OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

Horace

Fab news indeed Mum2One.:j Sorry that you have a fluey type lurgy yourself though.

moneyistooshorttomention

Good news indeed Mum2One.

gotta share the joys, as well as the sorrows on this thread:T

JustKeepSwimming_2

Fab news Mum - kind of sums up how 2one :j what a massive relief for all of you.

Back later - off to the salt mine for another exciting day. We didn't get to see management yesterday as we were flat out. Boss popped in at our busiest point of the day, but as I was the only one there I suggested he come back & speak to our staff member who has been dumped on the most by doing a lot of the planning - but he didn't. We know he is frantic with work too, but still. The impression we get is we should just shut up & get on with it, shutting the door behind us so we don't bother anyone

Still waiting for union to get in touch (no rep at our place of work).

mum2one

Big more gd news dads been accepted on the medical trial gd going for a man of 76, it's to do with medication for blood clots 500 people in total half have tablets other half jabs, he's in jab pile as we said he would have had to have jabs anyhow then after 6mths both groups go on to tablet half having the real one the other the fake one its to see whether an extra 6mths makes any difference.

I ended up doing his jab today 1st time I've ever used a needle bar my Epi pens but with those u don't see the needle its aim to the skin and the jab does it all - I have a phobia of needles... So now on jab duty for 6mths.... Told him he has to learn for when away or go to the doctors he's having the district nurse this weekend then he's going to try himself....

I'm happy bunny got some more of dds Xmas prezzies, wireless headphones, New York quilt cover and make up box, used vouchers and only had to pay £3, got another quilt cover coming in that's on half price combo had £5voucher so it be 2.50 to pay xx

Winter_Phoenix

So happy for you, Mum2one. I know there's a long way to go, but two steps in the right direction can only be good.

And that sounds like good news too, MITSTM. But as to sitting down and sorting things out amicably and pleasantly with difficult people - IMHO there's something here about leopards not changing their spots, and I think they might see it as weakness on your part (and try to take advantage when you weren't looking).

JustKeepSwimming_2

Winter_Phoenix wrote: »

So happy for you, Mum2one. I know there's a long way to go, but two steps in the right direction can only be good.

And that sounds like good news too, MITSTM. But as to sitting down and sorting things out amicably and pleasantly with difficult people - IMHO there's something here about leopards not changing their spots, and I think they might see it as weakness on your part (and try to take advantage when you weren't looking).

MSTM - WP says what I want to say, but far more eloquently :rotfl:I would be very wary of assuming they'll think along the same lines you do. Once you manage to get your bit of garden back can it be enclosed? I hope sleeping on it all has helped you see a way forward.

Mum2one - that's some voucher haul, well done :T I don't have the patience/time to do all the surveys etc. even though I'd love a money neutral Xmas (not much chance of that). I have given those type of injections to myself & others (assuming they're subcutaneous injections) & it does get easier, honestly. I'm not needle phobic, but was somewhat freaked out about injecting myself; after 2 or 3 jabs it was fine, but I understand what you mean about not being able to see the needle with Epipens. Good luck with it.

Day off today thankfully. Union chap has been in touch & was very, very helpful - but he agrees we definitely have major H&S issues & we must not allow things to continue as they are. Difficult conversation to have with management as I'm guessing they'll think were just being stroppy madams. Quite glad I'm not there to be part of the discussions as I'm easily the least tactful team member & have the biggest gob

Lots to think about, & my brain is frazzled already.

DD is refusing to go to her Dad's at all now ("He's a k n o b!" well, yes I've gathered that, I was married to him after all, but... ) All came to a head Monday evening when they'd fallen out within 10 minutes :wall: Obviously I don't let on to DD that I think hes a k n o b too; I'm often trying to smooth things over while biting my tongue.

She announced she was going to stay at mine yesterday - which left me scrabbling around for DT ingredients & trying to rearrange what should have been my first night out in months . In the end my friend came round with a carry out - not the lovely evening we'd planned with a meal then a quick pint, & I've had to get up early to make sure DD got off to school when I'd promised myself my first lie in for ages too.

Have the delight of ex coming round later for a "chat" that will turn into a lecture about my failing as a parent. Its going to a difficult evening.

It feels like someone up there really doesn't like me (& hasn't done for some years now :rotfl:)

Lordy - I sound like a right moaner. Sorry not to have anything positive & happy to post & its a bit too early to have a tequila with all the extra lemons that keep coming my way...

Hope all OK for everyone - is it Friday yet?

Horace

JKS Pity you can't meet k n o b on neutral territory that way he does not interfere with the pleasant atmosphere in your house.

When life gives you lemons make lemonade or lob them back.

Mum2One - well done on the trial and the voucher Xmas.

I have some news at long last. I was getting quite frustrated with M&S and the work programme peeps. Honestly did I have a job or didn't I? I kept being told I had yet nothing was forthcoming from M&S. In sheer frustration I rang this morning and spoke to the director of the work programme and told her that it was obvious to me that despite promises to the contrary that I hadn't got a job after all and I would instead like to be considered for a job at another M&S store. She told me that I had got the job and felt sorry that I felt this way - I said that I would not believe anyone until I had something in writing because I do not think it fair in the way that I have been treated.

Some people were told at their interviews when their induction was due to take place and it turns out that 4 of us weren't but were offered jobs. Apparently staff at M&S have been on holiday and no-one has been available to contact us. I have to attend on Monday at 9am - still no idea who to report to so I am hoping to get a call later and perhaps an email.

I rang my advisor on the daft work programme to say that I would not be able to attend my meeting with her on Monday due to starting work. She advised me that I could have a monthly bus pass but I couldn't have it until I signed off so I said that I had been advised by the jobcentre not to sign off until I knew what hours I would be working and that by preventing me from having a bus pass they were damaging my work prospects. I am not going to listen to some nitwit who has already fed me four different stories about my job. I collect the bus pass on Friday and hopefully I will find out then how many hours I have to work and they can sort out the signing off form because I don't understand it at all.

Sorry for being a moany old goat.

moneyistooshorttomention

Horace,

Can quite appreciate that you want to know exactly where you stand so that you know exactly what to do.

If you've had several different stories, then it would be as well to be cautious until you have official written confirmation one way or another as to exactly how things are.

I don't think some people can appreciate how tight things can get when swopping from Income Situation 1 (ie of unemployment) to Income Situation 2 (ie of being back in work again), even if you're quite certain of what it is that you are actually doing.

It's the transition period that can be awkward. In an ideal world there is always a bit of what I call "cashflow money" in the bank account to allow for not living literally from paypacket to paypacket or from dole paypacket to job paypacket.

Why can't they just pay out dole money at the end of each month, like salaries from jobs are? Would make it so much easier all round.

I just maintained a "operating according to being on a salary as normal" basis during spells of unemployment. That is, I just kept the bills basically on monthly direct debit and with those debits taken out at the beginning of the next month (ie after the salary had gone into my bank account at the end of the previous month). But it does muck things up to change onto fortnightly benefit cheques (well that was what it was in my day anyway) and then change back to normal again of monthly income at end of month when getting back into work again.

Hence where its really necessary to have that bit of "cashflow money" to smooth these transition periods over, but if you haven't got it then you haven't got it...and that's where problems come in...

Add things like those blimmin' "waiting days" that they do at the start of a period of unemployment. There were several times where I landed up thinking ".....and just who is supposed to be paying my income for those 3 waiting days at the start of this period of unemployment ever?:eek::mad: or am I just supposed to live on thin air, with no income ever to cover those days?". That was indeed the case and I think its even worse now. I believe its 7 "waiting days" now (ie days no-one is paying you income to cover ever).

Getting back into work again, there used to be a final "tide you over" type payment from the DWP to cover you for the first couple of weeks or so in work (bearing in mind you might have to wait a few weeks to get your first bit of salary), but I have the idea that that might have been cut out a few years back???

Horace

Thanks Money - before I went on the dole I had literally nothing (bad planning on my part - I woke up one day and my rainy day pot was empty). Thanks to my parents I have a nice house to live in so I don't need to pay rent or claim housing benefit. My dad has said that he will cover my bills for a month so he will be giving me £250 which will be a help, he will probably give me the money to buy a pre pay prescription thingy too due to the amount of meds I am on. I also have about £500 squirrelled away but I am under strict instructions not to spend it on my bills - my parents want me to save so that I can get back onto an even keel. Despite being skint - I still manage to put a fiver in the building society each month.

I have been on the dole for nearly 3 years - not for want of trying to get a job, have applied for loads, had residential training and all sorts - so money wise I have been in dire straits. One thing I am pleased about is that I have never been to the food bank even though I was told by my GP and the jobcentre to go there - I have scraped by. Every so often mum would give me food parcels when I visited, often using the excuse that dad didn't like the food (I never questioned because I know he is a fussy eater). I have at least learned how to bake so I can now rustle up a sponge if I fancy.

Feeling rather chuffed though as I went to Mr M to do some shopping (milk, bread, something to slap in a sandwich) and I noticed that they had chickens on offer, I had to umm and aahh but in the end bought two, both of them were less than £3 each but a good size. One is in the freezer and the other will be cooked tomorrow and turned into a whole variety of meals. I can do a lot with a chicken:D

moneyistooshorttomention

Horace,

Well its good that your parents are being supportive obviously:T. Very supportive indeed is the impression I have, ie as in helping you have a house of your own. The smaller "help" too - like covering a months bills - is obviously also very helpful.

I felt like I didn't like taking help from my parents once I had got some way into adulthood and its been difficult to gracefully accept sometimes. Its never been that big an amount - they couldn't afford to. Its been a few hundred £s here for work on the house and £1,000 there for work on the house (ie necessity jobs I couldn't afford myself). That type of thing. It certainly helps...but I would have preferred to be able to manage totally on my own financial bat...but what can you do? Smile and say "thank you"...

Things are different now - as in I've reached retirement age (ie the age by which people should be financially straight - though I know I'm still not personally by any manner of means...just a good bit way further along the road towards it..:() and they are, by now, long retired...so hasn't happened obviously for years by now...

I found various ways over the years to get a small injection of funds at intervals (few hundred £s here, few thousand £s there etc) in a variety of ways to "top up" the low salaries that are all I've ever earnt. Havent been able to find any of them for some years now...no more "invest £100 in a building society and wait a couple of years and they'll give you a hundreds of £s payout for being a member" stuff any more.....I still keep my eyes open for any further chances that might come my way to earn reasonable lump sums of money, but cant recall how long ago the last opportunity was there..