June 07...........the one where they discover they have a mind of their own; and aren't afraid to use it

[LackaDAISYcal]

oops last thread got to big!

fucking hell holly, that is shit

wish I had some advice for you other than try not to worry, which is akin to pissing in the wind I know. Fingers crossed they will see that there has been some grave error of judgement on the part of his ex employers.

No reductions on ME nappies and wraps here at all! Everything was still at full price and customer services said they hadn't heard anything from their head office to the effect that they were discontinuing them. So, out of luck here as well unfortunately jbm.

jammy, we had a friend do our wedding photos as a cost saving exercise as well as the fact that we didn't want stiff posed shots. After the "official" ones he just went round taking snaps of people and we have a good collection of everyone who was at the wedding rather than just the wedding party iyswim. He also put them on a DVD for us with our first dance playing over which is really nice to get out and look at occasionally.

DH has taken DD out shopping with him, so I am sitting with tea and chocolate cake and enjoying the P&Q

holly, I think no matter where I lived and what size my house, it would end up a clutter filled tip. I am learning to acceot that I attract clutter wherever I go; not sure how, but I just do

enjoy the holidays jammy and soprana.

fury, hope you find a nice bike; and PMSL at the palying dominoes

aRSE hOLLY
Oops
When will you know anything?

I could potentially have a lovely house, after serious attention from an army of plasterers, painters, flooring people. Oh and gardeners.
Oh and new furniture.

Then a cleaner, obviously.

Don't want much, do I?

Congratulations btw Daisy, great news for you and your family

God Holly, hope you get somewhere with Legal Aid etc (sorry didn't read everything you were offered as advice, but sounds like others can help you more than I can anyway)

Thanks Fury. Yes, I was thinking of getting something like 200 if I can (100 at very least) for candid shots. And my camera doesn't switch into B&W anyway, not that I would for the reasons you stated. My plan is to get them to give me a list of the photos they definitely want and then when they're done I'll do whatever extra I think would be nice, get some detail shots of flowers, table decorations etc, and grab candid shots throughout the day and evening. DH will be in charge of Jamlet while I'm concentrating on group photos etc, and I'm planning on roping my nephew (the bride's brother) into helping me get groups of people together for photos to help keep things ticking along. I may try and chat with you nearer the time for more advice! (If that's OK)

Am at the annoying stage that there's loads of bits to finish, so can't cross thinsg off my list, but can't do any more because I'm either waiting for electronic things to cahrge so I can pack them, or things I need are in jamlet's room and she's napping, or are needed still (eg jamlet's cup, fave toys). Still gives me an excuse to sit down and MN!

Daisy - we had a cheap and fairly relaxed "official" photographer, who did about 20 formal shots. I then gave my brother my (brand new for the honeymoon, I hadn't even played with it yet! ) camera and 5 rolls of film and let him get on with it. So we have some formal posed ones and an album full of semi-posed and candids, which like yours, include the whole crowd, not just the "key players". I'm glad we have the official ones, but which album do I get down if I'm feeling a bit sentimental and want to remember a really happt day? (My crafty brother kept a couple of shots over until the next day and snapped me looking decidedly-not-my-best at breakky the next morning!)

A friend of ours did photos at our wedding as a gift, it was lovely he brought along one of those dinky printers and was printing them out "live" as it were!

Cool Sputnik. Don't think I'll go that far. but DH said he'd take his laptop and I can pop off and check the key pics out so I can do re-takes if necessary. Ain't technology great !

Bloody hell Holly ....hopefully its all over by now. Hope you're ok and things are sorted.

Golf is on constantly here as well....and in the car on way to hosp and back AND I have to watch Strictly Come dancing upstairs tomorrow night

DH did his own wedding photos here! Which was great and they are gorgeous, except he never gets round to printing the bloody things!

Foxy this was the row with my mum. As for incentive to clean, well the landlord has just announced he want to come round - incentive enough I think . Have had rats in student accommodation before though - not envy, nauseous emotion!

Any news yet Holly?

All cool! Dp is out and didn't need to be there really. They just read the statement from his employers and told dp to write his own statement and go back next Friday. The solicitor offered him a deal outside saying they will drop the case if dp agrees to certain terms. He said no thanks as he wants the chance to defend himself and prove to the court that he is in the right!

So we have to find a solicitor and get a statement put together.

And to top it all off the broadband has just gone down so I'm having to use my BlackBerry!

LMN....tis a well known LAW that pregnant women need to be on the sofa to watch TV! Your DH should graciously remove himself from the big TV and watch his blardy golf upstairs!

Holly, good for your DP for sticking up for himself. I hope it all goes well for him!

Just collected DS from school and we have had a lovely time; a really nice slow walk home with lots of chat about his week; we have shared a chocolate flapjack and are now settling in front of the TV watching Deadliest Catch on Discovery. I'm thinking that DD is obviously the catalyst in our "not getting on". When it's the three of us he is mardy and out of control

Does this mean it'll get worse when the baby arrives?

Norty, didn't you have your scan today? How did it go?

Fine thanks - gender still unknown ....need to go back for face and heart scan as baby wouldn't co-operate!

Another hurdle gone.....

Great that everything went well Norty.

So, DH's work came back with their decision. He has to work full time. So he has quit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He is going to sue them for constructive dismissal, but in the mean time we are fucked. I am going to have to go back full time and even then we won't cover our bills. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. So tonight in complete denial I am going to go and buy him a load of beer and some ice cream before we have to live on beans on toast.

So, how many of us have DPs with unstable or no jobs? Holly (ok, he has a job, but also a court case), Jammy, Ria...anyone else?

Fucking hell bumper! Yet another big company trying to screw people over. It really does sound like he will be better off out of there, does he have anything else in the pipeline? I know that M&S and John Lewis and Boots employ part time managers. Hope he gets it sorted quickly.

Good news on the scan norty.

Oh Bumper ....what a bunch of wankers

Bumper that's shit

I feel very sad. We just went out for a chinese and I was chatting to the chinese waitress as she has an 8 month old.
Anyway turns out she couldn't afford to look after her daughter so she sent her back to China for her sister to look after, she only earns £30 per day, and she work 10 hours a day 7 days a week. Obviously she is illegal.

Made me sad as she is so good with DS. You read about immigrants getting paid poorly and watch programs about people sending money to their kids, but I tend to forget it's on my own doorstep.
I feel humbled. And left a big tip.

Oh fuck bumper

what a buch of wankers. Can he appeal or is it too late for that? He should get in touch with ACAS and with USDAW (was he a member of the union?)

If you only have one wage you will probably be elligible for tax credits etc; make sure you get everything that you are entitled to. He should see the DSS as well, as he may still be elligible for unemployment benefit/jobseekers allowance (or whatever it's called these days) since he was forced to resign. I know I got to claim it after voluntarily giving up my job, because I moved town and it wasn't feasible to carry on with it.

That was the result of the appeal. So the plan is to take them to court for constructive dismissal, discrimination, failure to follow government guidelines and just generally being arses! In the long term this could be a really good thing. In the short term we are fucked. I don't think he can claim DSS, but the union advised him to sign on anyway. The lawyer for the union is very good and quite pleased to have taken the case on. God knows how long these things can take though. Tonight we are gorging ourselves stupid on ice cream then tomorrow we are going to have to deal with our finances. The problem with getting a job is he is a supervisor so getting a supervisory role PT is a pain, a normal shop job just isn't enough money. And he doesn't even want to be in that sort of job, but a Psycho degree and 6 years working for WankingTossCunts doesn't qualify you for much.

bumper, charity shops often employ PT managers, or places like the big supermarkets or B&Q, homebase etc....or what about IKEA?

Could he do something in the evenings and/or weekends, even temporarily? with you going back FT, then DD will have him in the day and then you in the evenings.

It's good that the union are sounding positive about it all though and that they think he has a good case.

fucking shit time of year for this to happen though

That's the short-term plan daisy. Shit for DH though.

That's shitty fucking pants Bumper! He should try to claim JSA. I was advised just this week that DH will be able to claim if he has a period without work, it is based on your NI contributions over the past 2 years, so assuming he has paid he should be able to claim. And if he is signed on they keep up his NI, so if he needs to claim in the future he should be OK. I think that's how it works anyway.

On a positive note, DH had loads of calls today following him sending out his CV last night adn the aganecies he sent it to are going to put him forward for some jobs

Oh what a shitty day for everyone!
So sorry Bumper and Holly - hope you get things sorted.

Thanks Daisy for looking - weird that isnt it?? Same for Foxys branch too ( I forgot they hadnt sold out!!).

Glad your scan was good (ish ) Norty!

and Ive forgotten everything else!!

and try not to worry too much. DH had a social and economic history degree and had seven years as a photograph printer and was made redundant. He then got a job as an account manager for a packaging company and has since completed a diploma in packaging technology amd worked his way up to where he is now; so career changes are possible.

And DH is just saying that ALDI are always recruiting and they pay the best of all retail management jobs. Not sure about the hours though or whether they would consider part time......it's worth a look though, especially as the budget end of retail is still expanding inspite of (or probably as a result of) the economic situation.

With his experience and a store manager job, would you be able to keep your hours and have DD in childcare for a few days a week? She is probably of an age where she will get lots out of it now. (I went back when DS was two and we were both ready for something else)

Norty....forgot about your scan ; glad all seemed well, even if they couldn't get some measurements. At least you get to see him/her again soon . Will you find out the sex if possible?

I am looking forward to getting some PT work in the evenings/weekends when (if) DH is back here full time. Will be after maternity leave period though; so after May next year.