Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

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Good morning everyone. Storm Darragh hit here in the early hours and I was woken by heavy rain battering against my windows. Its our first Friday meal out today and we are going to a garden centre for a Christmas lunch. Looking forward to that but wishing the weather improves.

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Good morning everyone!!

Late start on this very damp morning - no rain but lots of humidity so the temperature has gone up 1° or 2°C. I was awake during the night for quite a long time, so I listened to my audiobook by Paul Coelho "The Alchemist" - I finished it - very enjoyable - read by Jeremy Irons. He soothed me back to sleep around 6.

I hope you all have a very enjoyable Friday - on this Saint Nicholas feast day.
Le jour de Saint Nicolas, de décembre est moins froid. ...and so it is!

 

Good morning @Tui34. I love your picture!

 

My day did not turn out well.
I took Rob to the vet for a blood test only to be told I needed to leave him for an hour and a half. I went and did a shop in the Range before going back to collect him, he was shattered. I came home exhausted and full of aches and pains so took a Paracetemol and fell into my recliner chair. The vet then phoned me to warn me Rob's insurance has run out and I have £1,800.00 to pay them. I am not happy as neither the insurance company or the vet let me know earlier. There is not much I can do as Rob has already been treated. I am now waiting for the blood test results to come through, not sure what I will do if there is no improvement.
I feel as though I have been put through a wringer, partly because I have started waking up at 3.30/4.00am. Probably my sub conscious working overtime.
I am going to walk Rob quickly before going to my first "trustees meeting". Then I have to organise for my computer engineer to bring my new lap and install it. All arranged before the shock news re vets bills. I am making a rapid re-evaluation of Christmas spending etc. Thank goodness my freezer is groaning at the seams!

 

I don't often post here, but @Goldenlily26, I am so sorry to hear this - it's dreadful. Surely the insurance must have run out a while ago? It can't be £1800 for a blood test? Would your vet allow you to pay in instalments? Are they allowed to run up such a huge bill without authorisation? I wonder if there is an Ombudsman for pet insurance.
I do hope that you can sort something out so that both you and Rob can have a reasonably comfortable Christmas.

 

That is truly shocking, @Goldenlily26. I’d double check the dates on the insurance just in case. Very poor of the vet not to double check with you before proceeding once the insurance was no longer valid - and very poor of the insurance company not to send you a renewal reminder. I suspect sometimes they do that when they think your future custom is going to cost them more than you pay.
I do feel for you, unexpected bills can be a huge worry, especially when they are for things you can’t or wouldn’t wish to do without. Take good care of yourself, and hope you can calm your troubled mind and get some decent night’s sleep.

 

@Ergates, I think most pet insurance policies have a limit on what they will pay out, and I assumed that was what @Goldenlily26 meant has run out.
Either way, she should have been informed.

 

It's not just pet insurance even private medical care for Humans all have lifetime limits. I have heard of cases where care has been withdrawn when a certain limit is reached. That's one of the many reasons we must preserve our NHS.
LLast green bin collection of the year tomorrow early so I need to get it filled whilst it's still dry. The predicted weather hasn't reached here yet. Catch you all later.

 

Good morning,

A cold but dry start after last nights heavy rain and gusty winds, but we are warned it is coming back this afternoon. The storm last night cut our power supply from 7 pm which came back on in the early hours, so I’m hoping the same doesn’t happen tonight. Luckily we had candles lit and I’d not long finished cooking dinner when we were plunged into darkness.

Going out for lunch with friends who were former colleagues today, so will have to ask the BT engineers, who have effectively blocked us in with their van and digger to move it again in order to get out. We had no warning they were coming, they just turned up. They’ve had to move it while we went shopping so we won’t be very popular having to get them to move it again. Hey ho, such is life sometimes.

My goodness, @Goldenlily26, that must have come as a shock. Bills are bad enough any time, but large unexpected ones just before Christmas are even worse.

 

Good afternoon friends!

That must have been a horrible shock, @Goldenlily26 . Fingers crossed that Rob's blood test shows he's improving, at least. And it's good news that your freezer is full...

It's wet and windy here. We have a red warning for wind tonight, so I'm looking out the camping stove so we can have hot food tomorrow, if the power goes off. I recently bought a big rechargeable LED worklight, which might come in handy too!

On a positive note, I'm feeling a lot better as the cold and cough have eased quite a bit - though I'm happy to stay at home again today. I'm helping to clean the church tomorrow afternoon, and decorate it for Christmas, but the weather should have calmed down by then, according to the forecast. Husband's choir practice this evening has been cancelled, thankfully - I didn't fancy the idea of him driving on country roads in the gale.

 

What a shock for you, re Rob @Goldenlily26. I know we'd do anything for our pets, but forewarned is forearmed. Do fight your corner with the vet. Same happened to my son and the vet agreed they should have warned them and came to an amicable solution in the end.

We have done as much emergency planning for Darragh as we can; all power packs charged, the 'Bluetti' ditto, the portable gas heater from the summerhouse and several gas cannisters for heat, plus the pack for my heated poncho is charged, the mifi is charging, a loaf of bread on the go, torches checked, candles, matches... phew. The genni is out of use, as, due to his fall, he cannot lift it.
Just glad we are not at the van. We'd have been making swift tracks home.
I am mentally preparing myself for no greenhouse tomorrow.

 

Afternoon everyone - just flying in to catch up. Not been feeling amazing this week but better this afternoon - had a cuppa at a local hotel with my sister - lovely wood fire on so that warmed the bones. 50:50 for a catch up with niece tomorrow as the storm might mean we all stay at home. Must charge my power pack and head torch too…

That’s a blow @Goldenlily26 - surely they can’t bill you after the fact?

Take care all, especially those in the path of the storm.

 

Just emailed daughter to tell her I won’t be risking the journey tomorrow. Loads of events getting cancelled down here. The Donkey Sanctuary annual Carol service has been cancelled this evening, such a shame, they have been hard at work this morning laying out nightlight holders to guide visitors round the site, it would have looked so pretty. They have also taken the rare decision not to open tomorrow either, better to err on the side of safety than to risk possible injuries.
Hope your visitors will be ok, @lizzie27.
This is one of those occasions when I wish we didn’t have so many trees nearby! I must contact my neighbour who lives alone. She has had quite a few branches down recently, and a couple of storms ago, one fell on her roof and caused a lot of damage. I’m guessing she won’t be sleeping very well tonight.
Keep safe, everyone.

 

I hope no one is badly affected ɓy the storm.

I hope the vet gives you a discount @Goldenlily26, I think you should have been warned and given an estimate.

It's been a mild sunny day here, but it must have rained a lot in the night as the lawn is sodden.

This morning we went to the SM for some boring necessities, such as pasta, coffee and loo rolls. This afternoon I weeded half the donkey paddock fence bed and I mulched the gazebo bed and half the orchard fence bed.

 

Thanks @Ergates, my son left here about mid-day and should be safely home. He's said they'll keep an eye on the weather forecast but I'm expecting my DIL to cancel tomorrow's trip as it may well be the Xmas market will be shut. Will have to wait and see. Such a shame you've had to cancel your trip to see your daughter but wise I think.

That must have been a terrible shock @Goldenlily26. I would be inclined to phone the vets and tell them you don't have that kind of money to hand (even if you have) and ask if you could pay by instalments. They should definitely have told you beforehand. I'm afraid it might mean that Rob is uninsurable in the future. I'm so sorry.

@Penny_Forthem, you're well prepared, I've only got as far as getting the thermos flask out and torches ready. The storm's expected to reach here about 3 am and last until 11 am so think we'll stay in bed! I have secured the garden stuff as much as I can though, just hope the furniture/fences/trees don't start flying.

@AuntyRach, the red warning includes Cardiff and Bristol so I hope you don't have to go to work.

Stay safe everyone.