The Ultimate Incentive natters on. Part 9

ruby_eskimo

Birdie85 wrote: »

Ruby, if you're around, how are you doing?!

Funnily enough Birdie, I have been lurking around, just haven't really had the energy to post anything.

Things with OH are looking up. We had a big sit down talk on Friday about everything that's been happening. His..."forgetfulness" shall we say, has mainly been due to stress at work. He applied for a secondment but didn't get it which is bad, because he didn't want to tell me that he might be facing redundancy when his old line manager comes back from her secondment. They've said they can't have 2 analysts in the same department and there isn't any availability anywhere else in the force to move him too. He would definitely be the one to go because she has so much more experience in their speciality and he's only just finished his NVQ. Which kind of does explain the erratic behaviour, because he's been trying to deal with it all on his own.

So now I'm scared that if he does lose his job we're going to be a bit stuck. My wages would cover the rent and then leave £199 for everything else, and when you're council tax is £158 a month...well you can see where I'm going with this.

Also at work we're having a move around on our floor and they're bringing payroll up to join us. However whoever ok'd the plans forgot about me and a colleague and we are going to be without desks next Monday. What made me laugh is the plans clearly state they need desks for 48 people, but they've only provided 46 on the plans. Still have no idea what I'm going to do, but it's not my problem to deal with.

Am just getting over the flu as well, so it's been bad times all round here.

My one achievement this month is that we have enough food in the freezer/cupboards to last us for almost the entire month of February, only need to top up perishables like milk and maybe some fresh fruit (although I'm happy eating canned).

I'm up for a February challenge (even though I've failed miserably at the January one!).

Hope everyone is keeping well and I'll try to post a little bit more here and there.

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi all,

Yes wasn't the snow spooky Birdie?! Couldn't believe it when I looked outside on Sunday morning, everything looks so dull now

Wow sounds like you have plenty to think about work-wise Dinah, I guess if you DO end up leaving, it might be good to get in a few months part-time now if you can...

Glad things are going OK Ruby, I've been wondering about you too. Hopefully things will settle down now that it's out in the open, will be keeping my fingers crossed about his job.

Great news about the presentation Lara, the pub crawls in Edinburgh sound just the ticket too!

Love the sound of your bunting wedding invites Wendz, will you be showing us pictures?

Yes I think I'd be up for a February challenge, why not? Jan one hasn't been the best - though I must have unsubscribed from about 100 mailing lists. I never get any emails anymore! Definitely going to continue with the declutter once my interview's out of the way. I'm in a constant state of stomach knots about that at the moment, going through stages of feeling confident (when chatting to teacher-friends) and feeling like there's no way I'll ever impress them (when reading the TES forums) - the plan is to go in and be as smiley and confident as I can muster Colleague is gearing up to go on the sick "Oh my sinuses hurt, I feel a bit shivery...", and other colleague is off all week so annoyingly there'll probably be no-one in the office on Weds. Have made up a hospital appointment for Granny - this is exactly why I didn't want to say I was just having 'me-time' because we have such a small team that I'd be expected to come in in that situation. Ugh.

archersluck

I just came home (3 hours late and in a grump as things are manic at work) to a lovely parcel and card from Birdie, you are sweetest! Consider yourself decluttered and my coffee table now definitely not! Can't wait to get making some cards

Think your work plan sounds good Dinah, sorry things are tight moneywise this month. I bought a new laptop this weekend as mines died, its annoying how crucial they are. Hope the car get fixed quickly, NIM needs his wipers! I'd be up for a challenge, I grounded to halt once I left my parents after Christmas as I have few enough possessions as it is!

How are wedding plans going wendz?

Hope everything with your OHs job is ok ruby sure it will be fine, and how rubbish about your desk!

Eek Tete, sure you will be brilliant! Is it one of the Newcastle unis?

Lara44

Wendz and Shrimpy, there's a SuperScrimpers on weddings atm - I was thinking of you. Not the best tips though - they are getting their guests to bring all their food!!!

Tete_en_l'Air

Haha Lara - I hope they aren't expecting presents as well then!!

Argh - what did I say yesterday about Colleague gearing up to be off sick? Just got to work and there's a text from him. Annoyingly I haven't actually spoken to my boss yet about taking a flexi day tomorrow for 'Gran's hospital appointment' (because she's been 'at the other office' or wherever, since last Wednesday) and she's out at a full-day meeting tomorrow. So now I'll have to say to her today, "Oh I'll be off tomorrow and Colleague might still be off sick so there'll be no one in at all". This is what got us into trouble before with our client - there being no-one in the office. Augh, I don't know what to do! Wish I'd emailed her yesterday about it before he went off sick Maybe I should call in sick myself but I don't want to blemish my 100% record at this stage! What would you guys do?

Also a little very-anxious part of me is wondering if he's doing the same as me and I'm going to see him at the interview tomorrow! Unlikely I know haha!

Thanks Archers! It's a local SCITT with a PGCE through Northumbria

Sorry for the hijack, I'm a bundle of nerves at the mo and it helps to vent!

Birdie85

Vent away Tete! A) I'm sure you'll be fine. Go in with lots of PMA and just fake it 'till you make it! I'd come down with whatever your colleague has. IMO so many people are too proud of their 100% attendance records but it really doesn't matter. You think the big bosses care that you've never had a day off compared to someone who has been off a couple of times with sickness? They don't. Even if you're off work more than you're at work, they're not allowed to give a bad reference to new employers, not that you really need that anyway since you're planning to leave to go to uni soon. You might find that your employer doesn't give overly detailed references anyway. (Gone a bit OT there, but it winds me up when people are genuinely ill and still drag themselves to work because they're scared of blemishing their record!). If by some strange chance you do see him there, you're both in the wrong and you can keep each other's secret!

Glad you got the parcel Archers, would have sent more but was conscious that it was getting heavy!

Good to hear things are looking up with your OH Ruby. Try not to worry about the job situation too much, just tell your OH to keep his ear to the ground for more opportunities and hopefully something will pop up, you never know, the other analyst might leave or get another secondment. Hope you get a desk sorted quickly too! Way to make you feel valued eh?!

Tete_en_l'Air

Thanks Birdie - actually it's not just the sick record, it's that I've already said to Colleague about my Gran's appointment so I guess I'm going to have to follow through on it now. I see your point totally, I don't know why I'm bothered, I guess I just have a really strong work ethic and it annoys me when people take a week off sick for say, a bout of food poisoning that started Saturday and maybe lasted til Tuesday, you know? Plus I don't get ill much (touch wood)! Maybe I should start taking my quota, because you're right, you get no thanks for anything in this place! Also YES - PMA is my POA!!!

Lara44

Tete, you're going to be great!!!! You're going to knock their socks off tomorrow. Keep up that PMA.

Ruby - sorry to hear about your OH job stress. I really hope that doesn't happen.

Cinny91

Good luck tomorrow, Tete! I keep on saying it but I really need to catch up on your thread so I know what's going on I feel like a bad internet buddy right now!!

Glad things are looking positive for you and your OH, Ruby. To be completely honest, OH and I went through a pretty rough patch at the back end of 2011 when he was super stressed with work, didn't want to talk about it, and we became incredibly detached. In all honesty, it felt like I was just house sharing and we weren't really in a relationship anymore. Hopefully this will see things on the up for you Keeping my fingers crossed his job is safe too.

Sorry to hear about money worries, Dinah Not what you need at all! You've always managed to pull money from somewhere, so knowing your luck something will pop up to bridge the gap! Is the wiper problem something you could possibly fix yourself? OH is constantly going at his car problems with gusto and managing to fix them despite not being the brightest bulb when it comes to car problems

I know Dinah has, but has anyone else sold on Etsy before? I set a shop up this weekend but don't really want to just let it sit. I have no idea about marketing, other than using all the product tags in the world. And I have a niggling feeling the tags didn't even save properly

Dinah93

Sadly no to the fixing the wiper problem ourselves, a bit of metal has actually sheered, so the wipers physically can't function as the motor can't work.

I had a nice sale through Etsy this month, but it's really slow going, I certainly haven't cracked the marketing thing. Can I see your shop Cinny?

Reading about The Yorkshire 3 Peaks this morning, and got tempted to do it for Mcmillan Cancer Research. Would love to do it as they helped my grandad, and this way NIM and I would be doing fundraising for different charities this year rather than both for the neonatal unit, but I would hate to do it alone. Hmm, will think.

I'm thinking of a less intense challenge in Feb, and then maybe do something a bit more hard come March again, so people can dip in and out of challenges as they want, or if they do them all at least there is some variety.

Found some trousers in my 'too small' section in my wardrobe to wear to the docs today, very pleased as I didn't have any others ironed and I thought they *might* fit me now, shocked and annoyed that they actually look ridiculously big on me so they're for ebay.