clairef

Friday 11 December day 11 tier 2

The agent emailed me this morning to say rightmove had been corrected and I've looked again this evening and its showing as being listed today, not in August. That is a relief. I thought he'd said I had a viewing today, but no – it might be added on to the viewing tomorrow. But there is one booked for tomorrow, so fingers crossed. This is so bloody obsessive, going to work distracts me a bit. I've been offered a shift on Sunday so I took it, and booked 3 days for next week too. Mat rang me and I'm going for dinner tomorrow and I've invited myself to Natalie and Christian for roast chicken Sunday dinner on Sunday. I won't have to cook and Nit nat makes a mean roast and I expect I will get Sri Lankan curry tomorrow, yum. Waiting for the water to heat up and then will have a hot shower and get warm milk and read in bed for a while.

Thursday 10th December – day 10 of tier 2

The house went back onto rightmove today, with a listing date of today. Then when I looked again this evening, it is showing a listing date of 14 August – the date it originally went on. Paul said he'd got rightmove to agree to the listing being for today, which I thought was great, but now its changed. I've emailed him to get him to sort it out anyway. However I do have 2 viewings booked, so that is good. I wish I hadn't looked at rightmove as I'm now going to be fretting about it. I put my Christmas lights up in the living room today around the sitting room and they do look pretty. I've done, I think, all my Christmas shopping, mainly all on line – one thing I researched on line and then bought from a local shop in HH today. I'm swinging back and forth on the roller coaster of nerves on the house thing. I was feeling ok earlier and now I can feel the stress in my stomach making me slightly nauseous. I shall never move again after this and they can take me out in a box from 12 Alta Vista Close. I shall make some warm milk and go to bed with my book I think.

Wednesday December 9th – day 9 of tier 2

Mum is always full of good advice and I do frequently follow it. I decided I will not pay for any asbestos surveys and it is not a good idea for me to know one way or another about the existence or otherwise of such substances in this house. So the buyers have been informed (yesterday) and that I'm willing to negotiate on price, but they never contacted the agent back yesterday, or indeed today. So I'm back on the market but annoyingly, Rightmove still shows the house as under offer, rather than not. I'm going to check in the morning and if its still like that I shall ring the agent and be appropriately cross. I have cleaned and tidied the house in readiness for viewings and now the house is nice and clean and tidy for me too. I do like it when its clean and tidy, its so nice to walk in to and sit in. I went to see Natalie and Christian, we had a lovely hug and cuddle and she told me I smelled safe. I thought that was lovely. Jasper ignored me but he now really likes Christian, which he didn't whilst they were living here.

Work today, don't know why I say its busy, because its never not. I did a covid swab on a patient today -he'd had the test arrive in the post, and as I was there, he asked me to do it for it – so I did. It was quite fiddly but I made him gag and the nose thing was unpleasant so I hope I did it right. Looking forward to my lie in tomorrow.

Monday 7 December – day 7 tier 2

I went to work today and took the student with me. I think she had an interesting day. We did some miles! Started off in Haywards Heath then to Lindfield and back to Cuckfield. Then right out to a village called Warninglid to the west – well a house out in the sticks from said village and then I got called out to a care home right over to the east of our area, for a catheter. I hadn't been able to get it back in (I was the 2nd nurse to try) and there was a bit of blood, so he had to go to hospital. I was explaining this to the senior carer and she spoke with me really rudely about that I had no plastic gloves on – I said I'd just taken them off as they were SOILED, my hands had been gelled, I hadn't touched anything, and we were on our way out, and her attitude and way of speaking was SO rude. Later after lunch break, I was out way north of Balcombe and then back into HH for my last visit. He wasn't very well – all a bit non specific but I think he had a UTI and of course he had a temperature of 37.8 which is the point as which we say 'covid' – and therefore have to treat him as such. He was not looking after himself – unmentionables – so he needs a proper review, and lots of DN input. He was just a routine visit on the face of it – we never know. Someone is going to have to go back in tomorrow and sort things properly with some time. Not me as I'm not working and am planning on a little lie in. Estate agent Paul called me twice today – trying to unravel what my buyers want. I 'think' the surveyor has just made a 'cover myself' statement about asbestos – but its not totally clear and Paul hasn't seen the report. I get the feeling my buyers didn't want to let him see any part of it, not sure. It is muddly about what they want in terms of survey. I have agreed to paying for a general assessment if it costs in the region of £150 – but not for anything more detailed. There really is no upside in me doing this. If it's bad, they will pull out and I'm left with covering the cost, or request bigger reduction in price. If its ok – I'm left with the cost anyway – but there will probably be 'something' to come out, its never going to be perfect – so I just think they will end up pulling out. If the general assessment is generally OK, or even if its not, at least I haven't spent too much money. Of course, I can tell them to get lost now and put it back on the market. I do still want this to work if possible. I'd rather not have to tidy up the house again – haha.

Sunday 6 December – day 6 of tier 2 Its been a week of stress over the house and I know more about asbestos in houses than I ever ever wanted to. Basically, any house built more than 20 years can easily have asbestos in it. It was commonly used. The saga is not yet resolved. And it has resulted in nearly a week of poor sleep and migraines. This morning was yet another, I went back to bed with my meds and slept until nearly midday. So I may be back on the roller coaster of insomnia later – hope not. I had a short interlude of pleasantness yesterday sitting in my car, eating my sandwich and drinking my coffee, looking at the sea down on Brighton sea front. Court finished early and I took myself off there for a quiet sit. It was far too cold to get out and walk as I wasn't really geared up for it and it was cold and windy, but it was lovely to sit and look as the big waves and sea spray, before the cold seeped in. Today I have done Christmas shopping all afternoon, from the comfort of my sofa. Lots of on line ordering done (nothing from Amazon!) -sorry Martine to add to the royal mail chaos. Work tomorrow and maybe maybe some way forward on the house debacle.

Wednesday 2nd December – out of lockdown but into tier 2 (lost count of days but think it's day 2)

Traffic was definitely busier today, I had to queue in traffic to get past the roundabout by the pub at the top of Paddockhall Road.

I'm not going to write too much about the house debacle but I have this evening spoken with the surveyor and spoken again with my estate agent. I've asked my buyers for the amount they need for the 'deal to go ahead' – I don't want to faff about making offers and counter offers. Its too far ahead and I want their bottom line. I'll then ring the Teignmouth agents.

I may have done my last day in Court yesterday for my bench here, assuming I do in fact move. Today I worked, and took out a student for part of the day. I always enjoy having a student, I like the company and try to give them a good experience and for them to learn something and do practical stuff. I had a fairly easy day actually. I had to placate one lady who was missed yesterday and she is highly anxious about her wound – and when I say highly anxious I mean extremely highly anxious. I was able to reassure her, did the dressing the way she wanted me to (but it was OK clinically) and afterwards I chatted with her for 10 minutes and gave her some attention. She then apologised for being grumpy with me to start off with and I acknowledged her feelings and she was a happy lady in the end. I noticed before leaving they had over 70 unallocated care plans for tomorrow – that's not 70 visits, but quite a lot of visits. I did think about offering to work but didn't.

Monday 30th November day 26 lockdown #2

The fencing out the back has been replaced, just needs the rubbish to be collected. Removal man came to do quote for removals; they will have to do this over 2 days because of the distance, so load the day before and drive down and unload the next day. Its £1700 plus VAT but this is pretty much what I was expecting. Another quote for comparison being done later in the week. I decided to email my estate agent with a photo of the new fence to send to my buyer, 5 minutes later she rings me with the news that the mortgage valuation has come back £10,000 less because of the fact the house needs new windows – a fact that has been obvious from day one – and this means they cannot borrow as much as they need and now need to renegotiate on the price. I am really cross about this at the last minute but there's not much I can do if they haven't got it. Do I want to start again? Or just forget the whole thing? And would I believe that the searches popped into my email today, having waited weeks for them. I've rung my surveyor to see what the view is on 12 Alta Vista Close. I wonder if there's scope to wiggle on the price there so I am not taking the hit on the whole amount. He's not phoned me back yet so I don't know. How Mrs R will react if I attempt to negotiate a reduction I don't know. We've all got a lot to lose and I am fed up with living in limbo.

Saturday 28th November day 24 lockdown #2

I have been for the most lovely walk with Sarah today. I've never walked the North Downs Link path – footpath and cycle trail. It goes from around Guildford down to the coast at Shoreham along the remains of the disused old railway line. We went to a little hamlet called West Grinsted and parked up and decided to walk south into the sun. It was a 'there and back' walk of course but the sun was warm and the sky was blue and the countryside was lovely. We even found a bench to sit on with a view, in the sun, for a little rest. The way back was marred by a horrid blister – I have made a decision to get some new walking boots. The ones I have are only a couple of years old but I have never been able to walk them in. Every time of more than an hour, I get a blister and this is a whopper. I think the boots must be very slightly too small for me though its only 1 boot which is the problem. Fortunately I have a large supply of plasters in my car! But my heel is very sore now.

I may be getting a covid vaccination; email at work yesterday about it, that they might be available the week of 7th December, but you have to have had a flu jab to be eligible and encouraging those who haven't had a flu jab (I have already) to have it, as there has to be a 7 day wait between flu jab and covid jab.

Wednesday 25 November day 21 lockdown #2 Sleep has been a little better, no insomnia for hours last couple of nights. I've done a little online Christmas shopping, some was delivered and some I picked up in HH M&S. Quite unlike me to be so organised. I don't really do much so its not that onerous We had a family zoom last night for mum's birthday. I organised it and whilst it was a bit chaotic and did get a little hijacked onto other stuff it was just nice to see everyone. I had started off just making it the 4 of us plus mum and dad, and dad emailed wanting to invite lots of others too – I did ring him to make sure mum was happy with that – he said she was – though I'm not 100% sure she knew. She told me before she's not bothered about surprises and likes to look forward to nice things – but he says she does like surprises. It was all Framptons on the invite list – but I brought in the Maguires.

I've finished my final library book – The Wine of Solitude – quite sad and melancholic, about Helene's unhappy childhood and adolescence. It was set partly during the 1st World War and Russian Revolution and there was a sentence which struck me – it was almost an observation by the author about our heroine Helene and her lover – 'When faced with a certain level of horror the human mind becomes saturated and reacts with indifference and egotism' (page 146).

I've been to work today. Not a bad list, but busy as usual. But nothing awful and no nasties. Just before I finished, Jaime asked me if I could work tomorrow and I declined – to which I get comments such as 'there is a pandemic' – but they were pulling my leg A couple more things organised – quote for replacement to fence as it collapsed in the wind a few weeks ago and its being sorted on Monday. Quote for removals – got someone coming next week to do the estimate. Tomorrow is survey day

Monday 23 November day 19 lockdown #2 Continuing with the alternating good and bad nights – last night was OK though morning came too quick and I didn't want to wake up for work. I don't mind being at work once I'm there – its the getting up and getting there which it urgggg My list was horrific today, and I wasn't the only one. Other people also said about their lists being bad. I got through it only by going like the clappers and 'being quick'. Driving all over the place – I did 27 miles today. One visit I left my face mask and gloves in the car and had to traipse back which was annoying, but I did get the blood despite the patient saying he was difficult to bleed. Later I saw another lady and she had no veins I could get anything out of – nothing palpable – so when you put the tounique on and tickle the veins, they should 'pop' out – at least a bit and that is the one to use. Then I arrived at a nursing home for an INR blood test to find the patient was covid +. She absolutely needed the blood test so no choice but to go in but I was fully covered. She thought I was 'staff' and wanted me to get her a clean glass for her water and find her nail scissors for her. They asked me to take off my contaminated PPE, but there was no bin and no new clean face mask so I had to yell out for someone to come and help me. Stupid stupid. Then to finish me off, I checked pressure areas for a 94 year old lady we give daily injection to – to find I couldn't see properly as she'd 'been incontinent' – I had to help her upstairs and help clean her up. I then found all sorts of unpleasant dirty underwear and other stuff – dumped it all by the washing machine and even cleaned up the worst of unmentionable stuff of the carpet with some wipes I had. I did however find her some nice clean spotty pyjamas from the airing cupboard which she was very happy with. I didn't check her bed – probably just as well as else I'd have been changing the sheets too! Got her back downstairs safely. I got most of my lunchbreak and only finished 10 minutes late. House update: My estate agent rang and said my buyers are having a homebuyers survey – surprise – and they're coming on Thursday. Not sure why this has come at this late stage – but hey – I'm hardly going to say no. Weirdly the same day as mine is being done in Teignmouth