SLLM (Single Lady Large Mortgage)

JennyJukes

I work on a helpline which means I answer call after call, so I won't be able to socialize much anyway.  It's more the fact my colleagues in my department will see each other regularly, whereas if I work from home or work in another office, I'll miss out on what's happening.  I originally worked with them part time and a different post part time and I found it difficult getting to know them and resulting feeling isolated so I went full time with them instead, so I'm concerned about being isolated from them again.  The work we do is fast paced and can be emotionally tough at times, so you need a lot of support from your colleagues to do it.  Right now we're all used to working from home but even then we skype regularly and have meetings a few times a week.  One of my colleagues actually lives near the office I want to go to but she already said she plans on working from home most the time.

Prior to the pandemic I worked on a project that was based in the hospital in my home town but because of COVID, I had to leave there and the funding wasn't renewed.  I was offered a job in this role despite it being based 70 miles away which was ok as we were all working from home anyway.  Now we're going back to offices it's proving a little difficult!  I'm going to speak to my manager and see what she thinks.  I'm thinking I work from home most of the time and travel to the office with other colleagues once per week.  Hopefully that'll be enough socialization for me.  

I don't know if cataract will count as a disability.  Legally I'm still allowed to drive but physically I actually can't in the dark.  It would probably cost my employer less to pay for me to get the surgery privately than to pay taxi's... wonder if they'd do that!

Sistergold

@Friday1989, I do hope the work situation resolves so you can start. The good thing is you have enough money to dip into for a few weeks while you wait to get started. I know it’s stressful but like you said you could do with some time off so try and enjoy it.  

@JennyJukes, I do hope you you can get the cataracts removed soon so you can easily drive at all times. Yes working from home can be quite isolating. Fingers crossed you can get a good balance with going to office a few days! Yes once you are in the house it just feels like more problems will come up and there seems to be more and more cracks! 

Xx

LadyWithAPlan

Hello all just dropping in to say hello. Been a super busy 2 weeks of largely socialising with lots of different friends. My flat offer was turned down - I may pop a higher one this week, but I went to the london home building show today  and I know if I do buy this fixer upper it will take a lot of time, energy etc plus no builders to be had and costs rising ... hmm decisions ..

Felicityfandangle

Good morning ladies. Well done on the new jobs @JennyJukes and @Friday1989! I have an interview on Friday as well and my nerves are already wracked and I haven't even had an offer yet. I think everything gets amplified when you have only yourself to rely on.
I'm getting pretty desparate to get out of my current situation the team I work for are being tupe'd to another organisation and its been hanging over us since Christmas we've had 3 'interrim' managers in the time since our permanent manager left in April and still no indication of how the move is going to play out..... And desparate isn't a good look for an interview.
But ladies we've made it thus far and we will find ourselves on the other side of this too at some point in the not too far off future x

Sistergold

@Felicityfandangle, good luck with the job interview! Covid, working from home, economy has made it such that for many work is not the same anymore. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you so that you get a better place to work soon! Yes @Felicityfandangle we have come this far and we shall go further and come out stronger on the other side! 👯‍♀️💋

Sistergold

Good morning ladies! 

I know we are all busy but let’s continue to cheer each other up as we know most of us are Single and it can feel lonely. Work at present can be stressful for all of us with the economy doing whatever it’s doing and uncertainty all around us. I am going to try and find some petrol as I am on half tank and I have been seeing queues and service stations with no fuel! I drive far to work (over an hour each way) and so fuel is critical! I can not work from home but worst case is I will need to go to work by Uber which can cost £45 or more each way at times, so £90 a day. Work will pay for it but I hate costing the company so much if I can avoid it. 

The weekend was really good. One of the neighbours invited us for their son’s 🥳. This neighbor is our socialite neighbor who always throws wonderful parties and they invite us all! Inviting everybody takes away the headache of noise nuisance I guess, and it’s a nice neighbourly thing to do I think? There is always a live band and a bar and we had a wonderful time! Went with the children and we all danced away till about 9! Had two shots of gin and lemonade! We all slept a bit late and we were all grumpy this morning as Sunday night really is the worst day to attend a party but hey! We have all been deprived of socialising and all I have done since lifting of lockdown is go for pub lunches! It was nice to meet all other neighbours and we truly had a wonderful evening! 

It has been raining today where I am, but it has stoped for a minute and sun is out and garden is really looking lovely. Two years on and I have really settled into the good and the bad of my house and I don’t have the feeling of dooms day coming around the corner anymore. There was a time I always felt that maybe the roof will start leaking and I will have to replace it, or some other nasty surprise was lurking round the corner but I think two years with no major issue has been a good run. House has been standing since 1960s and I am sure it will continue standing for much longer so best relax and enjoy. 

Oh on another news remember I have been mentioning that I had a fence which was down? I have been think of what I want to do with it as I didn’t want wood anymore due to on going maintenance? Well last week I just found the problem back fence fixed?! 🥸 not sure who did it? The person took away old damaged panels and put new ones without a word(not whole fence but only parts which were down). I wonder who it was so I can at least say thank you! Well I must say that was a bit of a surprise! 

Here is wishing you all lovey ladies a wonderful day! 

🥰💋

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello everyone, 

I am one of those non drivers can't believe the craziness of the fuel pump situation going on at the moment. It feels like the world has gone mad. Shortages of this and that... so sad for those that really need it for critical jobs. I'm having driving lessons so lets see whether this weekend's lesson is cancelled because of it. Hope not! 

@JennyJukes I can really sympathise with you on the loneliness of WFH. WFH works well for me and so far my team seem to be fully from home apart from my boss who goes in part weeks. My job is the other side of the big smoke so would be an ugly commute if I was doing it everyday. Most of us in our team are parents and actually prefer WFH and makes working full time doable. I do find I get lonely too though and crave a bit of human contact. 

Today is first day of working full time again and so far enjoying it, lets see how enthusiastic I feel by the time its Friday! 

Sistergold

@Queen_of_the_Hive good luck with the driving lessons. Hopefully the fuel situation will not affect your driving lessons. Everything is becoming so unpredictable but I guess we should expect some problems till we get used to brexit and also get on top of covid. 

LadyWithAPlan

@Felicityfandangle good luck with your interview today
I think even with the advantages of not having to travel and the cost of it we all suffer from the lack of community in an office.

@Sistergold maybe you have a garden gnome who fixes fences?? 

@Queen_of_the_Hive Enjoy learning a new skill. I had a car in central london for 25 years just for pleasure, but since I got rid of it I have only missed it at Xmas times. City buses and tubes do make ones life easier and quicker.
Mind you I had pets then so a car is v helpful then.. I cant imagine being dependant on it to get to work and school like so many people are now. 

Sistergold

@LadyWithAPlan, garden gnome indeed, hope he can do all the other pending jobs around the house too!