went to brixham on the boat, a near death experience in my books. I am petrified of boats, I would have driven there and met the rest but they said I was being a spoil sport so I went and though the sea was realtively calm any movement in a boat and I think it is going to tip over. It was definatley thirty minutes I dont want to do again. Coming back we saw they now had a big fast catamaran they are trialing , being run by the bus company, so I sent my 79 year old mother over to plead that she was cold , and didnt want to wait for the boat we had actually paid, for and could we go on theirs. Ha ha it worked, though the blokes face was a picture when 8 of us trundled on , I think he thought there was only two of us.
Then a couple who had been on our original boat on the way over, saw us getting on, and they demanded if we could go they wanted to as well, so he had to let them on. Bargain, lovely trip back, it was huge, lovley inside, and fast, only took just over ten minutes instead of thirty on the one over.
They even had a free bus at the harbour to take you back to the main torquay shops. We bundled mom on there, we were laughing, I think she thought she was being abducted by the bus driver, he put his arm through hers and said he would leave her by boots chemists. We walked back around the harbour and when I got there he was standing on the pavement waiting for us to collect her. He had told her she wasnt to move. How great was that , a free trip and mom looked after. Anybody from the stagecoach catamaran service who reads this. Well done, I am sure the service will be popular to locals as well as the tourists.
The rest of the week we spent swimming and mooching about. We went to the club one night and saw that chap who was on the telly from britains got talent I think he reached the seminfinal. He juggled a chainsaw a bowling ball and a jelly baby. He was really good, I am not one for that type of thing, but it was a great evening, hubby really enjoyed it too.
So that was our hol, it went quite well considering the number of us. Still hubby and I have booked a quiet one for us in october as they came up again. This one will only cost us £50 and we went to the same site last year, so we know its nice. We will chill this week and have a few walks and fish and chips. mmmm
We returned on the friday and as I unpacked one bag I repacked another to go to the frugal friends at slough.
What a lovely evening, sponsored by Vincent Bond and hosted by Andy and Melanie. The food was the best yet ( got to report on the food first) Really nice to meet Debt 47 Trevor, Mtl and hubby, stressed suzanne and david. What better than a comfortable relaxed evening amongst friends, no barriers on what you talk about. Really enjoyable as always and I won the champagne and the bucket as well, we are saving that for November 2011. Paul from reviva gave us all a lovely little Jack daniels hip flask each. With strict instructins not to flog them on ebay lol as if we would do such a thing !!!!!
I still recommend these evening to everyone, it is so nice to put names to faces and so relaxed and friendly, I am sure a lot imagine us sitting in a circle bearing all. Its not at all like that so anyone a bit nervous of coming dont be. November in Walsall looks like it will be a great evening, I am sad hubby cant come as he is working, though I am stll trying to sort that but it is overtime we need that he would have to forsake so we will see, the decision is his as all overtime is only if he wants to do it.
I also had a lovely birthday all your messages on the forum were really appreciated xx
The family all put together and bought me some ghd hair straigteners. I have been desperate for these but at over £100 they were just too much. Hubby also bought me a phone, girly pink one but really I wanted that because it has larger letters so I dont need to find glasses to send a text, some of mine were illegible as I didnt see the mistakes. I use the t9 dictionary and if I finish it angie it writes bogge lol I have loads back asking who bogge is !
Any way I will finish here as I have a busy day, a friends 1970’s party tonight and I am cooking 320 sausage rolls and 120 salmon voleau vents, so I must get cracking. We are going to look ridiculous in flares and silly wigs, but it will be a laugh.
Speak soon all good luck to all of those with meetings soon and all those stressing over debt there is always a way forward and the forum is such a fantastic place for support and advice.
Melanie all the very best for IP of the year , you always have mine and steves vote. What an honour regardless of the outcome, can we see those photos x
I will edit this later so excuse all my rotten typing, got to go cook and test them all as well lol !!!