How Was Your Day? VII

[Chloe O'brien]

Thank you to all of you who listen to my rants. It is most appreciated, I don't know what I would do without you all. No news on yet who the new big bosses are but there are a few rumours flying around. I have made a decision that after the Summer and the knew Senior Management Team and changes have been implemented. If there are no improvements regarding my support or lack of from my line-manager or the jobs I do. I'm going to the Union & HR. Let them sort it out. If I shoot myself in the foot in the process, well then so be it.

[Abigail]

It's been about six months since I was last here, so I thought I'd pop in and see how everyone is going and update you about my life.

So I found a job in September 2012 after a year of unemployment. I started on three days a week, minimum wage as a secretary for a small company that sells aftermarket campervan accessories. Another woman was taken on to do the other two days; the owner has had problems in the past with hiring somebody full time only for them to not turn up to work the day after payday, so he wanted a security net.

After about five weeks, this other woman sent me a message on facebook saying the boss was sexually harassing her and what should she do about it. I tried to be neutral, as I knew I would get the other two days if she left, but she decided not to go back. I immediately got promoted to full time. A few weeks later, the boss asked me what my future plans were; he wanted me to stay with the company and he was impressed with my hard work and skills. He spoke to the accountant and after only 7 weeks there, I got a permanent contract and 1% of all monthly sales. I was still on a 12 week probation period so it was pretty good to get that.

Things are going really well at work I'm in line for a pay rise in a few months so I'm looking forward to that. My boss went to Turkey on business in December and left me to run the shop for ten days. That was both scary and exciting, but by the end of the week I was much more confident in dealing with customers and my staff. The boss is hardly in the office during the day now, so I'm in charge of the office and workshop.

Long term I'm not sure how long I'm going to be there for. We're setting up a couple of sister businesses and the boss eventually wants me to manage them all whilst he goes back to Turkey to retire (he's only 35!). The experience I'm getting now is really good if I do decide to move on in a few years. Some days are boring and I think "I'm worth better than answering the phone and emails" but then I think that I can't move on until I get all this experience and I wouldn't get this opportunity so early on in many other businesses.

I really am grateful to my boss for giving me a job. It may only be secretarial work but it's given me something to live for. I was in a huge hole of depression when he gave me this job and now I'm so much better. I have structure in my life, I don't worry about not being able to afford food and my relationship with my family has improved immensely.

I'm still in an off/on relationship with Lawrence, the son of one of my closest friends. It's been going on about two and a half years, but just recently things have started to change for the better. I know on/off doesn't sound like much, but I don't want to be with anyone else. If he asked me to marry him, I'd elope and get married the next day. I called it off in August and slept with somebody else and I felt awful. We had some huge arguments but I realised then that I wanted to marry him. I haven't told him this as I don't want to scare him off as I don't know what he thinks is going to happen long term. He lives a couple of hours away and has a good job there. I've got a job and a place here.

What else? Well I'm going to finally get my own place in a couple of months. I've been sharing a house or flat since I was 18 and I need my own space. I'm hoping the housing agency will accept my application and by the end of March, I should be living in my own place, alone I'm so looking forward to it; it will be one of my first big personal achievements and I can't wait.

I think that's about it for now. I hope everyone is doing well, wherever they are

[Perdita]

I am so pleased that you have managed to get a job, your own place and that things are going well for you, Abigail. I have often wondered what has happened to you, thanks for the update

[Dazzle]

It's good to hear from you, Abigail, and I'm glad to hear your life is going so well. Good luck on getting your own place x

[Trinity]

Wow, Abigail - things have really moved on for you, which is terrific! Good luck with the job and the relationship - and keep happy x

[Trinity]

Hey Kath!
My God, I must have my head in the sand or something, I hadn't heard about the merger going on in further education in Edinburgh. You should think about registering with jobs.ac.uk for jobs in higher education too - Heriot-Watt is not far from you at all, and Napier too.

I can't believe that Marley is 14! What is she hoping to do? Is she in the first year for this curriculum for excellence thing that is being implemented in high schools?

I have been so busy it is unreal, work, uni, family (although both my boys are at uni now and live in Edinburgh one at the halls and one in a flat). I had flu just before Christmas and am really behind with my reading - I have a paper to hand in by 17th January and am panicking big time. I got a ridiculously good mark (91%) for my last paper on the reception of the Hippolytus and Phaedra myth over time and I think that this has increased the pressure, although I am doing it for fun, lol, so it is silly really.

So back to work tomorrow after 3 weeks (combined sickness and holidays) off. Can't wait (long enough!)

Trin

[Trinity]

Hey Kath!
My God, I must have my head in the sand or something, I hadn't heard about the merger going on in further education in Edinburgh. You should think about registering with jobs.ac.uk for jobs in higher education too - Heriot-Watt is not far from you at all, and Napier too.

I can't believe that Marley is 14! What is she hoping to do? Is she in the first year for this curriculum for excellence thing that is being implemented in high schools?

I have been so busy it is unreal, work, uni, family (although both my boys are at uni now and live in Edinburgh one at the halls and one in a flat). I had flu just before Christmas and am really behind with my reading - I have a paper to hand in by 17th January and am panicking big time. I got a ridiculously good mark (91%) for my last paper on the reception of the Hippolytus and Phaedra myth over time and I think that this has increased the pressure, although I am doing it for fun, lol, so it is silly really.

So back to work tomorrow after 3 weeks (combined sickness and holidays) off. Can't wait (long enough!)

Trin

[Perdita]

Good luck with your studies and congratulations on your good mark

[Siobhan]

I need to rant cause I am so friking annoyed.. Saturday before christmas 2 friends of Ben set fire to a barn near us.. from the moment I saw the fire, I knew which one of the friend did it as he tried 2 weeks before hand to burn down our church and failed. The other little boy is just a sidekick.. he follows anyone. He explained that he was just there and tried to stop it but the other boy is a bully and went ahead and did it and then called over to our house to play with my son (thankfully Ben said no as he would have been blamed due to his history). Anyway, the bully boy comes to our door on Saturday with his sidekick and asked to play with Ben.. Ben asked straight way why he burn the barn and he said he didn't that the other guy had matches and a lighter and he was the one who tried to stop it.. My boyfriend told him to stop talking crap and get away from the door.. Now the mother of the boy wrote us a letter saying why did we call him a liar.. He didn't do anything and he even called the firemen (bull as he came to our house and then 30 mins later was found in the village)... She is saying her son is a good little boy and we are evil for letting Ben play with the sidekick and not him.

what she doesn't know is that her son has been swearing at everyone, smoking in our street, chucked our cat over a wall, has said he wanted to kill a girl and I have been told that he carried a lighter with him always.. I don't want to get into a fight with this woman cause she is the type "not my son, he wouldn't do that". She is totally blind to what her son does.. he is 7 years old and watches SouthPark and plays Resident Evil on his xbox.. I am so annoyed and don't know what to do about this email.. We informed the school about the incident with our cat, the trying to burn the church and speaking about killing a girl.. They said they have many more incidents by him and also complaints by the girl this fecker has said he wanted to kill..

sorry for the rant.. I just needed to get it out of my system.

[Tuareet]

Oh my god, that child sounds like an absolute monster!! I can't believe he's only 7! To be honest if his mother won't believe anything he has been up to, there isn't much hope for him. Keep your child away from him and if she kicks off just shut the door in her face and don't get into any argument with her. Also keep any communication she sends to you just in case.

I think there will be a prison cell waiting for him in as few years!