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Original poster

Anybody else struggle with working from home?

361 replies

staranise · 16/06/2008 16:45

As in, I'm meant to be working right now and am paying a fortune in childcare to enable me to do so but just can't get motivated, especially when I work sitting on my bed plus keep jumping up and down to put another load of washing on, tidy up some toys etc etc.

I normaly ban MN on work days but feeling weak today...

Wouldlove some colleagues to keep me focussed...

OP posts:
hattyyellow · 14/07/2008 17:01

Becster I struggle as well if the house is in chaos - DH thinks I'm mad but I have to unpack everything even if it's late, otherwise I just spend the next day doing it when I'm supposed to be working!

Becky ow for the toothache . We used to live about 10 miles east of Cheltenham, so not far from you. Was a lovely area, Cheltenham great fun.

Am not having great day, struggling with writers block on bid writing . Back to the grindstone.

suey2 · 14/07/2008 19:37

hello all,
well i finished my hideous report today but have another i have to do on weds. That and a morning of patients, tick, so feel i am beginning to sort things out. It always seems like something else just gets added, though!
No work at the weekend, but purged my and Lo's wardrobes: maternity clothes put away and 2 sacks for charidee. always feels good! Since i have discovered that maternity t shirts are actually long enough i have thrown all of my old ones out. Life is too short to wear tshirts too short IYKWIM

thumbwitch · 14/07/2008 22:23

Sadly not more money as fewer hours but my boss has made an error in my annual salary rate which has led to her thinking my hourly rate is higher than it really was, which means I can work fewer hours for the same pay! I think that's a result, but the actual pay doesn't go up as they have a fixed budget for how much they can pay me until the end of the year, so I have to fit my hours to that budget.

I have a couple of other things in the pipeline, plus of course the massage clients, so should be ok.

Becky, hope the toothache goes away - dentists are soooo bloody expensive, I can't bear it! i am seeing mine on Thursday to decide what sort of crown to have on a recently root-filled molar (princely private sum of £500, wasn't given the NHS option) - I can get the free steel one (bleugh) or spend between £400 and £500 getting a gold or ceramic one. DH is being fairly supportive about spending the money but we're both pretty peed off about it!

TracyK · 14/07/2008 22:54

I have to think of dentists like a facial. Having to pay for it - to make you look better iykwim - otherwise I'd get grrr at having to pay for it!

Went into the office today and got a stack of stuff done, filled th car up with petrol and managed a whizz round B&Q to get large palm for lounge that I'd been thinking of geting for ages. And still managed to pick up ds at 2.30 - so not too long a day for him.
Still had no final commitment from boss to get friend to job share with me - oops - I've told her to turn up on Thurs after she comes back from hols. I'd better pin him to the wall tomorrow.

BeckyBendyLegs · 15/07/2008 08:34

My dentist is an NHS dentist but it is such a treck to get there but worth it to save some money. We have a dentist here but it is private and once when I was desperate with tooth ache a week after giving birth to DS2 so I went there and he told me I needed root canal work and it would cost £2,000. After I picked myself off the floor I went home and booked an appointment at the NHS dentist and endured the pain until they could see me.

When we move the first thing I am going to do is root out (ha ha ha) an NHS dentist that will take four new patients. Hmmmm.

I'm going to have to go shopping this morning for birthday presents. Is it just me or does everyone have birthdays in the summer? I have my brother, brother-in-law, mum, other brother-in-law, oldest friend, and three of DS1's school friends to buy for. Let's just call it Christmas shopping!

Original poster
staranise · 15/07/2008 10:42

Morning Becky, hatty, Suey, Thumb, Tracey and everyone else! Today is a work day for me so will ban MN after this til 5.30...

Ouch for your dentist trip Becky - I'm over due a visit as well adn know I need a deep filling redoing but can't bear any dentistry while I'm pg

Was going to keep work til end of september but am now thinking of stopping end of Aug as am finding it so hard to fit in with the two DDs, even thoguh I only do 10-15 horus a week. plus, having now calculated how much i earned last year, it is so little, I feel less motivated than before! Still, have got a ton of work on right now so need to get on with it... see you for tea break at 5ish...

OP posts:
PortBlacksandResident · 15/07/2008 10:50

Becky - my dentist took me and my lot on last year NHS no probs and they're in Shrewsbury. Will let you know the name if you want.

Got bugger all done so far as we are off on our hols on Saturday and there's loads to do for that.

Thing is - if i were 'at work' full time i'd be doing these things in the evening.

Must get more organised..............

thumbwitch · 15/07/2008 11:24

morning all - just done my work for the day - 1 client - so free to MN for a bit. DS a bit clingy today after being poorly over the weekend so might not be on for long!

BeckyBendyLegs · 15/07/2008 12:35

It is hot today, the sun is shining, I can't possibly do work today!

GColdtimer · 15/07/2008 15:14

hello everyone, haven't been around for a while - not much faffing going on today I see . Of course, it could be because you are all out enjoying the sunshine.

I have been so busy and have managed to get stuck in today. My to do list is a bit scary and now I am wondering why I didn't get on with it a couple of weeks ago before deadlines were looming. Why do we all leave it to the last possible minute?

Becky, I hope your toothache is going away - it is horrible.

thumbwitch · 15/07/2008 16:52

twofalls, that is exactly what i always say to myself as well - and i always swear i'll do better next time - and then i leave it to the last minute again!

have remembered to pay bills today and get passport application form for DS - that's almost work!

BeckyBendyLegs · 15/07/2008 17:29

My toothache is better now I've made an appointment. I get this re-occurring pain whenever I am feeling low or run-down. The sunshine must have cured it! I haven't done an ounce of work today. But someone I do a lot of work for, who is also a freelancer, is treating me to a Japanese cooking evening tonight. I am excited as I used to live in Japan!

TracyK · 15/07/2008 18:05

ooh - becky that sounds great - better than the cheese rolls ds and i have just had!
Done nothing today as friend and her ds visitng from London. But the boys played really well and I had a good relaxing chatty time.

Still - will have to come back on here after ds in bed!

GColdtimer · 16/07/2008 12:08

Its awful isn't it thumbwitch - I have always been the same though.

What is everyone working on today (or trying to work on)? I am promoting a training course I run (next one in September and only 5 bookings, eek) and working on the publicity for a book on Pirates!

PortBlacksandResident · 16/07/2008 12:13

Still looking for a suitable studio online - it's about all i can get done. Can't go into my actual studio as DS1 is off school with a bad tummy ache (grrrrrr) - although bless him he has the runs. He's currently sitting next to me telling me EVERYTHING he's looking at on his dad's laptop (joy). Two more days to the summer hols here.

hattyyellow · 16/07/2008 12:23

Have had a wonderfully constructive morning including hour long conference call - must admit to sneaking a look at mn during a particulary boring bit, I think it's the adrenalin of knowing they can't see me!

Hope y'all having a good day. Off to take DD's to the farm this afternoon.

BeckyBendyLegs · 16/07/2008 12:25

Hi everyone

The DSs are going to their friend Archie's house to play this afternoon so I will be checking some online text for one client and proofreading an index for an academic law book. I only usually do proofreading if I am desperate now as I'm not that good at it and it pays really badly but it fills in the gaps during quiet periods.

TantieTowie · 16/07/2008 12:37

I've been quite good so far - this is my first venture onto MN today. So far I've finished a feature and sent it off and now I have to go through notes on three interviews for a feature I've got to write on forensic accounting. You can see I'm not rushing to it!

Have to get on because it's my last working day this week, in my new experiment of only working during the hours I have childcare for - and reclaiming the naps! Have a lot to fit in though since the week after next DS's CM is on holiday.

GColdtimer · 16/07/2008 13:33

oh, I am so cross. This is when I miss working in an office. I am working on a marketing campaign for a client. They wanted to use their in house designer which I advised against but there go. I sent her the copy 2 days ago and followed up with her today as she hadn't acknowledged receipt of the copy/brief. I asked her to call me when she had read it so we could talk it through (she is based US). She just replied saying that she has done 2 or 3 concepts which are with her boss (who is not a marketing person). Errrmm, surely they should be with me as the person contracted to carry out the campaign?

OK, not a huge deal, a bit of a pain because it is something I have to now wrestle back but it is the sort of thing you rant about over a coffee isn't it?

laundrylover · 16/07/2008 18:37

Rant away to us twofalls.

I've done two visits to community groups applying for Lottery money yesterday and today and both were lovely groups. The lady from the first one just called me to say how glad they were that I was helping the group so am feeling good today.

Trying to pack for Latitude festival tomorrow and am on curry night out with mums and teachers from DD1s class...better finish my work emails quick!

goldpony · 16/07/2008 20:39

Hello everyone, I belong here too! I need to read through the last 200 messages first but will be back - probably when I should be working!

TracyK · 16/07/2008 21:01

Was office based today and managed to get a couple of hours work done. Unf. had to catch up on the gossip wih one of the girls - they'd all been working at Goodwood Festival of Speed at the weekend - so that wasted an hour or two!

Mum had ds and took him to a play centre and then Pizza Hut with his cousins - so managed to get to a gym class too. So am sweaty but proud!

Gobbledigook · 16/07/2008 21:03

I am working this evening, probably till about 11, because ds3 has been off school nursery due to strike action. Great.

Tomorrow will be a repeat - look after 3 year old day, do washing, ironing, putting away, cleaning, making food, school runs for older ones, friends home for tea after school....WORK!

thumbwitch · 16/07/2008 23:03

Ah, I had a nice relaxing morning today (sorry!), just me and DS, then in the afternoon had to meet up with sis and Dad at the cemetery; then rush back for a client at 6pm. I don't usually do clients in the evening, it's a bit unfair on DH, but the client in qu is doing a 10km run for a hospice this SUnday and needed to have his legs "beaten into shape" (his words!) -so I made an exception. Feeling quite virtuous now...

laundrylover · 17/07/2008 09:16

Can someone beat me into shape please??