Bonus & Wendy's Big Adventure . . . .

[Bonus]

We have so much going on at the moment that proper updates have taken a back seat.

 

This weekend we have some free time - so I'll try and get everything back on track.

 

The Big Adventure continues . . .

[Bonus]

We are preparing revised paperwork for a new trip to talk to the banks . . .

 

:-)

[Bonus]

Today's an important day for us. Work want to discuss a "Summer Contract" with me.

 

Getting a good work contract for the summer will have a significant influence on how we proceed with our "Big Adventure" . . . so, fingers crossed that after 2 months of work so far, they feel I'm actually worth having around.

 

:-)

[Wannabe]

Strongs with the contract discussions, Bonus.

[Imploder]

 

Today's an important day for us. Work want to discuss a "Summer Contract" with me.

 

Getting a good work contract for the summer will have a significant influence on how we proceed with our "Big Adventure" . . . so, fingers crossed that after 2 months of work so far, they feel I'm actually worth having around.

 

:-)

 

Good luck, keep the dream alive!

[Bonus]

Cheers guys.

[Bonus]

Today we had a thunderstorm sneak over the Peña Montañesa north of Ainsa and rain stopped work early - so we didn’t get to discuss my contract!

 

Hopefully mañana . . . . .

[Matchstix]

rain stops work. . .  lekker job

 

 

Today we had a thunderstorm sneak over the Peña Montañesa north of Ainsa and rain stopped work early - so we didn’t get to discuss my contract!

 

Hopefully mañana . . . . .

 

[Bonus]

rain stops work. . .  lekker job

 

 

I may also stop if it gets hot or windy too . . .

 

:-)

[Bonus]

Wendy and I drove through to Huesca, which is about an hour and a half away and is our nearest big administrative city - to finish applying for our Spanish Driving Licenses today.

 

Everything went OK, our paperwork was all correct and we've been given cover letters to drive with until the Licence Card itself comes in the post in a week or twos time.

 

Another step in the right direction . . . . :-)

[Bonus]

Feeling a bit down at the moment

 

When I started working at a local campsite I was told there would be a 6 month contract to cover the tourist season. A "Summer Contract". This would be a great help for us with regards to the banks. If not a full time job, at least it was a steady income for 6 months

 

 

(This was assuming that I actually wanted to stay and they wanted me to stay after six weeks or so of "try out")

 

 

I bought up the subject of the contract after the initial period has passed and told them I was keen to stay on for summer. They said they were happy too . . . . . and that's as far as it's gone.

 

 

I've mentioned it several times over the past three weeks. They keep saying all the right things, but then not actually doing anything about it.

 

 

Now, looking at the calendar, there isn't actually 6 months worth of Tourist Season left before they close. The best I could hope for is a four month contract starting in June.

 

 

I don't know if the plan from day one was always to stall for as long as possible - no contract means they save on what they would have to pay in taxes and insurances . . .

 

 

I've worked hard and done everything I was asked to do. All I wanted was for them to do the same. . . .

 

 

I know I should just be grateful that I have a job and some income - not everyone here in Post-Crisis Spain can say that - but I had hoped for a little bit more from them.

[Bonus]

Not having a summer contract is disappointing but not fatal.

 

Would have be useful for going back to the banks and I would have felt a bit more secure with a contract, but hey - we'll make another plan.

 

The good news is that I still have a job there and it's bringing us in some daily cash. I'm the only one there full time doing maintenance so let's just hope that, for the moment at least,... they keep me on.

 

The other "positive" that has come out of this is that Wendy and I have had to sit and have some stressful but very necessary chats . . .

 

Now we have a some new ideas and this summer is going to be very exciting

 

Bonus.

[BigDL]

Good luck guys - keep on trucking

[Imploder]

Hey Bonus, I've been out of the loop for a while. But are you still renovating your place to serve as a B'nB ? 

[Bonus]

Absolutely. Lots of problems and it's taking an age, but the dream is still very much alive!

[Bonus]

So, we're about to take the first steps in a slightly different direction . . . .

 

 

Work at a local campsite has provided us with some income for the last few months and that income has been welcome.

 

 

The 6 month "summer work-contract" however, which they promised me and which would have helped us with regards to securing a loan from the banks to cover our renovations has not been forthcoming....

 

 

Had the contract been offered, it would have covered us up until the end of the camping season, which is at the end of September.

 

 

Our original plan was to work under contract until the end of September and then in October, the week after the contract finished, to travel down to Almeria in the south of Spain so that I could attend an MTB Guiding Course that will earn me my Mountain Bike Guiding Certificate and allow me to guide people safely and legally around the hills and caminos of the Zona Zero MTB trails, where we live.

 

 

Our intention from day one has always been to be able to show our cycling guests around, but we wanted to get the B&B built and up & running first. Now our new plan is to take a week away from work at the campsite, since I'm not tied in with a contract, and go down to Almeria in 10 days time to do the course sooner rather than later

 

 

When we come back we will have some paper work to complete and some insurance to take out, but essentially I will be ready to start guiding people who are visiting the area and instead of it being a service we offer our guests, it will be a business we run in order to help fund the renovations of our B&B!

 

 

Depending on how work goes between now and when I leave for the course (things have been rather strained lately for various reasons), I may or may not continue working casually at the campsite when we return. We will see.

 

 

Whatever the case, we have decided that we need to take back charge of our own lives. We've spent a lot of time over the last two years waiting for various people to deliver on their promises. Now it's time for us to keep the promises we made to ourselves and to each other and get this thing done by hook or by crook!

 

Wish us luck . . . . .

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Bonus