First - thanks for kind words and my apologies again to those I offended by lashing out at the stress of being unemployed for a year. At the age of 51, having worked all my life, it has been a shock to the system to have so much out of my control. I am most thankful for one of my oldest schoolfriend lending me money to cover costs of brattish temporary tenant who caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage. That happened in the summer and I have effectively been living hand to mouth since then. Some of you understand that, and for that I am grateful for your insight.
Update: Cave-dwelling lodger has got me some part time work at his company (payroll for film & tv productions) and I started yesterday. Stayed late to help big(ger) boss and talking to lodger last night - possibly at lest 2-3 days a week.
It was a full year to the day since I had my last shift at Sky Sports News, and yesterday I was once more getting ready to do a day's work in an office. As long as frustrating a first day as it was (hours of sitting around because only lodger and I were in and he was swamped with work som couldn't show me what to do). I thought it was going to be monotonous data entry - but in fact it was straight in to payroll functions. Lodger is not the most patient of people and I need to make notes as I go, so hopefully I will pick things up better today. He suggested I come on today too as it was not likely to be as busy and he could spend more time getting me up to speed and I am simply not in any position to turn down days of work to catch up with Britwatch and company admin etc.
Challenges: Kitchen facilities are... a smelly and unappealing microwave, and a kettle. No water-machine so will take my own filtered water in. Not much staff in - most work remotely from home but will play things by ear as to whether I can eat home made soup at my desk without annoying people. If so, I can batch cook a couple of soup varieties and nip into town on Monday to get a soup-flask. Twickenham is just over the bridge (office is on Eel Pie Island) but choices are limited and not that healthy. Greggs, KFC, Wimpy and Subway. So I might have to try the famous Greggs Vegan sausage roll today.
Another challenge - getting a workout done and showered and changed, knees iced before work. Thankfully lodger seems happy enough with me getting the Ferry from Ham to the Twickenham side of the Thames and walking to get there for 10:30 so from next week will *try* and get into my home-gym for 7am sharp for bike, boxing, etc to give myself time to do the session and have breakfast, ice, shower in time. I spoke to the big boss last night and he seemed happy enough for part time work whenever there was work to be done. If I can get the treadmill done on a Monday, then I can fit in the others in the morning if I can, or will have to maybe do the evening, but if the first day was anything to go by, I will be lucky to get out by 6:30 in the evenings - an hour to get back by bus (ferry stops at 6) so will need to put articles live, have dinner etc.
It is one worry ticked off the list but it is not a sports journalism job and I think I now have to accept that the gamble I put all my resources and funds into to develop Britwatch Sports and to be at tournaments etc will have to be a victim of the pandemic. It has cost me well over £100k of my own money that I now have to somehow earn back into the business. By some miracle... they have accepted my company details for payment (for now... IR35 will be a headache in a few weeks time).
Then again, beggars can't be choosers. It is the prospect of enough money to cover my bills. Lodger's rent should cover my cash and treat accounts and I have long since given up hope of rent from late mother's bungalow being at full strength for any period of time as that whole place needs modernising and every month something needs fixing so whatever comes from that is a bonus. Thinking of hoofing that money into a separate account and suggesting to the managing agents that we modernise the property from within (with the tenants' approval). Managing agent feels they might appreciate the effort to redecorate the rooms bit by bit (mum had the main bathroom totally redone when she moved in so that is one expense done) and it is a couple with no kids and a two-bedroom property so if they are amenable I might plough that rent into renovating bit by bit so it isn't one giant expense later.
I am not sure I am ready to immerse myself back in here... I need to get my head around how I manage my time, BG, Britwatch Sports, company admin, yada yada.
Anyway....
But thank you.
