Happy New Year! 2022 for the win?

 

homemade-gifts-made-easy.com

Happy New Year to you all! Hopefully, this year will be a bit kinder and gentler to us. I think we all deserve it, don't you?

I wound down 2021 quietly. The cold that had been lying in wait for a couple of weeks finally showed its face last weekend, so I spent a few days feeling run down and sapped of energy. It was very mild - a bit of a stuffy head and a scratchy throat - and then it was gone, fortunately. A couple of nights of Lemsip helped (not a favourite, but it did the trick). I hate being sick, so am very glad it didn't morph into something bigger and more debilitating. I did take a test just to make sure, and it was negative, so that was good, although it did feel *a bit* different than a regular cold. Anyhoo. All gone now, whatever it was, fortunately.

So Christmas & New Year were very quiet, and I postponed my two walks. One because I was feeling low, and the second because the weather was wet and not much fun for walking in. Both are going to be rescheduled so am looking forward to getting out and about again with my friends. So I've basically spent just over a week in my flat, puttering, sleeping, resting, and relaxing. I must be an old woman now because I keep dozing off on the sofa in the evening (and sometimes not even the evening!). Haha! But I'm going with it because I obviously need the rest. My holiday to-do list is barely touched, but whatever. I got a few things done and that's fine. The rest will have to just move to my regular to-do list, and I'll tackle them another time. Nothing was/is especially urgent, it's just nice to have big chunks of time for them.

My sister, brother & SIL had a video chat on Christmas Day which was good, and I got a tarot card reading from my sister yesterday which was excellent! Back in September/October-ish, I looked up my numerological number for this year - a 3. It means a year of activity, creativity, self-expression - but with a lot of hard work at the emotional/spiritual level now in order for it to actually bloom. The seeds of all this were planted last year, so this year should be the reaping of that. It depends entirely on how willing I am to do all that yucky stuff of 'clearing the (mental/emotional) clutter'. Yikes. But, yay! I'm 55 this year and I'm honestly fed up with just drifting along. That's fine for a while, but not an entire lifetime. I have to get out of my head and out of my own way, which has always been my problem.

So, otherwise, what have I been up to the past few months? Not all that much, honestly. The excitement, if you want to call it that, only started in October, and is all work-related.

My colleague P retired 1 October. A modest affair, she only started clearing out drawers and cupboards that day (?) and we have stumbled across about a million and a half things since that really don't need to be there. Anyway, same with drawers that retired colleague, J, gone since the end of last January, left behind. The problem is, who has time to go through that kind of stuff once they're gone? It's going to have to be a work in progess starting this year.

Once P had gone, T, H & I carried on well enough for, oh, a week or so, and then T went off sick rather suddenly, a couple of days before H was due to go on holiday for a week. So, fine. That rather abruptly left me to do all of the work. P was in the background typing reports (something she was always happy to help with), and I called in our part-time typist, S, so I could at least have someone at the office with me. S is not fast, but she's steady and doesn't do anything but type, so at least that was covered.

Anyhow, long story short, T never did come back. She kept extending her sick leave, and then she found a new job and resigned instead. I had a funny feeling she wasn't going to come back, so wasn't entirely surprised when my boss told me. There were some shenanigans in the background, her new job offer was withdrawn, she threatened to sue (which would have had no legs), essentially got paid off, but burned her proverbial bridge to an absolute crisp. Good riddance we said.

So, it was just H & I for about 6 weeks, me essentially running the office and throwing H into the learning fire for the job bookings. She did fantastic considering it was unplanned and unwelcome. S was in quite regularly helping out and by the time I was at the office on 23 December, our typing folder was empty. Amazing! 

What it meant for me, however, was a nice bonus at Christmas (on top of what we normally get), and a new job title. I will essentially be the Office Manager/Sr Administrator (yet to be confirmed) because I was basically doing it all once T left. To be fair, it's also by attrition, as I'm really the only 'old guard' left, the one with the most experience at the office. It will also mean another raise, so I have that to look forward to at some point as well. We have a new colleague starting, we assume, in January sometime, so I'll be doing some training and have to organise bits & pieces for that as well.

So, phew! I was ABSOLUTELY exhausted, stressed, etc. I was going into the office at 7:30 most mornings and putting in an overfull day, not taking the time I needed to unwind properly once I got home, and then just spending my weekends too tired to do anything of note. I wasn't eating properly, just shoving easy stuff (aka carbs) into my face, and that definitely didn't help when I was already feeling exhausted so obviously I put on weight, too. Ugh.

It all means a bit more of a struggle to get going this year, particularly as I'm so content at my flat. It's warm and cosy and I've arranged my plants just so. I bought three jigsaw puzzles at thrift shops before the holidays, but haven't looked at them since. But they're there if I want to pursue them later. I've been reading and watching movies and shows over the holidays, and I more or less feel ready to go back to the office (I guess? :P).

What have I been watching?

• Schitt's Creek (brilliant series)
• Hoarders (thought provoking)
• Hoarding: Buried Alive (as above)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Cleaners (as above, but the complete opposite end of OCD - the pandemic must be an absolute nightmare for these folks)
• Thunder Force (silly, verging on ridiculous, but Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman are excellent)
• Expedition X (suprisingly good; all my other paranormal shows have no new episodes yet)
• Red Notice (fun. I love The Rock, and Ryan Reynolds, although his character has a few too many one-liners)
• RIPD (Ryan Reynolds, fun)
• Kingsmen: The Golden Circle (not as good as the first, but entertaining and have waited a long time to see it on TV)

So, plenty of mindless stuff, entertaining and fun. Just what I need. As for reading, I managed to find a few more NetGalley reads but have managed to slow that down a bit and actually read some of the ones I own now (you can see my list over there ---->). I think one thing I need to do this year is broaden my reading horizons. As much as cosy mysteries are fun, there's a lot more out there for me to discover. I at least seem to be getting my reading mojo back, ticking 81 books off for last year.

Anyway. I don't have any particular new year resolutions - perhaps to be kinder to myself, get out of some bad habits (to that end I deleted Candy Crush from my iPad yesterday!), and spend more time in nature. I don't really have an excuse, a bird-watching paradise literally across the road. But a daily walk at lunch (or as often as possible) definitely won't hurt my head or my waistline!

Wishing you all a healthy, happy, safe and fun 2022!

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

socent.ie

Wishing you all a happy, safe, and restful holiday, whatever you're doing, and with whoever you're doing it with.

Stay well, stay safe, and best wishes for a safe and happy new year.

Here's hoping that 2022 has fewer (unwelcome) surprises for us all!

All is well here, I'm just tired. I've already been on holiday for a week and am not back at work until 4 January. It's been pretty hectic since October - a blog post will (hopefully) be forthcoming at some point over the holidays - and I'm taking advantage of the time to unwind, rest and relax.

So far, that has been a writing group get together (all of us taking lateral flow tests prior), getting my booster, visiting and catching up with my cousin, a long Skype call with a friend quarantining in Hong Kong, 'collecting' six more plants for the flat (think I've honestly hit my limit now!), a more or less full day at the office to tidy away some things before we closed, and marathoning 'Hoarders'. The Christmas lunch I usually have with my friends is postponed until January - Ex-Roomie E is stressed, exhausted, and not feeling particularly festive at the moment, so we're having a post-Christmas Christmas lunch sometime in January. This is absolutely fine with me.

I've also arranged a six-mile walk with a friend, a pub lunch at the end of it, on the 28th, and another walk on the 30th (with another friend, the first friend's sister). This, of course, is weather-dependent, as the rain has started in earnest now and is forecast pretty much for the rest of the month. So we'll see; I'd be happy to walk, and equally happy not to.

I have a list of reasonable tasks to complete over the next ten days and am not going to stress or worry if not everything gets done. I need to go back to work clear-headed and ready to focus because things are changing again, and I need to organise my thoughts and procedures. I've stocked up on everything I think I need, so don't have to leave the flat unless I absolutely have to from today. I've made a minestrone soup and am planning some roasted veg & sausages later on, as I wanted to utilise my time a bit more to cook properly.

So, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Buon Natale, Frohe Weihnachten, and Seasons Greetings to you in all your corners of the world!

edie.net

How are we already halfway through this year?!

inflexion-point.com

It must be all the changes that have gone on since January; that's the only explanation I can think of to how fast the last six months have gone! Phew!

But here we are, summertime at last (well, England's version of it at least - warm and rainy). Restrictions are still in place to 19 July - 'restrictions' being mask-wearing and social distancing when inside, so mild at best. People still fuss. Anyhoo. We're getting there, and I think are just going to have to get used to living with variants. Mother Nature will always be several steps ahead of us, no matter how smart we think we are. We've unbalanced everything so shouldn't be surprised when nature fights back.

Otherwise, all is still well. I've had zero side effects from my second jab (to the point where I've actually forgotten I've had it until reminded!), which is great. There's some noise about a potential booster for the autumn, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens with that.

I'm down to 'fumes' in my account again, despite trying to work hard to not be. Payday is Tuesday, so I've had to 'borrow from Peter' again (not a CC this time!) to see me through, food-wise. That's okay, as I'm expecting a (modestly) hefty cheque then, so plan to replenish + some extra. I started using cash for groceries a couple of weeks ago, which worked reasonably well, but I still fell short. I *think* this may be because I scoop my change out and save it, rather than continuing to use all of it as designated funds. It means that my change bowl is looking much healthier than it has in quite a long time, but also means I'm short in my food budget...which means I'm borrowing from where I shouldn't.

Perhaps if I only kept my silver, rather than my £1 & £2 coins? Hm. On the other hand, I DO redeposit my coins once I've got enough to do so, so it's not all bad, just means I'm not really paying attention as closely as I need to be. Anyway, something to bear in mind going forward.

Work is fine. H has been coming in three days a week and mostly is just helping with the typing (which is fab!), but has also been taking the time to learn about what T & I do in our jobs. It's a lot to take on board and she's struggling a bit at the moment, but it's very early days yet and there's lots of time to get everything straight in her head. Plus, the more she does it, the better and easier it will get. She and I had a rather long chat a couple of weeks ago and I was relieved that all my concerns about T are actually spot on, and not just something in my head. Saying that, T does know her job well and is busy showing H all about it. 

I actually said 'no' to something the other day that she tried to get rid of. It's just little things like I've said before. She & I share taking the post to the post box at the end of the day. It's not an onerous job - not even a daily one anymore - and means we get to leave a few minutes early to make the collection time of 5:30. T joked that I'd have to do it all now because the car park where she now parks is the wrong way from the post office and she couldn't be bothered. I was tempted to say 'yes', because who doesn't like to leave the office a few minutes early, right? But, on the principle of it, I said that when I was driving I always parked where she now parks, and it was (usually) always me who ended up taking the post anyway. So, a roundabout 'no', but a 'no' nonetheless. It sounds SO petty when I write it out, but honestly. Just, no.

Otherwise, H and I are on the same page about how things can work going forward. It's too early to put any nails in the proverbial coffin about things, but H's job description has a lot of stuff on it that's not necessarily onerous, regular or difficult (photocopying, for example, and typing reports, etc.). It's the few things that only P knows which will be probably the most difficult for her, but it's also a matter of finding her own way of doing it. P has a tendency to overcomplicate stuff and is a great fan of spreadsheets that don't make sense to anyone but her. Ha ha!

Anyhoo. Work = people and all their quirks that you wouldn't necessarily see if you were 'only' friends, right? I've never won any 'employee of the month' awards and have done some Very Dumb Things, and it's not like I'm always easy to get on with. I certainly have my own way of doing things/expectations of how things should be done (after many years of not being a great employee). I just want things to be fair, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. 

My first volunteer shift at the cafe is 24 July and once a month through to September. I'll need a proper refresher, as I'm not sure how much I'll remember and things will have changed since last year, too, with all the precautions and changes to service. Still, it'll get me out of the house for a few hours and will be nice to see the manager again. Plus, it's a lovely village, and the pet food shop there sells fantastic bird feeders. I'm in the market for a couple more, so will try to stop in and have a look to see what they've got. There's also a great little charity shop, where I've found several fantastic things, and I've got a box of bits & pieces to get rid of (like everyone else, I'm sure).

Next week I'm going to get some petrol for the car at long last. What remains of last October's petrol is old and needs a refresh. I might also take the car for a spin up the dual carriageway if it's quiet as it's been a few weeks since she's had a good run. She'll have a good, solid 2.5 hour run in mid-July, though, when I go to see my sister in Devon. Long overdue.

One thing I'm bringing back from Devon is my bike, which will make my travel to/from the office about half of what it is now. :) I've got somewhere to keep it safe and dry at the farm, so will have to check where I can put it at the office, as there's no designated bike lockup. Anyhow, one thing at a time.

On the reading front, I am finally at the end of my NetGalley review books (apart from a few that I've not, for some reason, yet read and which are at least a couple of years old in some instances). And, now I'm at a bit of a loss of what to read! I can read literally anything in my Kindle library or from my (limited) RL shelf, and I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO READ. This has never happened to me before. Ha ha! Guess that's the problem with having 900+ books to choose from: do I want to read about writing? Some non-fiction? Something light? Or something a bit darker and police procedural-ish? It's like having satellite TV...too much choice. Yeesh.

First world problems, eh?

I did write a fun thing for writing group last week. One of the members sent a photo as a prompt and while I sort of followed it as a prompt, it was actually the email it arrived in that was the actual prompt. Because she hadn't written anything along with the photo, my email read 'no body'. THAT turned into a few hundred words of a murder mystery that the rest of the group is using as a prompt for next week's meeting - how does the story end? I honestly don't know where it came from or how I'm going to resolve it, but it will be fun to try. I had a lot of fun writing it and had great feedback on it, so want to see if I can pick away at it a little bit and make it into something a bit meatier.

Anyway, that's it from my corner of the world. I hope you're all well and safe and have a wonderful weekend!

All jabbed up!

 

medicalbag.com

Hooray! I'm finally all done and feeling quite relieved about it. I took the bus to Salisbury yesterday for my second jab, and was in and out of the vaccine centre in about 10 mins or so; I was even early and as there was no lineup, there was no issue about going straight in. Plenty of people to help direct you where you needed to go, and it was super efficient. The only difference from last time (so far) is that there was actually quite a pinch when the needle went in. Otherwise, last night I slept 10 solid hours (!), which is unheard of.

That, I think, is a combination of the heat (it was about 23C), the jab, and 'all the activity' I had in a day, which mainly meant being amongst more people than I've been around for more than a year. Exhausting! I've not been to Salisbury before, so did spend about an hour or so poking around afterward, but the longer I was there, the more I just wanted to go home. I have decided that it's going to be a 'destination visit' for me when I'm on holiday next month, as it's a beautiful city and there's so much to see. I was reconnoitering shoe shops, charity shops, etc., and I will aim to loosen the purse strings a bit next month and update a few bits & pieces.

It sounds silly, but I fussed about what to wear. I ended up in jeans & a t-shirt, which is pretty standard for me, but part of my worry was that on Friday I was wearing shorts and found a tick on my upper thigh (somewhere you'd only discover during a trip to the bathroom, which is how I found it)!! EEEEEYYYEEEEWWWW!!!! It was a very tiny one, and I got it all out, but that's why I was worried. The walk to the bus stop is through, in some places, knee-high grass and I just didn't want to risk another tick. So, instead, I was just too hot...

Anyway, it's all done and I know for next time. I'll probably wear a skirt, particularly as cities do tend to get hotter and risk the stupid ticks... cannot for the life of me figure out the purpose of ticks, despite knowing that everything has a place in nature. Gross.

Anyhow. Today I woke up at 7, after going to bed and falling asleep before 9 last night. I am otherwise feeling fine and trying to decide what I want to do today. I'm content to stay inside, if I'm honest, and read, as it's much cooler in here. I've got all the windows open and am trying to decide what I want for lunch now. :) 

The bonus I got at my review will actually be on my paycheque at the end of the month (along with a 5-day 'bonus' of my new wage which took effect from the date of review), so nothing changes this month. So far, though, I've been doing well, and have everything covered to the end of the month. I'm being really strict with my food budget, but it somehow feels easier to do that in hot weather, because you don't want to eat heavy, meat-centred meals all the time.

For the past couple of weeks, I've basically been eating a big salad (I'm boring and eat the same kind every time), plus some sort of protein and an apple mid-afternoon. I'm trying to keep everything reasonably simple. I don't like cooking anyway, so this is a pretty straightforward, tasty and healthy way to go about things. Plus, in the summer you just lean towards salads anyway, so it's not too big of a stretch. I'm still wasting an awful lot of food, though, despite my best intentions, so that's something I need to change.

Otherwise, nothing too exciting this update. A lot of folks waiting to hear the G7 news re: travel, I imagine, but I don't think much is going to change. Not with our numbers increasing again with yet another variant. My new colleague, H, is desperate to get to the US to see her son & granddaughter this summer, but I'm not sure Biden is going to allow travel, not with having made so much progress in the right direction now. Plus, she'll have to spend 10 days in quarantine when she gets back, which she'll have to account for in her time away. She's not particularly hopeful about today (when Biden and Johnson have their confab) but will accept the result whatever happens. Obviously, if travel is given a green (even amber) light, then she'll go as soon as she can get everything organised. I'm resigned to visiting Canada next year, as I don't think I can this year anyway (think they're closed to outside travel?). Part of my plan for my RSP money next year is to get myself organised for that, as I need to get a new Canadian passport anyway, and I can't imagine flights are going to be cheap, etc.

But that is not for now. Today I'm going to rest and read and just pay attention to how I'm feeling. I literally have zero to stress about, so am just going to enjoy my time. The bird feeder is full, the windows are open, the breeze is delightful and I've got 900+ books on my Kindle to choose from.

Hope you are are well and safe and having a wonderful weekend.

A few budgeting thoughts...

 

thepsychologygroup.com

Something I didn't mention in my last post is that one of the reasons I'm *so* pleased with my bonus is that I've been rolling around the very slight possibility of having to ask my friend/ex-Roomie E to move back in with her. Things are tight and I've been struggling a bit to the point that I had to take a £100 cash advance from a CC to make to the end of May (I can hear the horrified gasps from here). Trust me, I know. I haven't done that since the '80s and was an even bigger idiot with money. While I'm glad I had the resource to hand, it's not ideal by any stretch.

Saying that, however, I had a gander at my food budget last month and saw that I'd DOUBLED it (my monthly grocery budget, FYI, is £130). No wonder I'm feeling so squeezed! Geez.

I don't want to move back in with anyone. I'm not kidding when I say that this place was meant to be (I legitimately said 'no' to it, and I still got it), so to give up because I can't, for some reason, stick to my own budget is admitting defeat to my lifetime of bad habits. I'm better than this, I just know it.

Also, next year I turn 55. I can access my locked-in RSP in Canada, for better or worse. I had a plan to dip into my LOC (again - I'm still paying this off) and use the funds from that to cover/clear some payments, bolster a savings account or two, etc. Then, once I could access the RSP funds, I'd clear everything. Again. And start over. Again.

But having had a chance to faff endlessly the past couple of days with my budget, now that I have an extra £800 (I took a couple of hundred for taxes, etc. for now) to work with, I now have a loose plan that does not involve dipping into my LOC.

HOORAY!

Basically, I'm not going to use it to throw at any one debt, but to help me to carry myself from month to month.

This is my new June budget. This incorporates my current salary + overtime + bonus (selling surveys, not my review one). 

The Visa and Barclaycard payments are sort of 'one-offs', as I want to round down the balances.

Any leftover each month will roll over to the following month.

The numbers for July (new salary TBC, but I don't think I'm too far off with my current guess) are below because the flat deposit, Visa, Barclaycard and car categories will differ. I want the initial numbers to give me a good reboot on my savings. Obviously, some of the items are flexible.

I recently also got a limit increase on my Barclaycard. This is the card that allows me to balance transfer for 0% interest.

So. My plan, which if I'm very, very careful with and which will see me comfortably through to next year without touching my LOC (ideal), is as follows. It's a bit 'borrowing from Peter to pay Paul'-like, but gives me breathing room, plus increases a couple of payments a bit.

• Transfer my outstanding Visa balance to the Barclaycard. There is currently an offer that'll allow me to have 0% to 1 June 2023. I want to take advantage of this for that debt, and this is why the Visa line is blank in the July budget.

• You'll notice I've increased my food budget a bit as well. I will try to move to cash only for this, and stay out of Waitrose...!

• The Canadian debt amount will go up £30 and the Barclaycard £30 as I continue to pay over the minimum for those. The Lendable payments are fixed (I can pay more if I choose, however) and I'm happy leaving that alone for now. I've got two more years on that.

• Saying that, I can claw back overpayments a bit if I need to adjust elsewhere and eliminate the flat deposit option altogether.

• Currently, I pay £30 a month towards charity: cats, cancer and the RSPCA. The Post Code Lottery I joined on a bit of a whim, so not as invested in that as the others. But this is something I am able to continue to do for these charities, so all is staying as is.

Those are more or less the changes I want to make at the moment. Then, everything that's left over at my birthday next year will get wiped clear when I cash out my RSP.

While I'm able, I want to take advantage of not paying bills over and above my rent (which are all included). I won't be as lucky at the next place. Having debt in addition to paying all of that simply wouldn't be possible for me. Not that I have any plans to move (!!), it's just a reality that I need to bear in mind, and this seems like the best, most comfortable scenario for me.

I resent having to pay so much for the car when I'm not really using it, but getting rid of it isn't an option, unfortunately. I simply can't get to all the places I want to go on the bus or train, and having a car is an expensive convenience. At least I'm not still paying £85 a month for petrol! I'm not quite at the of the tank I had when I moved in here in October - 8 months is a pretty decent run for a tank, eh? I'll have to fill up next month, however, as I'll likely be going to visit my sister in Devon.

So just wanted to put this down 'on paper' while I thought about it, and so I have somewhere to be kept accountable. It seems a reasonable plan too, so fingers crossed!

End of May - and sun. Finally!

 

medikeeper.com

Pretty much how everyone in the UK is feeling right about now, I think! May has been absolutely sodden: wind, rain, chilly weather. The heating has only just been turned down/off, and this weekend we are finally, FINALLY, getting sunshine and proper warm temperatures. Hooray! I opened all my windows early this morning so the place will have a lovely airing out.

And, I'm off from today through Tuesday. I certainly timed that well, I have to say. I'm SO ready for a break and having some lovely weather to look forward to definitely helps.

I don't have any particularly grand plans, although I've made a to-do list to clear up a few things that I put off during the week: a proper clean and tidy of the place being at the top of the list. I'll do this in stages over the next six days, but it'll feel good to finally get the windows done, the floors swept and vacuumed, the window sills wiped, cupboards cleaned, etc. I've got a colleague stopping by for tea and a walk later this afternoon, which will be nice, and am visiting with my cousin on Tuesday morning. There's a garden centre in her village so I'll pick up what I need to do some repotting. My poor plants are desperate for more breathing room; I'm years overdue for this, and it makes sense to do it while I've got the time and motivation. If another couple of plants happen to find their way into my basket, well, that's not something I can fight...

I had my review on Monday afternoon. I always get nervous with these and of course, it's never bad (well, not so far!). Basically, I had an opportunity to vent (per last post) but opted to essentially say 'it's a work in progress', which, let's be honest, it is. There is always adjustment with new people starting and who would have thought to plan for working/hiring around a pandemic? It's just what it is, really. But, as I also said, it's not up to me to say whether or not T is happy in her job, or if it's what was expected, etc. That's up to her at her annual review.

I also had a bit of a moan about the new surveyor (which, I think, they're mostly already aware of, too). It's mostly frustration that someone who is supposed to be a professional and have experience of this sort of thing has to be constantly chased and eats up a lot of admin time because of it. I used the words 'I'm not his wife or his mom'... ha ha! It just popped out, but it feels a bit like that. Stuff disappearing into a vortex and chasing, chasing, chasing to get it back. It's exhausting and annoying.

Anyhow. It's a good thing I was sitting down because they surprised me with not only a pretty stonking raise (a hair over 10%) but also a £1,000 'bonus'! Holy cow!! Basically, it's to say 'thank you, sorry we're late with this, and we're very grateful you've stayed.' Wow. Totally unexpected, and I'm very, very pleased I can tell you. Of course, now I'm rolling all kinds of things around in my head with what I can do with my bonus when it should be a no-brainer: throw it on my debt! I only moan about it all the time. I'm taking a bit of it (say, £200) for me. I really want a massage, some new (thrift shop) duds, potting soil and pots, and maybe new shoes for walking to work. I'm going to sit on most of it for a bit and figure out the best place to put it. I can wipe out a credit card balance with it BUT will that save me the most in the long run, you know? Anyway. I don't want to rush into anything and will give myself some time to plot out a couple of options.

My new, slightly higher paycheque will help too, as I can raise my monthly payments on everything to get on top of things faster. What a great surprise that was!

I got out for a walk with my friend last Sunday - at last! - albeit a short one. We had a two-three hour window of reasonably clear weather, so we took a chance. We took a turn around the reserve, which is about two miles, and took us just under an hour. We hadn't planned on a proper hike, it was to catch up and clear our heads more than anything. It was great to finally see her. It meant, though, that I missed my writing group, which had moved from Saturday, so that was a shame. Our next walk (with three of us) is scheduled for 6 June and will be a longer one around the area, and I'm looking forward to it.

I confirmed my week's holiday in mid-July too, so hopefully that will take in a visit with my sister in Devon. Otherwise, a week off is a week off! I took that week purposely as my boss has taken that week off and it means that it won't be quite so manic at work. It just made sense. So, that's something else to look forward to. :)

Otherwise, I finally finished my Intro to Forensic Science course. Not entirely sure it was relevant to what I wanted, although it was pretty interesting and gives me an idea of some basic things to keep in mind when setting up a crime scene. I've not delved into the other three again (yet), but have plans to do so this weekend as well.

Anyway, that's more or less it from me again. Hope you are well and safe out there!

Mid-May update (and a bit of a moan)

 

elevate-church.co.uk

Mid-May already! Is it just me or is the passing of the year speeding up? I suppose it doesn't help that we're still so busy at work that I've done overtime the past two weekends (not as much as last month, but still!) and many of our survey appointments are teetering dangerously close to JULY now. We've also had to put a hold - twice in two weeks - on receiving any new work, outside of private jobs, from panel managers as my colleague couldn't keep up with booking the appointments! We're always looking ahead, it seems.

Anyway, it's good for business and the push is on now, as the stamp duty for properties up to £500k comes to an end at the end of June and everyone needs their surveys 'today'. We've had a number of cancellations because people want/need it completed faster than we can do it. We can always fill the space but it's a larger number than normal, simply because of the pressure of the market. The next relief falls to properties up to £250k, through September. There'll be a lot of flats, I imagine. After that, furlough comes to an end, stamp duty comes to an end, and I think the work will become more manageable.

I have my work review on 24 May. I'm going to ask if I can adjust my working hours a bit from 9:00-5:30 to 8:30-5:00. I've been getting there for 8:00 since February, so it's not a big stretch. I feel that, as one of the office 'elders', I should be allowed some consideration, particularly as there are now two of us who work until 5:30.

Our office manager (P) is back in the office two days a week now but is retiring in September. We've hired someone to take her place (H), but it's a bit complicated as H is off to the US to see her son in June for several months. H is coming in a couple of times a week to train with P until she leaves, then once H is back, she'll be coming in more regularly until P leaves for good. So many changes!

Adjustment is ongoing with my colleague (T). Things have been better, but there are still questions (why this/that/the other, etc.) and there was a discussion the other day with the accountant about her role and admin generally. In a company with 500 employees, it's going to entail different things than in a company with less than 10, just like it's going to entail different things in every single office you work in. A lot of what you do depends on how the office runs, their guidelines, policies and procedures, so you have to be flexible and be prepared to work differently than you have previously. Adapt to your environment, not the other way around. 'Administrator' in our office encompasses a grey area - it's both reasonably specific and whatever is asked of you, really, and with only three of us, surely it means helping each other where you're able and pitching in to get stuff done, rather than moaning about it? Part of me admires T for setting strong boundaries and being confident enough to do so, but at the same time, I'm getting incrementally more work because she keeps questioning how is one person expected to do 'so much' and then little suggestions are made that suddenly add to my workload and make it easier to do hers. How P doesn't understand how busy she is. 😒 She doesn't know that I've taken on doing part of her job already. I'm not bothered by it, as it actually helps me get organised for the day. But as and when I'm on holiday for any length of time once P leaves, there's going to be some hard, sharp learning curves.

I don't have any more time in my day than she does, and I'm the one who's been doing overtime so that we can stay on top of the typing (perfectly aware this is my choice). P is typing even on her days off, so not feeling any sympathy.

The problem stems, I think, from the fact that she says she didn't get a job description. I'm not sure I got one either if I'm honest (don't actually remember). Also, when she was trained, she wasn't told about all the stuff that she's (apparently) supposed to do, nor, she says, was she told about it all in the interview. I don't know. There was supposed to be a job description written up, but it didn't get done (no surprise). And that's her area of questions. She feels she's being taken advantage of. But if there are questions/concerns/etc., about what she believes/feels she was hired to do, I'm not the right person to speak with. She needs to discuss her concerns with the people who hired her - the MDs. Certainly, Mrs MD will have no qualms about reviewing the interview with her and what was said during it.

We're unprecedentedly busy. But, it will slow down and be easier to manage. When it was mentioned that it's been so quiet in the past that there have been days when no work at all came in, there was a moan about that. Apparently, there's no win!

The accountant, after the administrator discussion, regretted engaging. 'If she doesn't like it, she can find another job,' she muttered. This from a straight-talking Northerner!

Yikes! Obviously a much-needed vent. Sorry!!

On a lighter note, I enjoyed the Welsh Crime Festival very much. So much, in fact, that I'd like to go next year. Aberystwyth is a town I've wanted to visit since Hinterland (a point noted in the opening ad), so I think the opportunity to visit/attend the 2022 Festival and see the town is something I need to plan for. I've already had a brief, post-festival chat with my sister about it so we'll see where it goes. Five days in Wales would be lovely and something to really look forward to (assuming it doesn't rain. Ha ha!).

Along with my Intro to Forensic Science course, I registered for four others: BBC Good Food 'Learn How to Bake', Forensic Psychology (witness interviewing, etc.), Start Writing Fiction and a Mindfulness course which starts at the end of May. Phew! Feeling like I may have taken on a bit too much, seeing as I've already fallen behind in the Intro to Forensic Science course. Oh, well. I've got this weekend to dip into it and try to get caught up. I'm not sure it's all relevant, but it IS interesting and will help me to be able to paint a slightly more realistic forensic picture in my book - I hope!

The BBC baking course is like a mini-Bake Off. It's pretty basic, but you learn about baking processes, ingredients, tools, etc., i.e., salted v. unsalted butter, baking soda v. bicarbonate of soda, different baking tins, the process of baking powder v baking soda on a cake, etc. Good stuff! A Victoria sponge was the first item we made (mine was reasonably successful). We're also learning to make bread, brownies, shortcrust pastry and meringues. Yum!

I haven't yet started the writing course or the Forensic Psychology course, but need to start making some inroads before they become inaccessible (I don't really want to pay to continue access). Anyway, one lesson at a time and I will do what I can.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be going on a walk with a friend, but the weather for the weekend is rain. It's supposed to have been raining all week, but we never got the forecast weather. We're forecase the same all next week. It's not especially nice to walk in the rain, but if it's just around the reserve it might not be too bad. All just a big 'wait and see'.

I took a bit of holiday around the bank holiday on 31 May and I'm hoping to see my cousin and Roomie E. Loose plans at this point. It will be nice to catch up. Hoping the weather will be nicer as well so we can get outside.

I've also pencilled a week off in July to visit with my sister. I suggested some time down there and then she can come here for a few days. She's got a housesit booked for July so is waiting to confirm dates, but I'm reasonably flexible. Will just be nice to have a good length of time off. Plus, I need to get the car out for a good, proper run (three hours on a dual carriageway should do it) and collect some things of mine that she has - my bike and my camp bed (which she'll need for her stay here). She's also got a set of dishes that she's giving me, so it's a trip I needed to do anyway.

Hospitality reopens on Monday - hotels, B&Bs, etc. - and indoor dining can begin again. I think hugs are also officially allowed again too. Hooray!

I was asked if I was able to start volunteering again at the coffee shop. I think it's been almost two years since I gave it up 'temporarily', but I had said that I would start again eventually. I don't have the 'excuse' of the shop anymore (I stepped back because it was getting to be too much to do both in one day)  but I always enjoyed it when I was there. My short answer was 'yes', but only once I've had both my jabs - second due 12 June - and that because our writing group is currently bi-weekly, I would have to send some available dates (Saturdays). That seems to be fine, so I will send available dates starting in July. I like to work up to these things! Ha ha!

Still rolling the thought of erasing/halving my debt around in my head. It's pride that's keeping me from making the decision to take that first step. It's hard to admit you're struggling and need help, especially financially. I keep rolling it around in my head and thinking I can manage - just 11 more months until I can cash out my RSP in Canada, but then I realise that we're only halfway through this month and despite a bigger paycheque last month, I only have £30 left for groceries for the next two weeks. The rest is earmarked for debt. I'm hoping to see my accountant colleague for tea and a walk around the reserve while I'm off at the end of May. She's eminently sensible and always has good advice about stuff. I have mentioned it to her, and how I'm struggling, and she said it's definitely something I should do. I just need to decide...

Anyhow. That's it for me this go round. I hope you're all well and safe and having a great weekend!

(Nearly) spring update

 

elliswhittam.com

Mid-April (already), the weather is glorious, if still on the cool side, and it's been a very busy week and a half.

After my extra-long Easter weekend, I did some overtime last weekend. I've always said that I'm willing to do it, so I was happy to finally get some - it's just that I'm no longer the age where my body is so glad of it! Ha ha! It doesn't come on offer very often - this is, in fact, only my second time doing it in five years - and I put in 16.5 hours! We were falling behind on our report typing so I hammered out six or seven reports, including one that took me about 4.5 hours to type (house worth £££££££££££££££££££ in London). I got a few other bits & pieces sorted out as well, so it was well worth it. Feeling less stressed now, although I'm POOPED! Friday couldn't come quick enough and it felt like three days in one with all that was happening. What a very weird day it was.

It means, though, that I've got a chunk of overtime pay coming to me at the end of the month, which I'm pleased about, and I'll put a little extra towards my debt. I'm not feeling quite as pressured about it all at the moment for some reason. Stressing about it doesn't help it get paid any faster and just makes things much grimmer than they are. Slow and steady is the only way I can do it, although I *am* doing some research into ways of writing it off or at least reducing payments. There are options out there, I'm just torn about it all as it would ruin a credit rating I've worked really hard for. And, as it's all my own fault, I feel a sense of responsibility to get it sorted the same way. You know? It's something I've been rolling around in my mind for a long time - have even gone to see someone already about it, and is something I keep coming back to. The psychic advised (I asked specifically about money) to take an option of writing some off if given the opportunity, so that lined up nicely. She said - which makes a lot of sense - that the Government is going to have to do something because once furlough ends in September, there will be a LOT of people who have incurred incredible debt who are going to need help with it. That much collective debt can seriously damage a country's economy, so they'll have to offer something.

Anyhow. I added up my debt the other day and was surprised, and rather pleased, to see it wasn't as much as I thought, which is good, although it's still more than I'd like. The slow and steady approach is good, it's just...slow.

To that end, I have also chased a review at work. I wasn't going to be narky about it this year simply because last year was so weird, but because things have changed at work I feel I need one (and deserve one), so I asked. No set date, just when there's time. So, that's something at least.

I signed up for a free online forensic course through the University of Strathclyde. I've done a genealogy course through them as well, which was excellent. I thought this might help with my writing. If I can figure out HOW a crime is solved via forensics (obviously, the course is basic and we don't get the magic of the background scientific work to work with), then perhaps I can build a crime working with those aspects. It's a six-week course, released one week at a time. Last week, week one, was the foundations of the course, what we could expect and reviewing a crime scene that is the basis for the course. We'll be building on that as we go, taking each part of the process bit by bit to see how it all works together. It's so interesting! Week Two is on my to do list for this weekend.

I've also registered for about a million talks at the Welsh Crime Festival. The first official one is planned for next year in Aberystwyth, but they've gone online this year as a precursor to that. Lots of discussions about writing and ideas and finding your voice, etc. Fantastic - and entirely free. So, honestly, have signed up for most of the talks (I think 15 out of 18 - and I might just go back and join the rest!). My evenings from 22 April are going to be busy! :)

I was awake early (not unusually) this morning and by 8:00 had already done my laundry and had a cheesecake in the oven! Today is a beautiful day, but I really just need to spend some time here and get some rest and a few things done around the flat. Tomorrow is more of the same, weather-wise, and I'm going to take myself for a nice walk at the reserve. I'll cobble together a lunch and take myself out for a couple of hours.

All our 'non-essential' stuff re-opened on Monday and it's been like kids in a candy store. Absolute madness. Not necessarily a bad thing, but nothing will really change for me. The holiday let portion of the B&B is back open and already busy, pubs, bars, restaurants, charity shops, hairdressers and barbers, etc. I'm glad for them, this last lockdown was a tough one - felt like it lasted forever. 

Here's our current guide:

Business and activities

Step 2, which will be no earlier than 12 April, will see the opening of non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons; and public buildings, including libraries and community centres. Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will also reopen (but only for use by people on their own or in household groups); as will most outdoor attractions and settings including outdoor hospitality venues, zoos, theme parks, and drive-in cinemas. Self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.

Hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors at Step 2 and there will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks and no curfew, although customers must order, eat and drink while seated (‘table service’). Wider social contact rules will apply in all these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households.

Events

While funerals can continue with up to 30 mourners, the number of people able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15.

Next step is 17 May.

And then, assuming all goes well, we're back to 'full normal' from 12 June. My colleague says she's pretty sure we'll be back in lockdown again come autumn, and I agree, but at least we can maybe have a good summer. Optimistic, or what? Ha ha!

Really, the Government is damned if they do, damned if they don't. I'm marginally more optimistic with this new 'slow release' plan, but I still maintain that shops and pubs and restaurants and every place where people gather in crowds can put every single possible measure - and more! - in place to make/keep their staff and patrons as safe as possible, but if people don't give a shit and don't want to follow the rules, then THAT IS THE REASON WE'RE STILL HERE. Businesses can only do so much. Pubs were already in trouble, and this past year has been particularly devastating to the industry. There are plenty that simply won't have been able to make it, along with many, many other businesses - some of our big High Street names, a few of which were in trouble prior to the pandemic, have had this underscore their issues and they've closed their doors or some of their shops. I'm not surprised that pubs and hairdressers were full to bursting on Monday. It's actually quite nice to see life back to relatively normal, although we still have a little way to go yet. I've been far from perfect, but I'm looking forward to getting back into the charity shops for sure.

It's affected me differently because I've only really had one lockdown - I've been working since last July and have effectively missed the last two. I've been 'back to normal' a lot longer than most, so nothing will change for me, even with more things reopening. My colleague is astounded by that - she's already got plans to eat out, go places, see people, do stuff, get her hair done, get her nails done, etc. There are almost 25 years between us, however, so our normals are already very different! I'm very much a homebody generally, and only eat out when I meet up with my cousin or something. I'm looking forward to at last getting together with friends for our monthly walks, though.

Anyhow. Here we still are to a degree. But at least the weather is good again - that, I'm sure, is why the last lockdown felt harder, dreary winter weather - and we can get outside more easily. People are feeling better too now, with things open and the sun out, even if it is still relatively cool. That helps a lot.

I hope you're all as well as you can be under our various circumstances and can have a restful and enjoyable weekend. x

Easter laziness

HAPPY EASTER!

It's been, so far, an excellent weekend for the most part. I had a somewhat stressful day on Thursday, worrying about the chat the office manager was aiming to have with my colleague and texted her to find out how things went. She came back to me later to say not to worry because it hadn't been a day especially conducive to chats. Phew! I imagine she'll try to have a chat tomorrow instead when there isn't anyone else in the office. Hopefully, all will go well.

The weather was glorious so I sat in the reserve reading for a couple of hours until my friend came to collect the lamb and a couple of other things necessary for yesterday's meal. He was on his way home from 10 days working in Essex and detoured here for an hour. It was good to catch up as I hadn't seen him since Christmas.

On Friday, my birthday, the weather again was beautiful and while I wanted to be outside, I didn't want to walk, so I took myself to the closest shop, bought a picnic of sorts, and headed back to the reserve where I spent most of the afternoon reading. I initially couldn't figure out why it was so busy (comparatively), then of course remembered that it was a holiday, the good weather driving folks outside now that restrictions have eased a little. I didn't have to go far to find a bench to sit on. There's one not far inside the reserve, a little way down the 'wrong way' path (the reserve is open and has set up a system of one way routes). I can set myself up and hardly see anyone. There were loads of birds around, too, so it was the perfect relaxing spot.

Saturday I met up with my cousin for a walk and a birthday lunch. We took her dog, Bonnie, off to the forest and spent over an hour getting caught up and getting in a decent walk at the same time. Cows and ponies aplenty, as well as others out getting some proper exercise. The weather was cooler than I had anticipated, so it was good to get back to her place although her boiler isn't working so it wasn't a whole lot warmer there either! Ha ha! She'd made a Moroccan Tagine which was delicious. I've never had one before, but it's super easy to make and is something I need to add to my recipe cache for cooler weather.

I finally posted a parcel to my sister too, that I've had hanging around for a few months (because I can't be bothered to go to the post office...). I posted it at the village post office near my cousin's house. It's nothing too exciting - a blanket and my knitting bag/bits that I don't use and are just taking up space here. My sister said she'd take them off my hands, so it was just getting around to posting them that was delaying everything. It's good to have done it and have three fewer things cluttering my flat.

I'm probably not the only person who's been decluttering during lockdown. I imagine, much like last time, the charity shops will be overrun with things. Some of them had requested appointments be made for donation offerings and I imagine it will be much the same this time. I know I've got a box and a couple of bags of things to get rid of. Not sure what they're doing about books - many were not taking these - so will have to see. Maybe there are some options online to get rid of them. It's part of the reason I don't buy books anymore and just read on my Kindle. Some libraries aren't taking donations anymore, and the thrift shops are regularly overwhelmed with them. Anyway, only a few more days until re-opening and I'll get an appointment if I need to. I'm getting desperate for some new duds, too, so keen to have the thrift shops open again!

Yesterday's lunch was excellent. There was aperitifs, lamb, salmon (for me), a beef broth with homemade tortellini, salad, lentils, roast potatoes, cabbage, wine and lemon mousse cake. The five of us did very well to get through a sizeable portion of it over about three hours. I had my usual 'inch' of wine to start and that was it for me. It was a dry white wine, quite lovely, and now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not actually sure I even finished it! Ha ha! I remember putting the glass on the window sill behind me and then simply forgot about it.

The cake I made was a hit - a lemon mousse cake. I've never made one before, never mind just a mousse, and wasn't sure it would work, as when I took it out of the tin in the morning it started to 'melt' a little so had to put it back in (!). It went into my friend's freezer for an hour or so when I arrived for the meal, then into the fridge for a couple of hours after that. That seems to have worked as, while it was a bit softer than it was supposed to be (a volume issue, I think), it hung together well and was quite delicious, although sweeter than I was anticipating. One of the guests had two pieces and is apparently still talking about it this morning, so I'm pleased it worked out so well. Fortunately, there are some leftovers in my friend's fridge so he's welcome to them.

The warm temperatures of last week have halved today, and it's cool and cloudy. I'm not sure what I'm feeling like doing and how motivated I am to do it.  Reading, probably, now that I'm fully re-engaged with it. I finished reading a book this morning - the Dales Detective Series, by Julia Chapman, if you're interested - and now have to wait another year for the next one. It's one of my favourite series and the biggest annoyance is that it takes so long to write! Ha ha! Characters, story, plot, and multiple threads of intrigue, mystery, romance and glorious descriptions of the Yorkshire Dales.

I've whizzed through a decent number of books in the past couple of weeks (you can see them there on the right-->), some good, some not as good. I'm trying to read more non-fiction, but I don't always get it right. Obviously reading is subjective (writing is an art form after all), and not everyone will agree with my assessments, but I still have a long list of reviews to get done this year. I'm not one, however, to keep reading something that I'm not enjoying - life is too short for that. I used to, but now it's simply not worth it, not when there's so much that I really want to read. I've sadly given up on about four books already this year, while others have surprised me.

I hope you're all enjoying your long weekend as much as you can.

Taking a little break... :)

 

Happy April all! No, not taking a(nother) break from blogging; I have a few days off work. Obviously, part of it is the Easter holidays, but I've got today and Tuesday off around that as well. I'm really feeling I need a good rest, and this worked out well, seeing as tomorrow is my birthday anyway. The holiday gods organised that nicely! :)

I've not been sleeping especially well the past couple of weeks, and work has been a bit of a roller coaster so I've got very little motivation to do much of anything, although feel I need to be reasonably productive as there are still things I have to do. I'm going to see my cousin for a walk and a birthday lunch on Saturday, then have an Easter/birthday lunch on Sunday... and that's it! I need to do a grocery shop in there somewhere too as I'm making something for Sunday (thinking along the lines of a lemon mousse cake). There's going to be five of us. We're having an Italian Columba cake for dessert (hooray!), and there will be plenty of wine and food.

I've registered for a number of online writing retreats and festival discussions this month. There's a new Welsh Crime Writers' Festival, and as this is their first year, and it's an unusual one, they're offering loads of talks and discussions online for FREE! So I registered for most of them the last week of April through to May 3. I've also registered for an online writing retreat via The Guardian's Masterclass offerings, 'Finding Your Voice', which is hosted by Kate Moss, Abi Dare, and Kishani Widyaratna. It was only £32 and sounds fantastic. I attended Sleurthfest two weeks ago - my first online conference of any kind - and got a lot of great information from it. They had an exceptionally scaled-back version of the annual conference, with only about seven talks compared to a number of normally about 40 talks, presentations, discussions, booths, etc., so for what it was, I enjoyed it. Some of it didn't apply - the marketing of your published book, for example - but I got a lot out of the editor/agent query letter and synopsis talk, as well as the Clues and Misdirection talk, which is why I originally signed up.

If I'm not actually writing, gathering information and ideas is still part of the process, so I'm pleased I'm at least making a more concerted effort around it. It's easy enough to sit and listen to someone talk, take notes and process. And there is always, always, something to learn, or that might give you that little spark of inspiration you need to get started again.

Work is beginning to get to me a bit. My new colleague is lovely, sweet and funny, but I'm not sure I have an emotional and empathetic/sympathetic well deep enough to continuously prop her up and calm her anxiety. Actually, scratch that: I know I don't. She came back on Tuesday from a couple of days off and was so upset to find emails and work to do she was crying (I cover her job while she's gone, but I focus on the priority stuff - getting jobs booked, etc. - and will leave some of the less urgent items for her. This is a carryover from my previous colleague). I got the impression that she seemed to think that because there were jobs waiting to be booked, I was apparently NOT doing her job. Never mind that on Friday I cleared up what she hadn't completed to that point, booked the jobs that came in on Friday and then cleared/changed/booked jobs on Monday. I couldn't get to everything, so I left what was left for her return. About 10 jobs?

I think it boiled down to a mixture of her assumptions that everything would be cleared and she'd start with a folder empty of jobs - I can do nothing about her personal email inbox - and me perhaps saying 'I cover your job' without being specific. I don't know. Anyway... I tried to explain things as best I could, then took about three hours to help clear stuff up, which took time away from things I needed to do...

Should I have helped? There are actually two answers.

Yes, because otherwise it wouldn't get done. She struggles to get all the jobs booked over the course of a week. She's painfully slow because she's so focussed on not making a mistake, they start to pile up, she gets stressed and frustrated, people start calling to chase booking dates, her anxiety increases and I have to soothe and support and then I help because otherwise it wouldn't get done...

And

No, because it's not my job. All this is taking time away from work I need to complete, leaves the office manager literally typing reports all day and taking time away from tasks she also needs to complete, leaves the accountant having to do filing that isn't her responsibility and taking time away from what she needs to do. Realistically, as the accountant says, let her get on with it and deal with the consequences.

To be fair, it is reasonably busy. People are anxious to get surveys booked with the clock winding down on the stamp duty holiday, which ends in June, and it can feel relentless. I understand that. Our surveyors are struggling to keep up, our booking dates are sitting at a minimum three weeks ahead, we have a new surveyor who's just started and finding his feet, and we're all feeling the pressure. It's not where we were six months ago - or even three months ago - but it can be pretty overwhelming. So, it's not that I don't have sympathy for her. I do, and we're still in a weird time where there's no full complement of staff in the office. The office manager is in today, though, and is going to have a chat with her about...stuff...and I hope everything (at least as much as possible) is sorted out. I commend her for not wanting to feel taken advantage of, nobody should feel that, but at the same time, she needs to recognise how it's affecting the rest of us. I think a lot of it goes back to the (lack of) training she had. If I or the office manager had been able to at least be there while it was happening, I think things might be a bit different. I have said this to her.

She has also had no previous experience with surveying and starting a new job is always a struggle for a little while. It's a very big learning curve, so I'm trying to be as supportive and helpful as I can.

Anyway. I'm complaining too much - I've never won an employee of the month prize, and know I have a tendency to slack off if given the opportunity. Perhaps this is payback. I'm just frustrated because I want her to succeed and be happy but right now it's very uncertain. She has her three-month review at the end of next week, so I guess we'll see how it goes. If she's unhappy, she needs to say so. If she's feeling taken advantage of, she needs to say so. Ultimately, I feel it's entirely her decision whether she stays or not.

I had a blog writing trial with the proofreading company which I thought might work into some part-time income but unfortunately wasn't successful. I was initially disappointed, as I thought it would have been a nice part-time gig, but after a little thought, I realised that I would have been quite resentful of the time needed to focus on it and that it wasn't quite my niche. So, I'm okay with that.

I had my first vaccine jab last week and it went very well. Quick and painless. I was very tired the next day, but otherwise, I've been fine apart from a tender arm. They were super efficient too, and the whole process took less than 10 minutes from arrival to departure.

My full bloodwork got done the week before that and my chat with the nephrologist the following Tuesday was very positive. Everything is right where it should be: cholesterol is spot on, all the numbers and whatever else they needed to see is excellent, so I'm very relieved. It means only an annual check to monitor things now, and she said to just keep doing what I'm doing (mind the salt!) as it was all looking good. I did tell her that I get quite fatigued and have taken to taking an OTC iron pill (14mg = 100% daily iron requirement) and she was fine with that. And yesterday I had a health check with my new surgery which, I didn't realise, was to do an intake to see what sort of health issues might need to be ascertained. Whoops! Apparently, because I'm already aware of specific issues and on it, it was a bit of a waste of time, although I now know my blood pressure (low) and they have some notes on my file. Hopefully, all the bloodwork information will arrive soon and they'll have all the information they need.

Otherwise, have polished off two more books and am most of the way through a third. Hoping to clear at least one or two more this weekend. The weather is slated to be warm, so maybe the best place to read will be the reserve. That would be a treat!

Have a safe and enjoyable Easter weekend!

The end of March is nigh

 

So, when did that happen? We're crawling towards the proverbial light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as Lockdown Exit 3.1.1 inches closer. Schools have gone back already, and each stage appears to be in bi-weekly steps, which is quite sensible, seeing as we're moving forward with the vaccinations quite well. 

I have my first vaccine jab booked for 27 March, the second for 12 June.

What have I been doing otherwise? 

I had the onboarding session with the proofreading/editing company I took my course through, but have yet to find any jobs on the portal. Because we're currently limited to a max of 750 words while we get our editing feet under us, there's not a lot of work in that range available, and quite a number of new people who are likely all in the same place as me. I think part of the problem for me is that I'm only really available on weekends, but I do check during the week on occasion and have only seen one item - which was due three hours from when I saw it! Yikes! Not enough time for me to proof as a newbie.

They have since approached all editors with an opportunity to write for their blog (two posts per week), so I've thrown my hat into that ring and we'll see what happens there. If you get on board with them, it's a great fee so would be really worthwhile. All I can do is try, right?

I rearranged my flat last week. For some reason (spring?) I was itching to do it, so cleared it with my landlady (watch the floors!), and off I went. Two hours later, I had changed a few things around and it feels SO much better in here, bigger somehow. I took down a wardrobe in the bedroom, too, and moved my plants to the living room. It now feels more open and fresh. Much better. Helped a little, of course, by the sweeping and tidying I did as I went along.

I've been reading again! Quite a lot. I struggled with this for a couple of years and it's been so frustrating. I love to read (L.O.V.E.) and while my TBR pile and choice of reading material isn't the latest high-brow, literary, or award-winning type stuff, it's meant I can get back to do something that gives me great pleasure, no matter what I'm reading. To that end, I've veritably 'whizzed' through 14 books since January. Compared to last year's total 23 books, I'm definitely on a roll which I hope continues.

My new colleague is settling in slowly, which is good. We had a new surveyor start and then abruptly leave only a week later (a record, I think), but already have a new one replacing him next week! I'm adjusting to a somewhat new role (although not officially) and trying to keep my personal feelings about the situation within that to a minimum. They're rattling around in my head regardless, but it's because I know something I'm not supposed to, and there's nothing to be done about it at the moment.

I registered for an online writer's convention this weekend - Sleuthfest - out of Florida. It was only $20 and has been quite good. Considering it's my first ever writer's convention, I guess it's what I was expecting, but also not what I was expecting. Ha ha! Sort of like my very first glimpse of Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, way back in 1996 (?): 'What, that's it?' (It's changed A LOT since then, and not necessarily in a good way).

It's hard to explain, but it's exceptionally truncated: only six or seven forums, as opposed to more than 40 (from what I understand) that would be there in Normal Times, so I guess the main thing is at least it's going ahead and the organisers are doing it as best they can under the circumstances. I'd never heard of it before (no surprise), but thought it might be worthwhile. And the talk I 'attended' last night was very interesting, 'Clues & Misdirection'. I made lots of notes! :D

I've got a couple of days holiday coming up around the long Easter weekend. It's my birthday on Good Friday, so took 1 & 6 April as holiday days, so I could have a proper long weekend. I'm going to have an Easter/birthday lunch with my friends at the old address which I'm really looking forward to. They're having lamb. I don't eat lamb, so I'll have to get something else.

I had some bloodwork done on Friday (long overdue - me not being organised) and have a telephone appointment with a nephrologist on Tuesday to see how things look. I'm feeling reasonably good lately - stopped eating so much bread. What a difference (sadly)! - so hopefully everything looks okay from their end. I took the bus down to the hospital, and six vials of blood and a urine sample later I was all done. I was back in the office just over an hour after I left. Not bad!

Yesterday, I had an online reading with a psychic I've seen before. My new colleague's mum is her best friend (!) so put in a word, and I got a slot yesterday because she'd had a cancellation. Lucky me! This lady has a HUGE waiting list. I saw her a couple of years ago and was really impressed. Yesterday's reading was excellent - several things cropped up that were the same/similar to my last reading with her, which I thought was interesting - and I'm feeling quite positive and pleased with it all. The underlying message is to take things slowly this year. This is already something I've been told to do, so that was interesting. Whether you're a believer or not, sometimes it's just nice to have some confirmation that you're on the right path, you know?

I'm still walking to work every day. According to my pedometer app, I've now walked 450 miles - Boston to Philly - so that's quite an accomplishment I'd say! I average about 6,000 steps per day, which is still a bit less than I'd like, but I'm consistent, which I think is the key right now, and I'm hoping to head into the reserve in the evenings, once it stays light later. It's a half-hour walk around the 'short' route, and that's sufficient before or after dinner.

Otherwise, my immediate future plans include such exciting things as repotting all my plants, something which is DESPERATELY overdue, weeding (more) stuff out of the flat for either selling or donating, buying another bird feeder, possibly going to see my sister in Devon at some point, and making - again - serious adjustments to both my eating and spending habits. The food thing cropped up in yesterday's reading, as it did two years ago, so it's obviously something I need to take to heart.

So that's about it from my little corner of the Kingdom. I hope this finds you well & safe where you are!