[dazmond]

this is the longest time ive had off from window cleaning in 17 years due to injury.itll be a full 2 weeks by monday next week.the week before that my van was in the garage for 3 days so itll be that ive worked 2 days in 3 weeks!not good!!im not too worried but it is frustrating not earning.id be very surprised if i lost any work but you never know do you?

hopefully ill be fighting fit come monday.just been for a swim to make me feel a bit better.ankle still swollen and bruised even though its nearly 2 weeks since i injured it!!

time for a bit of sunbathing in my girlfriends back garden.great weather.got E MYTH REVISITED through the post today so im gonna have a read of that.see if it will give me a fresh perspective on my business.

regards


dazmond

[Wc Solutions]

been on windows since late 90s

own business since 2005 - from then most time ive had off was due to the snow so about 2 weeks.

no holidays, about 10 sick days in 6 years.

having a few hols this year as getting wed in june this year.

[s.hughes]

2 weeks for flue, anything other than flue I work.
When I was employed I never wanted to take a sick day. I would use my sick days for when I was well!!

[woody1]

4 days when i tore ligaments in my knee they cast me i was so bored i cut it off and went to work

8 days when i dislocated my right elbow i was trad at the time still went up ladders in cast and cleaned left handed

mate it think you need to just get on with it stop thinking about it and get out there

[Spruce]

get a wheel chair with a towbar 

[g newton]

Never off
I ain't no girl

pain is for wimps

[Ian Lancaster]

18 months

1977 - fell from a pub 1st floor window - sill collapsed when I leaned on it and threw me off balance, ladder went sideways and down I came bolt upright on to concrete.  Both heel bones and both ankles - 6 weeks in hospital, 2 operations and 18 months recovering.

Did a 'sitting down' job for a few months, then got the ladders out again

Learned a lot from that, primarily: "Don't fall off"

[woody1]

you big girl   

[Mike #1]

3 months broken back ladder slipped out on slippy paving

[woody1]

i think that one is alowed 

[dazmond]

some bad injuries there lads.who cleaned your rounds while you were off?surely your customers didnt stay with you having 3 months off?

im fighting fit.my ankle still bruised but i can walk on it a bit now.im glad i havent took any of the "dont be soft just get out there you big jessy"advice as it could set me back even longer.the nurse told me to take it easy and not rush back to work which could make healing time longer and weaken the ankle for life!!

ive been swimming 3 times this week and a bit of light walking.im gonna keep the ankle support on for a few weeks yet though.got a bit of gardening to do today then im relaxing until monday when im gonna ease myself back into it.

did you guys claim sick pay or did you have a good "emergency " fund you could dip into to help pay the bills?


regards


dazmond

[Richard Neal]

I had my eye removed last year and took 2 weeks off am i a softy?

[d s windowcleaning]

i had 4 months off after having a neck operation , i informed all my customers that i wouldnt be going for up to 6 months didnt lose 1 of them .

[Mike #1]

informed all custys and they waited till i got back to work, they all waited

[dazmond]

just goes to show how loyal domestic customers can be!!

[Londoner]

My cousin Barry hasn't worked for 15 years because he has a "bad back". The only thing wrong with his back is that he can't get it off the bed in the mornings.

[Paul Coleman]

I did have a week or so off with some pretty rubbishy flu quite a few years ago and a few days when I turned an ankle.  I think the worst period for me though was in '04.  Although I didn't have a huge amount of consecutive days off, I could only work when I felt well enough during a 6 month period.  Some weeks that might have been as little as a couple of half days.  Although I was ill, it was the side effects of the medicine that laid me up far worse.  A necessary evil unfortunately.  Got ditched by loads of customers even though they were aware.  It did me a favour long term because much of that work was underpriced and it gave me the chance to rebuild when I was well enough.
It taught me a lot about how fickle customer "loyalty" really can be and it hardened my attitude.  Can still be friendly but in a more businesslike way now.

[dazmond]

i totally understand paul.i was ill due to years of heavy drinking and drug abuse around 10 years ago and it took me years to get sober and clean.there were times id be lucky if i scraped enough money together for my booze/drugs.its was like wading through treacle looking back.i sold some work a few years ago and i also lost a fair few due to being unreliable.

how things have changed!im in a much better place and im free from booze and drugs and i have been for quite  few years now.thank God!!

[bobby p]

My cousin Barry hasn't worked for 15 years because he has a "bad back". The only thing wrong with his back is that he can't get it off the bed in the mornings.

whats Barry do all day? ive got an uncle barrie ,he served 15 years in clink.

[Paul Coleman]

i totally understand paul.i was ill due to years of heavy drinking and drug abuse around 10 years ago and it took me years to get sober and clean.there were times id be lucky if i scraped enough money together for my booze/drugs.its was like wading through treacle looking back.i sold some work a few years ago and i also lost a fair few due to being unreliable.

how things have changed!im in a much better place and im free from booze and drugs and i have been for quite  few years now.thank God!!

Thankfully I didn't start window cleaning until I had been clean and sober for about 5 years.  I wouldn't have been able to manage it anyway  - especially as it was on ladders.  That illness in '04 was a knock on effect from it even though I have been drink and drug free since '86.  Unfortunately I picked up a virus that was munching away at my liver (didn't know viruses had eating disorders    ).  It never made me feel ill but it would have eventually so it had to be dealt with.  Half a year on interferon and some other antivirals got rid of it for keeps.  Ghastly stuff - but it worked.