Smart Mart - Health, wealth and happiness

Eager_Elephant

Hi Mart

Just catching up from Sept :eek:

Sorry that things with the Twins mother is still a bit hit and miss :mad:, at least the boys have stability when they are with you and they know there are not likely to be any dramas.

Well done on the weight loss :j

No mention of your debts recently (not that I am the board police or anything :rotfl:) and just wondered how things are going with your DRO?

EE

Smart_Mart

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

Hi Mart

Just catching up from Sept :eek:

Sorry that things with the Twins mother is still a bit hit and miss :mad:, at least the boys have stability when they are with you and they know there are not likely to be any dramas.

Well done on the weight loss :j

No mention of your debts recently (not that I am the board police or anything :rotfl:) and just wondered how things are going with your DRO?

EE

I genuinely think they like the quiet, settled nature of my house so you may be right. Weekends are always so busy here with two football matches, football training and geocaching most Saturday/Sundays and I often wonder if we do too much but then again, next weekend, they have no match and neither do I have to report on one either so that will be quieter.

Re the debts, nothing much has been done so far. There never seems to be enough income to reduce the debts, only enough to ensure they don't rise any more. Same goes for the DRO as well and there's no spare £90 at the moment although I take the point that I could at least start if off and pay on instalments. I really should get that going!:o

I've arranged a meeting with the chief executive on Monday re a couple of things, one of which is my outstanding expenses issue. Basically they have only been paying me 50% of the rate I should have been paid meaning that they owe me more than £3,000 for the last two years. Half of that is just "travelling to work" expenses and the other half is "travelling to report on matches" and to be honest, I'll be shocked if they pay the first lot as they can just say I should move closer. Re the second lot, I have a good case for full repayment IMO and I'd settle for getting half of it as that would be £1,500 towards the budget which would clear one major headache and pay in full for my DRO.

Smart_Mart

Ah well, today is the meeting with the CE so hopefully, something positive will come out of it. Ideally, I'd like him to write a cheque for the full £3,200 there and then; my second choice would be to get a cheque for half of that but at least after today, I'll have got the ball rolling.

Yesterday the boys' team slipped into their old ways with an 8-1 defeat. Just chilled out at home with the boys till 5pm when I took them home then last night went to the pub quiz and won both halves of the pub quiz...:beer:. Won three drinks vouchers and £25 cash between three of us which was nice. So spent about £9 on drinks and entry and won a free drink and £8.33 back, not bad really.

Off to the football club in a minute, football training at school tomorrow, boys coming round on Wednesday, a football tournament on Thursday and then another weekend, albeit a quite one as Yeovil are away (not going), the boys team haven't got a fixture (opposition have folded) and team mates are working so no pub quiz either. We might go down and watch the other under-11's instead and do some geocaching instead.

Smart_Mart

Had the meeting today and, not surprisingly, I'm not going to get a penny of what is owed.

The chief exec agreed that I should have been put on the higher rate from the start but added that I would not have got paid for simply going to work OR for home matches either meaning that in effect, backdating that would mean I owed them...:eek:

Feeling very low tonight and wondering what to do now. Have been half looking at other job sites tonight and wondering whether it is worth knocking my dream job on the head to find something which will help me pay my bills and build a career instead of somewhere that doesn't appear to value me at all.

Put a pound on this week, no surprise there either.:(

Smart_Mart

Feeling a little better today after a reasonable day yesterday and a good night's sleep (well almost a good night's sleep anyway!). Emailed me my feelings back to the chief exec who has now made an ex-gratia offer of £200 to me to draw a line under the subject which I have accepted reluctantly otherwise if I push harder, I might lose even that offer.

Onwards and upwards, though, time to move on. Had a coaching session with the school team yesterday afternoon in preparation for an inter-schools tournament tomorrow and it went really well. Not sure I'll ever be a good football coach but I do enjoy it! Rain forecast for tomorrow though so there might be a slight chance it's postponed.

Today I'm off out to do the DX in a minute, home then out later this morning to meet courier mate to sort out paperwork on the car I've just bought from him. I've also found another part time job about two miles from home which pays well and is in the media department so will informally enquire about this. Also have two reports to do for the manager this morning and picking the boys up from school this afternoon.

Smart_Mart

Boys came around yesterday after school and didn't fancy going out at all so just chilled out till they went home after tea. Worked on a few bits of paperwork and swapped insurance over to the new car.

Today we have a small schools tournament to which I'm taking a team of ten ten-year-olds including two girls. I'm looking forward to it but expecting it to get a little damp there as well. Other than that, just a day of paperwork as per usual; might try to list a pair of unused trainers on eBay later on.

Also did morning DX today and nipped into Asda for a few bits and bobs including new tracksuit bottoms as last pair are too big now....total billw as £17 of which trackies were £6

Smart_Mart

Off to bed in a minute as I'm absolutely shattered. Took the team to the small schools tournament this afternoon and they exited at the group stages after one draw and two defeats. Played quite well and with school football, you have to be inclusive rather than simply picking your best team. Onwards and upwards though!

Doing morning and evening DX tomorrow plus picking the boys up from school for the weekend.

Smart_Mart

Did the morning DX at 6.30am then straight to Asda for the weekly shop. Set me back to the tune of £28 but that included two for £4 deodorants and a £4 jar of coffee hence the higher than normal bill.

Rang boys before school then worked from home for the rest of the day before picking them up at 3.15pm. Paid another £21 off my council tax arrears and we've all just chilled out tonight after I had to do the evening DX.

While we were doing it, distinctly remember cursing some drivers who were still hurtling along at 80mph even though visibility was poor and the rain was lashing down. Sad to see there has been one almighty smash about 20 miles further down the motorway involving more than 25 cars and the police have shut the motorway for up to 24 hours, and expect fatalities too.:(

Smart_Mart

Feels like a long day today for some reason so off to bed in a moment.

Football training this morning and the team were a nightmare; no concentration or manners and they were generally hard work. No match this weekend, thanks goodness, as they would have been beaten based on their performance this morning.

Stayed at home this afternoon and did the match report from the radio commentary, saving myself six hours on the motorway and around £70 or £80 in total.

Tonight went to the local big fireworks display costing £6 for adults and £3 for children - for some reason, the guy let me in for £9 - ah well, some you win.

Tomorrow should be a quiet day. We're going to watch the under-11's A team play, stay at home in the afternoon then take my lovely lads home in the evening.

dangers

DH and I heard about the smash on the main news last night and what we saw on the local news was quite shocking. It really made me more aware when I had to drive up to Gloucester this morning!