Calming Down

Posted: Fri 29 June, 2007 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Domestic, Own Business, Work-related | 1 Comment »

Calming Down

After the chaos of the last couple of weeks, things are finally calming down a bit. Some of that is through our own actions, and some of it is through the actions of others.

Firstly, we’ve completed two full rooms of the house, to a point where all we now need to do is buy some extra furniture for the living room, and unpack books and stuff onto bookcases in the office. It’s a good feeling – and the reactions of other people who’ve come round has shown us that the plans we’ve got for the place are just about right. The rooms we’ve worked on (and when I say ‘we’, I mean primarily Herself) look really good, smart, open, and comfortable. If you saw ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos (and you still might) you wouldn’t believe they were the same house. We’ve now just got to complete one more room (our current bedroom, which will- eventually- be the guest bedroom) for the moment, and that now really only needs some painting to be done.

Secondly, the garden stuff is well on the way. There’s not been a lot we could do over the last couple of weeks, with the levels of rainfall, but equally everything is still becoming more manageable. There’s still an amount of work to be done, and most of that will be done in July, but it’s getting there.

And Thirdly, my workload has dropped. Client #2 have received what they wanted, they’re happy, and the job’s done. When I got the contract, it was supposed to be a rolling thing with continuous work coming in, although I was rather cynical about that, and wondered whether that was some kind of ‘sweetener’ to get someone good to do the site, rather than just a two-month contract. Bizarre, but hey. Turns out I was right – the site’s been completed- within timescales and budgets- and all of a sudden there’s no more work coming in, but thanks for the site.

To be honest, I’m not surprised – and nor am I really all that bothered. I’ve been paid for the work I’ve done, the client is happy, and that’s fine. It’s also had the side-effect of giving me some other ideas of my own that can be developed and tried out. Even better, it means I’ve got some time to myself again.

In hindsight, taking on Client #2 wasn’t my smartest move. It pushed up my workload to silly levels (although not quite to the levels of downright stupid – been there, done that, no plans to do it again) – and while normally it wouldn’t have been a problem, when I then also took into account house stuff as well, it wasn’t my finest hour.

Still, all’s done now, and July is looking like it might actually be slightly more sensible. Well, except for social life – we’re away this weekend, I’m seeing Peter Gabriel in two weeks’ time, and then we’ve guests the weekend after. Lessened workloads never looked better.

Taking Time Out

Posted: Mon 25 June, 2007 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Domestic, Getting Organised, Own Business, Work-related | 1 Comment »

Last week, in a post I’d written where I kind-of-incidentally mentioned my current workload, Gordon commented that I really need to take some time out at some point. And you know what? He’s right, I do need to. It’s more about try to find the time to do so.

Last week, the average day went something like this :

5.30/5.45 – Wake up
6.30 – Leave house
6.50 – Train to Cambridge. Work on train, doing website for Client #2
7.50 – Get to Cambridge. Walk to Office (Client #1)
8.05 – Start working. Always for Client #1, but possibly with some work for Client #2 thrown in as well
13.45 – Remember that I really should have some lunch at some point
14.00 – Grab a sandwich from the local place. (In fairness, going at 2pm means it’s at least quiet)
14.30 – Back to work
15.45 – Leave Office, head back to train
16.10 – Train leaves Cambridge. Work on train, doing website for Client #2
17.10 – Get back to Attleborough
17.45/18.00 – Get back to work – either for Client #2 , or doing stuff on the house using a bloody great tile-cutter
21.00 – Eat something
21.30 or so – Take Hound out for a walk
22.30 or so – Get sent to bed by Hound
Sleep badly
Repeat as required

Admittedly, this month is a bit more manic than most – Client #2 is working on a tight schedule, which is extra ressure I really could’ve done without. But it won’t be for long, and then (hopefully) it’ll calm down a bit. (Mind you, I’m not holding my breath on that one)

And yes, some of it is self-inflicted, in that I’ve taken on a lot of work at the same time. (And there’s still Client #3 waiting in the wings, although thankfully they’ve gone quiet over the last couple of weeks while they get other stuff sorted) But also it’s necessary, while Herself is between jobs – although we’ve now got confirmation that she starts her new job on 9th July, which will take some of the pressure off. As it is, I’m currently getting paid for 5 days a week with Client #1, and 2.5 days a week for Client #2. Which works out as – ah – 7.5 working days per week. Oops. (Yes, I know that technically it only works out as 60 hours a week, which gives me another 108 to do other stuff in)

And when you couple the workload I’ve got with the additional fun of the domestic bits, that’s when it gets stressy. Mind you, if Herself were still working for The Bunch Of Twunts, we’d be doing a lot more house stuff in the evenings and weekends, and I’d be (even more) dead on my feet than I currently am.

D4D

A drop of blood in a sea of piss

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