Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Floss said: I have an OH call tomorrow to talk about my phased return which I don't think will be for the hour they're planning!

Don't let them push you! 

Cherryfudge

Today is going to be very soggy. It's already very soggy. No gardening is going to happen - not even any going out if I have a choice. I feel so sorry for the market stall holders who are out in it.

Dinner is sorted: there is some of the chickpea tikka for us and some for the freezer, and I'll thaw something from there to make room and feed us tomorrow.

DH is at work so I have the day to myself. The GP said she is happy for me to start a new job if I find one, and the Union rep explained it's worth applying for full time things even f I only want to work part time, as job shares can be considered or the employer may be sitting on a few extra hours and happy for me to fill them. That widens my choice of the jobs I was looking at the other day: there was a nice one but I felt the hours were too long to be sustainable. I'll have another look.

I also need to email the Union rep to check I've understood things correctly and ask a few more questions.

Other things that could be done - make gooseberry jam, freeze blackberries, tidy DS2's old room where I've dumped stuff on the bed, sort out gifts for my sister and family (we see them next week and owe for Christmas and birthdays, and most of the gifts are in a box but two need to be ordered), pay my sister for some tickets, check finances.

I'll see where I get to.

Cherryfudge

No shopping yet today, though if I can find the items on line I will probably order the two outstanding gifts. The other gifts are sorted but not wrapped, apart from chocolate for BiL, and DS2's bed is slightly cleared but other than that the list is untouched. I spent most of the afternoon texting people which was a nice social thing to do!

I had a long search to find the post I'd liked the look of so I've saved it and opened an application, but I've still not emailed the union rep, having got side tracked looking for the job details.

Sun_Addict

It’s good that you’re keeping yourself busy while you’re off. I’m glad you’ve got another 6 weeks grace, hopefully you’ll find a new job soon and something suitable will come up 🤞

Cherryfudge

Thank you @Sun_Addict, I'm glad too!

It's all go round here: Having sent my latest sick note to work, I had an email about arranging the attendance meeting, which sent me into a bit of a spin though that's mostly because I don't know what to expect, and don't want to talk about the experience that triggered me being off sick.

Then I had an email inviting me to talk about a job I applied for some time ago! Talk about God-given timing. It's so much better when there's something in the offing, even though it's a relief post that wouldn't pay my way on is own.

This is complicated as I'd found out the other day that they thought I'd withdrawn the application. A phone call sorted that out (though I've just found the email I sent them had bounced, so it's as well I rang), and it's on the website as an open application again. The new email said she'd emailed me twice, but I'd been checking my inbox and spam and seen nothing. I found them this evening when I searched under her name, rather than the email used for the application, and one had been sent to me weeks after the application, with the second while I was on holiday, so both were after I'd given up scouring daily for them.

Anyway - they were actual invitations to interview! I will try to ring her tomorrow but I've replied directly to hers to apologise for the lack of response and say I'm interested.

I've sent off for the gifts I mentioned earlier - £47.86.

I've still not done a start of month financial check, and tomorrow I need to pay the credit card as well.

WelshmansDaughter

You live in some sort of technology blipping zone it seems. I hope the various appointments and shenanigans have the optimal outcome 

Cherryfudge

WelshmansDaughter said:

You live in some sort of technology blipping zone it seems. I hope the various appointments and shenanigans have the optimal outcome 

Ha ha yes, to the vagaries of technology! Some of that is due to the aged laptop, some to the aged local infrastructure and some to (I won't say the aged operator) me not using the right search term - I found the emails she's sent but the weren't findable by the job title or the website I used.

Thanks for the good wishes. Today I have a massive email to sort out to the union... also gifts to wrap for family... but after the wettest day I can remember, yesterday, we have blue sky and sunshine so the first job is to get the laundry under way. And I can ring about the job once I've re-read the JD.

Cherryfudge

A load of jeans got washed and dried - and of such small delights are great successes made, or at least the amazing feat of keeping enough plates spinning to be able to get to the day's end and say something was achieved.

The very fact I'm writing like that shows how bushed I am, having spent a lot of the day battling the laptop and sending hundreds of words to the Union rep, poor man. I feel conscious of having written far too much in an effort not to leave out anything that might matter, but I'm satisfied that it was at least well crafted and methodically set out, so it shouldn't be too much of a struggle. And the laptop, even with the extra keyboard, has developed yet another quirk. It works fine in Word, but when I try to use email, the 'Enter' key jumps me back to the address bar. On the tenth attempt to get past a basic salutation, I gave up and put the whole lot into Word, then copied and pasted.

I expect it's something I'm doing, but I can't think what, and see, it works fine on the Forum.

I had a welcome break around lunchtime when someone came round to give us costings for a new garden path. I know almost nothing about garden paths apart from they shouldn't be slippery or have massive cracks across them. Our is the latter. We don't have a clear idea what we want, and no-one else has responded to our requests, so we'll see what he says.

I went to the shops once the emails were sent: not much was needed but I felt better for fresh air and exercise. Unfortunately the arthritis has flared today, possibly because we were away recently or because of tension over work meetings, but I was still okay to be out and about with some trusty anti-inflammatory gel in place. I met DH in the supermarket so we went home together and had tea. That was baked potatoes, liver and sausage, fried onions and mushrooms, and tinned tomatoes with a dash of red wine... comfort food, quick and easy.

DH managed a short bike ride to counteract being at the office all day, but came home in time to avoid a heavy downpour which threatened to wash over the back step but didn't quite.

I've not wrapped a single gift but I've had texts to say the others are being shipped (in Noah's ark, judging by the sounds from out of doors) and the lady from the potential job is going to ring me tomorrow. This evening I've mended three pairs of socks. I'm not sure how long they'll last but it keeps them in use and out of landfill for now.

Expenditure
Housekeeping £about 5, plus DH's apples and bred, and my blueberries. (I've lost the receipt).

Floss

Great news about the job 🙂
Re your "attendance meeting", treat it as a procedural thing, check the policy (that they should have sent you) to confirm your Union rep can attend, and accept - stating that you will not discuss the incident that lead to your absence.

I had my OH meeting yesterday, the outcome being no firm return date as yet, but expected in approximately 2 months depending on my GP's sicknotes, and a 4-week phased return starting on half days & increasing by an hour a day with time off for medical & therapy appointments. Longer than I was expecting but it will no doubt upset my line manager's plans for me to be back after the Bank Holiday!

Cherryfudge

Your meeting sounds quite useful, @Floss! I've only had dealings with OH once (after surgery) and she was very helpful. Turned out she'd had similar and was able to pass on some tips as well as advising workwise! Don't let that manager persuade you back before you're ready!

One thing I found helpful was getting back into the building - I know things have changed with me since then but the fact of being in the building even if all it is, is for a cup of tea and a chat long before you actually return, makes it easier. 

That's useful advice about the meeting, thanks. I have the procedure on an email and I'm waiting to hear back from the Union regarding their available dates.