[Carl2009]

Each month I only take out 2/3 of what I could take, then at the end of the business year (which for me is the same as the tax year, 5th April) I pay myself the rest. This gives me a cushion in case it's a bad winter or for unexpected issues.
This year (14/15) was on course to be my best yet.

Last Tuesday at 3pm I was fine but by 4pm I was feeling like cr@p and I haven't worked since. Raging temperature on and off up as high as 102 and every night bar 1 has been 3 changes of nightwear as I'm soaked. I'm off to the docs again as she told me to come back today for blood tests if I'm still not well. This is the most ill I've been since I had pneumonia in 1997 

So quite the reverse is gonna be true. It's not gonna be a stonking year, i'm going to barely do what I did last year which was down on what was forecast 'cos of the horrific winter. I've been trading 6 years and it seems there is nothing that can be called a normal year for me. Year 2 I broke my thumb and was off 7 weeks, then we had a couple of really bad winters where it was too cold to work and then last year's weather and now this. 

I am really looking forward to all the customers who are gonna ask me if I've "Caught up yet" because they don't understand that when a day or more's work gets shunted into the next month it's effectively lost.

At least I don't take all my drawings so I have a cushion, but it doesn't make it any easier.

[dd]

Oh I see. I thought maybe you were an artist.

[Clever Forum Name]

I thought someone had stolen an idea.

I know you don't wanna hear this. But I have been so Ill some days I could hardly get out of bed. However with wfp if you can get to work you can work quite safely.

Up a ladder. No chance.

Maybe now is the time to think about it.

Broken thumb? Wouldn't stop me with WFP

I am not saying with how poorly you are now you could work. But maybe now is a good chance to think

[Carl2009]

I am WFP.

It's not safety I was bothered about. It's remaining conscious.

Before being a window cleaner I worked in adventure travel and in the early days I used to lead tours around remote parts of Asia. I've had dysentery and giardia and still managed to keep on working - no-one else to look after the group when you are in the middle of Xinjiang (look it up). But with this I just can't work - you have to feel it to know it as you rightly say.

When I say I broke my thumb I should have said I crushed it. It required an operation under general anaesthetic to fix it and pin it. That pin entered the bone from outside of the tip of my thumb, with about 3/4" protruding from the bone through the skin. To protect that exposed pin I had to wear a splint that prevented me from banging it, which would have smarted a little. I also had to wait a week after the pin was removed for the skin to heal or I was told there was a risk of an infection getting into my bone.

Anyway blood tests done now so we'll see if there is anything more serious wrong which I doubt. It's just a virus. Mind you she did say I was wise to take time off cos if I got Post Virus Fatigue Syndrome (whatever that is) it could be months.

[Pete Thompson]

I feel your pain mate.  There's always something that comes along and spoils the party.

BUT:

then we had a couple of really bad winters where it was too cold to work

I have to say this is an alien concept to me.  I just get wrapped up like the michelin man and get on.  The only time cold weather stops me is when it is icy (and therefore dangerous to drive) or the snow is a foot deep, and thankfully those days can usually be counted on one hand.

However, if you've had pneumonia then I understand you would be very wary of exposing yourself to more risk.

[Window Lickers]

So quite the reverse is gonna be true. It's not gonna be a stonking year, i'm going to barely do what I did last year which was down on what was forecast 'cos of the horrific winter.

Why? Because you've had to go to the Quacks?

[Window Lickers]

At least I don't take all my drawings so I have a cushion, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Yes it does.

[dazmond]

sounds awful mate.hope your better soon.

so you ve had a week off now havent you?and maybe another few days this week recovering?surely this isnt gonna affect your earnings too much at the end of the tax year(5th april)?

horrific winter?where do you live mate?

we ve not had a bad winter in manchester since the snow of 2010.ive had the odd day off here and there due to bad weather  but nothing like the 3 weeks off work i had in 2010.

i had nearly a month off work a few years ago due to torn ankle ligaments(on crutches).take the rough with the smooth.


best wishes pal


dazmond

[Carl2009]

To be honest I'm not writing straight - I blame the virus. "Too cold to work" is not really what I meant. I live on a smallholding 900ft up in the Preselis, so "too cold to work" from a comfort point of view doesn't really enter my lexicon.

What I meant was it was that it was the snow and ice that stopped me. I could get the van off the drive as it slopes down to the road, but I'd never have got it back on. As for actually accessing properties - no chance. Then when it was cold that time the working day was only from 10 or 11 till 2.30 or 3. I remember getting in once at around 3 and it was already -1.6c. Water freezing in the hoses so you had to leave the water running, slush coming out of the jets, ice coating the pole and covering your gloves, frosting windows. The main roads are always open, it's the side roads generally.

Dazmond - this illness comes at the end of Jan when the cleans I had on were 8 weeklies and they are now in Feb, which means their NEXT clean will be in April - after my 2014/15 year end. Had I done them in Jan I would also have done them in March which is obviously inside 2014/15, so in effect for this year i'm all these cleans down. The monthlies that I had also push on and with way Easter falls this year we lose Good Friday as a working day at the beginning of April too.

Never mind. If you run your own business you take the rough with the smooth. Still wouldn't go back to what I used to do :-)

[Carl2009]

sounds awful mate.hope your better soon.

so you ve had a week off now havent you?and maybe another few days this week recovering?surely this isnt gonna affect your earnings too much at the end of the tax year(5th april)?

horrific winter?where do you live mate?

we ve not had a bad winter in manchester since the snow of 2010.ive had the odd day off here and there due to bad weather  but nothing like the 3 weeks off work i had in 2010.

i had nearly a month off work a few years ago due to torn ankle ligaments(on crutches).take the rough with the smooth.


best wishes pal


dazmond

The "horrible winter" was this time last year. My home weather station recorded 607mm (2 feet!) of rain between 15/12/13 and 15/2/14... Heathrow got 260mm. We had 1705mm in the year mid July 13 to mid July 14 - that's 5' 7" of rain...

[Dave Willis]

I tend to draw out my takings.

[Plankton]

I feel your pain mate.  There's always something that comes along and spoils the party.

BUT:

then we had a couple of really bad winters where it was too cold to work

I have to say this is an alien concept to me.  I just get wrapped up like the michelin man and get on.  The only time cold weather stops me is when it is icy (and therefore dangerous to drive) or the snow is a foot deep, and thankfully those days can usually be counted on one hand.

However, if you've had pneumonia then I understand you would be very wary of exposing yourself to more risk.

I used to be the carry on regardless type when it came to illness and weather but some times it's out of your control and anything physical can set you back.