This week started with my final Sunday shift at work. I was working from 12 till 6pm. It was a busy shift, but we did still get to finish a little early. It was strange to think that it was the last time I would work on a Sunday in this job, but a good strange.
In the evening, we could all have supper together and OH and I watched some TV. We started watching a couple of new series, one of which was Annika, the other being The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Both were very watchable, although the latter is quite gruesome in parts.
I've been waking in the early hours for the last few nights, which has meant that I've been tired a lot of the time. I'm hoping that once I finish work, I'll start to sleep better again and feel less shattered all the time.
On Monday morning, LB and I headed out to do the the weekly food shop out of town. We both decided to pay a visit to a different branch of the store where I work, so we could have a last use of our discount cards, before they expire when I leave. I didn't buy a whole lot, just a few very small bits in the final sale clearance and some food bits for OH's Xmas Hamper. I may as well get the 10% off now, as opposed to no discount nearer the time. I also bought a couple of small Xmas stocking fillers in Lidl, when we did the grocery shop.
I'm going to try to be much more considered this year, when it comes to buying Xmas gifts. I normally go way too overboard, but I don't want to do that this year. I'm really sticking to only what OH and LB ask for, with very few extras. Especially for LB, as she often doesn't actually use the extra things I buy her, which is a total waste.
We had a nice morning out shopping and then came home. I had an hour or so to chill before I needed to get ready for work in the evening. Tonight, will be the end of the last five day stretch of shifts that I need to work, which I'm super happy about, as they have been pretty exhausting.
Just before I got to work tonight, I got an email inviting me to a telephone interview for a job that I'd applied for when I first thought about leaving work. I'd really thought that I'd been overlooked, as I'd heard nothing in over a week, so it was a bit unexpected. Anyway, I booked an interview for later in the week. I assume they'll call me at the specified time.
Work was okay, apart from a very rude couple that I served towards the end of the evening. Working in retail, you do sometimes see the not so nice side of people, when they can't get exactly what they want for whatever reason.
On Tuesday morning, I had a long lie in, after another night of not sleeping well. LB was a bit unwell in the night and then had to get up for work, poor thing. I eventually got up and had some breakfast, and thought about getting ready to go to the gym, but then decided not to. I just needed a day to myself to process, organise, chill, do some laundry, etc.
On Wednesday morning, I got up and got ready to go to the gym. I had a good workout, but felt very tired. I think the last three months of being super busy have taken their toll on me. Anyway, later, as I was printing off my wage slips from work before I leave, I got a call about the telephone interview I'd arranged, asking me to go in for a face to face interview instead. To be honest, I much prefer this. It's difficult to get a real impression of someone over the telephone.
I also got notification of something that I had a search on on eBay. It was a sofa cover for our IKEA sofa, which we've had for over 20 years now and has long been discontinued. I paid around £300 for a new cover from a different company a few years ago and when I saw this IKEA original cover in brand new condition for £35, I had a chat to OH and then I bought it. It isn't a colour I would have chosen (orange), but it should be good as a spare and will be nice to put on for the autumn (although I'm not really into seasonal decor). I just couldn't resist it at the price. I'm just hoping it is brand new when it arrives and looks okay when we put it on. I'll post when we do.
Later in the afternoon, OH and I went over to the allotment to do some weeding and harvesting. Everything is slowly coming to an end now. Another few weeks and we'll be winding it down for the autumn/winter. In the evening, I watched the latest episode of Sewing Bee and a couple of episodes of Annika on catch up. OH was out watching one day cricket at Lords with a friend.
On Thursday morning, I needed to get up early and go out to the job interview. I was there in good time and had time to wander around the store and familiarise myself with it. I saw a few other candidates who all looked very young i.e. 18 or 19, although it isn't always easy to tell. The interview was interesting. I was asked a couple of questions that I wasn't expecting and I was very honest in my answers. Too honest, I think, and I probably self-sabotaged any chance of the job, but I'd rather set my stall out before taking a job. I'm tired of pretending and people pleasing. It gets you nowhere. I was told that over 300 people had applied and that they'd narrowed it down to 10 candidates for 5 jobs, so I did well enough to get an interview and the process is all good practice.
I was due at work on Thursday evening. It was quite busy all evening, so it passed quite quickly thankfully. To be honest, I was a bit detached. I'm just trying to get through the shifts, until I finish working out my notice. I've been feeling tired and mentally overwhelmed when I'm there recently, I think it's just from the normal process of unwinding now that I know that I'm leaving. A bit like you feel when you're counting down to a much needed holiday, which I guess is what I'm giving myself by leaving.
On Friday morning, I woke up feeling a bit low. I'm not walking away from my job without feeling anything. I have good days where I feel positive about it and bad days where I question my choices, but I'm 99% sure I'm doing the right thing for me. It didn't help that I couldn't even have a lie in, as the builders next door were banging, cursing (using very bad language) and shouting outside the window. It's driving me mad at the moment. I can't seem to get any peace, even when at I'm home.
Anyway, I moved to a different room and had a lie in there instead. I wasn't feeling the gym today, so I skipped it. I'll start again properly next week. I'm not going to beat myself up about it.
I didn't hear from the job interview, which I totally expected. To be honest, I don't want to jump from one job to another. I need time to have a break. I need to rest and recouperate from an intense period of working. Besides, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor and things I found out in the interview, the company sounded very like a company I'd worked for previously, that I left after 6 months. I don't think I'd have lasted very long there anyway. I think I'm done with corporate retail, but I'll never say never.
In the afternoon, LB and I went out on the bus to a local fabric warehouse. I wanted to show it to her for future reference, as she's gradually getting into sewing. She'd also heard of it from some fellow students at Uni and was curious to see what it was like. I bought a few small pieces of fabric and some bits of haberdashery. I spent just £4, which was quite restrained for me. They do lots of lovely denims, viscoses and linens and I could happily have spent some money on them, but I didn't as I didn't have any specific projects in mind.
When we got home, I chilled for a couple of hours. The builders next door finally left and peace descended at last. OH finished work early for the Bank Holiday weekend and we started watching an old movie (Gorky Park), until a builder in the house on the other side started sanding their floors at 5.30pm. OH messaged the owner who was away and the owner asked him to stop work, which he did, thankfully.
On Saturday morning, I needed to do some cleaning in the house, as a couple of LB's friends were coming to stay overnight after attending a concert nearby. This took most of the day before I needed to get ready for work at 4pm. I had to get the bus to work, as OH needed the car. Luckily, I could catch a bus from the end of our street.
Work was busy, which I was grateful for and passed quickly. It was my last shift. I was happy to leave, but I did feel a bit sad saying goodbye to a couple of people. OH came to pick me up from work, which I was glad of. It felt strange to leave for the last time, but that's pretty normal I guess when you've gone to the same workplace for nearly two years.
I'm now looking forward to a rest, a new routine and getting more balance in my life. Things have been way too weighted towards working lately. I've got a few ideas of things I want to do in the next few months, so I'll let you know what I get up to.
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