Where have I been?

I can’t believe I haven’t posted anything here since April! Where have I been?

I’m still reeling from the events of the last seven months. It’s been a sometimes horrendous, oft challenging, occasionally scary and always exhausting ride.

Thank heavens for my insulin pump! No way I would have coped as well without it. For a change, however, this post isn’t about diabetes.

I’ve been through the death (murder) of my best friend (last March), and what seemed like the endless police investigation back then. The managing, at first of two of his stores – one a newsagency, one a 24 hour convenience store, then working 50+ hours a week, doing several people’s jobs and trying to sort out the disaster I was left with.

First the newsagency was wound up pretty quickly. It was ludicrous to keep plugging away at a business that had been losing money since it started, but even more so in the last couple of years, when it had been… well… mismanaged by the other partner, who was to become an ex-partner last December.

When my friend had initially asked me to get re-involved in his businesses last year, (I had stopped consulting for them in 2007, for reasons I won’t go into here), I agreed, knowing the other partner would soon be an ex. In doing so, I had to give up several of my existing clients to fit more project hours. Little did I know what would happen and how many extra hours I’d be doing running the whole shebang without him. This was to be an ongoing project for me, for at least the next 2 years, and it brought financial security and a wonderful challenge.

Now that the last store closed a few weeks ago, I have no financial security, but I definitely do have a challenge!

We found out that the Deceased Estate, rather than having plenty of money and assets to pay it debts, as I’d been repeatedly told, is stone motherless broke! The lawyers screwed up, the bank screwed up and heaven knows who else, and the result is a bunch of good people who are owed money, including me!

Getting clients back in this economic climate won’t be easy and doesn’t happen overnight. It could take months to get new companies I want as clients. In the meantime, what happens to my mortgage that doesn’t get paid?

So, I was thinking that maybe I should sell up and move on.

I’ve been in beautiful Byron Bay for 11 years – loving almost every moment. The peace and quiet, the laid back lifestyle, the wonderful people here… Byron was a breath of fresh air (literally) after the  hustle and bustle of Sydney. I’ve made some great friends here, plus I’m involved in community activities.

In the 11 years I’ve been here, Byron has slowly priced itself out of any housing market I could afford to buy into again. Prices have skyrocketed in the last 10 years – everyone wants to move here. It also seems to be going through a belated recession. Shops closing everywhere, no on on the streets, few tourists around. It’s been pretty awful this winter.

Sure, I’ve made money on my house in the last few years, but not enough!

So maybe I need to go somewhere I can afford? Maybe I need to go to an area where medical services are way better than here? Maybe I can go to an area where there are more of my husband’s “landsfolk” and somewhere he can get a job more easily? Maybe I can start again somewhere else?

I don’t want to, but I think I pretty much have to.