Cheekychinchilla's food and stuff

Friday food: SW Green Day

Lunch:
2 free Quorn sausages
Half a tin of beans
Cheesy scrambled eggs with onions, orange peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and Chipotle Tabasco (half HexA1)
Crispy potatoes
Wholemeal toast (HexB1)
Tomato sauce (1)

Tea:
Home made tomato sauce - chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, sweetcorn, and spinach.
Quorn meatballs
Giant tagliatelle
Cheese (HexA2)
Salad
Garlic & herb dressing (1)

Snack:
Chewy Delight (HexB2)
Hotel Chocolat alternative mince pie (3.5)

Drinks:
Coffee. Diet Ginger Ale. Squash. Options made with Koko milk (rest of HexA1 + 2)

Syns used: 7.5
Syns saved: 15.5
 
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I suppose the Bank Holidays, and Easter is a long one, make some people thing it would be kinder to 'deal' with a sick animal before the holidays start, rather than make the animal suffer until after the break. I know there are some unscrupulous owners, but there must still be some who genuinely are grieving at the moment.

You did well to sick to a fast day with all the upset, but being busy always helps. You sound as though you've been very busy today as well. I hate housework, but like the look when it's done although it annoys me that as soon as you finish, you have to start again to keep it looking nice!

Great news about Ellie, and I hope the advanced supplements help her.

i identify with the 'what if' syndrome. With OH being 22 years older than me, I 'play' this a lot. I already do everything to do with finance and my home is safe should the worst happen, but my biggest worry is that I might have to stop work to care for him. Don't get me wrong - I would look after him, but I wonder how we'd cope financially and we'd probably have to move so I'd have that to deal with and what would be the implications for my future - pensions - etc., etc. He'll be 79 this year and he's the first person on his father's side of the family to live past 60 but his mother's side is rather longer lived, fortunately. Sometimes I get a bit down about it, but I still think it's wise 'prepare' myself although I'm sure the actuality would be nothing like I've imagined. Without meaning to pry, is there anything you can do to make your current home safe - have your name put on the deeds/lease or whatever?

Enjoy the rest of the holiday - I probably won't be back on Minis until Monday evening at the earliest because of Alice coming to stay.
 
Hi Patty!
There are a lot of genuine people out there and I was fortunate enough to only deal with these people this time round. Bank holidays of any kind are horrible in the veterinary world as you either get people having a clear-out or leaving things too long and then there is no option. The thing is for where I work is we're free! And we run a 24hr service. So, to me, there is no excuse really!! We don't charge, just ask for a contribution, and we are always, always available for emergency treatment. There really isn't an excuse and I don't think a bank holiday should be one of them.
I had this conversation with my Dr once, like you do, and he said it is just the same with human medicine, particularly elderly people. They get ditched in care when the family need the space to throw a party or are left ill and without care over the holiday periods. Shocking behaviour!! I couldn't imagine inflicting that kind of thing on anyone or anything :(
But, like I said, the clients I was with for sending their animals off to heaven were lovely people and it was just time. Nothing to do with the bank holidays! My colleagues weren't so fortunate, but it's the nature of the job. My very first bank holiday at this job was a Boxing Day and at one point I just sat on the floor crying as I'd done 10 pts's in a row. And the other VCA was in a similar situation. Heartbreaking!

The housework thing annoys me seen as I'm not the only one who lives here. But that will never change really! Well it will a bit with Rachelle and John getting their house, so I suppose that will help, but my Mum can't really do much. So I have to go and do my ridiculously physical job, look after my own animals, look after the house and garden, and look after Mum. Oh and look after me occasionally too!

The what if game is not fun is it?! I really do understand what you mean. I just feel a bit stuck with being in a catch-22 really. I can't work full time now anyway and that doesn't look hopeful for the future. So I don't really have much money anyway!
All Mum's "stuff" is being left to both me and Rachelle equally. So I would hope that now she has John and their house that I wont have to sell this house. I would make sure she gets her share in everything and we'd have to work it out some way. But I don't really know how this stuff works.
When my Dad died he was renting a tiny flat, had just over £100 in his bank account, and his brother managed to track down a work pension worth £4,000. That was it! So there wasn't really much to deal with money-wise with my Dad.
Meh, anyway, must not think about this any more....

Yup, busy busy as always!!
But I did treat myself to a face mask, a nice long shower using my favourite Lush product (Turkish Delight polish), did my hair, and feel all nice and clean :) Made myself a nice tea too.
Rachelle and John got back before but have nipped out to pick up Mum and to take her to the house - they finally got the keys yesterday!! They've been there today throwing stuff out and stripping wallpaper :) So used the quiet time to revise for an exam. I *think* I've found all the answers to the questions on the drugs & medications short answer test. One way to find out!!

Forgot to say I've had a surprise period show up. I don't get them much any more because I'm on the contraceptive injection to stop them ;) But it's due next week and so it's appeared. Grrrrr!!! I've no idea if they make a difference to my weight or not because I keep them away lol!

Patty have a lovely weekend :D And Happy Easter.xx
 
Hi Cheeky, hope you managed to resist the cakes! It's so hard when you live with people who aren't doing SW! I feel your pain! (My OH is addicted to kebabs!)

Your pampering sounds lovely! I love lush products! Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference, don't you think?

Well done on the revision, hope you did get all the answers right!

xx
 
I've not done that in years, you've inspired me. I think I'm going to get myself a mask or make one and have a lovely long soak in the bath, have you me time with a book and some good music.
It's awful when there's loads of naughty food around the house isn't it? It's more at work for me, so I move them out of my way so I'm not tempted or tell the lads to eat it lol.
I hope you've had a lovely weekend and are less stressed x x x
 
Hey guys!
Lovely to hear from you. Things are not going well. I'm suffering some serious payback at the moment. My arms and legs are very painful, particularly the muscles. Yesterday I could barely walk! I got myself going and met Tim & Caz for coffee (and cake). They also let me use their washing machine as ours is now broken :(
I was sitting with them for a couple of hours and I stopped off at Asda for a few bits - so many empty shelves! It's Easter, not the apocalypse people!!

By the time I got home I was absolutely exhausted and really painful. My head and face were sore and felt tired again :( Was supposed to be going to Michelle's for a get-together and to meet her friend from London but I just couldn't go. Felt awful about it. She was fine, as I knew she would be, but I still feel bad about it.

Last night was awful. I was wide awake past 5am, even with a sleeping pill. My mind was running round trying to sort out my car dilemma, my heart was racing and absolutely pounding Was so painful as well and I just couldn't sleep! Just what I needed for my last chance of a lie-in before a 10hr shift at work! Fantastic.

My meals were SW friendly yesterday, if a little bit higher synned than I would normally have. But the cake with T&C and then the whole box of bunny biscuits I ate were not.... It was bound to happen! There is only so much nice food I can ignore.

Today has so far consisted of hot cross buns (my first of the year!) and an Easter egg. We're going to have a roast now, which is mostly SW friendly ;) But there will be other stuff lol.
ah well, it's Easter!!!x
 
So sorry you're in so much pain, does sound like all the work you've been doing at home and work has caught up with you :( I hope it's short lived and you start feeling better soon.

I can't blame you for the chocolate, what else are you supposed to eat at easter?? :D

It makes me laugh the way people shop just before holidays, these days there's no reason as you can find shops open every day of the year. I went of Thursday and you'd think we were going to run out and never get the products ever again!! lol.

Hope you enjoyed your roast dinner x x x
 
Hi Cheeky,

It really is sh*t that you feel so sore :( I wish there was something that could be done about it!

Michelle sounds like a really good friend :)

I hope your car gets sorted soon too.

Well done for having SW friendly meals! I'm not a fan of hot cross buns but I had to hide away from chocolate yesterday or I could kiss SW goodbye completely!

Hope you're feeling better today!

x
 
I'm sorry you've had such a rotten time. I hope your body was kinder to you today.

i don't think major holidays should be ignored - it's nice to have something as a nod to tradition and so that we don't feel deprived. The secret is to have a little, enjoy it and not feel guilty about it and then get back on the wagon. I say it, but I don't always manage it!
 
Hey all!
Thank you all for saying hello. I'm not going to do a proper post tonight as I'm too upset and I don't know how much I will rant and I don't want to tell you all stuff you really don't want to know.
Awful, awful day at work. Ended up staying over 30mins late, so still worked the 10.5hrs!! No 30mins less for bank holiday :( Lots and lots of sad stuff. Some two faced b*tchiness. And I'm really suffering ME wise. Plus I have somehow grazed the knuckles on one hand and it's really sore.

My Sister picked me up a pizza and I have some ridiculously low alcohol beer thing.

See you all tomorrow.xx
 
Hey guys!
I'm tired, very tired. Was awake passed 3am again last night. Heart pounding so heart it was trying to escape from my chest! Just couldn't get to sleep. Was just crying at one point *blush*
Was in work today 9-1. Managed to get a catch up with my mentor but she could only find one of the emails I sent her so could only mark one piece of work. 2, nearly 3 weeks she's had them! I went online and tried to re-send the email with 3 assignments attached, but she still didn't get it. I re-sent it when I got home. I added a bit to my euthanasia case and sent that, the stress one, and the accident reporting 'poster'. She has warned me that she wont get a chance to look at them till next week tho..... Ffs!
The one bit of work she did look at can be sent now - I just need to attach the evidence. I need to block out all the client info so waiting for Rachelle to come home with a Sharpie ;) Our printer is still being a t*t, but the scanner works. So as soon as I do that I can send the radiography case studies :)
We did get the anaesthetic machine/equipment practical done. She wasn't strict at all and didn't ask me to do half the stuff I'd learned! Good that she was so relaxed, but I'd put a lot of effort in to that!!!
Tried to get another one done but even though me and my mentor had let the staff know I needed to set up and process a radiograph they kept forgetting! And I was busy and in and out of prep and missed the start. Grrrr!
Didn't get time for either exam I studied for.... And NO mention of the talk I've written and been waiting to do for 2 weeks! Just meh!

Anyway, I'm beyond tired today and can't even find the energy to be that p*ssed off ;) I did get a surprised and happy reaction when I told her about all the extra work I'd done tho *whistles*

I have my learner review on Thursday with my tutor ;)

I decided to stop at the garage on the way home from work and the nice man has booked me in for tomorrow and he said they'll take a look and see if they can put my mind at ease. I've told them what happened, what's been happening since, and that I'm basically trying to make the decision of whether to call it quits or whether it's worth fixing/if it can be fixed. Would just be such a shame to get rid of it when I've spent over 1k on repairs and I still have about 1k left on finance. I'm sure my car isn't worth much more than 1k so if I were to part-ex it I'd just have the finance paid off and have no deposit :(
Also car related. The advice line we have in work has changed to AXA and the info is up in work. It's an advice service for staff, but not just about work things, it covers all sorts. There is an email option so might email the basics and see if anyone can get back to me - I'll explain about anxiety and phone calls and stuff. I think by now I've probably left it too late, but you never know. Be nice to know either way.

Have also just been to the Dr's. I've had my injection and updated him on the diagnosis - he hasn't had a letter yet! He's given me Amitriptyline to try for pain relief. I explained about all the anxiety/cortisol symptoms I've been getting and how much it's effecting me and he says these might actual help with that too. They're one of the earlier AD's that appeared, although I'm not on a depression therapy dose, and are good for anxiety. so might actually work on pain and anxiety! They're safe to take with the AD's I'm on too and the other stuff. Worth a try! He's happy for me to pester him if I'm not happy. He reassured me that the hospital didn't find any pathalogical reason for the cortisol and that it is a stress response and my anxiety and depression is probably the cause. I'll see how the pills go and I will go back.
Can't believe I went to the Dr's kinda hoping for a blood test! Maybe I just want a day off my face on diazepam ;)

Erm, I think that's it for today lol. Sorry about the long post and the rather emo post last night. Yesterday was awful! And me not sleeping and being so anxious just fried me I think. A bit better today and I think I coped quite well with the challenges I had! I was in theatre prep and it was very busy! Also had to locate some, erm, bodies, and run round doing other stuff. With the course stuff on top. Could not wait to get out of there :p I've been given my stand-down for the bank holiday too. Having next Friday off so I get a long weekend and then a random Thursday the week after. I'm determined to do these exams next week!! At least I have time to practice the short answer one now tho :)

Back to SW today. Well, at least so far ;) Have only had 1 syn! I do have some bigger hard to syn stuff left but I think I need a few days of healthy food and no crap. my tummy has not been happy with me since yesterday! Oh the new pills are also prescribed for IBS too, coz they help with the pain signals and stuff. So could be a triple action pill lol! Wont get my hopes up too much ;)

Right, will leave you all alone now.
Thank you for the lovely messages.xx
 
It sounds like everything has caught up with you, so sorry your sleep is so poor at the minute :( I just hope it gives you a break soon, a breather so you can re-coup.

That's rather annoying your mentor didn't get your assignments :mad: and you having to wait so long till she looks at it :( I hope she appreciates all the hard work you're putting in??

It hard to let go of your car after like you've said, put so much money into it but if it's going to be an even bigger money pitt it might be time to look at your options and cut your losses. The sister-in-law did the same last week, their car was costing more to keep on repairing than leasing a new one. They've scrapped their's and got a Skoda Citigo Greentech for £150 per month which includes servicing, repairs and breakdown, it's knocked 2/3 off their insurance a month, mileage is more than doubled and there is no road tax so all in all cheaper.

I'm glad the doctor gave you something today for the pain, if it works it sounds as though it sort out a few problems and really help you. It's funny how drugs have multiple uses like that I've got some anti sickness tablets today that also treat anxiety, dizziness, mania and schizophrenia :confused: luckily they make you sleepy too at first so had a cracking sleep :) Fingers crossed they help you with the pain and if they help the other problems as well would be a massive bonus :D

You don't need to apologise for saying how you feel, we all have emo days or days we just can't cope with, just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better x x x x
 
Hey Kelly - it's your thread and if you want to vent on it, then you vent! As Barbette said, no apologies are needed - we all go off on a rant at some point. Given how much you have to cope with, I'm surprised you don't sound off more often.

It's a shame your mentor's being a bit slow with your work, but perhaps you'll feel a bit better in yourself by the time you do the exam and talk. Fingers crossed that the new stuff from the doctor helps. It sounds good to have one things that can help with multiple issues; beats having to take shed loads of pills and potions.

Hope you get a better night tonight.
 
Hey guys!
Barbette I've been having a think about the lease type things for a while. But you mentioning it again brought it to the front of my mind and made me realise how good an option it is for me. And you know how much I want a Citigo ;)
Could I be really cheeky and ask if you could pass on as much info about the deal she got as possible? I've had a look on the Skoda site and gotten some insurance quotes and as a rough estimate it would also cost me around £140/£150 a month for the car, full service and maintenance package, and the insurance. How cheap is the insurance on Citigo's?! So I'd actually end up saving money. And, like you said, they are no doubt super economical and I could potentially cut my fuel costs. The one saving grace of my car is that it's pretty economical! But I'd imagine a top spec Eco car would be amazing to run.

In all honesty I hate the thought of basically renting a car. BUT I think right now it could be a perfect option for me. The repairs and servicing and breakdown and all that balls will be taken out of my hands. I seriously can't cope with the stress of living with my car any more. Panicking every time I turn on the engine or dreading it breaking down somewhere or me getting stuck at work. I just want a nice car I know I can get in and drive. And if anything where to happen to it it's not really my problem!
I know that sounds a bit flaky, but I think it's what I need right now. I have SO much other stress going on I don't need a car being one of them.

I think the Skoda is a very good option for me. And zomg it's cute ;) If possible I would like the eco tech with all the gadgets in - in-built satnav and everything. Also can't decide between polar bear white and the yummy green colour :p

I'm still going to take it to the garage tomorrow and have it looked at. I can't have it die on me before I decide and sort out what I want. Think I'll go visit Skoda (we have two within 20mins of us) and speak to someone.
The issue is my car really. Do I tell them about it, show them what I've had fixed and replaced? Or feign ignorance?!

I'm waiting for a reply from the Axa helpline thing about the legal side of stuff, but I'm not overly hopeful. It's been over 12 months now and I doubt very much there's anything I can do. But, worth a try :)

I'm so annoyed my mentor "lost" my work and then couldn't mark it! All's she has to do is read it and tell me to send it! She's getting really lazy now and seems so disinterested I doubt she would add a lot of corrections. I just want it done! I had to tell her what sort of assessments were in section 3 and when I was telling her about the written work I'd done for 3 she had no idea what I was going on about...... *sigh*

I'm more than willing to give the new drug a go. I am on a super low dose, but have been given the option of going up to 3 a day if I need to. He said I need it in my system all the time or the benefit will were off so to take one a night regardless of how well I feel. And then if I'm having a crappy day or week I can up them and then come back down when it eases. He knows I hate taking stuff and am really sensible, so should be ok.
He also said it's a drug quite commonly used in ME so the therapies clinic will be able to advise me too when I eventually get there. I'd be super pleased if it helped more with the anxiety than the pain if I'm honest. It's more of a priority right now!

Aww I feel like I moan a lot *blush* Thank you for being so supportive everyone. Honestly wouldn't know what I'd do without you lot talking to me and helping me out and stuff.xx
 
I went with them, the insurance is in the lowest band their's is now £21 per month where as before it was over £50. They put a £500 deposit down but there are options for none will mean higher payments, but you could see if they would take your car part ex and if it's worth £1000 you should get lower payments. The monthly payments would change depending how much mileage you decide to do they were going to do 6000 a year but that wasn't enough so they upped it to 10,000 with put the payments up by £6 per month. The plan is over 42 months but you can have shorter options, the white and red paints are the cheapest the other add £399 on to the price. The other thing you can ask them is they sometimes have cars that are already built that are cancelled orders which you can get better deals on and you would get them quicker. There's a 2-3 month wait on citigos at the moment. What I would say is go there with how much you'd like to pay as a deposit or part ex, know how long you'd like it for, have a good idea of what mileage you're likely do a year and speak to them the guy we saw was the same fella who dealt with me and Ian for our mobility car and he was really good. Be honest about how much you can afford and see what they can do for you.
I would be honest because they'll value it on what they find and you need an honest quote so you will get a realistic idea of how much it will cost you.
They one they're getting does nearly 70 miles per gallon and 57 inner city which is really good it's slightly higher than the regular Citigo.
Fingers crossed the tablets helps, like you said you can up them if you need a boost which is better starting at the lower dose and work up if you have to. x x x
 
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