h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

To say good luck on your first day!?

Scary but true! But I've been doing a day a week for the past couple of months, having meetings mostly, so I feel like I've started already. I've been writing my course handbook too, and sorting out things like computer passwords, library access and email.

My official start date is 1st September, but as far as I can see I don't have anything to actually do until the 8th and even then I don't have to be there if I don't want to be, not until the 10th. The job is part time at the moment, although I'm trying to get some extra hours on what is called "sessional" work as I still have to pay the bills. I'm just hoping it will all fall into place, as I don't think my house would sell at the moment.

And then in about 4 weeks Moonlight is off and I have an empty nest!

Is J all ready for the new term?

A job you don't have to go to if you don't want to? I want one!

We're as slack as usual, I've only just bought J's 'holiday workbooks' due to buying the wrong sort the first time, and even now one of the books is too advanced for him.

We haven't really got to do much though - he already has uniform as I bought it last term. Could probably do with some new trousers if he's had the cheek to grow again, and maybe some new trainers.

I've just put his old school PE kit in the local paper, hoping that someone has had a late place and will want it! If not, I'll try again in March. It's hardly used!

Where is Moonlight going to be studying?

>>"Where is Moonlight going to be studying?"
I never put personal information on here. I'll let you know off line.

I don't necessarily always have to "go" somewhere to do the job, but I do have to "do" things, so if I've made it sound like I'll be paid to do nothing, then that's not how it will be! It's going to be hard work, especially the first year. There are certain set days where I am required to be in the right place at the right time. Then there are weeks where I need to travel around (including once over your side of the bridge I believe). The rest of the time I'm required to be doing paperworky things that go with the job so, to a certain extent, I can decide when I want to do that.

However, as it's part time I really need to find some way of bumping my income. At the moment my contract is showing an amount that will actually be less per month than my mortgage repayments, so I need to sort that out quickly!

Ah, the distant memory of the annual school uniform check! I'm so glad he likes his new school though. A lot less stress all round, especially as the new year begins.

Sorry I should have thought before I asked such a question!

I'm struggling with the 'part time' thing as well - I've got an interview Friday, but that will only give me three days a week if I get that, and nowhere near what I need to pay the mortgage. I'm trying pet sitting at the moment (have a REALLY annoying Greyhound here) but I'm not sure it's going to be for me unless the dogs are REALLY well behaved. I need to be able to relax at home.

I'm going to try dog walking, but it's also been sugggested I do cat and small animal feeding, plant watering etc. So many rich people must need reliable people to 'do' for them. That suits me, as I won't have to really talk to any of the people I work for as they'll all be out at work or on holiday.

I'm also trying to get my taxi licence back - partly because I want the CRB check, but it means I can offer transport as well and not have to worry if I am running some old granny and her dog to the vet that I might be reported for being uninsured or anything like that.

Do you have any ideas what you might do to fill the time? If you come this side of the bridge, do pop in!

Temporary odd jobs pop up all the time on the http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk website. Moonlight did a festival weekend as bar staff and I know they wanted people for the V festival. We also both did a local agricultural show, 2 days making tea and coffee in the corporate tents. Royal Mail always have a pool of casuals that they can call on. She did that at Christmas and is on the list again over the summer. She works about 4 days a week, but can always say no. When J is 16 he could do it too!

Of course there's film extra work and you could both do it. We had another day of that this week and they were using dogs too. These were trained and from an animal acting agency, but sometimes they do need "person in the street walking their dog".

You have ties because of J and the dogs of course so some of these ideas won't be much use! But what about registering your house as a potential location? They don't use indoors, but sometimes need a character to come out of a front door, so even very ordinary houses are useful.

And you never know, maybe you'll be spotted on T+S and catapulted to stardom! When is it? The Radio Times says this week is episode 5 out of 8.

Just reading again what you wrote:
"I'm also trying to get my taxi licence back - partly because I want the CRB check"

The rules have changed slightly now. Instead of "one check one person" the check goes with the job and you don't apply yourself, your employer does. So if you had 3 part time jobs you'd need 3 checks.

Are you sure about the CRB check? - I looked all through their website and phoned them and they said as I couldn't ask for one myself for the dog walking I had to go through an 'umbrella' company who would send off for one for me, I assume I would have to work or volunteer for them first (http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=349 ). They knew I wanted it for a completely different reason, yet still advised me to do it.

It's not essential I have one for dog walking, but I thought people would be happier giving me their keys if I had one, or if an elderly person was home they'd feel better about letting me in to collect their dogs. Lots of dog walkers do advertise they have one, wonder where they get them from?

Fred is on an 'extras' website for a company that finds locations etc - http://www.locationsurrey.com/view_location/54/%22Fred%22/ (I don't think the typo was mine btw). Mainly in Surrey, but I can do a bit of googling. Someone might want another Daisy and Onslow or Dingles garden. The thing is, that site wanted money to host him on their site. I coughed into my as did a few other people as they are a new company and their site was mostly empty and they gave 20 people a free space for a year. I can't afford to pay to join an agency.

I may start doing some googling for extras, see what happens, much more interesting than an admin job! Maybe I do need my dreads back, then I can join the Ugly Agency.

T&S, I was told it would be in September and that I would get a phone call. I should start recording them from now, in case I miss the call. Really should send off my expenses, or I think it might be too late. It was over £100.

It's quite likely I'm not right about the CRB. Are you after a standard one or an enhanced? The only thing I know is that the process has changed. 6 years ago I got the enhanced certificate for my job, and I had a copy to keep as it meant I could work anywhere while it was valid. This time round my employers get it done, and I've signed up for supply work and had to do it there too. More paperwork all round by the sounds of it, but I don't think I actually get the certificate.

I don't like the sound of the dog agency expecting money from you. No extras agency should charge you anything, except perhaps a small fee for hosting your photos (eg £10 a year). A reputable agency will make their money by taking a percentage of what you earn, so that if they don't find you work, they don't earn anything either. A company that charges a lot up front has no incentive to ever find you a job. But it's not work you can rely on for an income, most of the people who I've met doing it seem to be either students or retired.

From what I've heard, there is good money to be made answering for one of the text message questions companies. You could do that from home with the aid of the net and some good reference books.

I get a standard one, as cabbing is not directly working with kids or the elderly, they just might get in the taxi so we need them. I got the certificate back in 2005, so I'm hoping I get it this time around. I can still say I'm checked though.

A couple of other extra agencies that I looked at charged no commision but charged money for a website (£97 in one case). I thought it a bit odd they said any old snap would do, didn't have to be professional. What tv company is going to browse through pages of people's holiday snaps to find a few extras?! The one Fred is on was £50 for a year, but that is paid back to us when we get work, I suppose it's to cover costs if we don't get any, so they don't make any money out of us.

What's a text message questions companies?

Am I allowed to advertise? Here goes:
All Questions Answered (AQA) at http://www.issuebits.com/
Texperts http://www.texperts.com/

Sort of like <./>Ask</.> but you get paid.

The agency we're registered with have no problem with non professional photos. It's not "any old snap" though, you do need a close up head and shoulders shot and you can upload a few more such as full length. The TV or film company just requests what they need for the crowd and the agency forwards details of suitable people on their books. Really it's more about measurements or hair colour rather than what your face looks like. It's unlikely to be seen!

Extras work does turn up on gumtree or jobcentreplus too.

Well I failed Texperts on every category, but I did rush through cos I got bored of not knowing any of the answers and that clock stressed me.

The other one doesn't need any Brits.

Sounds like your agency is the best idea to go for.

While I've got your attention, I'll ask you something about caterpillars.

Every year I plant some nasturtiums at the bottom of my garden, they fill a gap and I like the orange flowers. The cat likes to hide under the leaves pretending to be a large orange flower. The real flowers attract butterflies and the cat snaps the butterflies up if she can catch them.

This year the cat hasn't eaten quite so many butterflies and has given them a fighting chance. They laid eggs all over the nasturtiums, these have hatched and the caterpillars have stripped the nasturtiums, leaving me with a bed of stalks. I don't mind and I thought this was a good thing, nature being a wonderful thing, circle of life etc.

They are now crawling across the garden looking for somewhere to pupate. But it looks to me like I was supposed to have prevented all this from happening, what with them being a pest and a pain to farmers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests_and_diseases/nonflash_index.shtml?cabbage_white_butterflies

Living in the Garden of England and having met some of the village farmers, should I have stopped this? The cabbage white isn't rare and it's considered a nuisance. What do you think?

A side question. Should I put the stalks in the compost or will they have become unusable for that?

You did the right thing really because if they weren't eating your plants they'd have found cabbages to eat.

The birds will hopefully pick some off, but it's down to you and how you feel about farmers whether you help them to keep the numbers down.

If you want to keep them away another time, some strong smelling herbs planted around the area may put them off, or plant Calendula instead - the added benefit of being edible.

Composting ideal for the stalks. If you think they might still be infested with something let the council take them if you have a green waste, as their compost heaps are bigger and so get hotter, killing off more nasties.

You might be onto something as I normally plant sweet peas in the same patch but this year I put a pumpkin in, as we eat a lot of them so I thought it would be fun to try and grow some.

The caterpillars haven't touched the pumpkin leaves but maybe the smell attracted them, or perhaps the sweet peas usually put them off. I'll have a rethink for next year.

I'll put the stalks out for the council with the grass cuttings, which makes my compost too slimy.

I like to keep the grass as normally my compost is very woody.

My garden has got really bad again - hardly mowed again this year, not really looked after, the ponds need clearing out and redoing - I hate mowing. I'm considering astroturfing the whole lot.

I always wanted a big garden, but I never expected to live here on my own for so long and I'd love to be able to either sell the bottom bit off to a neighbour, or if I had outdoor access I'd try to find a nice person who wants an allotment (no chemicals!) and would mow the lawn and help me keep the rest tidy in return.