work?

It suddenly dawned on me that I might need to be more organised, when I was calling a client and had my TOP SECRET CLIENT NOTEBOOK open on the bed next to me. The next thing I know Seth has scrawled all over my TOP SECRET NOTES and I explode into a panic of disorderly despair.

Things were once so simple. Energy suppliers were centralised. I tell you privatisation has done me no favours (is this the point where anyone under the age of 25 reminisces about GCSE history. Yeah gads, I'm starting to sound alarmingly like my Mother again)  I come from a family where Dad did all the bills and stuff, and they were all kept in a kitchen drawer and paid, in cash, weekly or monthly. Housekeeping was paid to Mum via a stash of notes left behind the clock on the mantlepiece, and there was no such thing as 'credit' and 'HP' in our house, so there was no call for files, or spreadsheets. Kitchen Drawer, the font of all household knowledge.

Meanwhile, I've found myself surrounded by ring binders, which I've just yanked out of the kitchen cupboard. (See, the fruit never falls far and all that) calenders everywhere, in the front room, on the computer, on my phone, in my handbag, notebooks and lists and piles of stuff everywhere. And thats just house/family related stuff.

I don't remember my mum having a big f*ck off chart on the kitchen wall detailing what everyone is up to during the week. As we ran out of the door we shouted "off to *insert activity, in my case usually completely fabricated* back before tea/dark/Eastenders" and yet I'm staring at an A1 whiteboard thingemy, and trying to work out when I can see the voice therapist, as its currently clashing with soft play and squash?  

No one told me when I entered into this whole family business there'd be so much (paper)work involved. Life used to be simple. I got a cheque from the LEA- I spent it on new clothes and some booze. I got a cheque from The Student Loan company- I spent it on a holiday to Ibiza. As I earned a crust I then cannily set up direct debits for rent and minimum payments and then got down to the serious work of spending my money till the hole in the wall said "no funds available."    

I don't even know how it happened, as it used to be John who looked after money/housey things, but suddenly I'm the one searching for cheaper car insurance and juggling credit cards for 12 months free balance transfers and making sure the bills are paid on time.

I'm legendarily dreadful at filing and record keeping and accounting and whatnot. Ask my old boss.

So I'm doing all this and then I get a job which involves TOP SECRET STUFF, and embark on a course that involves reading lots of books and writing lots of essays and even more TOP SECRET STUFF, and I realise (don't laugh) I need a home office.