Phase I : Scotland

Work

We don't need a lot to live on, as our accommodation is covered by caretaking the cottages. But, although basic cost of living is cheap here, at $2.50 to the pound, it soon eats up your spare dollars. We've plenty of capital, but we have set ourselves a target not to use it on our travels.

Tich had got her Nursing registration renewed before we left, and pretty much as expected, the hospital and old folks home here were pretty keen to get her. BUT - you have to get a "Disclosure Scotland" clearance, which can take six weeks. This despite the fact that you've never lived in Scotland before, and have an Australian Police clearance. However, when push comes to shove, things happen. They're desperately short of nurses, so the next week they say she can start as long as she's under supervision. Within a fortnight they're trying to push six shifts a week on her (thanks, but no thanks) and she's in charge of the hospital :) Then they need somebody to releive the community nurse on the Island of Gigha, who is off sick, so we scored that one too. .Read the separate post!

Mike got a casual job redecorating a flat for a guy who had basically left it too late. He was away working in Fort William but he had to have it ready to move in by the next weekend. The whole thing needed painting and fettling, and we think his hope was that we might get the worst of it covered with one coat. In the finish we put in 60 hours that week and got it all done except a corner where we'd replaced the wallpaper which needed a top coat.

Then, to add a bit of pressure, Mike got the contract to deliver the local Yellow Pages. Actually, not knowing at the time about the decorating job, we asked for two contracts and got the Tarbert one as well. Read the separate post about that! So it was a busy couple of weeks.

Mike's been doing most of the cottage work and being "Mr Mom" until after this Gigha stint is finished, then we'll get on to looking for more work options again

posted by The Boemelaars @ 11:22 am