Long Time Musing

Didn't realise I had left writing my blog for such a long time, shows how quickly time goes when you are busy! I've learnt a lot this year on people you work for and how they can treat you.

Started back on site 2nd January full of hope and excitement for the year ahead, lasted 4 hours. In that 4 hours I had my bag and mp3 player stolen out of the house I was working in, get told in a snotty manner that I wasn't even meant to be in work that day and whatever work I did do I wasn't getting paid for. To say I was angry was an understatement. Made some enquiries and left that day for another company. To be honest I had months of being paid whenever he could be arsed to do it and countless weekends ruined by that so it was the push I needed to leave. Also I'm still owed £120 by the company so if anyone who still works for you reads this, pay me what I'm owed!!

On to the next firm where I spent the next six months. Was really happy there, enjoyed the work and the pay. Put in some hours there as well, including a lot of weekends. Didn't mind so much as I was earning good money. Did feel at times I was just been used to do the work no one else wanted to do, but shrugged it off. For the second time this year I was victim of theft, within the same month to be honest. Left my gear, in what I thought was a locked secure house, and turned up on a Sunday morning (worked a few of those this year stupidly) to find somebody had got through the back and taken more or less most of my stuff. About £250 worth roughly and I'm still trying to replace most of it. Had brushes I had spent months working down to be perfect for oil based and also perfect for using on water based trim, so if anyone in Newcastle-under-Lyme picked up some good used brushes on a car boot earlier in the year, you're welcome.

Done a lot of travelling this year compared to last year. A whole lot more. For two months it was a 600 mile 5 day week, then doing weekends on top. This eventually takes it toll on you and mine was almost falling asleep on the M42 on the way home, thankfully I didn't and had the sense to come off and rest. But it does hit home how important it is to listen to your body and not plough on regardless. Anyway doing this travelling and working weekends, I stupidly thought it was keeping me in the bosses good books. I worked fathers day for him, something I hadn't ever done before, come in the following morning to be told I'm getting laid off end of the week as no work. Once again, proper angry. From what I have heard since it was a site agent saying I was leaving early, despite starting work at 6 and stopping till 3.30. Another watershed moment for me, I'm not putting myself out for any firm again unless it benefits me more.

On to the present. I've worked for this company for a couple of months, enjoying it a lot. They are after a higher standard of work and its refreshing to push myself to achieve that. Found myself questioning everything I do, saying can I do it better than that, even if it is a good standard anyway. It's always good to raise your game as it can benefit you in many other aspects of your life. It's helped me decide what I am aiming for as well. As I've found the past few years, to companies you are nothing but a number. When the work dries up you are gone, regardless of what hours you do. So I've taken the aim of being able to work solely for myself within the next 18 to 24 months. I have done my own jobs over the past few years, not enough to keep me going week in week out. Now my other half has begun working again, the burden has been lifted off me a bit. Gives me the chance to get out and find my own work and do what I actually prefer to do. Can start to move away from site work and all the bull shit that surrounds it. Only job I know that you can do something right first time, then get it ripped apart for the sake of ripping it apart to prove a point. It can be soul destroying at times and it does make you question your own abilities. It's only when you take a step back you realise it's not you, it's others justifying their own jobs and it's that crap I don't need in my life all the time.