Hannah Bushell – Legal Counsel (and mum of two)
At names.co.uk we received the news a couple of weeks ago that working from home was no longer simply “temporary”, but for some of us “semi-permanent”. I wept (loudly) into my coffee, and promptly ate three hobnobs.
As you have probably gathered from my previous posts, I am not part of the working from home fan club. Although my children are, for the moment, in school and nursery, I still miss the office environment a lot and find being in my house all day a little lonely at times. This hasn’t been helped by having to SHARE my former home office sanctuary with my husband. Tea mugs everywhere, files littering the floor, taking it in turns to use the laptop stand while one of us squats at the kitchen table for hours at a time has definitely resulted in bad office feng shui!
So last week I cracked. I bought a new desk, loads of overpriced stationary (do I need pastel highlighters, three succulents and a blush leather mouse mat I ask you?) and made myself a new office space. It was glorious. For about two days…
This week my in-laws are staying. Now, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, those lock down months were long and hard with no childcare support. They are staying because it’s half term and when kids start school you quickly realise children have holidays ALL. THE. TIME. So Mr and Mrs T are here to look after the four-year-old, for which I am eternally grateful. However, my new desk is located in the spare room where they are staying and to be honest, it is now full of “things”. This morning there was hand cream on my chair, a hot water bottle by my feet and a Saga magazine on top of my keyboard. There is also a lot of pottering. I was on a video call yesterday during which time Mrs T strolled about the room applying perfume and looking for her glasses. I think when I said I was on a call it hadn’t dawned on her I meant video. The wonders of modern technology. We love a video call at names.co.uk!
Still, at least I have my days at work while the kids are taken care of elsewhere, otherwise it would be me and my son, who I’m currently trying to potty train, at home together all day. I won’t go into details but suffice to say, it’s not going well.
Now, if any of you know me, please don’t tell my in-laws I’ve used them as blog content, I might need some more babysitting around Christmas. I must make sure they never read this, maybe I should start writing under a pseudonym? All suggestions welcome.
PS. I’m finishing this last paragraph with one arm over my screen. You-know-who has just walked in looking for her handbag and a packet of polos, is it time for wine yet?
