How do you feel?

[Hugh Jass]

Feeling pretty good.

Had a lovely weekend being Best Man at my oldest friend’s wedding. Even managed to slip a couple of Simpsons lines into the speech.

[Avalon_Fields]

3 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Feeling pretty good.

Had a lovely weekend being Best Man at my oldest friend’s wedding. Even managed to slip a couple of Simpsons lines into the speech.

So, c'mon, what was your most successful joke in the speech?? (I know it won't work as well out of context but I'm still interested!)

[Hugh Jass]

9 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

So, c'mon, what was your most successful joke in the speech?? (I know it won't work as well out of context but I'm still interested!)

Telling his mum, in front of everyone, who REALLY threw up in her fireplace after a house party at theirs when we were teenagers landed pretty well.

(He told her it was me and I covered for him for years)

[Quark]

15 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Telling his mum, in front of everyone, who REALLY threw up in her fireplace after a house party at theirs when we were teenagers landed pretty well.

(He told her it was me and I covered for him for years)

Oh that's tasty. I approve.

[Hugh Jass]

12 minutes ago, Quark said:

Oh that's tasty. I approve.

He had it coming.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

2 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Feeling pretty good.

Had a lovely weekend being Best Man at my oldest friend’s wedding. Even managed to slip a couple of Simpsons lines into the speech.

🙏

[Hugh Jass]

4 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

🙏

That was a genuine contender for the opening line.

Made a crack about there being an alternative version of the speech that can only be heard later…

 

[oneeye]

5 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Feeling pretty good.

Had a lovely weekend being Best Man at my oldest friend’s wedding. Even managed to slip a couple of Simpsons lines into the speech.

I've got a father of the bride speech to do in just over 3 weeks time, to be honest its just going to be short and sweet, just a few poignant points, so long as I can keep the bottom lip from quivering. Cannot wait to meet and greet everyone and party on, been too long...

[WestCountryGirl]

Feeling overwhelmed recently. Been hating my work in ever increasing returns for months, and after a lovely summer of flitting about the country, enjoying long weekends and week long breaks, I'm really struggling to get my "regular work head" back on.

On top of this, I've made a request in my work to move to a 4 day week - still full time hours - to free up one day a week for me to do the volunteer work that I am passionate about, that for the last few years has taken up my evenings. I did initially ask to reduce my hours entirely - as the whole aim here was to give myself more time - but that was a non-starter.

On top of this, I've just applied for two part time roles in the field I actually want to work in. I've just been invited to interview for one of them next week, and whilst I was initially hoping I might be able to work the full-time and part-time roles together, the thought is entering my head that maybe I just need to cut the current full time job out of my life for good.

But to leave that job and take the part-time one (this all just a thought experiment in assuming I would be offered it, which is by no means a given) would halve my income and essentially wipe out any chance of me putting cash into savings each month. 

But then if I went part-time I could look into doing some private work also, which would top up the income. But there would be costs associated with that too.

So yeah. Lots to consider. For someone as anxious and cautious as me, extricating myself from my current job has felt like a bloody minefield, and having made some steps towards it, suddenly everything seems to be moving very quickly. Who knows where my head will be next week.

[MrZigster]

So sorry to hear this @Zoo Music Girl .I'm a bit late but take care of yourself.

 

[Homer]

Just about to go to the free night of All Points East then go on holiday tomorrow to see Supergrass and Therapy? when I failed two lateral flow tests. WIfe has tested neg though. Now sobered up and done a PCR test. What a pickle!

[Zoo Music Girl]

4 hours ago, WestCountryGirl said:

Feeling overwhelmed recently. Been hating my work in ever increasing returns for months, and after a lovely summer of flitting about the country, enjoying long weekends and week long breaks, I'm really struggling to get my "regular work head" back on.

On top of this, I've made a request in my work to move to a 4 day week - still full time hours - to free up one day a week for me to do the volunteer work that I am passionate about, that for the last few years has taken up my evenings. I did initially ask to reduce my hours entirely - as the whole aim here was to give myself more time - but that was a non-starter.

On top of this, I've just applied for two part time roles in the field I actually want to work in. I've just been invited to interview for one of them next week, and whilst I was initially hoping I might be able to work the full-time and part-time roles together, the thought is entering my head that maybe I just need to cut the current full time job out of my life for good.

But to leave that job and take the part-time one (this all just a thought experiment in assuming I would be offered it, which is by no means a given) would halve my income and essentially wipe out any chance of me putting cash into savings each month. 

But then if I went part-time I could look into doing some private work also, which would top up the income. But there would be costs associated with that too.

So yeah. Lots to consider. For someone as anxious and cautious as me, extricating myself from my current job has felt like a bloody minefield, and having made some steps towards it, suddenly everything seems to be moving very quickly. Who knows where my head will be next week.

I'm not sure how old you are but I didn't manage to save any cash at all really until I was in my late 30s (was paying off debt up until then constantly). Saving is great but I reckon it's way more important to not spend your days doing a job you hate. I think you should take the plunge if you can still afford all your outgoings without going into debt and look at other options to increase your income once you move on from the role that's making you so unhappy. Life is short. That's just my two cents, though! Hope it works out for you.

1 hour ago, MrZigster said:

So sorry to hear this @Zoo Music Girl .I'm a bit late but take care of yourself.

 

Thank you very much. Am doing my best!

[Zoo Music Girl]

38 minutes ago, Homer said:

Just about to go to the free night of All Points East then go on holiday tomorrow to see Supergrass and Therapy? when I failed two lateral flow tests. WIfe has tested neg though. Now sobered up and done a PCR test. What a pickle!

Oh no! What a pain.

[gigpusher]

15 hours ago, WestCountryGirl said:

Feeling overwhelmed recently. Been hating my work in ever increasing returns for months, and after a lovely summer of flitting about the country, enjoying long weekends and week long breaks, I'm really struggling to get my "regular work head" back on.

On top of this, I've made a request in my work to move to a 4 day week - still full time hours - to free up one day a week for me to do the volunteer work that I am passionate about, that for the last few years has taken up my evenings. I did initially ask to reduce my hours entirely - as the whole aim here was to give myself more time - but that was a non-starter.

On top of this, I've just applied for two part time roles in the field I actually want to work in. I've just been invited to interview for one of them next week, and whilst I was initially hoping I might be able to work the full-time and part-time roles together, the thought is entering my head that maybe I just need to cut the current full time job out of my life for good.

But to leave that job and take the part-time one (this all just a thought experiment in assuming I would be offered it, which is by no means a given) would halve my income and essentially wipe out any chance of me putting cash into savings each month. 

But then if I went part-time I could look into doing some private work also, which would top up the income. But there would be costs associated with that too.

So yeah. Lots to consider. For someone as anxious and cautious as me, extricating myself from my current job has felt like a bloody minefield, and having made some steps towards it, suddenly everything seems to be moving very quickly. Who knows where my head will be next week.

Could you supplement part time work with another part time job maybe even advertise in shop windows to do dog walking or house cleaning for some top up funds. Cleaners around where I am earn between £13-16 an hour and dog walkers charge about £10 an hour but can take up to 4 dogs so just a few regular jobs might be enough to justify ditching the full time job. There are days when I consider doing this!!

[WestCountryGirl]

11 hours ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

I'm not sure how old you are but I didn't manage to save any cash at all really until I was in my late 30s (was paying off debt up until then constantly). Saving is great but I reckon it's way more important to not spend your days doing a job you hate. I think you should take the plunge if you can still afford all your outgoings without going into debt and look at other options to increase your income once you move on from the role that's making you so unhappy. Life is short. That's just my two cents, though! Hope it works out for you.

 

26 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Could you supplement part time work with another part time job maybe even advertise in shop windows to do dog walking or house cleaning for some top up funds. Cleaners around where I am earn between £13-16 an hour and dog walkers charge about £10 an hour but can take up to 4 dogs so just a few regular jobs might be enough to justify ditching the full time job. There are days when I consider doing this!!

Thank you for your thoughts, both! Really honestly, my mind just feels like a whirlwind right now. 

The other factor which I forgot to mention in my initial post, and I keep forgetting entirely, is that the job I am interviewing for is only contracted until 31st March 2022, although it is work for a charity so one of those things where contracts are often short but extended where funding allows. 

I'm 30 and I am in the very fortunate position of already being in my own home, with a very affordable mortgage (owing to the fact I bought a tumble down shack, although that invites many of its own problems for which savings are always needed on hand to deal with). Certainly between me and my boyfriend we'd be able to cover our monthly bills and regular outgoings - I think the thing I'm just hesitant about is not having the disposable income to enjoy myself. I've always been quite rubbish at that anyway as I've always been sensible with money (possibly to a fault) and struggle to 'treat' myself to anything. I was just getting to a stage in my life where I felt good about the amount of cash I had each month to buy a new pair of shoes/treat myself to a massage/buy those gig tickets without fretting over it - to have just got there and now to give it up to just be endlessly stressing over fine margins/short contracts does fill me with a little bit of dread. 

Of course, as you suggest @gigpusher I'd be very open to finding another job as well, and anything to top up the income at that point would be a bonus. It's something I'd been looking at already - knowing that at some point I'd likely have to take a part-time job in the field I want to anyway. 

Honestly I just wish I could stop time for a week, send out a bunch of applications to loads of other part-time jobs, and just have everything neatly tied up by the time I have my interview next Tuesday. Ha! Alas, just going to have to figure it all out in the minutes available to me between now and then. And then probably not be offered the job anyway!

At least then I can go back to the drawing board with more of an idea in mind of my bottom line, and start making plans based around that.

[gigpusher]

3 minutes ago, WestCountryGirl said:

 

Thank you for your thoughts, both! Really honestly, my mind just feels like a whirlwind right now. 

The other factor which I forgot to mention in my initial post, and I keep forgetting entirely, is that the job I am interviewing for is only contracted until 31st March 2022, although it is work for a charity so one of those things where contracts are often short but extended where funding allows. 

I'm 30 and I am in the very fortunate position of already being in my own home, with a very affordable mortgage (owing to the fact I bought a tumble down shack, although that invites many of its own problems for which savings are always needed on hand to deal with). Certainly between me and my boyfriend we'd be able to cover our monthly bills and regular outgoings - I think the thing I'm just hesitant about is not having the disposable income to enjoy myself. I've always been quite rubbish at that anyway as I've always been sensible with money (possibly to a fault) and struggle to 'treat' myself to anything. I was just getting to a stage in my life where I felt good about the amount of cash I had each month to buy a new pair of shoes/treat myself to a massage/buy those gig tickets without fretting over it - to have just got there and now to give it up to just be endlessly stressing over fine margins/short contracts does fill me with a little bit of dread. 

Of course, as you suggest @gigpusher I'd be very open to finding another job as well, and anything to top up the income at that point would be a bonus. It's something I'd been looking at already - knowing that at some point I'd likely have to take a part-time job in the field I want to anyway. 

Honestly I just wish I could stop time for a week, send out a bunch of applications to loads of other part-time jobs, and just have everything neatly tied up by the time I have my interview next Tuesday. Ha! Alas, just going to have to figure it all out in the minutes available to me between now and then. And then probably not be offered the job anyway!

At least then I can go back to the drawing board with more of an idea in mind of my bottom line, and start making plans based around that.

If the current job is making you unhappy just interviewing for other stuff and starting to get out of the comfort zone is a really excellent first step. I have left a job without even another job to go to once before. It was very stressful for all the reasons you mention. I had savings and my husband was able to cover all our bills but the weight that left me when I left that workplace on that last day it was 100% worth it. 

[Avalon_Fields]

13 minutes ago, WestCountryGirl said:

 

Thank you for your thoughts, both! Really honestly, my mind just feels like a whirlwind right now. 

The other factor which I forgot to mention in my initial post, and I keep forgetting entirely, is that the job I am interviewing for is only contracted until 31st March 2022, although it is work for a charity so one of those things where contracts are often short but extended where funding allows. 

I'm 30 and I am in the very fortunate position of already being in my own home, with a very affordable mortgage (owing to the fact I bought a tumble down shack, although that invites many of its own problems for which savings are always needed on hand to deal with). Certainly between me and my boyfriend we'd be able to cover our monthly bills and regular outgoings - I think the thing I'm just hesitant about is not having the disposable income to enjoy myself. I've always been quite rubbish at that anyway as I've always been sensible with money (possibly to a fault) and struggle to 'treat' myself to anything. I was just getting to a stage in my life where I felt good about the amount of cash I had each month to buy a new pair of shoes/treat myself to a massage/buy those gig tickets without fretting over it - to have just got there and now to give it up to just be endlessly stressing over fine margins/short contracts does fill me with a little bit of dread. 

Of course, as you suggest @gigpusher I'd be very open to finding another job as well, and anything to top up the income at that point would be a bonus. It's something I'd been looking at already - knowing that at some point I'd likely have to take a part-time job in the field I want to anyway. 

Honestly I just wish I could stop time for a week, send out a bunch of applications to loads of other part-time jobs, and just have everything neatly tied up by the time I have my interview next Tuesday. Ha! Alas, just going to have to figure it all out in the minutes available to me between now and then. And then probably not be offered the job anyway!

At least then I can go back to the drawing board with more of an idea in mind of my bottom line, and start making plans based around that.

From my own experiences, I always found much relief when (Often after a long struggle) I made a firm decision on what I wanted to do, and did my upmost to stick to it. Please do write out a plan of action. There's always a way to move forward. Also, go into the interview with a positive frame of mind, be confident, convince them!

....hope this helps...

[Quark]

1 minute ago, Avalon_Fields said:

From my own experiences, I always found much relief when (Often after a long struggle) I made a firm decision on what I wanted to do, and did my upmost to stick to it. Please do write out a plan of action. There's always a way to move forward. Also, go into the interview with a positive frame of mind, be confident, convince them!

....hope this helps...

Definitely second this.  Making the conscious decision so that you're driving rather than being driven can be a massive help.  Even if you don't make a change, that active decision to stay doing what you're doing puts it back in your own hands. 

After all my faffing and soul searching and generally moping around the place I actively decided to stay in my job.  I don't hate it but neither is it particularly fulfilling, but because it does tick a significant number of boxes for me I realised it does allow me to do the things I love outside of work without driving me completely insane.  Which is nice.

For me personally (and this definitely doesn't apply to everyone!) I found that I was actually doing my head more damage by constantly thinking I should be elsewhere without actively having the drive to do anything about it. Just making that decision and focusing on what I'm doing has (generally) improved my mood.

That's not to say you should do the same @WestCountryGirl!  But being active rather than passive in the decisions that shape your life is a big ol' tick for me.

[Zoo Music Girl]

1 hour ago, gigpusher said:

If the current job is making you unhappy just interviewing for other stuff and starting to get out of the comfort zone is a really excellent first step. I have left a job without even another job to go to once before. It was very stressful for all the reasons you mention. I had savings and my husband was able to cover all our bills but the weight that left me when I left that workplace on that last day it was 100% worth it. 

100% echo all of this. You sound like you are in a really good place compared to where I was at 30 @WestCountryGirl so definitely worth looking at your options ane seeing what's out there.

[guypjfreak]

My son in law who said covid was just a flu and nothing else is ill with covid.... Oo well old son I said... Whilst dropping off stuff for kids etc... 

He's locked in upstairs and they are down stairs.... 

Funny old world old sons 

[efcfanwirral]

On 8/31/2021 at 7:51 PM, Homer said:

Just about to go to the free night of All Points East then go on holiday tomorrow to see Supergrass and Therapy? when I failed two lateral flow tests. WIfe has tested neg though. Now sobered up and done a PCR test. What a pickle!

How did the PCR go? Similar position but the other way round  - girlfriend positive, me negative. Hoping the PCR gives us neighbourhood weekender but I'm more expecting 10 days staring at the walls. Got enough practice last winter but not quite ready to go back to that place yet...so I guess I'm not feeling so good 😔

[Homer]

9 hours ago, efcfanwirral said:

How did the PCR go? Similar position but the other way round  - girlfriend positive, me negative. Hoping the PCR gives us neighbourhood weekender but I'm more expecting 10 days staring at the walls. Got enough practice last winter but not quite ready to go back to that place yet...so I guess I'm not feeling so good 😔

I failed the PCR ta. Though I only have a very light cold, so can't really complain!

Luckily the only thing we had shelled out for was three nights' hotel, but the wife went up without me so that wasn't wasted. Well, I'll miss out on Godiva Festival, but that was only £7.50 and I saw Supergrass the other week anyway.

How are you feeling? If your other half is positive but you have two jabs, you don't have to self-isolate FYI. Though you may not be lucky enough to have a hotel and festival to escape to like my wife does I suppose!

[efcfanwirral]

38 minutes ago, Homer said:

I failed the PCR ta. Though I only have a very light cold, so can't really complain!

Luckily the only thing we had shelled out for was three nights' hotel, but the wife went up without me so that wasn't wasted. Well, I'll miss out on Godiva Festival, but that was only £7.50 and I saw Supergrass the other week anyway.

How are you feeling? If your other half is positive but you have two jabs, you don't have to self-isolate FYI. Though you may not be lucky enough to have a hotel and festival to escape to like my wife does I suppose!

Only one jab so I'm stuck in for 10 days once she gets her positive test. I've had a mild cold too, so I definitely had it but I'm better now so not sure what'll happen with my PCR! More gutted about the festivals than anything else - last ones and it has a knock on effect on a couple of gigs we booked early October as well, as we can't get 2nd doses for a month after (mines probably going to be an assumed infection but I'm not taking the risk, they must say not to for a reason) so won't be able to do anything fun with crowds till end of October with the upcoming new rules, if that sort of thing is even still happening by then. Was so looking forward to doing all this stuff for a few weeks before returning to reality for the autumn and winter, but now looks like that's all started early!

Not sure the girlfriend would be happy if I went off to a festival though anyway even if I could 😂 

Edited September 2, 2021 by efcfanwirral

[Crazyfool01]

34 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

Only one jab so I'm stuck in for 10 days once she gets her positive test. I've had a mild cold too, so I definitely had it but I'm better now so not sure what'll happen with my PCR! More gutted about the festivals than anything else - last ones and it has a knock on effect on a couple of gigs we booked early October as well, as we can't get 2nd doses for a month after (mines probably going to be an assumed infection but I'm not taking the risk, they must say not to for a reason) so won't be able to do anything fun with crowds till end of October with the upcoming new rules, if that sort of thing is even still happening by then. Was so looking forward to doing all this stuff for a few weeks before returning to reality for the autumn and winter, but now looks like that's all started early!

Not sure the girlfriend would be happy if I went off to a festival though anyway even if I could 😂 

Can’t you just take lfts ? For the later stuff … obviously the 2 jabs won’t be applicable… or have I missed something and a negative lft won’t allow access ? 

[efcfanwirral]

39 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Can’t you just take lfts ? For the later stuff … obviously the 2 jabs won’t be applicable… or have I missed something and a negative lft won’t allow access ? 

From end of September 2 jabs only, though we're unsure on the immunity option. Definitely no tests though. Hopefully both positive on the PCRs then if they allow that we can do those things while waiting. Just concerned at the creeping darkness that I had last winter seemingly coming back 

I suppose the answer is not to look forward to stuff too much anymore....

Edited September 2, 2021 by efcfanwirral