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Frugalsproogle

Hey JWPopps! I am very much a diary lurker rather than a poster but i've just read your entire diary this morning and will subscribe once i've posted this. I just want to say that i think that you are wonderful with what you are doing and completely admire the fact that you do so much with such a stressful and busy job - i also work in Careers at a University and so know how demanding and busy the peak times of year are.... never mind studying for the qualification as well.... you have such a lot on your plate! As a fellow introvert, i know just how much the job can take it out of you, never mind having to come home and support others in a very different way. I am in awe of you.

JWPopps

Hello everyone,

Thank you SSG and SA, I think I did too. The good thing about the experience is it gave me the confidence to start dating again, so I had TWO this weekend!!

Charity Update - Social Services really did a number on me last week; they somehow got wind of the fact I was worried about Lodger 2 going homeless so they put a load of pressure on me to just keep her... and I couldn't do it (explanation below), so in the end the charity had to step in and we're making a formal complaint about that social worker because she left this poor young girl with NOWHERE to go one night, to prove I'd take her back in. And then because I did (of course), they tried to use that as a springboard for me to keep her longer term. It was a mess, but the short version is that I am now back to one placement, and I won't be doing the emergency version for a while until things calm down at work...

Work Update - the person hired to replace me while I cover my colleague's maternity leave QUIT with no notice last week, so I'm back to being the only Careers person for the whole university. And this is the worst possible time, because we're already committed to doing so many hours for various academic colleagues. It means I am getting to work at 8:20 every morning and nights like tonight I won't get finished until 7pm at the earliest. Hence not being able to do any emergency placements for the charity.

My bosses are really supportive and are urgently trying to find a short term solution but it will be like this for a couple of weeks at least, unfortunately.

SO, busy busy... hope everyone else is well!!

JWPopps

Frugalsproogle wrote: »

Hey JWPopps! I am very much a diary lurker rather than a poster but i've just read your entire diary this morning and will subscribe once i've posted this. I just want to say that i think that you are wonderful with what you are doing and completely admire the fact that you do so much with such a stressful and busy job - i also work in Careers at a University and so know how demanding and busy the peak times of year are.... never mind studying for the qualification as well.... you have such a lot on your plate! As a fellow introvert, i know just how much the job can take it out of you, never mind having to come home and support others in a very different way. I am in awe of you.

For some reason I'm struggling to reply to this properly today... but thank you!! 3rd time lucky...

Seasidegal58

Sorry to hear though about your pressures at work JW and your horrid working hours. It can be so draining. And I think the social worker concerned is due a BIG reprimand by her powers that be! How truly unfeeling and unprofessional to play this sneaky game. I think she has chosen the wrong career!:mad:

Well done on the dating scene though! Two dates in a weekend! You're turning into quite the player!! Ha ha!:D

JWPopps

Hello everyone!

MSE update: .....yeah, it's not going great. I've lent some money to a friend (she'll definitely pay it back, she always does but still) and the girl who just moved out apparently racked up a £99 phone bill on my house phone from using it without permission, which means I'm somewhat into my overdraft.

I did some impulsive things too, like paying £85 for gig tickets for a birthday present, and £260 on taking my mum to a spa day to say well done for losing 4 stone... the intention was that the money would be paid back when I get paid by the charity but I'm now so far into my overdraft that will swallow it.

Still, it's nice to be in a situation where in less than a month I'll have that squared away again... it's just so frustrating knowing that's another month I won't be overpaying on my loan. Which is entirely my fault. No gig tickets next month!!

Dating update (because why not?):
The two dates last weekend were hilarious, like chalk and cheese. One of them I didn't anticipate would go so well but in the end it actually did, it was really nice to chat with him. The 2nd one I thought might be interesting was just awkward (but humorously so) and we both pretty much decided by the end that we might stay friends (but of course we won't).

I might see the first one again, it's all very much 'we're both busy people, let's play it by ear' but that's actually so un-pressured that it makes him more appealing! And he has a dog. That's appealing too.

Seasidegal58

How rotten about the phone bill JW - I do feel for you after you were so kind as to take her in.

At least you’ll have a good time at the gig and the spa day with your mum is a lovely, thoughtful idea. It’ll all work itself out next month.

All a learning curve with dates isn’t it? Anyway the first guy sounds nice. Just go with the flow.:)

JWPopps

Hello!

I'm really not doing so great on the 'keeping in touch with people on MSE' front at the moment... work is still massively busy - I even got an apology from my manager that they don't think they can replace the colleague who just ditched us in it, so I'll be working solo until July. While also trying to write 3 5000 word assignments. But, it's fine, I'm about coping at the moment!!

Not sure what's happening with the phone bill at the moment. The charity are chasing social services to pay it but social services are arguing that because I have a lodger already we can't prove it was the 2nd one that racked up the bill. The charity will pay me if social services won't, but it's a poor show.

Overdraft is doing ok, all things considered.... BUT I need a new cooker. 2 of the hobs and the oven have packed in, which is annoying really. Still, I guess this is what I have an emergency fund and an upcoming birthday for??

Date-wise... didn't hear any more from the 'nice' date, but I'm ok with it because although I'd have happily seen him again there wasn't a wild spark or anything.

I did get a message on Saturday though from someone I knew 22 years ago (when I was at primary school!!!!) asking if I wanted to meet and have a catch up, so I said yes and now we're going to the coast next Sunday. Which is all very strange/lovely/confusing/interesting!

jvr

Hi Popps!


All caught up now... wow social services by you sound as helpful and manipulative as the ones who worked with the boy at my mums!


I think your overspends all sound like lovely things rather than just the I accidentally spend insane amounts on nothing type spends so I wouldn't worry your doing so well anyway!


Exciting about the old friend.... can't wait to hear all about it!

JWPopps

Hello JVR!

Yeah I'm really genuinely upset by social services, and so are the charity. It's tough because believe me I know how stretched and under-resourced they are, but even after I'd explained that I'm currently out of the hour 14-16 hours a day I just don't have the ability to support TWO vulnerable teenagers they were pushing and pushing, and doing this really horrible thing where they kept saying to the charity 'well Lodger 2 says that JWPopps said...' in hopes the charity would put pressure on me too. But they didn't, and we've put a formal complaint in.

Bought my cooker yesterday, it's coming on Saturday. That means I've had to cancel plans to see a friend but to be honest that's ok; I need to do my reading for my next assignment so Saturday is as good a day as any. Plus it's pay day tomorrow so I can have a proper look at my finances.

Hope everyone else's week is going swimmingly!!

Sun_Addict

All sounding very manic in your world JWP, hopefully calm will be resumed soon. I can't believe what you have to put up with at work and with the placements. You're doing this charity a huge favour and they should be more supportive.

Glad you're back on the dating wagon. Hope the catch up with the primary school friend goes well. Promise I won't start looking at hats again