Domestic God
Well, not quite. But after I post this I'll be starting off tonight's spaghetti Bolognese, which counts as major cookage for me (actually, it doesn't, but I can remember the days when it did). I'm just back from a quick bike ride up to the top of the hill behind the village. It's not a major hill by any means, but when I started getting fit last year I used to mark my progress by how far I got up it without stopping. Although I'm not as light as I was at my best last year, I'm delighted to report that I got all the way to the top without stopping once. The weather's good here, in that it's not actually raining, and I think M and I will head off for a bit of an explore tomorrow. Picnics may feature.
Job things continue in a positive direction. After Friday's interview, boss-in-waiting has recommended me to his boss, who's approved the decision, and now they're approaching the corporate overlords in a different time-zone. If the Dark Lady says yes, I'll be approved to start on April 14th. I was sort of amused to realise that I'll be starting (after the agency takes their 10%) at almost exactly the same rate that I left contracting at almost exactly seven years ago. Back then, the rate seemed ridiculously high - now it merely seems comfortable. On one hand, it's about £20k a year higher than I was getting as a permanent employee, and, thanks to our stupid tax laws, I'll probably pay about half the amount of tax I was paying as a permie. I'm paying about the same in total on mortgage and rent that I was back then, and, although my car payment has gone up, my petrol usage has gone down, so I'm roughly square on that. And I'm not contributing to the upkeep on a third property anymore, so overall, taking seven year's inflation into the picture, I should be about as well off as I was back then. IF it happens, which I'll know by the end of the week.
I've got lots to say about how I feel about going back into the corporate bearpit, but I want to leave off saying it until the deal is done.
In the interim, I have my dog sleeping beside me, my boy dozing in the lounge, my cat probably still asleep on the chair I used to be sitting on, and, for some odd reason, no girlfriend here. Hmm. Will need to have words with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
unblinkered. Off to drink a glass of kir now, and then get my cooking mojo on.
Job things continue in a positive direction. After Friday's interview, boss-in-waiting has recommended me to his boss, who's approved the decision, and now they're approaching the corporate overlords in a different time-zone. If the Dark Lady says yes, I'll be approved to start on April 14th. I was sort of amused to realise that I'll be starting (after the agency takes their 10%) at almost exactly the same rate that I left contracting at almost exactly seven years ago. Back then, the rate seemed ridiculously high - now it merely seems comfortable. On one hand, it's about £20k a year higher than I was getting as a permanent employee, and, thanks to our stupid tax laws, I'll probably pay about half the amount of tax I was paying as a permie. I'm paying about the same in total on mortgage and rent that I was back then, and, although my car payment has gone up, my petrol usage has gone down, so I'm roughly square on that. And I'm not contributing to the upkeep on a third property anymore, so overall, taking seven year's inflation into the picture, I should be about as well off as I was back then. IF it happens, which I'll know by the end of the week.
I've got lots to say about how I feel about going back into the corporate bearpit, but I want to leave off saying it until the deal is done.
In the interim, I have my dog sleeping beside me, my boy dozing in the lounge, my cat probably still asleep on the chair I used to be sitting on, and, for some odd reason, no girlfriend here. Hmm. Will need to have words with
unblinkered. Off to drink a glass of kir now, and then get my cooking mojo on.
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That might be because said girlfriend already *has* a job she needs to show up for during the week. Alas. On the plus side, I'm still amazed at how clean the carpet stays when there are no hairy pets around!
Is it bad that I snorfled when I read your heading? And will there be any SpagBol left for me when I get there? Because, yum!
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I'll be interested to hear who this is with!!
Will you need a keyboard cleaner? I keep my portable keyboard vac fully charged in case I ever get the call.....
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And I can't believe you and Ventsam did the same correspondence course in how to become a keyboard cleanliness operative...
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As for the keyboard vacuuming course - the main difference between Ventsam and me was that I graduated....
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And Ventsam always strikes me as a drop-out....