Work wise

the redundancy programme is coming to an end. It's been a tough exercise for everyone - the HR team and maxed out trying to do the administration; the Managers are up to their necks trying to assess who should be let go in order to still be able to deliver the business and the staff are all understandably worried and despondent. It's hard watching people I've worked with for years leaving the company and knowing what a loss it is both on a work and personal basis.

Trying to focus on the end...done most of the compulsory redundancy dismissals now - just two more to do this week. They all leave on 30th but not sure if that's the end of the story...have a feeling we'll soon be looking at another wave albeit much smaller numbers :o(

Deposited eldest

in her new abode on Saturday. What to say? ...despite the fab modern halls that you see on the Uni visits the typical student accommodation is alive (quite literally!) and well. Her new house is in a reasonable area, mix of residential housing and student flats. From the outside the place looks fine, but when she opened the door I was hit with an overwhelming smell of damp & the sight of a slug trail down the hall carpet !!!!! :o/ I'll spare you the details but basically there's a list of 29 things which need fixing - landlord had promised to sort them out over the summer after the previous residents moved out but nothing's happened. Fortunately Strident Student's room is in the loft and has only recently been converted so is not too bad. Spent the day with one of the other Mums doing a mega clean, unpacking and buying groceries and left thinking it was at least marginally more habitable. In her inimitable style she's already written a letter of complaint to the landlord on behalf of all the tenants and is meeting with the Uni accommodation officer so that'll keep her busy.

Smaller sproglets

have settled back into the school routine OK... well, bar the homework ;o)

They've both taken up new activities so I'm demented with trying to remember who is doing what each night. Minor Mayhem's dropped Tae Kwon Do in favour of Rugby and IT (and is also thinking about table tennis!) whilst Miss Sensible's now doing Hockey and Rock Climbing as well as Sax. So no night is free from operating Mum's taxi :o(

Add to that the requirement to drop off and collect from the stables at the weekend......I'm knackered just thinking about it...