wishful thinking (about work)

[Trappedatwork]

A large proportion of my career was busy frontline work with the NHS, and then later on a frantic admin role. I am supposed to be on a team of six currently, which has been a team of three for quite a while and as of this morning, two people have just handed in their notice.

I am exhausted. In my bones, I am so tired.

I just want to work in a tiny cute bookshop on the top of the hill that gets no foot traffic. The owner is a rich benefactor and therefore doesn't complain about sales at all and pays his staff very well, and to ensure that the local college kids have meaningful work experience, they get to run the shop at weekends. They do it very well because it's a bit of an honour to get chosen, so when you come in on Monday, everything is as it should be.

During the week, the shop closes slightly early on a Wednesday and Friday (And during high summer doesn't open on Wednesday - but you still get paid). It has a tiny coffee /tea area with a comfy sofa at the back. The tea and coffee area is stocked by the local patisserie, and the delicious sugar-free and low-calorie cakes are provided by the local ladies, who arrive red-cheeked and smiley from a shop across the road every morning. It fills the space with the smell of rich coffee and sweet bakewell tarts.

The rich benefactor likes to do the ordering books and enjoys un boxing and arranging them, so you don't even have to do that . Your job is just to man the front desk, read the books you fancy and smile at people when they come in (which is very rare).

Sigh.

I have had a couple of days AL, so I have not been about to tinker with the shop.
My big boss (my actual manager is one who handed in his notice and has now gone on sick) tried to argue that, as we were now critically understaffed, I couldn’t go. I explained that they, as per the staff handbook, needed to give me as much notice as the holiday and an extra day, so throwing their toys out the pram the day before wouldn’t cut it. Especially as the holiday was booked over a year ago, is posted on the board, is shown in the team calendar and involves flights/expensive accommodation.

I got a frankly lacklustre speech about where was my commitment, my patient focus. I was tempted to ask where is yours? You’ve not come down to pitch in. If it's critical’ it's all hands to the pump? (She used to work in this role, she knows how to do the job) But I was too fed up to bother.

On coming back, it does appear that ‘pitching in’ was not part of the plan and the inbox was just left unmanned, with an auto reply saying I would get back to people on my return, giving my actual return day. So everyone who emailed during my absence immediately started chasing responses as soon as a arrived this morning.

So, I am hiding in the shop.

Its all change while I have been gone. It seems we have had a taker for the little annexe space, and it sells loose-leaf teas weighed out from large ornate jars into a frankly ancient-looking weighing scales. It makes the book shop smell amazing. There is a long wooden counter with all the teas on shelves behind it and a table in the middle with some crystals, homemade soaps and candles. I have not yet seen the purveyor of the goods, but I hear she is quirky but nice.
I am deeply suspicious of the glass case with a heat lamp tucked at the back behind a curtain. RB says it’s a large lizard but I personally think it’s a baby dragon. I swear, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it belch a small smoke ring.

Good for you for sticking up for yourself, not being bullied into taking what sounds like a very well deserved AL.

My fantasy is a smallholding on a remote Scottish island (with good internet though) where I go on long windswept walks and gaze moodily out at the sea.

Can I join you?

I am going to buy the derelict plot of land opposite my house. I will build a garden centre which DH will run, attached to it will be a gift shop stocked with crafty things made by local people.

There will be a vegetarian cafe serving delicious homemade cakes, soups, bread and savouries. It will have a license so you can have a glass of wine with your lunch. DD and I will run it between us.

There will be outside seating and a children’s play area, a community garden which will supply the cafe with seasonal veg.

We will hold events throughout the year, wreath making, craft workshops, cooking lessons for vulnerable people such as care leavers or old men who have been widowed and don’t know how to cook.

I just need to win the lottery..

We went on a trip to London (to see Abba Voyage) and also went into Fortnum and Mason and Liberty. Was lush

I want to go to Liberty and buy fabric but I'm worried I would need to remortgage the house plus hire a truck to bring home the fabrics I had bought.

My entertainment on long train journies is to do a fantasy trolley dash through my favourite online fabric shop.

Last week the Christmas windows weren't up. Just seen them on tiktok. Assume slightly sinister looking puppets but quite cool.

Meanwhile I bought a Tesco tree for my shop window. We've given out mulled wine to our customers this afternoon

In my fantasy sewing studio I am putting the finishing touches to Christmas outfits for clients. There are still a few office parties. Plus sized people are not well served for festive wear. I do a line of alternatives to Christmas jumpers. Long sleeved cotton tops which are more comfortable than nylon jumpers.

Christmas cushion covers are popular. It's a quick and easy way to dress up a space. They are also fun to make.

@Trappedatwork that old 'commitment' thing, it seems to go along with 'flexibility'.

Funny how it only seems to run one way. Or worse in a way are token compensations. Being expected to routinely work many extra hours and in return maybe being allowed to leave 30 minutes early. Only once in a blue moon mind and also being expected to be grateful for this.

I am very late to this party but can I add my cutting garden flower meadow to the back of the shop? I will pick bunches of flowers to adorn the shop and customers can take a nicely wrapped bunch home with them. The bouquets will sit in Liberty fabric covered buckets by the front door. The bouquets will include sprigs of fragrant herbs, including apple mint.

On sunny days we and customers can sit and read or sew or crochet from specially designed seating areas within the flower patch. We will sip elderflower cordial and nibble on macaroons.

You have given me something to dream about whilst I contemplate the hideous restructure in my bit of local government, where I am expecting to get completely shafted by the management over the next few months.

My dream job is very similar to yours, OP.
There is a ‘cosy autumn bookshop’ screensaver thingy on YouTube and I was just saying the other day to my sister ‘THAT is where I want to work!’.

In my version, I own the bookshop, which is at the end of a quiet lane leading to a beautiful park, with a view of trees in all directions. The bookshop is deserted (very few customers come in, but that’s fine, I don’t need the money). I live above the bookshop in a cosy apartment, and open and close the shop according to my own schedule.

The seasons in my bookshop fantasy are always really intense. In Autumn, the trees outside are red and gold, the ground outside (where there is a bench and little table and chairs for coffee) is covered in autumn leaves, and the old lady who runs the tiny cafe in my shop makes hearty soups.
It snows heavily in winter and I decorate the shop with twinkly lights and light the fire (there is no Heath & Safety in my dream job world) and the cafe lady makes mince pies and mulled wine, and I give away books to children at Christmas.

I mostly drink coffee and read, and have the occasional interesting conversation with one of my customers. There is very little actual ‘work’ involved and no stress.

(I’m a senior manager in children’s social care, approaching 50 and ‘burnt out’ doesn’t cover it).

Main thing I like about opening on Sundays is I get to choose the playlist in troubled by that many customers. 80s hits playing as I type

Ooh! I like the sound of the flower meadow @Iamnotavicar . Do you do dried flowers please?

Ooh yes, we have flowers all year around, in bold as well as pastel shades. And the soap in our fragrant restroom is either tomato leaf or honeysuckle scented.
This adds to the general ambiance where we flit around in silk gowns, gently wafting

@Iamnotavicar that sounds delightful.

I am rather partial to room fragrance. My office is currently lavender and eucalyptus which DH says should be called 'Old lady with a cold'.

Well he's not allowed into the cafe on the grounds of insufficient olefactory sophistication 😁

Thank you all for coming by and sharing your lovely spaces. I've been so busy I've not had time to pop in, but it's lovely to hear about your perfect places. They all look, smell and sound wonderful

Back to wresting an inbox back into submission... sigh

I nominate this thread for the best thread ever on MN. You write so well. OP. I love your bookshop and I will visit occasionally and buy very expensive books, which will please your boss. I will wait until he is looking in your direction before I thank you profusely for the book suggestions and then part with a huge amount of cash.
@Trappedatwork Thank you for creating such a lovely fantasy.

In fantasy sewing studio my clients are still coming. We are enjoying warming drinks while they collect their new garments. They are also ordering Christmas cushions. These are a quick make so there is still time.

The underfloor heating and good insulation is keeping the studio snug.