Right...I am sitting here with a broken down heating system but with a gas fire on to keep my tootsies warm!!!
Today, I have a planting activity....and I have no gardening experience at all..hey ho..hopefully the "over 50" group will give me advice...having freecycled and obtained kilos of compost..pots...and bulbs...and I was given a small budget to buy some seeds...so..that is it...possibly not enough pots BUT I wld rather not buy too many..cost the Project..and then not use..so...we shall see.
So..the job....and it has moved on from the last post.
Forestry Commission Scotland agreed last year to 50% funding for 2 years. So..we were looking for the other 50% and went for the HLF fund....well...the legal department sat on it for 2 months and only signed/released the application form at the end of January..so...it takes 10 weeks to have a decision made...so we won't know until the end of March and then we have advertising for the post...interviews..selelction (hopeful me!!!!) then the HR procedure until a contract issued. This takes us into late May/early June!!!!
What to do in the meantime...assuming I am successful in the selection process...?
Well..I am being factored into adult learning....offenders literacy...projects which start in April..in fact, I visited the prison on Tuesday..what an experience but an essential one...they want me on board...the Community Service Order manager wants me on board to use the ranger service as a training organisation through the work we do..on a long term basis...which could bring us in some money as well...BUT....I made them aware..having put the whole scheme together!!!!...they cannot do either (the guy involved in adult learning knows the guy from CSO who knows the guy from the offenders project who knows...etc) unless I am in post...soooooooooooo....I have put it to the CSO guy that he needs to calculate the amount he could put up for a "bridging fund"..then the FCS guy..who I approached as well....would put another sum of money on the table...put together a project..not a contact....this money is funnelled through a social work payroll...I do the project which has no timescale although we do need to ensure there is enough funds for a few months at least..to see me to the start of the mainstream funds...I undergo social work training/prison induction, etc whilst through the social work...still maintain the community work..but more slanted towards the criminal justice system/adult literacy for the duration of the project...THEN..once I am back in post with 50% HLF/50% FCS BUT taking on CSO for one day a week..the remainder of my time will be split as it is now...community work and John Muir Award/adult literacy...phew....
The main issue here is that the role continues..in some form....until the main funding is in place....continuity is key here..and what is flattering is that all parties concerned are wanting me in place to deliver the sessions/projects.
The beauty of the bridging funding...for the project is that I am not tied into a contract...if the funding does come in quickly we can wrap up the project and switch straight over...or...we can see it through...take the training and then plan out the new role and hit the ground running.
Now...my line manager and I have been working hard on all sorts of application forms and I appreciate that very much BUT it is me who cogitated, ruminated and then networked like a dog...meetings...review meetings...selling the idea/solutions/possibilities...all the while the other stuff was going on..as stated in the previous post...so now I hope you can see how much pressure I was..and am to a certain extent...under....man....it was intense..so the last thing you want to do is talk about it after living it 24/7!!!
Anyway..I have done all I can and it is now out of my hands. I now have word that CSO and FCS are meeting next week..cutting it pretty fine if you ask me...but it may all work out.
Steady as she goes!!
Tara
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
He he!!!
Well,
I had an e mail from my aunt...a gentle reminder.....to update my blog....well..we all need a kick up the ass now and again!!..thanks...he he...here I am again!!
I read the last brief entry and I can see it was a bit negative..and..to be honest..it wasn't a really good time at all...you know when you are trying to deal with a lot of things and you think about it all the time..and then try to resolve all the time..the last thing you really want to do is write about it!!!...you kinda need a break...ken?
However..and after the aforementioned prompt...I shall try to break things down into the relevant headings!!!!
Relationships
At the time of the last entry it had all gone Pete Tong and come crashing down and was all very upsetting. what was the most upsetting was my life was really half empty without this person..but I couldn't do anything about it...didn't want to get hurt again...but I knew I had a lot to do with it as well...and said so in a long long letter...which was pretty good for me..rather than shutting off...i wanted this person to know how I felt and that she was not all to blame..which I knew she would think unless I told her....so...after a few weeks she suggested we go for a walk..which we did....turmoil all around...in the end we ended up in my van..both in tears and saying how rubbish it was without each other..so...we said we would see how we would get on again...cept I am running about less..and having "me" time...or should that be "M.E" time?...and getting on with work and stuff with less stress and pressure.
So...we shall see...BUT..it isn't simply a case of..hey ho...let's try again....much more than that..if it doesn't work here then I can't see me working with anyone else..so there!!!!
And..she is a damn fine cook!!!..ha ha!!!!
Properties
Well...Glasgow has been a nightmare..I took out insurance for the boiler and then the engineer went out to check the system...I received a "fail" certificate but only found out 7 days after..by the Letting Agent bollocking me off...that the geezer had shut the system down and walked away..anyway...there then ensued phone calls left right and center trying to find out what to do..then order visits...pay for them....have another visit stating something else needed done that was not quoted before...and cost me as well!!!...all the time this tenant was without heat and hot water....during a really harsh winter on the top floor of a block of flats...damn...if he moved out that would put me in a financial tight spot..worry worry...if he moved into a hotel..which he could have done...I would have had to pay for that...worry worry...call centres giving different answers to the same question...letting agents giving me grief....eventually...the policy was reinstated..the system up and running..and then they asked if they wanted another engineer to go out...no thank you very much was the answer!!!!
The policy was taken out to ensure the tenant was inconvenienced to a minimum...the letting agent was kept happy...and I was stress free...rubbish...never happened!!! However..now the policy is up and running...any break downs and the engineer should be out within 24 hours..and any parts should be free...I am in the process of putting together a complaints letter though..as the service was appalling..from a number of different sections of Scottish Gas...I have also received a final demand letter for an invoice I paid 2 days after receipt..cheeky buggers!!!!
Now I need to obtain quotes to replace the system..but that can wait until June or July...if I have a job of course..worry worry...money with no job...job with no money?..always looking ahead....stress stress!!!
Now for Perth...not too much but there has been a few repairs..bathroom looks good after the painter treated the ceiling...which was a state after the previous fan system didn't draw away the steam from the shower...pics are good as they show new ceiling and extraction system...the tenants had asked to paint the kitchen..which is a good sign as it indicates they are "making it theirs" and should stay a while...they moved in a few years before the massive influx of Polish...so..they are serious and not following a trend. Then the oven went...had an element replaced..then the electrician came back and said it was bigger than that...wiring was wrong...control panel goosed...so...I suggested quotes for replacing the hob/fan/oven..as it looks really bad...they sent me a pic of it..very old..especially after the tenants had painted the kitchen...so...that is going to cost me BUT will be worth it if it helps keep them there and increases the value of the property...relatively..of course..in this market. However, once this is done I can't see anything else to replace..touch wood...as I have done most of it anyway!!!
Edinburgh...well...I went down there last week to see my old Uni chum...Donna..and her fella...and..as it turned out...to see Scotland destroyed by Wales!!...was supposed to arrange to change mortgage but..come Monday am...had a few messages from my IFA from his home...called him at the office as the appointment was not until 2 pm...he says..."thought I would call you to save you a journey down"...he he...I told him I was coming down anyway so not to worry..such is the state of the economy now he has advised...and I thought this before as well...to let it change to variable as the interest rate is so low that..even with the added percentage..it is still a better deal than any product on the market now...so...as long as the interest rate stays the same...we sit tight...easy...and I had a really nice time down by..walking all over the place..down many memory lanes!!!
One last thing..to give you an idea of the pressure I was under....looking ahead to no job..and having to replace the boiler system in Glasgow....and being hit with Capital gains Tax from the other Perth sale....I received a tax assessment from last tax year..stating I owed them £1,680.00!!!..great!!!!..so I wrote to them and asked them to change the code so I could have it deducted over 2 years from any salary..this would cancel out any jobseekers allowance I may receive..so..poverty!!!!...they then wrote to me and matter of factly stated they had made a mistake...they had put in £181.00 had been paid by Aberdeen City in tax..BY BLOODY MISTAKE!!!!!..instead of £1,810.00..so I now owed them £2.67..bloody hell!!! It all ended well but..as Joyce said..my land lady...that could have tipped someone over the edge.
To be honest...it is small change for me considering I have paid out over 14K in reparatory work this tax year...so..I was pretty numb to it...but...the buggers eh?!!!
I think I will leave the Job stuff to another time after all of that.
The Rest
How are things here?...well...apart from the land lady's pretty low hygiene standards..pretty good...I got the place to myself now for 2 weeks as she is off to Turkey to stay with her fella..hussah!!!! So...after my Sunday event...pine cone bird feeders and glittery butterflies...I set to the bathroom and kitchen with cream cleaner and brillo pads...better now...although I have no sponges left to clean the dishes...the dishes she left for 3 days!!!...and no liquid to mop the floor with...but that will be done on Wednesday. At least the cooker is clean...not the grill..not even looking there!!!!...and the bathroom is nice as well..something will have to be said when she comes back..ime her bloody lodger not cleaner!!
So, we have tree planting this Saturday...then the following as we had to cancel last weeks due to the bad weather. had it just been snow on the ground that would have been fine as the snow insulates the ground and makes it easy to dig..BUT..there was heavy snow and driving conditions were pretty bad...not good for Jo Public..so...2 weekends back to back and then digging a bog..hussah..although I will try and get out of that and burn something.
Life in the inner city continues to be interesting...next door neighbour to the right..their son..a ruffian..had an argument with a pal..in front of our house..the pal walked off and smashed the neighbours..to the left..car window...just like that..could have been mine and then I would have been in trouble!!! Anyhoo..all settled down now.
So..just the job to talk about,...and I can do that another time...if not tomorrow afternoon...Wednesday evening...promise Aunty C!!!!!!!
Tara
I had an e mail from my aunt...a gentle reminder.....to update my blog....well..we all need a kick up the ass now and again!!..thanks...he he...here I am again!!
I read the last brief entry and I can see it was a bit negative..and..to be honest..it wasn't a really good time at all...you know when you are trying to deal with a lot of things and you think about it all the time..and then try to resolve all the time..the last thing you really want to do is write about it!!!...you kinda need a break...ken?
However..and after the aforementioned prompt...I shall try to break things down into the relevant headings!!!!
Relationships
At the time of the last entry it had all gone Pete Tong and come crashing down and was all very upsetting. what was the most upsetting was my life was really half empty without this person..but I couldn't do anything about it...didn't want to get hurt again...but I knew I had a lot to do with it as well...and said so in a long long letter...which was pretty good for me..rather than shutting off...i wanted this person to know how I felt and that she was not all to blame..which I knew she would think unless I told her....so...after a few weeks she suggested we go for a walk..which we did....turmoil all around...in the end we ended up in my van..both in tears and saying how rubbish it was without each other..so...we said we would see how we would get on again...cept I am running about less..and having "me" time...or should that be "M.E" time?...and getting on with work and stuff with less stress and pressure.
So...we shall see...BUT..it isn't simply a case of..hey ho...let's try again....much more than that..if it doesn't work here then I can't see me working with anyone else..so there!!!!
And..she is a damn fine cook!!!..ha ha!!!!
Properties
Well...Glasgow has been a nightmare..I took out insurance for the boiler and then the engineer went out to check the system...I received a "fail" certificate but only found out 7 days after..by the Letting Agent bollocking me off...that the geezer had shut the system down and walked away..anyway...there then ensued phone calls left right and center trying to find out what to do..then order visits...pay for them....have another visit stating something else needed done that was not quoted before...and cost me as well!!!...all the time this tenant was without heat and hot water....during a really harsh winter on the top floor of a block of flats...damn...if he moved out that would put me in a financial tight spot..worry worry...if he moved into a hotel..which he could have done...I would have had to pay for that...worry worry...call centres giving different answers to the same question...letting agents giving me grief....eventually...the policy was reinstated..the system up and running..and then they asked if they wanted another engineer to go out...no thank you very much was the answer!!!!
The policy was taken out to ensure the tenant was inconvenienced to a minimum...the letting agent was kept happy...and I was stress free...rubbish...never happened!!! However..now the policy is up and running...any break downs and the engineer should be out within 24 hours..and any parts should be free...I am in the process of putting together a complaints letter though..as the service was appalling..from a number of different sections of Scottish Gas...I have also received a final demand letter for an invoice I paid 2 days after receipt..cheeky buggers!!!!
Now I need to obtain quotes to replace the system..but that can wait until June or July...if I have a job of course..worry worry...money with no job...job with no money?..always looking ahead....stress stress!!!
Now for Perth...not too much but there has been a few repairs..bathroom looks good after the painter treated the ceiling...which was a state after the previous fan system didn't draw away the steam from the shower...pics are good as they show new ceiling and extraction system...the tenants had asked to paint the kitchen..which is a good sign as it indicates they are "making it theirs" and should stay a while...they moved in a few years before the massive influx of Polish...so..they are serious and not following a trend. Then the oven went...had an element replaced..then the electrician came back and said it was bigger than that...wiring was wrong...control panel goosed...so...I suggested quotes for replacing the hob/fan/oven..as it looks really bad...they sent me a pic of it..very old..especially after the tenants had painted the kitchen...so...that is going to cost me BUT will be worth it if it helps keep them there and increases the value of the property...relatively..of course..in this market. However, once this is done I can't see anything else to replace..touch wood...as I have done most of it anyway!!!
Edinburgh...well...I went down there last week to see my old Uni chum...Donna..and her fella...and..as it turned out...to see Scotland destroyed by Wales!!...was supposed to arrange to change mortgage but..come Monday am...had a few messages from my IFA from his home...called him at the office as the appointment was not until 2 pm...he says..."thought I would call you to save you a journey down"...he he...I told him I was coming down anyway so not to worry..such is the state of the economy now he has advised...and I thought this before as well...to let it change to variable as the interest rate is so low that..even with the added percentage..it is still a better deal than any product on the market now...so...as long as the interest rate stays the same...we sit tight...easy...and I had a really nice time down by..walking all over the place..down many memory lanes!!!
One last thing..to give you an idea of the pressure I was under....looking ahead to no job..and having to replace the boiler system in Glasgow....and being hit with Capital gains Tax from the other Perth sale....I received a tax assessment from last tax year..stating I owed them £1,680.00!!!..great!!!!..so I wrote to them and asked them to change the code so I could have it deducted over 2 years from any salary..this would cancel out any jobseekers allowance I may receive..so..poverty!!!!...they then wrote to me and matter of factly stated they had made a mistake...they had put in £181.00 had been paid by Aberdeen City in tax..BY BLOODY MISTAKE!!!!!..instead of £1,810.00..so I now owed them £2.67..bloody hell!!! It all ended well but..as Joyce said..my land lady...that could have tipped someone over the edge.
To be honest...it is small change for me considering I have paid out over 14K in reparatory work this tax year...so..I was pretty numb to it...but...the buggers eh?!!!
I think I will leave the Job stuff to another time after all of that.
The Rest
How are things here?...well...apart from the land lady's pretty low hygiene standards..pretty good...I got the place to myself now for 2 weeks as she is off to Turkey to stay with her fella..hussah!!!! So...after my Sunday event...pine cone bird feeders and glittery butterflies...I set to the bathroom and kitchen with cream cleaner and brillo pads...better now...although I have no sponges left to clean the dishes...the dishes she left for 3 days!!!...and no liquid to mop the floor with...but that will be done on Wednesday. At least the cooker is clean...not the grill..not even looking there!!!!...and the bathroom is nice as well..something will have to be said when she comes back..ime her bloody lodger not cleaner!!
So, we have tree planting this Saturday...then the following as we had to cancel last weeks due to the bad weather. had it just been snow on the ground that would have been fine as the snow insulates the ground and makes it easy to dig..BUT..there was heavy snow and driving conditions were pretty bad...not good for Jo Public..so...2 weekends back to back and then digging a bog..hussah..although I will try and get out of that and burn something.
Life in the inner city continues to be interesting...next door neighbour to the right..their son..a ruffian..had an argument with a pal..in front of our house..the pal walked off and smashed the neighbours..to the left..car window...just like that..could have been mine and then I would have been in trouble!!! Anyhoo..all settled down now.
So..just the job to talk about,...and I can do that another time...if not tomorrow afternoon...Wednesday evening...promise Aunty C!!!!!!!
Tara
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