Gilligansyle's outside her comfort zone

gilligansyle

There's a lot to be said for the 'getting back on the horse' approach; I think I'm coping better than my sister for example.

This week has been quite busy work wise, and although I am still training, and meant to be shadowing someone for a couple of months, next week I am going out on my own to a client site on my first 'proper' visit.

Have stayed in a mix of hotels this week, and in fact last night, there was some sort of convention in the town and so that made it difficult to find a hotel. I ended up staying in a really, really good hotel. Not a problem you may think; but actually, it was out in the country and it was really difficult to keep within my dinner allowance. (Calories wise it was a definite problem!) Normally, I would just eat elsewhere, or go to a supermarket, but it was 9pm by the time I got there, and too late to do anything about it.

But the food was amazing!

Today I was kind to myself, as I was in the same office as when I heard about Mum, so made a point of coming home early so I wasn't driving home full of memories etc.

Tomorrow I am working from home, and next week am in Northern sites most of the week, then back down to Berkshire on Friday!

Money - 2 meal deal lunches from Mr t - and one KFC cup of coffee is all I've spent money on so far, so about 6 quid. Fifty quid worth of petrol, but that's claimable.

Over a week till payday, still got some money in the bank, just need to check what DD's are still to go out.

Will do some catching up tomorrow.

savingholmes

Glad to hear you are looking after yourself

gilligansyle

Stupid 'quick reply' button.

Whenever I use it I have to make sure that my fingers don't accidentally move the cursor, as then I can move back a page and lose what I've typed.

W/M - well fate has stepped in. Mine isn't spinning properly. It's done this occasionally before, and usually its because its moved around a bit and a hose has got kinked. But if I've got to move it out into the middle of the kitchen I may as well go and get Mum's machine from her house and use that one.

Slept like a log last night. There's something about being in your own bed.

Today I am going to try and sort my wireless router out. Apparently virginmedia have them configured to stop certain things which means that trying to use my new encrypted laptop may be a problem.

We'll see.

On the other hand, I have a lovely new laptop, not someone's old recycled one. Not that I've got anything in principle against recycling, but the person who had it was obviously a smoker; the whole thing reeked:eek:

gilligansyle

Another thing I've got to do today:-

I've had a letter with an appointment for breast screening.

Normally with these things, they write and say 'such and such is due' , ring and make an appointment.

It's very specific about date and time but I've never asked for it. But apparently I have to ring if its not convenient. Well of course its not convenient, I never asked for the appointment in the first place!

And of course you can only ring in a particular 2 hour slot, because they are "so busy"

What would they do if I just didn't turn up? Well actually there's no *if* about it; I won't be turning up.

Sorry, can feel a *rant* coming on.

Karmacat

Morning Gill! My word, you do sound like you're doing well - I'm glad to read about the "going home early" bit tho, even when you're getting back on the horse, you have to be kind to yourself as well.

Hmmm .... I have a router from virginmedia too ... I have a password on my new laptop, but thats all, no encryption as such, so can't help you on that one hope you can sort it fairly easily.

As for ranting about appointments .... well, rant away! The presumption that you can do whatever they want, including a phone call to tell them you *can't* do whatever they want, is ridiculous in this day and age! Tho I have to say, when I rescheduled that MRI appointment they had because of exactly that, they were very accepting, and found me another one only four days later. They hadn't restricted the time I could ring tho. Hope you can sort it.

gilligansyle

Morning KC

I think what's wound me up is the fact that I've got an appointment for something I haven't asked for. But the onus is on me to change it. Why couldn't they send a standard letter asking me to make an appointment? Then I could have thrown it away. But this is making me feel guilty because someone else could have that appointment.

Phones are only answered between 9 and 11 - outside those hours you can leave a message and they'll get back to you. But again, its doing things at their convenience.

Having a cuppa, and then will join the queue on the phone.

Work laptop has a fancy encryption thing on it, so that if it gets lost or stolen it is completely inaccessible, whereas there are apparently ways to get past a windows logon screen.

Karmacat

Thats true, they're creating needless work by doing it that way round.

gilligansyle

Karmacat wrote: »

Thats true, they're creating needless work by doing it that way round.

...and it gets worse!

When you ring, you can't re-arrange an appointment, they send a new one out to you!
The chances of the appointment coinciding with a day I'm in Liverpool are extremely slim, so it was far easier to tell them to take my name off the list and not send another one out.

But what a silly system! Most people would need to re-arrange things in order to fit it in, surely there must be a better way.


***rant over *****


Back to work:D

se999

gilligansyle wrote: »

Have stayed in a mix of hotels this week, and in fact last night, there was some sort of convention in the town and so that made it difficult to find a hotel. I ended up staying in a really, really good hotel. Not a problem you may think; but actually, it was out in the country and it was really difficult to keep within my dinner allowance. (Calories wise it was a definite problem!) Normally, I would just eat elsewhere, or go to a supermarket, but it was 9pm by the time I got there, and too late to do anything about it.

It's worth checking with the company, I know with companies we've worked for there's the normal allowance limits, but then they do accept it's sometimes unreasonable for people to have to leave hotels and wander around in strange areas & towns to find food, so they do allow meals to be taken in the hotel where you are staying even if it's above the limit, especially if you've got extra work to do in the evening.

gilligansyle

Hi Se
The allowance is normally more than enough; and what generally happens is that you pay the difference and then if your manager thinks its reasonable, you get reimbursed. This one had a restaurant that was open to the public and the bar didn't serve food, which is what I would normally have gone for, something a bit lighter.

The cheapest main course was 20 quid, so by the time you had a drink, a coffee and some veg (it was a la carte and they weren't included!) you are over the allowance. So a starter or a pud were out of the question.

I stayed in a lovely hotel on Tuesday, but it was in a town centre, which at least gave me choices. This one was miles out in the country.

That sounds like a moan, it isn't, and it is so much better to be able to eat something decent without thinking too much about the cost. Working in the private sector is so different, and its taking some getting used to.