Working from home is driving me mental

[Stan.goodvibes]

Did it for about 3 months. Oh how I used to love watching the missus grovel out to the bus in the freezing cold whilst I sat there in my dressing gown at the computer, sipping tea and eating a B&E sandwich.

But eventually missed the office life and the social networking. And for some strange reason i just didn't feel like a 'normal' person, if that makes any sense.

Mainly I just felt guilty that I was depriving others of my scintillating company. Some of us are just too much fun to be left alone all day...

[crimdon]

That's the one thing I'd change, we live in a village with no nice bars or cafes. I'd love to live somewhere I can grab my laptop, walk into town and work in a coffee-shop or a bar. Outside term-time, when the students go home, Durham is very quiet during the day and the few times I could be bothered to drive in to town and do this, it was great.

Durham is a great place to work. Been here for 4 months now but pity its a 30 min walk down to the city centre.

[xoggoth]

I used to quite like working at home but am fairly antisocial anyway, two hours into a social event I am usually looking at my watch and thinking of excuses to leave. There was generally the odd acquantance if I ventured to the local pub (now closed down) at lunchtime anyway.

Beginning to see what you mean now I'm retired from contracting though. I should start looking at daytime things like U3A but fear they are full of old farts.

As for being unshaven for five days and looking like a tramp, what's wrong with that?

[xoggoth]

Sure I've mentioned this before but does anyone else find the social side of an office is inversely proportional to the work? If the work is tedious the people are great, if the work is challenging and interesting they are rather quiet and unfriendly.

[EternalOptimist]

Sure I've mentioned this before but does anyone else find the social side of an office is inversely proportional to the work? If the work is tedious the people are great, if the work is challenging and interesting they are rather quiet and unfriendly.

I think the reason for that is fairly obvious

[b0redom]

I mainly do sysadmin work... easy really, but it's mostly about building relationships with customers and mentoring them. The technical stuff I could ship out to India but, ironically being isolated working from home, my main value is the soft skills customer facing part.

Can you not take a 2nd contract? I know I would try and run a couple at the same time if I didn't have to be onsite everyday. Most sysadmin in my experience is 50% getting stuff working right in the 1st place, 40% cruising along, and 10% panic. Plus it'd be good for your IR35 status.

[DieScum]

Well, I'm suitably ashamed to admit, I'm currently a permie. Although contractors are like gods to me, obviously. I'm contractually bound not to take on external work and I have never seen other similar work remotely jobs that I could do.

I did briefly take a look at rentacoder but its mostly 100$ jobs for a full days work.

All in all it's a funny situation. If a few years ago I had to describe my ideal job this wouldn't be far of any realistic attempt I would have made.

I also know that working in a crap office with a long commute is a lot worse... but you still get cabin fever sometimes.

Anyway, made sure I got down the gym today and that always seems to help. Gets some dolphins in the bloodstream.

[DieScum]

I used to quite like working at home but am fairly antisocial anyway

I know what you mean about the antisocial thing. Think it is fairly typical among blokes.

I'm hardly going to go out of my way to arrange a meet up for a coffee and a natter with someone but it's nice in a fun office to have a wee chat in the kitchen or whatever.