Summer Bargains

So today I got back to doing what I do best - Shopping for bargains!...
and I found some absolute gems - and made up for lost time.

I cannot emphasize how much I love the TU range at Sainsbury's.
I never used to go for Supermarket produced clothing, mainly because I was concerned they were made in sweatshops in the likes of India. I was also concerned about the quality.
I couldn't have been more wrong.

Alot of the clothing products in Sainsbury's are Fairtrade products - meaning that clothes produced in the Third world countries receive a fair wage for the job they do, which is fantastic.
I cannot fault the quality either - in fact, the Garments are true-to-size and are made to last - as proven with a pair of Skinny-Jeans I have owned for over 2 years and worn and worn and they still look new!

Today I went to Sainsbury's to have a look at the TU range, see if anything new had come in  - and it had.
Not only that, they had 25% off everything! Amazing bargains, especially when some of the things were in the sales too - So I was paying the likes of just £2.25 for a fairtrade top, How brilliant is that??

In total, I spent £75 on the TU range - it does accumulate quickly, but I love a good bargain.
But out of that I came home with 2 pairs of Jeans, a pair of Jogging bottoms, a cardigan, a crochet top, some new underwear and 11 different colour/style standard vest tops and t-shirts.
You go to a designer shop and you'd be lucky to be able to get 1 pair of Jeans only for that price.

Then, I got wind of a 'Sale' at Dorothy Perkins - Up to 30% off everything, Admittedly, I went on the website and saw that the things I liked mostly had just 10% off, but then I found a discount code for an additional 10% off - So the minimum I got was 20% off everything, which I think is fantastic too.
I easily racked up £85 on there too and am getting alot for that too, Denim skirt, 2 pairs of skinny jeans, a pair of denim knee shorts, pair of denim shorts, a cropped jumper and a bag. But I haven't been shopping in over a month, so thought, why not?

I budget relatively well for shopping, I never spend beyond my means (I used to, but am happy to say I am well out of that bad habit). So I decided to go for it, I probably won't shop for another month now, although I have seen a few things on the British Home Stores website that I like the look of, I need to take a few things back too and that totals just over £50, so I will just swap if they have them in store.
No more online shopping for now.

I have lost a bit more weight too (probably through heat and worry), so I am constantly having to update my wardrobe with better fitting stuff anyway, it's not an excuse - I admit it, I am a shopaholic and the majority of things I buy are not a necessity, but there is a method to my madness so to speak.

Back to Blogging

It's been over 2 weeks since my last blog - Where on earth does the time go?

I have been very busy with Hospital Appointments (Yes, Again!).
I need some urgent treatment doing and the Hospital Registrar called me the day after my hospital visit with an appointment for next week to begin my treatment, however, there has been a glitch.
They have asked me to go to another different hospital, this time even further away. In fact, it is so out of the way it would take me nearly 2 hours to get there and 2 buses and 2 trains - there and back. That is far too much for me, I told them that and now, I am struggling to get the treatment I desperately need as they say that is the only hospital in the Borough that does the treatment I need.
So this is totally stressing me out!
I am hoping my original consultant will phone me on Monday morning to sort this mess out, because I am getting severely annoyed and frustrated and feel like crying! If not, I will try and track him down on Monday afternoon. I want this sorted ASAP, it's my health after all.
It's getting depressing too, I shouldn't have to continuously battle for the simplest of things.
My appointment was at 1.50pm - i got there at 1.20pm (I always ensure I am early for appointments), I didn't get out of there until 3.05pm. That really annoyed me too - If I can have the decency to turn up on time, Why can't they be on time? It's very unfair and totally unnecessary.
Then the Consultant told me I need to lose more weight - Like that is the solution to everything! Sigh.
I haven't been in the mood for shopping either - When I went to the hospital last Thursday, I always go shopping after a hospital trip, but I was so tired and down, I pretty much went straight home.
Shopping usually cheers me up after the hospital, but this time I didn't even make it to the shops.

I had to cancel my Jersey trip because of the urgent treatment I needed - Fortunately the airline fully refunded me since the Consultant wrote a letter for me.

I am feeling pretty down at the moment, Just fed up with everything.

Next time I blog, hopefully will be more cheery.

Family

It's my Brother's Birthday today - So I went to my Brother's for the afternoon & Evening to spend time with the Family.
I had an absolutely wonderful time.
My 2 Niece's are absolutely beautiful - I played with them the whole time I was there.
My eldest Niece, 8 years old is stunning - she cute, pretty and very, very smart - she was telling me all about Ancient Greece and other History facts, I forget she is only 8 sometimes.
My youngest Niece (She just turned 2) stuck to me like glue - she wouldn't leave my side, which was surprising because usually she runs wild through the house like a mini-tornado!
But today, we played for hours and she wanted me there all the time, so firstly we had a little chat - she has a new friend who she has named 'Emily' - Emily is their new Catfish. She kept telling me about Emily and how the thing escaped from the fish tank and hid under the stairs! Very funny.

Then I had my dinner - which, as always, she shared with me (She like's Auntie's dinner alot!) - even though she had just had a roast dinner, she wanted some of my Chinese, of course! But I don't mind, I love sharing with her - she also had to have some of my Lemonade.

Once 'We' finished my dinner, she had an Ice lolly or two and was so sticky - it was Bath time!
She wanted me to bath her - so I threw her sticky self into the Bath!
Then it was her big sister's turn for the bath - so I ran her a bath too and left her to it, she is 8 years old now and told her she is a big girl now and should bath on her own.

Then we went and played for another half an hour - including 20 minutes of having my hair brushed and styled - Have you ever had your hair brushed and styled by an 8 and 2 year old?? Well, their opinions of 'Styling' differ significantly - when they had finished, I came out looking like i'd been dragged through a hedge backwards!

Then it was bed time - Chaos ensues!!
Normally, they are easy to put to bed - but not tonight! The 2 year old didn't want to miss out on anything, so I sat with her for a little while and then put a film on the TV for her to sleep to - she continuously called out for me for half an hour until her Mum told her I'd gone home, then the tears started. She was over tired, and when she is over tired, she gets very naughty. Eventually - 3 hours after her normal bed time, she went to sleep.

Despite how tiring the day was - I loved every single minute of it!!
The buzz you get from playing with Children beats any shopping trip any day!!

A Holiday Booked

I have finally booked a short break away.
It's been 10 and a half long years since I have spent a night away from home - so now I have decided to take the plunge and book a break.
I am still waiting for my Passport to arrive (You need a Passport to fly everywhere now Photo I.D like a Driving Licence is acceptable for Internal flights, but since I only have a provisional licence and that runs out next year, I renewed my Passport, that way I have absolution of no Identity problems at the Airport.)
Hopefully, my Passport should arrive next week some time.

I booked with British Airways - not only because they are actually cheaper than flybe - but they also have a luggage allowance included with the Air Fare (Flybe charge £30 for baggage - Ridiculous!).
I was actually only going to use the Hand Baggage allowance to avoid collecting or paying for luggage, but with BA, I may as well use the free luggage allowance as I have a brand new suitcase to put to the test - and where am I going to put the souvenirs I might need want to buy? Also, who knows..I might end up extending the trip if I really like it - I have only booked 2 nights 3 days, just to test how I get on.

So, my destination: St. Brelade - JERSEY (Channel Islands)

I have not planned a thing for whilst I am there - I want to get out of the habit of Meticulously planning everything (Because life always has a funny way of ruining plans!) and know from past experience that the best fun is usually unplanned.
I have looked into Jersey thoroughly though (I wouldn't go there totally 'Blind', I have to know what is available). There are many things I want to do, I aim to do the following whilst I am there:

1. See the Jersey Show and ride the Go Karts at Living Legend 
2. Visit the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Les Augres Manor, Trinity
3. Visit the best beach on the Island.

They are just 3 things, there are more I want to do, but I won't have enough time unless I decide to stay longer. So I definitely need to make the most of my time whilst I am there - it's not a cheap trip.

I may buy a bus pass when I get there from the Jersey Tourist Board - Taxi's could work out really expensive otherwise. 

I am going to book the hotel once I arrive, since there are over 150 Hotels/Guesthouses etc on the Island, I will book it online once I arrive, I'm sure to get a last minute cheap booking. This is just in case I back out too, I am hoping I don't - the flight was £76 and it'd be a crying shame to lose that money! But I have to be sensible - If I book the hotel too and back out, that would be another £150 loss!

I am going to attempt a pre-run trip to the Airport asap to see how I get on. 

I shall see if I can take Photo's - I'm a little apprehensive about this, I don't want the airport staff to get concerned about the strange girl taking photo's of the airport! 

So i'll see about this one - if it feels right, I will take a few photo's. 

Ideally, I want to get there and take some photo's of the planes outside (like a plane spotter) - I do miss seeing planes close up, as a child they would always fascinate me! 

I used to love flying on a plane - that was the fun part of the holiday, I wonder if I still feel the same.

So hopefully, my next post will be about the airport...

The Meeting & Volunteering

Well, I went to the Home for the meeting with the Manager.
It did not go well.
It saddens me very much, but I have had to turn the Job down.

This is for many, many reasons;

• There is no certainty attached to the job - I like a little bit of a routine, this Job offers no routine, job security and stability.
• The manager didn't like my questions and gave me what I call 'Robotic answers' (Replies you would get automatically). She would then Answer my question with a question. I perceive this in a way that makes me think they have something to hide.
• The contract could not be changed - it was all one sided and offered me no protection at all.
• The job offered was a management job - only with 3 times lower pay.
• The staff turnover is extremely high - which to me, says no one likes working there/it's a dead-end job with no opportunity of moving through the ranks.
• They state they do not have the Budget to employ 2 Activities Coordinator's, when the CQC (Care Quality Commission) done a review of the Home in Jan 2012 they suggested the home employ 2 Activities Coordinators and the Interim Manager at the time promised to employ 2 members of staff for this. The home are insisting on only 1 member of staff for this Job. They want 2 for the poor price of one.
• I found it difficult to get an appointment with the Manager to discuss my pre-employment issues - I have to meet with her every time I need to purchase something from the Budget, which will turn the Job into a nightmare if I have to keep hunting the manager down just to buy something for the home. I would also have had to meet with her weekly and monthly for reviews on my work. These would have been a battle alone.

Aside from all of those legitimate reasons, I am simply not up to working over Full time (They want 40 hours a week as standard, I know for a fact this is a 60 hour a week job at the minimum). 

They flatly refused my suggestion of me working Part time alongside another Activities Coordinator.

I am upset that I couldn't take this job, however, it has made me realise a few things about myself.

I could not possibly cope with working full time. 

I'm still not well enough to work.

I am so glad I tried though, it has given me a good tester to see what I am capable of, so either way the outcome is positive. 

At least I know what I am capable of now, and I am seriously thinking of trying volunteering, just a few hours a week - and the manager of the home said she doesn't want to lose me completely, and to get back in touch with her at the end of June regarding volunteering (once she has hopefully found a willing victim to take the full time job). 

Volunteering is a better idea, I have been out of work for so long and am not well enough to be reliable enough for paid work. I am happy to give that a try to really test my capabilities and strengths. 

So now to take a new path - find a good volunteering opportunities. 

I have to say Volunteering, well even Job opportunities are extremely lacking in the area I live. It's an underprivileged area and opportunities are few and far between, which is why I am sad that this job offer has not worked out. But I won't be taken advantage of - they knew my health problems and that I haven't worked for almost 7 years, and I think they was trying to take advantage of that. 

Anyway, Now to look into the possibility of volunteering....

A Meeting arranged

I finally spoke to the Manager on Friday Morning, Reluctantly (On her part!), I have a Meeting with her on Tuesday at Midday.
She wasn't pleased at all about me calling to discuss 'Their contract' or ask questions - and actually spoke to me as though I was thick and clueless, which is disgraceful.
But I think they are desperate for staff there, they don't seem to be able to keep/hold/allow anyone in secure employment for very long and have a high turnover of staff.
This could be that employee's are kept on high term 'Probation' until they can be let go - if they fire you under a year after your employment commences, you have absolutely no legal rights whatsoever and cannot be entitled to any company full benefits such as Pension, Private Medical Insurance, Holidays, Sick pay etc.
This is totally legal too.
This is something the Government needs to fix.
Job Security is seriously lacking, which is why people choose to stay on State Benefits now - it's the only secure income you can get.
Anyway, I have my list of questions written out ready to ask - 13 questions in total, the manager won't be pleased! But peace of mind is priceless and so is the law being on my side too.
I certainly won't do a job intended for 2/3 people for just one low wage, that's for certain.

So, I will update on Tuesday afternoon to let you know how it goes...

More Doubts: Part 2

Something else has come to my attention.

This is a matter of Public Record:

According to the CQC (Care Quality Commission), who inspect the premises and levels of care within the home, they have aired their 'concerns' about improvements that need to be made within the department I have been offered the job in. Upon their recommendations - they think it is CRUCIAL that 2 members of staff be employed in this field to enable a better service - and the 'Interim' manager promised they would employ 2 members of staff for this job.

So, If they haven't employed 2 members of staff in this field and it is just me doing the work, my 40 hours a week (already increased from 33 hours!) will creep up to 80 hours a week if it is a 2 person job.

Personally, I think the home would benefit from 3 members of staff in this field (1 for each floor), but budget cuts and everything, they would not be able to afford it (unless the managers take a pay cut? I don't think so somehow!).

If I took this job, I would be stressed out to the max, put under considerable pressure and would definitely crack under those conditions! Especially when the pay is barely over minimum wage and I will virtually running the home by myself!

Realistically, I need to see the manager, discuss my many concerns (which I should be entitled to do, but can't seem to get in there!!) and agree on hours. Advertised was 33 hours, the contract says 37.5 hours (exc. breaks) and they can request I work additional hours.

I have far, far too many concerns to just sign the contract and take it in. I can see me just leaving it and not bothering, this shouldn't be this much hard work to start with - and work hasn't even commenced, still no official start date!

Where I have been off sick for so long, I feel like an easy target for people who want to take advantage of my good and caring nature, I don't know if I have the work 'Thick' stamped across my forehead - but they couldn't be more wrong! I am far from Thick! I won't be taken advantage of.

More to follow after Friday...If I can't see the Manager then, and they can't give me an appointment to see her, I will just leave it, for sure.