So poor I can't even pay attention

the_cake

Hiya Piq et al (Al?)
Just caught up with the diary - we went to Ireland for five days and it did not rain once! Amazing!! But since we've been back it has hardly stopped, muddy fields and horses in July is just not on. Wherever I go people are having sad conversations about the horrible weather - it feels as if we are all in the grip of a mass depression. Lots of people round where I live (very rural) depend on earning enough in the summer to help them survive the winter - they have stands at country fairs, that sort of thing. So many have been cancelled, they are struggling now, so I dread to think what the winter will bring us. My neighbour has earnt precisely £35 this month. It's dire....
Sorry, this has turned into a gloomy post! But how much gloomier it would all be if we didn't have our virtual friends (and their bananas) to chat to and encourage. So ... chins up chaps, and let's hope for lots of sun next week. Lack of money is horrible, but it's much worse when teamed with !!!! weather. Bring on the yellow ball!
Love all round, the cake xxx

houseboatdream

Piquant wrote: »

Hello and welcome :wave:

Still enough about me, what do you do? Have you any madcap hobbies, animals or debts like the rest of us?

Come back and chat!

Piq

Thanks for the welcome....

Yes, I have some debts - don't we all? Its not really too bad, just under £8k and all at 0% but I cant move forward with my plans until its paid off and I need to save another £5k or so as an emergency fund.

At the moment I just have one dog, my little princess although she does not live with me. She is in france with my husband and i visit every three weeks or so and all my annual leave. Its all part of the grand plan but its tough. Sometimes I think he wonders who I miss the most - him or the dog :rotfl:

Oh and I have a horse too... but she is retired and lives on a lovely retirement farm in Devon, its over five hours away so I dont get to see her very often - just keep paying the bills. She is over 40 :eek:

Im not sure about madcap hobbies, my job is a bit full-on so i spend a lot of time working and in my spare time i try and do as much french learning as possible. Can you call moneysaving a hobby?

I did wonder, Piq, if you have ever thought about going self-employed? I dont know much about your field of work but is it possible? Its part of my plan when I finally get to escape to france to do contract work in Uk as when more money is needed. I did it before when we were travelling.

HBD

Piquant_2

That was the day that was!

I thought I'd do things back to front and report on my day first and then respond to camels, 40 year old horses, private jets and bananas afterwards.

I left for London at 7am I'd heard there would be delays due to the Olympics. As it happens there wasn't even a one second delay and I was in London by 8 [wasn't due until 9:30] At the station there was a stand giving away free Nature Valley cereal bars, so I took one. Just by the underground there was another stand, so I took another. I got to Victoria, and there was another stand and another and another....The office I was going to was locked :mad: so I thought I'd walk round Victoria station and see how many cereal bars I could get....I picked up 20 :jThey're just being handed out as part of the Olympic games, who am I to not do my patriotic duty and help clear the country of cereal bars? Whilst I was at it I blagged myself some samples of moisturiser and shampoo from B**ts.

Eventually the office opened and they had no record of me coming :mad: Complete waste of time. Spoke to my manager who was horrified as he'd booked it, told me to go home and not to worry as I'd still be paid. I actually popped in the shop on the way home as I thought I might as well claim my free lunch:( at this point I was ignoring the weight of Olympic cereal bars...

Got home to find a letter from the council telling me they'd refunded £475 council tax into my bank account :T

I've spent the rest of the time writing up these articles, both are submitted now and, blow me down another two have arrived! One is on handling stress, the other on insomnia - hah! Two things I'm suffering with!

I had some buttermilk that's been in the fridge for a while, so I thought I'd better use it up and have made a dozen scones which are all in the freezer. I also used up the lone courgette in a chilli and marscapone sauce, somewhat unusual, but very nice.

I spent £35 getting to London, but that will be refunded tomorrow and I spent 60p on weeing

Piquant_2

chevalier wrote: »

Even without looking I am sure there will be instructions in moneysavingoldstyle, or the christmas forum for making bath stuff...

Sorry to hear that you are still struggling to find work. I am also feeling down heartened about it (and life in general if you read my diary). But we have to just push on through.
chev

I always read your diary. I know that we are both down-hearted about the lack of work, I didn't want to add to it. You got some excellent advice from moo though.
Pushing on through is sometimes the most difficult thing you do during the day. It would so easy to just sit and let it overwhelm you...

Piquant_2

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Pinot, why not lend piq the private jet you have, she could fly out there and see for herself and be home for tea (if only eh........)

What a good idea, thanks DFW, you're a true friend!

PinotGrigio41 wrote: »

Oh Goodness me, why on earth didnt I think of that !! Come to think of it that pilot has been AWOL since forgetting to collect DD1 last Saturday !

Hmmmm leave it with me Piq, I am on the case !! If not I could maybe lend you the camel living in the back garden, but you may not make it back for tea time !

Are you sure granny hasn't wiggled over and stolen the pilot away? I'm not sure how the Captain would react if I turned up on a camel :eek:

bast wrote: »

Oh Piquant the lost city of Petra... to see that.. amazing..!! It is on my list of "must see`s" .. When I win the lottery big will take you also I promise you that absolutely.....
.*whistles pinot* Can I borrow the jet got a bit of shopping I need to do and cannot afford the vat....:) x

It's on my list too, it looks stunning. I'd love to ride through that chasm on horseback to see it. I'd also like to see the Terracotta Army in situ. I saw a few of the warriors at an exhibition in London a couple of years ago. They are jaw droppingly amazing. Each warrior is individual, faces, soles of his boots....they look really fresh yet are nearly 3000 years old.

....and I'd like to go to the Galapagos Islands and watch the blue footed boobys dance....

Piquant_2

the_cake wrote: »

Hiya Piq et al (Al?)
Just caught up with the diary - we went to Ireland for five days and it did not rain once! Amazing!! But since we've been back it has hardly stopped, muddy fields and horses in July is just not on. Wherever I go people are having sad conversations about the horrible weather - it feels as if we are all in the grip of a mass depression. Lots of people round where I live (very rural) depend on earning enough in the summer to help them survive the winter - they have stands at country fairs, that sort of thing. So many have been cancelled, they are struggling now, so I dread to think what the winter will bring us. My neighbour has earnt precisely £35 this month. It's dire....
Sorry, this has turned into a gloomy post! But how much gloomier it would all be if we didn't have our virtual friends (and their bananas) to chat to and encourage. So ... chins up chaps, and let's hope for lots of sun next week. Lack of money is horrible, but it's much worse when teamed with !!!! weather. Bring on the yellow ball!
Love all round, the cake xxx

Your poor neighbour, how will they survive? the weather is ridiculous, it's going to have a knock on effect on the hay as well. It's not cut yet and is rotting in the fields with all the rain. I hate to think what it's going to cost this winter.

I've given up on the Captain's knees and hocks, they are plastered in mud, I hose his feathers much to his horror, but his white bits are very mud tinged. Even his devil horn ears are full of mud!

houseboatdream wrote: »

Thanks for the welcome....

Yes, I have some debts - don't we all? Its not really too bad, just under £8k and all at 0% but I cant move forward with my plans until its paid off and I need to save another £5k or so as an emergency fund.

At the moment I just have one dog, my little princess although she does not live with me. She is in france with my husband and i visit every three weeks or so and all my annual leave. Its all part of the grand plan but its tough. Sometimes I think he wonders who I miss the most - him or the dog :rotfl:

Oh and I have a horse too... but she is retired and lives on a lovely retirement farm in Devon, its over five hours away so I dont get to see her very often - just keep paying the bills. She is over 40 :eek:

Im not sure about madcap hobbies, my job is a bit full-on so i spend a lot of time working and in my spare time i try and do as much french learning as possible. Can you call moneysaving a hobby?

I did wonder, Piq, if you have ever thought about going self-employed? I dont know much about your field of work but is it possible? Its part of my plan when I finally get to escape to france to do contract work in Uk as when more money is needed. I did it before when we were travelling.

HBD

Over 40 years old!! That's amazing! and I thought the Captain was an old boy at 26. I hope he gets to 40, he will be a cantankerous old man though!

I'm sure you miss the dog and OH equally :rotfl:Fancy having a French dog, that's class, that is...

I'm not clever enough to go self employed, the longer I'm unemployed the more my skills are out of date. I'm caught in a nasty circle.

I have a couple of jobs to apply for, one of which is perfect [one of you sent it to me, you know who you are, thank you] Only problem is, I'm afraid to apply for it. I've had so many rejections or no response at all that it's knocked my confidence big time.

Fortune_Smiles

Don't give up Piquant. The right job is out there for you just waiting for you to find it. This is one of my favourite quotes when I'm feeling scared about taking a risk...

'A ship in the harbour is safe... but that's not what ships are made for.'

Raise the sails and you'll be in The Galapagos before you know it!

the_cake

[QUOTE=Piquant;54588093
I have a couple of jobs to apply for, one of which is perfect [one of you sent it to me, you know who you are, thank you] Only problem is, I'm afraid to apply for it. I've had so many rejections or no response at all that it's knocked my confidence big time.[/QUOTE]
This is really sad. I don't really 'know' you, but have always felt from your posts that you have many talents, that you work extremely hard and are very conscientious. The employment situation is horrible, if I wasn't self-employed I would certainly be unemployed, as my field of specialisation is so - well - specialised!
Please, please apply for the "perfect" job - you owe it to yourself, the Bear and Captain, not to mention all of us who are rooting for you. Blame the bankers, blame the politicians, but don't blame yourself for being unemployed. It is NOT your fault, and you WILL get an enjoyable and well paid job soon.
The cake xxxx

missrlr

Morning Piq - just to reiterate the cake - you really need to apply fort he job, actually Bear and Captain need you to apply for the job and we are cheering you on to DFness
If you think it is perfect then bear that in mind and FOCUS the application accordingly. Happy to help as always

missrlr

Oh you reminded me - I was in London at the same Victoria station earlier in the week and managed to snaffle 2 bars, and you reminded me these are sitting in my desk drawer, so currently indulging in a very MSE treat (but not so good for the lose weight bit!)