22 Foxhole East

beanielou

Positive vibes for the scaffolding. 

mark55man

I think you should concentrate on the house.  The best christmas meal we had was the one after the youngest turned 18 - it was pretty alcoholic.  The ones before that were good as well with everyone old enough for banter and a week of family.

Its just not the same when they are older and have work, or other plans and partners so I would be looking to get all your house/building related stuff done and (literally) dusted as soon as you can so you can give yourself a real break over xmas

Maybe get yourself a gig in the new year to kick start FH plan for 24 - hopefully election year so get yourself on the council list for counting the votes or womanning the polling stations (maybe twice in 24 locals in May and general in October is my guess)

f0xh0les

You know I have looked into that. It never comes up in my area. I think they must have a pool of council staff ready to leap any time the merest sniff of an election comes up.  Will look a little further afield, and I already have a job alert set up for anything electoral service related. 
I need another string to my bow to supplement the graduation gigs. 
Feels funny to be talking about 2024 already. You know I think that might be my problem. I have a terror of booking a summer holiday because anything might happen from now til then.  It must have something to do with the kids getting norovirus the Friday school broke up for half term, or step -gran needing me to drop everything and come over to her at the drop of a hat.  That can't go on. I know people who are talking about the Caribbean cruise they have booked for Nov 2025. It makes me feel physically ill! I need to start filling the diary for myself.  DH has stuff in there for next July already! I have a week of work in January booked for me, and after that nothing. 
I may have just identified my problem 😕😕

beanielou

The council don’t advertise the election opportunities. Just contact the election office & go on the list. It used to be good money. 

mark55man

Yes - its like that here as well, but not completely.  Something to do with Council teams already being impartial and safety checked. 

The alternative to planning ahead is being more spontaneous when you see a gap.  Maybe your youngest is old enough to be left alone for a weekend city break or even a week.  We don't book ahead, but then we haven't had a proper holiday since we went to see my brother in a different time zone so maybe I just identified the problem as well!!

f0xh0les

I think I just have to accept the fact that DH doesn't want to go anywhere, and I just need to take myself off exploring. It is hard to get out of the 'me+4' mindset and think of 'me+2' or 'me+dh'.  It feels unfair leaving the others behind, but they are going to have to be forced to 'adult' for themselves. 
So I just applied for a job as admin staff in a school 3 streets away. Will see what happens - I would still have the school holidays free, and would leave the house after DS3&4 leave for school and would be home an hour after them. 
Then applied for a job in school admissions office 15 hours a week.  Access to the Local Government Pension was a big factor on that one.  The application form was a total nightmare, counterintuitive and overly bureaucratic and repetitive. I think most people will have given up - I know I have on previous occasions! -  so fingers crossed for that one. My last holiday was 4 days in Whitby 3 years ago.  Before that it was 3 days in London at February half term in 2021, came home to step gran in hospital and we all know how that worked out. 
Time is flying by, so I just need to sort this house and plan some holidays.  Maybe I should tell DS1&2 they can only come with if they are earning?  That could be a plan. 

f0xh0les

I am a member of a political party. According to the rules that bars me. Boo! 

VintageHistorian

I've spotted a lot of invigilator roles going with schools in my county this week, admittedly that's more random than a steady office-based gig but if you can get two or three schools to accept you then you could fill up January, May and June quite quickly.

f0xh0les

I also applied for an invigilating job this morning!  It would be something for December/ January. 

f0xh0les

Feeling out of control with DS1 and DS2, they are making no effort to find employment.  Sorry for the honesty, but it is true. DS1 cheerfully announced he had had a text to say he would be getting a £300 cost-of-living payment next payment schedule.  I despair!

Things I can control - my weight - down to 12.13 (lost 3 lbs last week)  in a  size 14 jeans though.   Bought a load of knocked off FastSlim shake powders from the Dragon Discounteers.  I have enough to keep me going until C-word and beyond  for £25.  Also have a load of cup soups and miso sachets that are ridiculously low cal in the pantry.  Well they are getting used up and moved on before I start with the December nonsense.

Another reason for that feeling of free-falling,  is that it is Limbo Time in finance terms -  payday is Tuesday, expenses day is Tuesday, Housekeeping payment  is Tuesday, still no sign of the ground rent payments - neither Spring nor Autumn ones, last year they were paid on 2/11 so I do still have hope. Rather shoddy though innit?

Today is the day the scaffold is due to go up (again, again, again, again, again) it is taking on mythical proportions now, like Unicorns,  so I have been up waiting for it since 7am. Does not help with feeling of being in control. 

I have paid off the credit card as I have used it this month, so there will be no big bill to pay, when the money comes in, and the DD's go out on 1st, I will know where I am and what I am doing. Right now I am a mess.