In my dreams I have a plan

London18

Thanks for the comments guys, today was infinitely better.

Gallygirl does having to do your cv at speed of light mean you have a job opportunity in the offing? If so, good luck!
I hate doing my own c.v, quite happy to advise others what to do, it's even been part of my job in the past, but then get into analysis paralysis doing my own. Cobblers children I guess.

Not an NSD today as managed to leave my lunch bits sitting in the fridge at home so popped out to get something to eat and came back with 3 running Tshirts (£17 - bargain). Blame 40% off sale prices at Gap. This is even more incentive to take lunch to work, so I don't have to leave the office!

Early bedtime now as I have good intentions to go to the gym before work in the morning.

gallygirl

London18 wrote: »

Gallygirl does having to do your cv at speed of light mean you have a job opportunity in the offing?

Possibly - but the speed it was written is in inverse proportion to the speed it will be looked at :rotfl:. So nothing anytime soon. I like helping others write CV's as well - easy to improve other peoples but cringeworthy when you try to talk yourself up . Get cracking on it missus .

egoode

London, do you have a linked in profile? If you don't I suggest you set one up as I'm constantly being approached about new roles via the site and a friend recently got approached by Etihad directly about a role and had an interview with them this week. It's definitely being used more and more by companies and recruitment agents. Now days I rarely apply for a contract from a job site instead the contracts find me!

Also I know what you mean about writing your CV I have the same issue and have even been told before in an interview I should add more to my CV as I was talking about things I had done in a role and there was no mention of them on my CV.

London18

Gallygirl, yes cv's are def. cringworthy. I hate trying to 'sell' myself.

egoode, yes I do have Linked In and you are right it is becoming increasingly important in recruitment. I have used it to find people for vacancies I am recruiting to, and been contacted as well.

Do you find it a tiny bit stalker-y though? Every time I log in and see people have been looking at my profile I feel vaguely uncomfortable. And I got asked to link with someone I have had a bit of a professional run-in with this year, found that a bit awkward. I know it isn't Facebook friending but still feels a bit personal somehow. I think I am just a little outside the generation that take all this technology for granted. I need to get more with it though or I'll get left behind.

So after my little impromptu shopping expedition on Wednesday I tightened the belt & got ultra-cheapo canteen lunch on Thursday, then took lunch in again yesterday. Have now switched utilities supplier via the MSE Energy Club promotion which will allegedly save about £154 per year. My last attempt got 'lost' in internet limbo land so hope this one works. Also managed to go to the gym before work one morning (still aching) so in all a pretty good week.

egoode

I don't find Linked In too stalker-y but maybe that's because most of the people looking at my profile are recruitment people. Luckily I've not been ask to link with someone I've not gotten on with at work.

Good luck with the utilities switch I hope it goes smoothly for you.

gallygirl

It's weirder when you get a friend request on FB from a client :eek:.

London18

I've been off line for longer than I realised! Quite a lot has been happening and work really busy too.

Sister in NZ rang up in tears a few weeks ago; husband of 30 years has had an affair and has left her/been thrown out. He's since been blundering about being thoughtless and selfish and is in relationship with the new woman. It's been very up and down for sister since, one minute all strong and coping, next minute falling apart. Whole extended family & long time friends are in shock - he's too embarrassed to talk to some of them so is avoiding them. Poor sister has had to tell numerous people who were wondering why they were not out together at events. And the 2 grown up children are of coure feeling torn and upset.

Silly man. I really like/love him but this is awful. Having been through a similar thing and then a divorce I know how she feels though I was not married for anywhere near as long time as them. Not much I can do from here except phone her for chats and send emails. She has lots of friends and support but those early weeks after a split are a lonely & gut wrenching emotional time.

Had a rather spendy trip to Paris when staying on after the work bit. Mainly spent on one dinner out that was not the budget option. But it was a fabulous day and I crammed a lot in.

I then got an invite to go away for Christmas with a friend and impulsively decided to go, even though it is now turning out to be horrifically expensive for accommodation. We are going to Jerusalem, (her son is currently living there) which unsurprisingly is rather busy that time of the year for tourists. It is somewhere that I would never go on my own and was not really even on my list of 'must sees'. But this seems a bit of a once in a lifetime experience, especially with him to show us around. It just seems so amazing to go to somewhere that ancient and steeped in history and mixes of culture. I am in no way religious but it is still fascinating to read about that part of the world and consider what has happened over centuries.

Anyway, that means a tight budget for while as it was not really planned. Apart from Paris I've been very good this month so will try to keep it up.

Mortgage overpayments going well too, I have managed to made quite a big dent so am pleased with that. Will cut them back a bit next month or so, then build up a pot for the flat redecorating in Spring. It's not going to be cheap.

Now going to catch up on some other diaries, I like living vicariously and am in real awe of what some people on the Forums cope with every day.

gallygirl

London18 wrote: »

I like living vicariously

I was quite happy vicariously jetting off to Portugal for Christmas but now I'm going to Jerusalem :j.

London18

Vicarious travel is a lot cheaper than actually going Gallygirl! If there is anything you would like to "see" just let me know I will add it to the intinerary.

I am feeling smug.

I have a really old Samsung mobile which is not up to much and has started to randomly turn itself off. I've been out of contract for nearly 2 years but I am a techno-luddite and lazy so never got around to doing anything, then got stuck in analysis paralysis mode over phones and payment options.

So today I bit the bullet and rang Vodafone, my current provider..

I had taken all Martin's advice; researched first so knew what I wanted, had shopped around what the competition were offering, spoke to the retentions team, and was awfully nice & chatty.

Result - negotiated a brand new Samsung S4 Mini with no up front cost for £14.60 per month (over £1 less than what I'm currently paying) but with more mins & texts than I currently have & same data. Even bargained to get off the £5 delivery charge and got a specified day for it to arrive.

Was a bit hesitant about going back into a 24 month contract but that seems the norm these days unless you go sim only or PAYG. And it works out cheaper over 2 years than anything similar I looked at for that or even lesser spec'd phones.

So Friday I will be learning to use a flash new phone. Wish me luck......

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

I was in Jerusalem for Christmas in1987 and it was amazing. I am not a particularly religious person but really fell under the spell, particularly when I went to Bethlehem.. It is strange to see the Christmas tree in Manger square in bright sunlight and everybody in T shirts at Christmas, when all of the traditional images show snow. But the old town of Jerusalem is magical. I would love to go back. You will have a brilliant time. And if you can fit in a quick float in the Dead Sea, that will be really good fun.

Squirrel xx