The Quest - 2

sarahb123_3

Hi Lula, hope you are feeling a bit better tday. I think the idea of being a librarian is fab and I also think you would absolutely love it, you should definitely apply, you will be surrounded by books all day and there is always the possibility of bumping into lots of eligibles and suitables

Also the estate agent leaflets seems very promising, I think that sometimes life works like that, you hate the prawn deliveries but they may have inadvertently led you towards something else which you may not have heard of if it wasn't for that and it may be the thing you are looking for. As you say, you are reliable, and it will also let you continue the walking which you enjoy without the feeling down about what you are doing. So, although you had a crappy day, it may turn out to be a real turning point for you.

I really feel for you with what you say about your current job keeping you feeling as if you are on the fringe of society, it can't be doing your self esteem much good which is very unfair as you are a truly fabulous person with loads to offer, as you say this may be a pivitol moment for you. I know the reason you do current jobs is so you can be home with dd, but you need to be happy too, and I think you should go for it and get a job outside the home, you will be meeting other people, have a purpose to your work, ie feeling that you are doing something productive and enjoying it at the same time, rather than having a job which causes you endless worry and enables you to get by.

You have so much to offer and the fact that you would rather forego any bonus rather than let repo man take house deeds from someone just shows what a thoroughly decent and kind hearted person you are, and you deserve better than feeling unhappy and struggling to get by. A fresh start is in order here I think. Something new and interesting and fun to do. Definitely apply to the library, you may get it or it may lead you into something else you haven't even thought of. Also, if you take a new job you will be able to tell both bosses to take a hike and imagine how fab that will feel:D


Good luck and remember **** off, I'm Lula and I'm fabulous xxx:j

Lula-Hula

Hmmm seems like the psychological & emotional support fairies have flown in druing my absence - thank you all once again :A

Not sure why I get so het up & angst filled over these things whilst in the decision making process but can only assume that my system still a bit out of kilter .

wol - as to qualifications hmmm 8 o levels ( all language apart from maths & business studies :rolleyes: ) & a couple of a levels, one sixth of an OU degree :rolleyes: & as dear Moo so blatantly pointed out a masters in appalling man choice :rotfl: . Every decent job I've had has been for a small family run business where the employers were great characters & slightly bonkers like myself & we all mucked in together, no formal skills required & learned how to operate sytems on the job, hence no formal skills that I can put on a cv. If / when I do dcide to enter the real world again I would be very grateful for your help :A . I really loved my last proper job & was furious when the manager left & they hired an illiterate idiot to run the place, I should have got the job but was 6 months pregnant with a liability of a fiance at the time so cant blame them :rolleyes: I was against the relocation & took voluntary redundancy, cloesly followed by the factory manager & the business lasted less than 18 months after the move... anyway, I'm an all or nothing kind of employee & part of my reluctance to get back into the real world is the knowledge that I cant be 'all' while I'm solely responsible for DD. I have to get her through sats, GCSEs, A levels & gawd know how many heartbreaks & cat fights while avoiding alcohol, drugs, unsavoury friends & the worst horrors of all STDs & pregancy before despatching her to uni or around the world in a rucksack ... I'll be quite busy for the next 9 years :rolleyes:

Moo - you really should find a way to capture your essence & then sell it as a tonic - you always manage to be encouraging, humorous & bossy in a lovely no nonsense type of way :A Thanks for the Avon info, I might give that a go as long as I dont have to look the part in order to sell :rotfl:Cleaning is also another option, will check out local shops for any ads. Also thought I could try dog sitting/walking ( that would cunningly fill DDs requirements too )

The thing I've decided is that life is absolutely too damn short to spend 10 + hours a week doing something that makes me miserable just so that I can pay some debts off without going onto a DMP or similar. That's what I keep forgetting, that I'm only stressing so that I can pay debts off ASAP without resorting to outside help :rolleyes: . We can live & pay all the rent & bills on my wages + TCs including the minimum payments on the CCs ... so maybe I'm getting my priorities all wrong. Do I really need to 'save' a credit status I dont have a mortage & am not likely to require one in the forseeable future. Would I be better off pleading poverty & trying to get interest frozen, or is it best to try to maintian a clear credit status ???

Hollyberry, thanks to you for some good thinking material :A I've been reading the self employed thread & I've often dreamt of doing what you would like to do ... if only I could get my dad to swap homes with me :think: .
In the right circumstances I could actually throw myself into business but as I said above my first duty is to DD for the next few years but I really do like the sound of librarian as a kind of step along the way. I like the idea of a couple of jobs so I dont get bored & can let different sides of me loose Thing is that for the last 8 years I've had very flexible work & I do like that :cool:

Anyway, I've had a great day today, got a few household chores done & had a friend over for lunch. We ate out in the garden which was great until I decided to give a few carrot peelings that were bound for the compost bin to the ponies in the field. One became quite enamoured with me & started trying to force his way through the hedge much to DDs horror & my amusement until she pointed out that we dont have a garden gate :eek: & how was I going to explain to the owner that their pony was trotting off down the road having been enticed by the lush green grass & carrot peelings. I thought it was a very eco/labour friendly way of getting the grass down & acquiring some manure for the allotment, but finally managed to shoo him away but my poor honeysuckle hedge now has pony shaped holes in it:rotfl:. I think they're lovely & so friendly but I think it's put DD off having one for a while :rolleyes:

We had ice cream so that's one of Moos suggestions done & the pony kisses worked as well as a swing would have :j . My dear friend took me to buy a bike tyre & then fitted it for me in return for having lunch Now I just need to refit the brake cable & then we'll be off down the tow path to yearn at the barges :rolleyes:

I only need another 2 NSDs to hit target but getting scarily close to the grocery target. Got another £2 coin & was gong to bank them but will now put them towards a new tax disc instead so wont bank until it's due or will spend it :mad:

It's taken me ages to write this & will be very miffed if it gets rejected for being too long :rolleyes:

thanks to all you lovelies for just being yourselves & I'm still contemplating the tarte au citron

G'nite
lula
xx

Lula-Hula

Ooooh hello sarah - took me so long to write that post that you'd been in too.

Thank you for your thoughts too, the library job is only 2 days a week but it's a step in the right direction & at least will give me some relevant experience so can then apply for another one further down the line, there seem to be many library vacanices with local county council but all odd shifts which include evening & week ends which is inconveient for now but this one could be a 'way in' so am defintily going to apply, already had informal chat with the manager

Will obviously need to buy whole new wardrobe for those 2 days if I am succesful so need to crack on with this diet thing. The fact that I havent lost a single inch or pound in the last 3 weeks is reason enough to quit stupid repo man job I think.

moo2moo

The very fact that you have been employed in small businesses by eccentric people gives you tons and tons and tons to put on your CV. Who cares about formal skills. Every other idiot has those. Employers want and need your unique talents, your adaptability, your diversity and most importantly you're a people person!

Moving swiftly on you've done 3 weeks of exercise but haven't lost any weight. You failed to add that you haven't gained any either. You bathroom scales are duff dear girl. Chuck 'em out. Pick something that you really want to wear. Something thats just a teeny bit snug. Thats your target. Who cares if the faulty scales say you've lost 5 kg when you can't wear that top or those trousers comfortably. If you enjoy walking keep doing it, even if its just to the park with DD or to the shop in the next village. The fresh air will do you good, you'll meet people and best of all the weight will move slowly and gradually and will stay off without you inflicting a diet upon yourself and feeling carpy for eating something thats not allowed.

Its barely 6 months since you started the original Quest. You're under 6K despite everything thats happened. Its always slowest at the start because the interest is at its highest but now its coming down steadily it'll keep dropping until you're finally debt free. 2011 is not that far off!

Hollyberry

Moo (as ever) is spot on about the small businesses run by eccentric people. Most fun I ever had working came from similar situations.

I like the sound of those pony-shaped honeysuckle arches, well-designed for composting, and potentially for free fertiliser. Thankfully I only have compost and fruit trees at the bottom of the garden, or I'd never get anything done.
Glad you had a better day - here's to more good ones... :beer:

Horace

Lula - apply for the library job but don't go for the care home job especially if you don't fancy it. Life is too short so you don't have to do jobs that you hate e.g. delivering prawns and working in care homes.

If you have languages - why not see if you can use them? When you work for nutty people and their equally strange busineses then you, my dear, can work anywhere because you have life skills that not a lot of people have. Experience counts these days - you could have a degree in astro-physics and still be delivering prawns:eek:

I think you have a lot to be proud of too in the shape of your DD, whom from reading your posts is a well-adjusted and happy child. This is going to be your year, so step out into the big wide world and stop hanging around on the fringes. You need to start blowing your own trumpet more because no-one is going to blow it for you - anything is possible.

Shoe_Gal

Hi Lula

Not really got anything to add to all the lovely things everybody else has said, just to say you are a lovely, positive person and you can achieve anything you set out to

Shoe Gal x

Lula-Hula

A much better evening tonight,

I seem to have regained my composure again

I had a lovely morning yesterday, playing in the sunny garden with bundles of twigs & the engraving set a friend lent me; I think I may have found an outlet for my creative needs . Those logs are still in my room & I now have plans to do some designs on them .... I have so many plans right now & most of them involve time & effort rather than money :j .

Although I decided to quit the prawn deliveries, I havent got a round to telling the man in charge yet The friend who was round for lunch on saturday offered to help me out a couple of days this week & I decided to see how it went & whether we could face doing it together & sharing the money... Having company makes it a whole new experience; being able to laugh at certain situations rather than being depressed about it was great & we encouraged eachother to keep doing just a few more...however, my mate doesnt need the money so wont want to do it on a regular basis & we both still think it's a vile business & it's not viable during school hols so it will have to go. I'm due to be paid for last week this week & next week would be the last area to do of the first run so might offer to do that as DD doesnt break up til next friday ... it will also give repo man a chance to find a replacement :rolleyes: . Hoping to get the library job application form tomorrow.

Have been a very good girl & made the usual payment to CCs :A £50 paid to CC1 - now owe £ 3,435.24 & paid £25 to CC2 - now owe £ 2,3336.66
Still no weight or inch loss :mad: but have done a yoga session for the last 4 evenings so hoping to tone up a bit & have vowed to carry on with the walking & will also do bike riding to the allotment when finished prawn deliveries for good.

Thanks for your tips about snug clothes Moo, ashamed to say that I've been wearing trackie pants indoors & the same 2 pairs of jeans & one pair of combats for weeks now all my other clothes are more than a bit snug. This has saved me loads of money though as I am rather vain & refuse to buy a size bigger so havent bought a thing which just shows how unnecessary all that clothes buying really is :rolleyes: .I am now taking the matter very seriously though as have finally admitted that now that I dont smoke & am 'maturing' the weight doesnt just drop off like it used to :mad: Keeping in shape is not going to be a one off quick fix... it's now going to have to be a way of life & if I stray, my hips will pay :eek: .

On that note I shall head off to bed with the book with the donuts on the cover :rotfl: never been a donut fan so not at all tempted

G'nite

lula
xx

Shoe_Gal

Hi Lula

Fab that you are sounding more like your usual self - well done you :A I think we all feel better when we have plans - good luck with everything

Shoe Gal x

Hollyberry

I do believe I detect evidence of the post-decision calm... :A

Glad to hear that you are going to bin the prawns; life is far too short to do something you hate, even if it was necessary in the short term. Hope that the library or alternative deliveries have something good to offer you. :j

Longer term, how about the first chain of LulaBerry/HulaHolly B&Bs? You grow the brekkie fruit (I do some gardening, but as I can even kill cacti through underwatering, it's never been the best idea ), and I'll cook (no pasta, no jars of sauce). Deal?