22 Foxhole East

pink_poppy

Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey...    

f0xh0les

Week one of DH on the picket line is nearing a close.  His mood is very low already, to top it all, he has the dentist today (he is very fearful of dentists).  Very worried about his MH (DH's, not the dentist's).   

Trying to spend very little already, as DH will not get  paid for his 3 weeks of strike action and so his contribution to household funds next month will be negligible. Very aware I only have £200 of work booked for October, and it will be half term, and the  in-laws are  descending halfway through it, so I can't even go away.

Planning on going to a work meeting in a big hotel in a neighbouring city next week - kind of a 'meet / get to know you' event for workers (work#2)   It will cost me £20  and I will have an idea of who is who and what is what. 

Work #1 have cut our allowances in line with the sister company (Work #2).  It makes sense if you are working in a northern town, but when on the SE coast, it means that eating in a restaurant with colleagues after a 12 hour day is out of the question without being out of pocket.  It will have to be a fast food joint, or a Sp00ns, or a supermarket buy and eat in your room scenario from now on, and messing about at customer services for VAT receipts in T0sc0s.  

The bank balance however is fat and healthy, so I am in a lucky place to be able to absorb the future deficit.  It is swimming round and round in my head though.

In positive news, DS1 has completed his first week of (unpaid) work, and he will be able to avoid the in-laws by running away to work. Grandma was nasty to him the last  couple of times they have met, and she has poisoned that relationship.  It is her own fault. 

KajiKita

I'm sorry DH is having such a tough time atm. Hopefully he will feel better once the psychological weight of the dentist is over and done with.

How did DS1 enjoy his first week's work?

KK

KajiKita

How bad was the dentist’s diagnosis? 

KK

PS I have huge sympathy with Dr DH on this - I hate dentists and being dented too! It’s why I take such good care of my teeth now! 😂😂😂😉

f0xh0les

Everything is ticking along nicely here. 

DH starts week 3 on the picket line tomorrow.   He is on antibiotics already (stress related reoccurring illness)

DS1 starts week 3 of unpaid work in the warehouse via the job centre work initiative

DS3 has his unpaid (compulsory) work placement via his college course - luckily it is a walkable distance

DS4 starts his last week of school before half term. He is so very grumpy. Parents' evening on Tuesday.

I am off to a seedy northern town by the sea (right hand side of the country in cabbage county) for a whole day of work,  have an overnight hotel, it can do a vegan breakfast (I emailed to check) so at least I will be fed. 

DS1 will be 23 at some point this week. 

All the laundry has been done, used up about 20 apples into stewed apple, then made a massive apple tart with a latticework top. Total cost £1.09,  

For lunch I  used up a free aubergine, free 3 peppers, and a free box of mushrooms,  with a cubed and roasted  BNS from Mr Aldee (79p) with homemade hummus (store cupboard) and flatbreads. Last of the homegrown tomatoes are slowly reddening  on the windowsill in a bowl. Nothing is getting wasted. 

No motivation to do anything much to be honest.  

Hopefully the meeting last week will bring in some more job offers, at least it lets them know I exist, although I was tempted to get out my tiny violin when they brought up a chart of inefficiencies they had highlighted in their processes and how much the increased NI  was costing them.  After all, they pay us minimum wage, are perfectly happy to admit it is not an easy job, we do 12 hour+ days,   and that the staff definitely don't give minimum effort .   

It was nice to be thanked, but let's face it, thanks costs them nothing.  

Turn out was dire though. Lots of invitations sent, only 20 people responded, 7 actually turned up. 

Living room was 15 degrees when I got up. The heating was deployed for half an hour.  

f0xh0les

Just back from working in North Lincolnshire. Good fun had by all. Will get paid at the end of the month.  Only a small amount, but something is better than nothing at all. 

DS3's work placement got cancelled at 8pm on Monday by text - he was due to go in again on the Tuesday. The college must have been in touch with the employer, as all 4 lads will go back again in 3 weeks. You can't muck people about on a compulsory unpaid work placement. It isn't fair.

DS1 finds out next week if he will be offered a job. He has gone off to London for the weekend to visit his friends. 

I went down to the charity hospice  shop this morning and spotted a rather nice computer desk for DS4, literally 200m from the house, so took DS4 to inspect it,  I paid for it, DH wanted me to pay £15 for delivery, but it had wheels, so we wheeled it home, up the stairs (no drama) but had to take DS4s bedroom door off to get it inside, except it was 1cm too wide at the widest part, so we ended up taking it 70% apart, to get it in, to rebuild it, and put the door back on. Poor DH.  He is knackered now....DS4 is delighted though.  

DS2 and DS3 are getting new beds and mattresses on Tuesday, a good deal more spendy than DS4s £40 desk.  

In laws will be sleeping on one of the beds for the 5 nights they are here, then that mattress cover will go into the washing machine, and the bed is going upstairs and a new padded mattress cover will go on it, and then DS3 will have his new ottoman bed in time for Winter. DS1 had a new bed last year, so only DS4 is left to sort out, and his bed is still quite sturdy, but I am aware it was DS1s bed before his.  I have a week of work booked in November so maybe he can have a new one from that pay cheque.  Then everyone is sorted in 2025 and I don't have to think about it again in this house.  

Now for the cleaning-fest ,because, visitors. Eeek!

beanielou

You clean for visitors?! 

Shocking poor show from the work experience people. 

f0xh0les

Sorry! I have been neglecting you shockingly, probably cos nothing worth mentioning is going on....

Working in Coventry all next week - hope the weather improves cos driving a 60 mile round trip in the dark in this kind of weather will be dire! 

Unsurprisingly, DS1 went in on the last day of his 'work experience placement', and they were all gathered together and told, all 8 of them, that they were not hiring Xmas temps this year as they had done all the work in the warehouse and were not needed.  DS1 asked for a reference, the manager refused and said he didn't know how to do one, and they could not have his email address either.   Thanks a million!

Dr F-H found out today he has a 2 week residential in Estonia in March. A Philosophy Retreat. It has a lake and a sauna. It is a long way away. He is very excited. 

PB fairy ignored me this month, can't win 'em all, it wouldn't be fair would it?

KajiKita

Poor DS1, that really sucks …
Well done him for at least trying to get a reference.

That philosophy retreat in March for Dr FH sounds glorious 😊 No chance you could carry his bags and sneak along too is there …? 

KK

badmemory

I thought the main point of those work experience things was to get a reference.  What a crock.  To be honest why else would they do them.  Admittedly it is 25 years since DS did his, but the people he was working with (not for) got up a small collection to thank him for the work he had saved them from doing.  It is a whole different world out there now.