A big Ad-Venture
One of the main features of my new lifestyle are the trips to the baby club. There I've made some new friends amongst the new mums who are great to chat, gossip, moan and laugh with. Not only do we meet at the club we've also arranged some extra trips out. Mainly involving food - hmm what does that tell us new mums are very hungry??
At baby club on Monday during the tucking into Crumpets, Tash produced an "invitation". She recently had some portraits of her son taken by a photographic company called "Venture" and she was delighted with the results. Now, I'm not sure how this next bit has come about, but basically she has invited us all to her house where there will be a person from Venture present to tell us about the service they provide and give us a special discount voucher. I guess this is the modern day version of Tupperware parties!!
Now, naturally I think my baby is the most gorgeous child to ever tread the earth and I have been thinking about getting some nice photos. Whilst I did get a digital camera for christmas and have taken about 1000000000 photos of Baby Pumkin the majority of them are a bit rubbish!! She's moved, or it's all a bit blurry, she isn't looking at the camera etc etc. I think it's fair to say I'm no David Bailey.
So I took a peak at the company website
http://www.thisisventure.co.uk and there are examples of their work. It's all very contemporary, arty, un-posed, black and white images. A far cry from the original baby portraits on big sheepskin rugs!! I showed the site to a friend who knows a bit out of photography and he was a bit scathing saying, "yes everything looks good black and white and over exposed!" Anyways, Tash is so pleased with the results of her session that she's ordered tons of prints including a ginormous canvass spending almost £1,000!!
Wowzers!! I can't imagine spending that much on photos of Pumpkin and certainly don't have any space for giant canvasses in my tiny house (which I'm still trying to sell). So I might go along to Tash's place anyhow, as she said she would get some crumpets in and we can just have a gossip.
Labels: photography, portraits, venture
Don't like the look of yours much....
Recovering from a busy week....
Car palavas aside, I also had my parents visiting - which means one thing.... They bring the dog!! A giant Alsation named Sadie. She's a very sweet and friendly dog but she's huge and takes up loads of space in my tiny house alongside my parents and of course Baby Pumpkin!!
What made things slightly more complicated was the added palava of two house viewings arranged by the estate agents, one on Thursday evening and another on Sunday afternoon. I was slightly panicked about getting the little house into showhome condition with so many people and a giant dog staying over.
However, on Thursday morning my estate agent rang to say that the person viewing that evening had phoned them to cancel. The reason being - They had driven past my house already and didn't like the outside.
Eh?? My house looks like a house from the outside.... It has a roof, my uncle painted the outside last year so it's all very smart, there are windows plus a very fabulous front door that cost me £1,000. The front garden has had the grass cut the pretty tree outside is about to blossom and looks very sweet with little pink buds. What isn't there to like about my house??? It looks like every other house on the street, really what was he expecting?? What's more a picture of my house appears on the estate agent details, the internet listing and the local paper. So how it came to be such a huge shock I've no idea.
At the time I was so relieved that he wasn't coming as I would have to clean up, chuck my parents and the dog out and try to keep Baby Pumkin awake and cheerful (not an easy task) that I didn't quibble about it.
So I enjoyed the rest of the week with my parents, got my Bug back on Friday (they did say it would take 3 days on Monday!!) Anyway Bug looks fabulous. Then we went to visit my Step-gran on Saturday. She loved Baby Pumpkin who was an exceptionally sunny delight which was a big relief.
Sunday was a day of torrential rain, not good for the dog and keeping house clean for viewer. My parents took baby Pumkin and the dog out for a long walk whilst I went crazy with the Flash All purpose cleaner. They came back dropped off Baby Pumkin, who was fast asleep, and chucked Sadie in the car and said their goodbyes.
I got Baby Pumkin up, changed, I got changed and then we awaited the viewers.... We waited and waited... And yup, no-one turned up. So Baby Pumkin sat in our best outfits in our sparkly house for no reason whatsoever.... Perhaps they didn't like the outside of my house???
Bugs, bumps and daylight robbery.
Aaarggh I'm cross, and yes I know it's all my own doing but I feel the need to let off some steam.
Car Insurance. What a palava and a hassle and for what??
To set the scene..... The Bug has a bump.. Oh and a scrape oops. A concrete wall at the carpark. Anyways, as I am thinking of trading the Bug in for something more *sigh* practical... What a rubbish word when talking about cars.... I thought I best get the bump and scrape sorted before I try to sell.
My cousin recommended a really good repair garage, she's known the owners for years and I have protected no claims on my insurance so wouldn't lose out by claiming.
I took the Bug to the garage for a consultation and the owner said that it would cost about £800 to replace the sill and do all the paintwork. I rang my insurance who wanted £350 from me as a voluntary excess!!!!!!! My premium for the whole year was only £280!!!
So, I said I would cough up for the repair... An engineer came from the insurance company to inspect the damage to make sure I wasn't making it up, and agreed the cost with my repairer. My repairer said that he would sort out a little hire car for me to run about it with whilst the Bug was off the road. He arranged me a Vauxhall Corsa and told me to ring my insurance company to give them the registration plate to get my insurance transferred onto the replacement car.
So on Monday I dropped the Bug off for it's body work and rang my insurers. Gave them the registration plate details and said that I'd have the car for about 3 days whilst mine was off the road.
Right they said, can you tell me the value of the car?
Me: Um no,
Ins: Well you have to tell us
Me: Can't you look it up, you have the details from the registration plate.
Ins: No YOU have to tell us it's the LAW. The garage should have told you this information
Me: Well they didn't, so you will have to tell me.
Ins: Ring the garage and ask them and then ring us back
Me: Oh for goodness sake, pretend it's £10,000 frantically googling the cost of a vauxhall corsa.
Ins: Right that's £62 for a weeks cover
Me: Hahhaahahahahahahaha
Ins: What is funny?
Me: How can it cost anything, when my policy says that I get a replacement car when mine is off the road.
Ins: Well you are going to your own garage, and not using our authorised repairers.
Me: But your engineer came and agreed the work with my garage!!!!!!!!!!! I could get a ton of taxis for £62 for 3 days!!!!!
Ins: As a special gesture we can change this to £30 with £10 administration fee.
Me: Grrrrrrrrr, you robbers.
Ins: Can we interest you in home insurance today??
Me: [hangs up]
So this bump has cost me £350 excess, £40 car insurance plus I had to stick £12 of petrol in the replacement car as it was under empty when I picked it up.
Yes I know that the bump was my fault. But they totally make you pay for your mistakes in all senses of the word. Don't worry come renewal time I'll take my bumps elsewhere, that will show them. Meanwhile, I went the long way round to baby club - got to make the most of my own petrol and £40 insurance for 3 days.
I hope that Bug is enjoying the little bit of body repair and comes back looking fabulous.
Labels: bumps, insurance, robbery
Weekend at Pixie's
Had some guests stay at the weekend to meet Baby Pumpkin for the first time.
I got an e-mail from an old university friend Scott saying he would like to visit and meet baby Pumpkin with his new girlfriend Cathy. Not a problem, and looking forward to showing off baby Pumpkin, but I felt a bit torn as I'm really good friends with Scott's ex-girlfriend Claire.
Scott and Claire had been together for over 10 years and had got to the point where they had the "discussion" where they discussed the next step - marriage or kids. However, Scott decided to break up which was a massive shock to Claire.
Since the split Claire moved out of their house and bought her own place near to her parents, we've met up lots since the split and Claire is still a bit shocked, but is moving on.
And it would appear that Scott is moving on as he has started dating Cathy, 9 years younger than him and has bought a sportscar. Hmmmm, now that doesn't sound too cliched does it???
Scott and Cathy arrived on Friday and whilst I was looking forward to seeing them, I also felt a bit apprehensive about meeting the new girlfriend - kind of disloyal to Claire!! I was terrified that I would put my foot in it, something like accidently calling Cathy by Claire's name. The more you worry about it, the more likely it becomes!! I didn't know if I should mention to Claire that Scott and Cathy were coming to stay.
I advised Scott that they might be happier staying in a local hotel, my spare room is now Baby Pumkin's room and all I could offer them was the sofa bed in the sitting room. I was also concerned that Baby Pumpkin's frequent night wakings might be a bit of a strain on a childless couple!! However, Scott was adamant that they would stay with me and Pumpkin - save money on a hotel, says the man with the sportscar and consulting job with huge blue chip London organisation!!
The weekend went well despite my worries!! No name faux-pas Baby Pumkin awoke only once screaming in the night. Cathy was very nice, they brought fabulous presents for Pumpkin from Hamleys toy shop in London. So all in all a very nice weekend.
I still wished that it was Scott and Claire who were visiting.
The Apprentice - You're Redunderated
OK perhaps that wouldn't make such a good TV show, and maybe I'm the only person in the world who hasn't actually watched The Apprentice, just not sure I could give it the commitment it deserved!! However, it's one of those things that you just seem to know all about it even though you've never ever watched it.
My Alan Sugar moment came back in October. The office of doom announced that they had to cut 1,000 jobs. They did this via the BBC website which is an interesting way to brief your staff. What followed was tons of flapping by 'the management' and hastily arranged briefings to tell us that we were facing redunderation, but we already knew as it had been on the BBC website.
The following weeks were full of gossip and speculation about who would be going and who would be staying. I felt reasonably confident that minions like myself would be so far down the food chain that it would be pointless getting rid of us. It was the head boys and girls who had the most to fear. Countless people kept whispering to me, "you'll be safe they daren't make someone pregnant redundant there is just too much paperwork."
So I felt fairly relaxed about the whole thing. As time drew near to learning our fate I started thinking, will redunderation actually be a good thing for me and baby?? I'd get a payout and most imporatntly I hadn't ever really liked my job or been any good at it, so what's the point in staying.
Reduderation day finally arrived and we all got an e-mail to tell us what time we'd be notified if our job was safe or not. Joking aside it was a terrible day as people learned about their fate. The office atmosphere was gloomy and very quiet as people were waiting the news. My announcement was at 1pm, but I still felt reasonably confident that there wouldn't be anything to be concerned about.
At 1pm my team was taken to a conference room, it's a bit like the bit in X-Factor where the judges split everyone up and let them know if they're through to the next round or not. The Devil's messenger came in and announced that out of the 22 of us in the room only 11 of us had jobs. We would all have to apply and the best 11 would be safe. I was really shocked, a couple of people were in tears at the prospect of losing their job to this kind of lottery. Privately I wondered if they had already chosen their lucky 11 and so this application process was just for show.
A few days later I got to speak to the Headboy and said that I'd thought about applying but had decided to take the redundancy and (most importantly the payout) and not trouble the office ever again. To my utter amazement, Headboy said OK thanks we'll make you redundant, now here's some forms from HR to fill in. So that did stamp on my ego a bit, I thought that they'd try a little bit harder to persuade me to stay on, I mean who else organises the cake sales???!!!
The paperwork arrived from HR and I signed away my paid employment, but then the craziest thing happened, I had to still apply for my old job - that I wasn't going to get. Just to keep all official and was given a 6 page application to complete. I protested, and sulked about it. Why waste my time, you've redunderated me, why go through the complete CHARADE of applying for a job you've released me from??! Well said HR, "procedure is procedure".
So I thought what do I do?? Write "rhubarb rhubarb" on every page, or try my best to write the best ever application so they could see what they would be me missing!!?? Well in the end I did the best thing I could do, and ignored the whole thing. I finished at the office of Doom in November, and to this day, no-one has asked me where my application is. It was a sad but good day. I was given a huge card saying "thanks for organising cake sales" and some lovely clothes for baby. I chucked loads of files in the bin and deleted my entire e-mail inbox. Oh yes it felt good.
So here I am with a fat redundancy cheque, plus maternity allowance and it's to last me the rest of my life!!!! So tempted to buy shoes... Must .... Resist....
My new employment, as mother to baby Pumpkin is a varied role, there isn't a strict dresscode pyjamas most days, the company vehicle is a pram and there aren't any holidays ever. But I wouldn't swap it with the office of doom for just 1 minute.
Labels: job applications, office, redundancy
Nothing Really Happens???????
As I am settling back into Blog world and making myself comfortable, I thought I'd recap what has happened since July 2007, not a great deal really other than:
I got made redundant from the office of doom in November!!
I sold my house, and the week before I was going to move the old bag buying it changed her mind and pulled out
I had already had on offer accepted on another house and surveys done and mortgage arranged - so I lost over £500. That house has subsequently been sold to someone else
I discovered facebook and waste much of my time on there
I gave up my BWFC season ticket - and look what happened relegation battle-ahoy
I went on holiday to France for 2 blissful restful and very hot weeks!
I've booked another holiday to France in June (a different place and taking baby Pumpkin!!!)
I put my house back on the market, with a different estate agent as the last lot were complete numpties. Despite 15 viewings only had 1 offer of £25,000 less than the asking price. I swiftly declined and now the ar$e has fallen out of the market. Nice one!
I met Jason Orange from Take That in my bank, he signed my diary and was sooo lovely. Had to sell my tour ticket :o( was too close to baby Pumpkin arriving to be heading off to Brum and back. Baby Pumpkin did enjoy the Sissor Sisters and Girls Aloud whilst being a bump. Got the Take That Tour DVD for my Mother's Day present from baby Pumpkin - the perks of the job!!
I've made some fantabulous baby friends at my clinic and do all kinds of baby-related activites that I didn't ever think that I would find interesting or fun. However, they do mostly end up with us eating crumpets and gossiping. Who wouldn't find that interesting??
I'm thinking of selling my beloved Bug. Just after it cost me £797 to get it through its MOT and service. There can't be anything original left on that car now. Looking to replace it with a *sigh* mummy mobile. Can barely fit the bloomin pram or baby pumpkin in my beautiful but impractical car.
I reckon that's all really for now. Other than I don't ever sleep, I get puked on (and worse), my boobs leak, I'll never buy another pair of heels again. But I don't know if I've ever mentioned that I've never ever been happier in my whole life???
Labels: bwfc, redundancy, Take That
I'm Back
Just blowing the dust and cobwebs of the old Pixie Blog, it's been a long time and the place is feeling very neglected I'll just get my duster out and then I can bring you up-to-date.
Well, here we go. Since my last blog which I see was back in July 2007 a lot of things have happened:
Most importantly the birth of my beautiful and gorgeous baby girl in December 2007 weighing a healthy 7lb 12oz. Now I haven't achieved much in my life, my job was a joke and I haven't done anything of note in my private life, but I can truly say that my baby is my greatest achievement and proudest moment of all my years. Yes I know that millions of babies are born every day, but she truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Makes me look a bit daft as I was telling anyone who would listen that I would be having a boy, I felt my maternal instincts wouldn't be so wrong. Oops yes they were and baby pumpkin is the cutest sweetest baby ever born (in my somewhat very biased opinion!)
Oooh that's all soppy isn't it!! I will update you on all the other things that have gone on since July 2007
