Fish n Chips 56

I must admit I don't sleep well on planes either Sally, on my last flight from Vegas to Manchester I hardly slept a wink, and that was ten hours long, Id been up around 24 hours when I arrived in Manchester including my flight from Portland and 9 hour lay over in Vegas, I was groggy and had a few 10-15 minute nods on my way back to Mansfield, after that I was good to go for the rest of the day, for some reason the Jet lag didnt affect me or my wife at all this time, usually it does... This might sound weird but I'm usually so excited that I'm going home that I just cant sleep...

You've never seemed like a worrier to me, as an old friend once told me "Only worry about the things you can control".

Celticspirit

:0)

between two worlds

Sally,all the best for this last week, which will doubtless be crazy busy--don't overdo it, take time out to breathe, relax a little--and also for the trip.

Hope you, hubby and cats all arrive fine and enjoy the first few weeks in that lovely holiday house.

Can't believe it is really happening at last, seems just yesterday it was just your own dream....

GOOD LUCK and BON VOYAGE!

Fulwood so sorry about your brother's serious health problems.

I have just been in the UK for just over a week--some very chilly weather leading up to Easter but still it was lovely to be there and see the beginning of spring...

Tina

charleygirl

Sorry not checked in for a longtime... Sally wow, I am so happy for you, I can not believe you are on your way this week. have a wonderful safe trip, you will be fine.. wow just wow...

Things are much the same for me, except... my daughter came for 2 weeks without any notice and then went back and I woke the next day to see her dad had bought her a one way ticket back to me, just hope and pray she can find work and she gets some Job Seekers allowance while she looks ( my son never got a penny and never found a job!)
I am still not working, have applied for all kinds of work too. I applied for a housekeeper job for a family, just 5 mornings a week 4 hours a day, I actually got a call from them, they liked my email, but he told me he had 38 applications!! Suppose to call me this week if I get an interview,... everything went well til he asked how old I am...I know maybe I should take 10 years off my age but I just have a hard time with that. I honestly thought I would get work, i had said I will do anything and I will but here in Leicester there is nothing.
I am getting financial help with rent and Council tax but I am still short about 250 pounds every month.. so my little pot of money is going rapidly.
My mum is 90 in August, she is one of the reasons I returned, but I am not sure anymore if I did right, my children seem to be not doing well... so for now it is a case of wait and see what happens.
I love England though, the weather has been horrible but it does not change things and I think if you are coming home with some money and not got to worry about a job, then def. do it!! I can retire June next year, if I can hang on til then I think I will be okay...financially. I will be finding a smaller place to live in Sept ( if I am still here) but I pay 610 a month plus bills... and for that I have a lovely place, a detached bungalow with a gorgeous garden. it is 550 average for a terrace house here.
I think of you all often and hope plans are going well.
Anyone heard from Trotty I have emailed but not heard.
Fish keep strong my friend!

Beedubya

Sorry to hear things are not going so well financially Denise. Have you tried NOT having your date of birth on your CV? I don't give mine unless they specifically ask for it............age is just a number after all right?

jasper123

Hi Denise,
Good post, thanks for catching us all up on your news, it looks like you are surviving, but as you say its not easy when you have to keep dipping into that pot for the extra money you need each month,
I wish you luck on all your future Job hunting,
you say you can retire next June, so your birthday must be in June like mine, so are we both Gemini's?
will you get a US pension and a percentage of a British pension? or just the one,
Anyway good luck on everything, and good to hear from you again,
Rodney.

charleygirl

Thanks Bee and I dont have my birthday in my CV but it doesnt take long to work it out and also I have been asked my age too, as did the last call about housekeeper job.
Rodney I get my pension in June 2013 but I am already 60. I was 60 last November but missed the cut off for getting it when I turned 60.

Rain and Hail and sunshine all in the last 5 mins!! ( just pegged my washing out 10 mins ago)

Beedubya

What about those live in jobs advertised in The Lady?? Then you would have a job AND a roof over your head.

One lady on here, Sue, who I met up with had a live in job as a receptionist/jack of all trades at a boutique B & B, and although it didn't work out for her there are jobs out there .........

between two worlds

That's the UK for you!!

Charleygirl, so sorry to hear things have been so hard for you, and for your children as well. It is terrible that it has been so difficult to find work....for your son as well as for you. Hope things are easier for your daughter when she comes, and that a job appears for you too.

I second Bee's idea about The Lady magazine--it's a weekly magazine, found in the Women's Weeklies section of W H Smith etc, and it's much more fun to buy the actual print version (I am old-fashioned!), but you can also look at the classified ads online at lady.co.uk (I am not connected with the magazine so I hope this doesn't count as advertising.) Many live-in housekeeper jobs....

Tina

Fish n Chips 56

Thanks Denise...

I sure wish you could get a job then things would seem much better, that pot of money will go, then it will be extremely difficult to survive...

The Bungalow sounds nice and for £60 extra its much nicer than a terraced house, I see those types of prices in the Notts area, its strange that there isn't much difference in price between a basis house or a nice one...

I know your kids are confused, but I do think you did the right thing going back, staying here wasn't doing you any good and long term it was a bad idea to stay, all in all you sound happy, I know you made the right decision, Once you and your daughter get a job everything will fall into place...

Good Luck Fish...

charleygirl

Lovely to hear from you tina, and thanks bee for advice, I have looked at the Lady and am looking at it for my daughter too ( she is here already went home after two week visit and returned less than a week later and her sister arrives for a visit on 16th may) more expense
There is not much of that live in stuff in this area and I need to stay close to my mum at the moment. Just got the local paper again with todays Jobs, nothing but care work that I could do... I am not sure if posted about the nightmare job as a carer I shadowed for...3 days of cleaning up incontinent old ladies and men, I just could not do it, it was not for me... I know beggars can't be choosers but this 60 year old beggar just could not do it way too
I see my adviser tomorrow at the Job Center so maybe he has some ideas for me.

Oh Hi Fish, thank you!! We were posting at the same time, yes the home is lovely and I am happy here. I have a good social life, been out regularly and have a 60th party to go to, my friend of 57 years thats on saturday, football match on Tuesday, my sisters hen night next Friday (not been on one of those for a very long time) so life is not all downhill!

Englishmum

Not sure if you will read this Sally as I guess you are busy packing up....but all the very best for the move for you, your spouse and the cats!

Don't forget to post your flight # on the flight tracker so we can check your progress as you fly HOME

(I'm currently in Switzerland, an hour ahead of the UK so I can see when you land, whilst everyone in the States will be in bed lol! )

PS. Not sure if your flight will be full as it is still the UK school holidays....but I flew with Virgin Atlantic from Newark to LHR on an overnight flight, arriving in the UK on 1st April. I was initially allocated a seat near the front of economy, but when I went to check in online I looked further back and there were more empty seats...I usually like an aisle seat, but this time thought it would be nice to see England from the window (weather permitting) during the descent. I moved further back and there was an empty middle seat and the aisle seat (row of 3) was blocked off, but I chose the window seat anyway.

As I had bags to check in, the agent was trying to sell me an upgrade (too expensive) or even the emergency exit seat. From experience, it is awful trying to sleep in an exit seat as the armrests are fixed and there is nowhere to stow bits and pieces, and on the 747s the door takes up most of the window seat leg room in any case.

I got lucky....as the door closed, both seats next to me were unoccupied, so during the flight I was able to lie down for some kip (although it was a bit cramped). Other people moved to other parts of the rear cabin once the flight had taken off (can't do it before this due to weight and balance). I'm pretty sure that Virgin blocks off seats to space people around the plane when flights aren't full.

Oddly enough...no-one wanted to pay for the emergency exit seats and I was asked to sit in one for the last 20 minutes of flying time lol!

I suggest that when you get to the airport and drop off your bags, double check and ask if "the flight is full" and see if you and your spouse can bag an empty seat so you get more room

PS: I was very lucky - the UK weather was clear and sunny - I had a wonderful view of the South coast and Isle of Wight (was thinking that Rodney was down there somewhere in Pompey!). England looked so beautiful

cheers

I was just looking at the trains from Knaresborough to London and I saw a fare of £14.50 one way or single as the Brits call it. Thats cheap.

Cheers

between two worlds

Oh right, I had forgotten you need to stay close to your Mum and can't just up sticks to where a live-in job might be...
oh dear, well I do hope something comes along soon. Don't blame you for not having been able to do the care job....sounds so difficult and depressing....of course there are some people who are good at this and enjoy it, I admire them but I couldn't do it either....

Tina

Beedubya

Nor me and I work with them, lots have carers and they are mostly lovely girls and the odd man though I have lately noticed a lot of young non-English speaking migrants since my last time around or maybe that's just the area I live in.