How to kill time when you're on the bench

[norrahe]

Absoutely, would be far too easy to slip into a get up for lunch and veg all afternoon, unemployed mentality.

I sometimes like to have a week so so or doing nowt and generally having an unstructured day. It is nice not to have your waking time dictated by a working timetable. Helps to unwind.

I used to do volunteer work, so a few days a week I'd help man the phone lines for the local Cats Protection, it was good as all I had to do was redirect their phones to my landline. I also did home visits for them so it got me out of the house.

I also spend some bench time catching up on my cooking skills and practising new stuff as well as the usual jobswerve surfing and pimping myself on LinkedIn.

[psychocandy]

I usually find I can handle the first 2 or 3 weeks of bench time without any hassle.

Then I get bored, the house can only be pristine, you can only chase as many agents as job adverts, love computers games but my eyes ache after 5 hours, and there only so many decent TV series and movies to watch.

If I actually planned bench time, as compared to holiday, ahead it may be more enticing.

After 3 weeks I need another contract.

My schedule.
Up at 7:30 (That's 1+ hour lie-in compared to normal) coffee and breakfast, watch tv news.
9-11 ish, Jobserve etc and on the phone to agents re suitable jobs. Work related learning.
11-1 watch a movie
1-2 Lunch
2-3 Gaming
3-4.30 House work
4.30-6 Prepare dinner
6-7 Dinner with the wife
7-11 Usually like to get out somewhere by now, or sit down and veg.

Sure theres something missing from this schedule

[oscarose]

Sure theres something missing from this schedule

He's married

[psychocandy]

He's married

Exactly. Even more reason.....

[wim121]

Kill time?

I never have enough of it, even when on the bench. You end up with a backlog of chores that wont ever disappear. Ahhhh I wish life was a constant bench. If only I had the ability to sire children and get through life on my looks. Unfortunately Im an ugly bloke.

[wim121]

Get married

Your wife will make sure you're never bored... and not in a good way either

It would be cheaper to find someone you hate and give them 70% of your assets

Hahaha love the honesty. Most people (feminists) would throw a dirty insult here, but we all know it's the truth.

I wish i could just shake friends who want to get married, their choice though.

[Zoiderman]

Hahaha love the honesty. Most people (feminists) would throw a dirty insult here, but we all know it's the truth.

I wish i could just shake friends who want to get married, their choice though.

Happily, very happily married for almost 20 years.

There are some very unhappy people here.

[BrilloPad]

Happily, very happily married for almost 20 years.

There are some very unhappy people here.

IMO consider yourself lucky. I doubt any of the divorced people on here ever thought they were marrying a looney.

Personally I had a great marriage until my ex-wife became ill.

But I am really pleased it is working out well for you and long may it continue to do so. I wouldn't wish divorce on anyone (not even Hot Pasty).

[Zoiderman]

IMO consider yourself lucky. I doubt any of the divorced people on here ever thought they were marrying a looney.

Personally I had a great marriage until my ex-wife became ill.

But I am really pleased it is working out well for you and long may it continue to do so. I wouldn't wish divorce on anyone (not even Hot Pasty).

Its not that, I get that, but its as though just because some have had a bad experience, the whole shebang is tulip.

Early days I guess, but most of my friends are happily married, but only one brother remains married to his first wife. I just don't get the, my marriage was tulip, so marriage is tulip argument.

Thats all.

[redgiant]

Another tip is to have a look around at what is happening in the local area - being stuck on client site all day you miss a lot of things that happen during the week.

The queen is inspecting her barge for the diamond jubilee today - not the best of days for it as it's raining hard here. I'm not a royalist but it isn't everyday the Queen comes to your local area so I'll probably head out down to the docks to see her and Philip this morning before heading into the city for a client lunch meeting.