Is that a constructive dismissal case I see in the distance?

Got a phone call last Tuesday afternoon, it was my 'boss' from work, could I go in and see him at 10 a.m the following day? I say yes and he puts the phone down.  On the dot the following day I turn up at his office.  He then starts to question me about an incident that happened in the new Express Car Park on Sat 08th May at approx 20:00hrs.  I reply I don't remember anything happening, I'm then told a lady pulled up at the barrier and did not have any money and could not pay her £1.00 parking fee.  I am then supposed to have told her to 'back off' and go and get the money off the people she has just dropped off.  She protests at this saying she has a young child in the car and I ignore her.  She then backs off through quite a bit of traffic and almost runs someone over on the crossing.  I tell him I did have a lady at the barrier with a young child in the car and no money but whether that was Friday, Sat or Sunday I can't remember.  I do know I have never told anyone to reverse off the barrier and go and get the money especially when it's busy.  He says it's 100% positive that it was me and that I am suspended for seven days pending investigation by his bosses.

On the way home it suddenly occurs to me that I was on the bus first thing Sat evening as I can remember calling Pauline when she was in the middle of her Chinese take-away and having a go at her because I didn't have any bait and she's telling me how nice the BBQ ribs were.  After confirming I was on the bus with the Team Leader who was on duty(which is a no-no lol) I telephoned my boss and told him it wasn't me, as I was on the bus Sat until at least 21:00hrs, is he sure it's not one of the seasonal ops/drivers who from behind and at the distance the CCTV camera is could look like me?  I was not on the bus as the CCTV shows 150% that it was me at the barrier.

Shortly after this I get a call from my Team Leader, I'd phoned him first to see if he could remember me being on the bus on Sat evening, but he wasn't home and I left a message.  He told me that I was on the bus, Jim was doing the Novotel run and helping off-site out and Ian(the guy who could be mistaken for me on the CCTV) was at the Express Car Park.

This morning I get all the disciplinary letters etc. from the big boss confirming what had allegedly happened.  Obviously no one has checked the Drivers' Hours Log which will confirm that I was on the bus until 21:00hrs, unless someone has doctored it of course!  I've got my grievance complaint all written out ready to hand in and just need to make an appointment to go and see the CCTV footage for myself.

WTFHIWWM?

I was feeling rather good about life in general this morning, then, I started to think. What a mistake that was! I'm now in the depths of depression and feeling if I put my thoughts down in black and white I'll be whisked off to the 'nut-house' and put on 24 hour suicide watch, maybe not such a bad idea!  Nice comfy air-conditioned padded cell, drugged up to the eyeballs so I've no idea if it's today,tomorrow, yesterday or ten years time.  Nothing to worry about, no cares in the world, just lying there in a drug induced catatonic state, sounds like bliss!

Feelingsssssssssssss......

Well I know it's strange as it's not been any longer than usual but I feel 'lonely'  By that I mean lonely in an 'inner me' sense.  It's been two weeks since I've seen or heard anything of/from/about someone close.  Maybe they're busy straightening out their life I don't know, it's just strange not seeing any sign of them.  I do hope all is well! 

It's taken ages...........

Well I finally got the door hung in the bedroom alcove.  I ended up using a plastic folding door as I looked at MDF but it was far too heavy to make a large door with.  I also looked at buying a 'full size' 27 inch wide door and cutting it down, the plastic one was only £8.48 from B&Q so if it didn't look right it wasn't that much to lose, if it worked then great, saved myself twenty quid or so.  It took a bit of tweaking but I got there in the end and it looks pretty good even if I say so myself.  Pauline isn't that keen on the small gaps at the top but I can rig up a small pelmet to hide those.  Next thing is to tidy the bedroom and store the stuff in the cupboard I've just created, YEAHHHH!!  The fish pond next door is now turning into something that resembles a Greek temple or the nearby Penshaw Monument, several upright pillars with a roof on it, I'm sure there has to be something in the local planning regs to stop it, you have to get planning permission for a lean-to on the house and this structure is 12 foot long by 8 foot wide by 7 foot tall. Still we'll let him finish it then check with the planning department.

Well where shall I start? Popped down to Bristol for my son's 30th birthday, gave him a surprise because he wasn't expecting to see me until June.  His surprise present (a parachute jump) didn't come off unfortunately, due to the volcanic ash issue, still it's there to use in the future.  Stopped in Devizes and had a wonderful pub lunch instead.  Came home Monday afternoon after a phone message from my boss but by Wednesday evening when I went to work things had changed so all was well.  Had a shock piece of news on Tuesday that is best forgotten and left to those involved to sort out themselves as only they can, I'm sure if they need help they will seek it from the best place. That's all for now I think, ttfn!

Getting motivated!

Well it's 11:05, I've been up about an hour and I'm trying to get myself motivated to make a start on the door frame for the bedroom.  The weather outside looks great and I'm thinking more along the lines of sitting out on the patio, but then again I suppose I could do all the sawing,drilling, screwing and squaring up out there. Now that's a thought! I just love the way I have these flashes of perspiration lol. What is it now? measure once, cut the wrong size, measure again and buy a new piece of wood. Have some food and then get on with it I suppose!

Where did the time go?

Jezz that was a quick 2 weeks! I've been busy on my days off decorating the smallest bedroom.  We were going to turn it into a dressing room but decide we would decorate it so the grand kids had a room to sleep in when they visit.  The computer is going into our bedroom, we are re-arranging some chests of drawers and moving furniture into other rooms to try and get the best space.  Finally got some more slate chippings for the space next to the drive, lets hope the local yobs do not decide they make great stones for throwing.  Bought the timber to make a door frame in the alcove of the little bedroom, this will make a nice sized cupboard, hide the central heating boiler and make it quieter in the bedroom.  One more project left and that is to built a base and erect the new shed on it but that will have to wait until the weather is a bit warmer I think.  Oh and put Evie's trampoline back up in the back garden (I will be glad when they move and get a garden of their own so we can reclaim ours, the thing takes up so much space)

Back to work ........ for a rest!

Well I've papered the small bedroom, lined the inside of the cobwebby cupboard and filled all the gaping holes around the doors and coving.  Pauline is going to do the gloss paintwork and I'll do the ceiling and walls when I can.  B&Q are supposed to be delivering my garden shed today that's why I'm up so early on a night shift pattern.  Cost me twenty quid to get it delivered but I saved more than that by buying it last Saturday and getting an extra 20% discount. My mate Billy is coming over on the next set of rest days to build a base for the shed to stand on (he knows what he's doing, unlike some of us [me])   Next project is to finally put a door and associated framework in the alcove in the bedroom to 'close off ' the central heating boiler and make a small cupboard out of it.  The best thing about it, the gap is just the right size to put in a door frame with just a small piece needed above it to 'fill the gap'.

Rest days? what are they?...........

Well that's the end of another set of shifts. We've decided to redecorate the small bedroom, this shouldn't take too long as it's 'just a matter of sticking the blown vinyl on to the walls and then painting it', I was going to put some wooden shelves up in one of the cupboards but bought some plastic shelving from B&Q.  Just had some new uniform issued, navy polo shirts & trousers (no more ties!) Gawd knows where they got the sizes from, they trousers are too small, the polo shirts are 'snug' fit and as for the jacket.....it's the horrible stretchy water resistant 'breathable' type, different size bodies but all the same arm size. So my 'big' forearms go about 3/4 of the way into the sleeve and then things get tight. I'm okay as long as I don't have to bend my arms when wearing it and to make it worse it's all logo'd.  LOL just tried the trousers on or should I say I put my legs in them, great if you've got no shape to your body and built like a stick insect! Leg length = Regular? it's about 39 inches inside leg.  I think the boss will be having his uniform shoved where the sun doesn't shine.

OUCH! bet that hurt?

Well that's another set of night shifts over, been quiet on the customer front but a couple of incidents 'livened' things up.  Friday morning a poor fellow gets his leg crushed between the tow-bar of his car and a vehicle pulling away behind him.  God knows what the driver was doing, it was just as if he didn't see the car in front of him...BANG!....one crushed leg!  Late Saturday evening some poor fellow collapses just outside the office, luckily a taxi driver saw him and waved down one of the Op-support guys who then called the control.  We had an ambulance on the way within 30 secs, the Team Leader went straight out as she was the first aider on duty, couldn't find a pulse 'but he is alive! I can hear him gasping for air'  I didn't tell her the obvious.  Paramedic was there within 4 mins.  A couple of minutes later the ambulance arrived.  We shut down 'normal' car park operations as the whole exit road was blocked with emergency vehicles (we had moaning customers because they couldn't have the bus at the terminal to get to their cars, can you believe some people?)  They worked on him for a good 30-35 minutes before getting him in the ambulance and it was a further 20 minutes before they left the airport.  Good news the guy is in the Freeman Hospital and is in a stable condition, let's hope he lasts a bit longer! EXCELLENT JOB WELL DONE EMMA & ROB! you were great! Shame about your Hi-Vis Emms but it was a good cause.