This years not been a great one so far, I've been so ill (finally found out I had a Kidney problem). Then my father passed away whilst I was stuck on a train 200 miles away from him, I then jumped in my wifes Twingo to drive up to sort out all the issues arising from that and the cam belt snaps whilst in the outside lane of the M42. Then this past weekend my Kia Sedonas cam belt has snapped (which I only had changed 5000 miles ago (the Twingo is tough as it wasn't due for another 10,000 miles but was overdue on time)

TO compound all that we find out that my parents had an equity release loan on the house and now my sister has to get out as soon as possible under their stupid loan regulations! So she's going to be made homeless as she'd only gone there because she was homeless.

Does life always seem to be a juggling act and then every so often all the balls come crashing down around you?

Yes – crap periods happen then pass – into every life falls a little rain and all that.

Give yourself something to aim at, a good family holiday or something, help your sis out etc

That really isn't a good year, sorry to hear you're having a miserable time of it. Just remember that at some point in the future you'll look back and things won't seem so bad. Don't let the old depression take hold, keep plodding on and look for the silver linings…
With fewer cars you'll ride more. With your sister homeless she might possibly stay with you for a while, and you'll get to see her more often. Without diagnosis your kidney problems could have been the end of you, hopefully you'll be on the mend now.

Funnily enough the Kias cam belt snapped whilst we were on our family holiday! I'm still at work and my wifes got the Kia in Western France, luckily for her I'd popped down for her birthday and we were just going out for dinner when it happened. I blame her as she was driving at the time and she's just paying me back for breaking hers.

The cars will have to be repaired, we need both of them for getting the family around I'll fix the Twingo myself to save the money otherwise it will cost even more! I doubt if there will be any other holidays for the next two years whilst we pay for all these repairs.

I would put this down as a particularly bad year. Prepare for a better future. Illness and sudden loss make every other nigling problem seem so much bigger. You probably need a switch off period, book a holiday and get away from it all.

Sounds rough. Life is always juggling, but you seem to be juggling all the nasty stuff at once. Juggling all the nice stuff at the same time rarely happens. Ta for the reminder to book the Honda in for a belt, the service guy said he would email me to remind me but he hasn't. Hope you can get back on the rails soon, in the mean time you could try juggling other stuff:

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.

Voltaire

It has been a cr@p year – my fiancee left me after 9yrs together, I've been made redundant with no money or wages and diagnosed with clinical depression.

Still, maybe my plan to retrain as a mtb leader/instructor might just come off & i will be happier than ever!

Good luck with your retraining MuddyDwarf.

I just think things get us down occasionally, I'm stuck here in Belgium trying to sort out a total fuk up that has been going on for the last ten year and thats not going well either!

Did I mention that Brussels is shit?

PePPeR you're not alone. I got made redundant in April (new experience for me) and my Dad passed away at the same time. I still can't find work and now my Mum has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We lost our holiday due to my youngest having an attack of Cronh's and I keep getting headaches which is just stress so I'm told. However, if I hadn't been made redundant I wouldn't have been able to care (as in being around) for my Mum and daughter so I count my blessings as they say. At least next year should be better 🙂

I quite liked Brussels, although i was only there for a day!
Nice little squares with interesting cafes & tiny restaurants.

it isn't bad if you're with friends, but sitting around night after night bored to tears makes it very tedious.

Its probably not just Brussels as I'm not keen on other big cities either, I'm very much a country person I'm afraid.

Tyger and all others that have been unemployed for a while, badger Job Centre Plus for a referral to Seetec or Next Step for help getting back into work. I have just started on the Seetec programme and it's like having your own secretary for job applications. Seetec Clicky
Next Step Clicky
Good Luck

EDIT You can self refer to both organisations

I thought my luck was bad as I have had a $hit 10yrs!

Just torn my quad slipping on a wet floor!

But bugger my leg, I feel sorry for the guy losing his Father-a thing no man wants to do (if close with their Dad).

I hope luck gets better for all of us! Take control of your life now!

I blame her as she was driving at the time and she's just paying me back for breaking hers.

I really hope you don't mean that. It's nobodys fault.
🙂

nah Peter, but the nobodys fault means Pepper will have to pick up the tab, I can't see the garage saying it was their fault or the belt manufacturer saying it was their fault either!

Sorry to hear everyone elses troubles. I have to agree that this is a crap year! Lost my Aunt very suddenly and my Mum due to cancer, also fractured my radius last week just before the weather got really nice! Gotta look to the good things tho – graduated and I've got onto the masters course I wanted to!

Hi Richard,

Sorry to hear your a bit down, if you need anything, even if its just a chat & a coffee you know where I am.
All the best, and I hope you get over it soon!
In a monty python stylee, always look on the bright side of life.
Try to keep smiling mate.

Ahh I'm looking on the bright side, tho tonight I had a bit of a downer in that we thought the hire car was for the duration of the repair and it turns out it has a €650 limit which we'll reach by Saturday, so I've extended it by a day so Judith can meet me at the aeroport and then we've got to give it back and then have a carless holiday for two weeks, the garage reckon they'll have it ready by the 28th (the day before we're due to drive home).

Its very lucky that we all have bikes over there!

So it shall mostly be biking around to the nearest lake and sunbathing for two weeks.

Hey, it's not all bad…It's crap working in a jobcentre and having 200+ new signers each week, with no extra staff. It's crap having London "thug/gangsta/badman" arseholes try to threaten/intimidate you every day of the week because they have to wait alongside every other unfortunate soul who finds themselves in the jobcentre. Or the middle aged middle class "recruitment specialist" who breaks into tears infront of you when they realise that they are not special, and it only takes a few minutes to fill in the ES4 anyway so why don't they fill it in like everybody else has to….

But then again, it's great when your visa application to Canada is approved and you are leaving England.

Horay!

So, the balls have been crashing down on me for ages, and now they are not.

Its good to know your thinking positively, chin chin & all that, my offer stands if you need owt.
Best of luck for the rest of the year.

Cheers.