A few months and several questions

RosaBernicia

... sort of :rotfl:.

Spent whole day at conference yesterday with horrendous cold. Was a fab day and we met some really interesting and helpful people - it was great to get out of the office and away from the boring stuff.

But felt completely wiped last night so did no work and caught up on emails to friends instead. Then got the shivers overnight and eventually decided I wasn't bloody going in today. Sort of. Ended up going in for interviews which once again didn't happen. Fortunately I will be seeing the director tomorrow so will make it very clear what the consequences will be if I don't get the staff I need.

Bizarrely I am rather proud of myself for sticking up for my own needs instead of continuing to cover for everyone else's. Even if I did have to get my copy of this fab little book out to remind me I was doing the right thing in the longer term.

I also adjusted my spreadsheet and got a bit peeved with it as realistically, even with the money from my gran it is still all going to take me 18 months to clear. I just don't have a lot of flexibility with the more expensive rent. However, it still means I would have paid off about 50% (5K) by Christmas, and about 65% by the time my job would change. I have also added up what would be in each funds pot throughout the year to check that I would have enough for car bills etc and if I keep the funds running this year, I would be able to pay everything from pots (even the car insurance!!) and have plenty to go into next year with. So I think that's good - it does mean I'm learning better habits. And maybe now I am beginning to understand why Finance have such complex arrangements for shuffling and timing things :rotfl:

I think I might leave the bike idea though, as I'm not sure how much use I would get from it - if I have a locked box for stuff at the allotment I don't need it for carrying and I'm not sure I would do more biking on the weekends than walking. So if I want, I could perhaps move a little of that holiday money to help pay off cards. I must also try and move one of them to a lower rate, but will do this after Gran's money arrives because then my credit record will look better and I will have been at this address for longer.

Of course, if I got a better paying job that would help clear debts faster. And am seriously thinking I should start looking properly. I will have the MSc and a new project on my CV in the autumn so that would be the time to do it, plenty of time to prep.

Must go and do something about bl**dy meeting tomorrow... but at least now I feel much better and back in control.

Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Is it just me or has it been tipping with rain every since the hosepipe ban was announced? :rotfl:

short_bird

No, and we've had hail 2 days in a row just to put the icing on the cake:D

RosaBernicia

short_bird wrote: »

No, and we've had hail 2 days in a row just to put the icing on the cake:D

Hello Short Bird, welcome :hello:

I think we've had a bit of hail here too. Clearly even the British weather has a sarky sense of humour

Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Is it just me or has it been tipping with rain every since the hosepipe ban was announced? :rotfl:

It's rather like the last "drought emergency". Then, it never stopped raining once the "Minister for Drought" stepped into his shoes.

Though by the time up here runs out of water, there'll be camels through Hemel Hempstead...

RosaBernicia

So what's happened since Wednesday...

Got rid of cold, seems that was it being dealt with. Both big meetings on Thursday went really really well. The first one is my new big project and previously there's been a bit of suspicion - I am only involved because basically the partner team realised they couldn't handle it themselves, and they weren't happy about having to share - but that is settling down now and I think it will all be OK. Second meeting was equally good, everyone was basically aiming to achieve the same good things and I am really hoping this will evolve to take some cool people into the new system as the NHS changes. Also big meeting on Friday went well, several compliments , and I have had my moan to the Director to confirm I do indeed have to have decent admin help and that HR should be doing all they can so hopefully that will be sorted sharpish.

Also went out for dinner on Thursday night :eek: with a man :eek: not a date, just catching up with a friend, but was good. Started me thinking maybe I could handle doing this as an actual date with somebody new. What's more he paid, so with that and expenses for lunch it was practically an NSD :rotfl:

Have had a pure duvet day today as sleep was getting random again. Still feeling really pretty good and quite settled. As well as oddly... um... determined isn't quite the right word. But kind of steady in myself again. Unreliable friend popped round this evening and was talking about dating and bars and drama and etc... found myself quietly saying that although I will be looking to meet new people soon, I won't be looking for the kind of person who does nowt with their time but drink, so won't start out looking in bars. Also just not going to feel obliged to fit in with rubbish about how I should look, or how insecure I should be about how I look. I am pretty healthy, especially now my skin's cleared up and I 'm losing the extra weight I put on when stressed and eating carp. I pretty much like my looks myself, and as for what anyone else thinks, I look good enough that I get attention when I do go out. That's not the problem - it's finding someone whose attention I really want and enjoy!

Am hoping tomorrow will be pretty chilled, have put together the box for the allotment so if it doesn't rain too much will take the car over and get that there together with some tools. Then want to do some project reading. Booked a couple more days off as decided I want to get my draft done by early June, to give me plenty of time for revisions.

Budget isn't looking great but this month should really be the last of the costs for new place, and interestingly I seem to have gone to the supermarket a lot less so hopefully my food bills are coming down. I've done better at taking lunch to work and making use of the freezer, so will try and keep that going. Oh and I have filled in my expense claim as I go so that will be ready to be put in on time. No more letting them hang onto my money

So it's been a pretty good week, even though was a busy one

Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Also big meeting on Friday went well, several compliments ,

:T:T

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Also went out for dinner on Thursday night :eek: with a man :eek:

And not to a Pizzeria... :eek:

RosaBernicia wrote: »

not a date, just catching up with a friend, but was good.

:T

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Started me thinking maybe I could handle doing this as an actual date with somebody new. What's more he paid, so with that and expenses for lunch it was practically an NSD :rotfl:

:T

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Have had a pure duvet day today as sleep was getting random again. Still feeling really pretty good and quite settled. As well as oddly... um... determined isn't quite the right word. But kind of steady in myself again.

Focussed?

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Unreliable friend popped round this evening and was talking about dating and bars and drama and etc...

Ooh look...he must want to become your personal guru on such matters...


:rotfl:

RosaBernicia wrote: »

found myself quietly saying that although I will be looking to meet new people soon, I won't be looking for the kind of person who does nowt with their time but drink, so won't start out looking in bars.

So where will you go?

You could always go to outdoor arenas where people waste their time listening to singers shriek incomprehensively in foreign languagues over crashingly loud music.

German Industrial Metal or Opera - your choice.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Also just not going to feel obliged to fit in with rubbish about how I should look,

What? Rubbish from him?

RosaBernicia wrote: »

or how insecure I should be about how I look. I am pretty healthy, especially now my skin's cleared up and I 'm losing the extra weight I put on when stressed and eating carp. I pretty much like my looks myself, and as for what anyone else thinks, I look good enough that I get attention when I do go out.

:T:T

RosaBernicia wrote: »

That's not the problem - it's finding someone whose attention I really want and enjoy!

So what would this person be like?

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I've done better at taking lunch to work and making use of the freezer, so will try and keep that going.

:T

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Oh and I have filled in my expense claim as I go so that will be ready to be put in on time. No more letting them hang onto my money

Yes indeedy.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

So it's been a pretty good week, even though was a busy one

:T:T

kerri_gt

Hey Rosa, just wanted to pop in and say it's great to hear you so positive, I know what you mean about that determined feeling :T

macpumpkin

Hi Rosa,

I've just read your thread and I'm loving it :T. I'm also getting excited about the prospect of dromedaries in Hemel ....

RosaBernicia

ZTD wrote: »

And not to a Pizzeria... :eek:

Nope, to my favourite Italian... fantastic place, size of a shoebox but marvellous food and lovely staff.

ZTD wrote: »

Focussed?

Mmm, something like that.

ZTD wrote: »

Ooh look...he must want to become your personal guru on such matters...

It's getting so I have to try really hard not to roll my eyes at some of his pronouncements. I think he still hasn't forgiven me for breaking his three-day rule or some such nonsense over a year ago. (I got a long lecture on how I would be compromising my self-respect if I sent a second text to a man who hadn't replied to the first one. To which I said 'that's b*ll*x, he's just carp with phones and anyway I'd rather text and know I definitely tried than leave it and sulk'. Texted, saw the guy again and got several texts etc from him afterwards. Unreliable friend not delighted at success, just continued lecturing me on bizarre intricacies of modern dating etiquette.)

ZTD wrote: »

So where will you go?

Well thinking of getting organised to finish the walks I started with friends last summer, preferably in smaller chunks to ensure we end up in pubs in the evening. Also there are quite a few lecture type events around here, but am finding many of those are not quite the age bracket as they attract students - so perhaps more theatre type things. And a friend is moving nearby in a few weeks, at which point it will be ridiculously convenient to walk 10 mins towards her house and meet in one of the local pubs.

I could try online as well, but will leave that for a bit later.

ZTD wrote: »

So what would this person be like?

I think that's a question for a musing sometime


Rosa xx