It’s been a while and that’s because ……… I’m working. HOORAH!
The contract with my first client for three days a week has started and it’s hectic. So much to do and so much to learn about the technology. I really wished that I’d taken chemistry as an option at school as well as physics, as I’m sure that would really help right now. Come to think about it, I really wish that I’d tried harder in art class too instead of trying to pierce Dean Taylor’s ear for him. I mean just look at the state of this portrait I did last week of my gorgeous boyfriend……think I exaggerated his double chin slightly (sorry Frodo).
Tomorrow morning there’s every chance you’ll see me on the TV, if you’re up early enough. I’m taking part in BBC Breakfast’s menopause week with Louise Minchin.
See if you can spot me. I’ll leave you with this thought
In contrast to my last post this one will be very short. The sun is shining and it’s time to get the bike out as it’s International Female Ride Day and there’s lots of cake to be eaten when I meet the ladies.
Yesterday was the kick-off meeting with a client for my very first contract as a self-employed person. Oh jeez. The frantic nature of this meeting can be compared the to bpm of this track (it’s close to 300 I think) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0KmnsqFew which is pretty much the same as my heart beat when I’ve been out on the bike!
Three words to describe yesterday; fast, accurate and lively. Any way time to ride.
It took about a day and a half to get over the hangover from the leaving drinks, so the weekend went by in a flash. Since then I’ve been busy sorting out finances, insurances, updating the CV, LinkedIn and attending workshops on various things from interview skills to starting your own business…….so my head still hurts but not through alcohol!
In my first post I said that I would set the scene of my life. It’ll be hard to do as I’m currently at Georgia’s (daughter) whilst Adrian (the plumber 🙂 ) works on the her bathroom and fits a new washing machine (courtesy of mother’s purse).
Here goes; Left school at 16 and told to get a job. I wanted to go into the army but a dislocated left knee put paid to that. Wanted to join the police; but you had to be 5′ 9″ or taller, no heavier than 10.5 stone and couldn’t wear glasses….well thanks mother nature you were very cruel to me. Started the YTS and worked for two companies just doing admin work, then got a job for £50 a week in a machine tool import/export company and stayed for 15 years. It was during my tenure with this company that I met and married Mark and we had Georgia. Believe me at the age of 17 staying in a job for 15 years sounded like doing a life sentence, but it was fun most of the and I got to drive some amazing cars.
Left the machine tool company and went to work for a family business; the least said about that the better. A short stint with an electrical engineering company as a sales and marketing coordinator and credit controller (great mix) then moved to Leicester to work with a Danish automated handling company in 2002. It was strange handing in my notice to the electrical company as I was 35,000ft in the air on a plane to Tenerife but good old Royal Mail delivered on that one.
2007 saw a move from Leicester to Coventry to work for the inspection services company that I’ve just left. Whilst in Leicester I studied my CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing and started the diploma. I finished the diploma with the new company and graduated in 2010. Now that was a great feeling! With the digital marketing age that we’re in now I’m not sure it helped, but the strategy and basics are always there. I’m a Certified Digital Marketing Professional now, let’s hope that qualification is going to help now………PLEASE!
Around 2012/2013 things in the marriage started to go wrong. I lost my Granma and youngest uncle. Some years later, ‘Pops’ (father in law) passed away and the following year Aunty Jen gained her wings too. Used to love going to aunty and uncle’s house; cheese and cucumber sandwiches, listening to ABBA, Party7, sunbathing in the garden and of course so many make-up and hair sessions in the kitchen, and that was just for uncle (joking of course). In between Noah (The Monster) arrives in the world in 2014. Jump to 2016 and Mark and I amicably agree to separate and I moved just a five minute walk away. To start the next chapter of my life. One of the contributing factors that I believe caused the end of my marriage was the menopause, or rather the ‘peri-menopause’ phase. If you’ve researched and studied the menopause even a little you’ll know the changes it causes both in your mental attitude and your physical state. Perhaps if the GP’s had listened to me more I might have got the HRT earlier which could have saved my marriage and my sanity.
A few relationships came and went after 2016, but I realise now that I wasn’t ready and that’s why they failed and in a way I’m glad they did. I bought my own house in July 2017 and moved about 14 miles away. It was a bit of a car crash in the first half of 2018, I was a mess…..didn’t even recognise myself. I was out running more to get away from things. On March 14th I received a call from my solicitor to say that the divorce was final. That night I started to feel ill. Several days later I was hospitalised with Quinsy for the second time in 18 months and I think that this was the catalyst to my short but rapid downward spiral of stupid decisions and unfamiliar behaviour. If you don’t know what Quinsy is, look it up, I don’t want to put you off your food if you are eating. One or two good friends picked me up, we laughed a lot and eventually I got my arse back into gear.
I’d started using Instagram a few years earlier, but hadn’t really taken much notice of it, but last year it became my saviour. My feed was full of motorbikes and one person I was following in particular was the one that made me laugh more than any and brought the sparkle back. If you’re on Insta follow @r1soul_s10 This guy made me laugh so much and always checked on me; with good reason. You see, and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying this, he’s had his own mental health problems and is very astute in seeing vulnerable people and making sure they’re OK once in a while. That said he’s bloody hilarious and would be entertainment for any party. Most Thursday’s during bike season (from April onwards) I’d get a message to say ‘coming to Norton tonight?’. Norton Motorcycles hold a bike night most Thursday’s, but it was never a good night for me as I ran a dance venue……..so I was always busy.
But July 19th 2018 was very different. The dance venue had been ‘closed’ for the summer, much to mine and the regular dancers utter disgust. So, I messaged @r1soul_s10 and said with excitement ‘Guess who’s coming to Norton tonight!?’ We were meeting at the main gate at Donington Park and would then ride the short distance into Norton……I was nervous and bouncing around all at the same time. I was first there, shortly followed by @r1soul_s10 and he’s every bit as daft in person as he is virtually HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN. He said, there’s a few more coming to meet us as well and we’ll all ride in together. Over the next 10-15 minutes several more bikes pulled up. ‘We’re expecting Ady, Princess 1 (@emasullivan) and Princess 2 (@iharzzie)’ I was informed. As I saw a BMW GSA slowly pulling in to park up, I noticed that there was a pillion on the bike. I sighed as my immediate thought was, ‘Oh he’s brought his girlfriend or wife’. Imagine my total shock when the pillion took her helmet off and I realised it was a young girl, it had to be the rider’s daughter (it was). The rider took his helmet off ‘H-E-L-L-O!’ My god this man was gorgeous, with brown cocoa skin and curly black hair and from some angles a George Clooney look-a-like (only shorter). At this point I’d still got my helmet on and I thought ‘Oh jeez, looks like we’re staying here for a few minutes, I’ll have to take my helmet off and talk to this man!’
The ride into Norton was quick, not sure I actually remember it now, but we did as we were told to ride in slowly and give some space between the bikes so that the photographer could get good pics. We parked up, sat on the grass and the banter and clowning around starting. It was a great night. I’d never met any of these people before but what a night. Two others that I was introduced to that night were @daywithrob8 and @cliffw59, great guys and lots of fun. I can honestly say that these people are now fab friends and one a little more than that. @ady_jones and I (The Posh Plumber) met that night and have been inseparable since, feels weird to say that I have a boyfriend, especially at my age, but hell it’s great. We’re always up to mischief in some form or another even if it’s only taking the mickey out of each other…….eh FRODO!
Anyway, that’s the story of the end of one chapter and the start of another…..my love life. The career? Well I’ll tell you more next time.
Now bear with me, I’m not the writer in the family. That title goes to the golden child Lil Bro’, I guess that being educated at an all boys school has helped him in some way. Perhaps he should have been the marketer not me.
So today marks the start of yet another new chapter for me, there have been far too many of those in the last few years.
At the age of 51 3/4 I find myself redundant. It’s never happened to me before, bearing in mind I’ve been working full-time since the age of 16 and it’s damn scary. Couple that with the menopause, yes I said menopause Deborah Garlick (and just to make sure that I’ve said it for 3 times today, I’ll say it again MENOPAUSE), I feel like I’m being put out to graze or sent to the scrap heap.
With that I decided to start this blog, to capture my journey through life, work, health and all the other crap that seems to come my way these days.
Talking of marketing, it’s been my life. I’m no expert, but what I do have is energy, enthusiasm and the much needed ‘can-do’ attitude that most potential employers state on their role profiles. Since I started work in 1983 on a good old YTS (you have to be 50+ to remember it or you might remember it was called YOP) it’s all I’ve done in one form or another along with sales and business development. Strangely I’ve always been in engineering, so I guess the tomboy days have stayed with me. Thank goodness I don’t still look like that ‘chubby little chap’ that a colleague once described me as in my last school photo (thanks Muriel).
Anyway, redundancy. How do I feel? Since finding out I was at risk on 11th February and then being given my finish date of 11th April (today) it’s been anger all the way, until yesterday when acceptance finally hit. Well I don’t have much choice in the matter but to accept it. What will I do? Normally I would panic. I’m the sort of person who needs to know what she’s doing, when, how to get there, what route to do drive, how long will it take by train if the roads are closed and if all else fails can I run there! It’s possibly an opportunity to go self-employed using my marketing skills. All avenues are being explored as we speak, so watch this space.
As for the menopause, can’t stop that train. It’s not an express but more of a steam train in many ways. I have many more years of meno-brain and hot flushes to endure. And those damn motorbike leather fairies need to stop stitching up the seams of my gear. My impression of the Michelin Man is going to win me an Oscar very soon. For my female friends of that ‘certain age’ this one’s for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0PjzSYRQaE
Welcome to The Scrap Heap Diaries. In the next issue we’ll set the scene of the last 30 years of my life in one single short post. But for now, I’m going to leave you with this image……
Menopausal and redundant: The Scrap Heap Diaries 