Upheaval in the house of Gough

[goughy]

What a tangled web we weave. Some of you may know that the last 5 years have been an interesting time in the house of Gough (to say the least). Well it has all finally come to a head!

Today my apprentice told me he has been offered a job and wants to take it. Not much I can really do so he is finishing on Tuesday next week. Upholstery is not a trade in Toowoomba which has a glut of qualified tradesmen looking for jobs. And it dosen't appear to be the most attractive of trades to do these days. I've been looking for staff for about a year now, and he was the 5th apprentice I've had (or offered the job to) in this time.

Unfortunately our financial structure dosen't leave us with the option of me working by myself. There are just too many overheads, and I got sick of 7 day weeks last year.

On top of this there have been a multitude of personal issues in this time. Ozgolf's creation is infact a direct result of one of these. If anyone wants me to elaborate on those I can later. I think this post is going to become my blog.

Anyway, Clikchics parents made a very attractive offer to us a couple of weeks ago. There were some conditions involved which we have been talking about for the last couple of weeks or so. But after my apprentice spoke to me today I rang cliky and we came to the conclusion of 'bugger it'. Toowoomba is a curse for us and it is time for the curse to end.

At some time in the next year, hopefully before jaz starts pre-prep, we'll be moving to Bli Bli on the sunshine coast. Clikchic will have to have a job, and whether I'm working by myself (cool) or have to get a normal job I don't know, but I also don't care. Our quality of life in toowoomba is ****e so it's time for a change.

We'll be purchasing our pil's house and they will be living in the unit underneath (did someone say babysitters!!!). The logistics of it have not even been discussed, but it's gotta be better than what's happening now. But unfortunately I will be working my ass off so golf will again be out of the equation. Hopefully I will still be able to make the champs. Even Robyn is hoping to meet you all then too.

So jarro, I'll only be a 45minute drive up the road. I see lots of games at nudgee etc. And finally I'll be able to join the 'P' for a game at nambour. Right now I really feel like I need to watch 'thank god your here' and come to grips with the decision. A life changer, but will only be for the better.

[BrisVegas]

All the best with the big changes Dean.

[Jarro]

Good move Goughy.

Sounds like you guys are getting bogged down in Toowoomba, a change of scenery and different job will be just the tonic to spark you guys up a bit 8)

sounds very exciting actually .. stepping into a totally new environment. I'm sure it's a good idea and i wish you and Robyn (and the kids) all the best in your new adventure 8)

[AndyP]

See ya at Namba.

You've been working your **** off for no reward for too long. Good luck.

[PeteyD]

Good luck. Best thing we did with regards to Toowoomba was leave!

[BrisVegas]

Petey - when were you in Toowoomba? I was born there and did grade 5 thru uni there...

[Moe Norman]

Bli Blie state school is a good school and you have a castle!

[PeteyD]

Went up there for work in 98 or 99, came back just before Baeddan was born in 01. Were not there for that long but didn't really like the place. Sarah got sick of not living near water.

[Courty]

They say a change is as good as a holiday, and I agree.
Good luck with the future. Shouldn't be too hard now you're moving closer to civilisation. ;)

[Stoney]

Funny how Toowoomba can do that to people. The place did a very similar thing to me after working there for five years.

Good luck mate, making the decision is the hardest part.

[BrisVegas]

Funny how Toowoomba can do that to people. The place did a very similar thing to me after working there for five years.

rubbish! You lived on the practice fairway of Middle Ridge golf club the whole time you were there. You never saw the town.

[goughy]

Bli Blie state school is a good school and you have a castle!

Do you (or anyone) know much about the state schools up that way (damo where are you)? We had jaz set up to start in one of the best state schools in woomba. That's one of robyns biggest concerns; finding a good school.

[Plod]

Permanently living with the outlaws, there goes that marriage! Been there done that, sure it has some perks(babysitters), but thats about it.

[AndyP]

I thought public schools were zoned, so you didn't get much of a choice?
FWIW I went to Kuluin SS on the Sunshine Coast.

[Moe Norman]

Goughy: I have some friends who attended Bli Bli state school and can't speak highly enough of the place. these same blokes then went to toowoomba grammar as boarders though!

[clikchic]

Permanently living with the outlaws, there goes that marriage! Been there done that, sure it has some perks(babysitters), but thats about it.

He he, goughy gets on better with my parents than I do! ROFL

It is one of my other major concerns..thankfully they will have a fully contained granny flat and assure us they will give us our space... still worries me a touch tho...

[Eag's]

Sounds like you guys are making the right decision.
To many people go through life strugling to make ends meet only
because they are not prepared to change things for the better.

Good luck with the move, and good on you both for taking back
control of your lives :smt023

[damoocow]

Do you (or anyone) know much about the state schools up that way (damo where are you)? We had jaz set up to start in one of the best state schools in woomba. That's one of robyns biggest concerns; finding a good school.

a good friend of mine teaches up that way and has positive reports about Chevallum and Bli Bli SS......can get more info if needed, particularly places to avoid........let me know

damoocow

[goughy]

Goughy: I have some friends who attended Bli Bli state school and can't speak highly enough of the place. these same blokes then went to toowoomba grammar as boarders though!

Been looking it up on the net: seems pretty good. Will ask some teachers we know to suss it out for us. But it is less than one minute from the house, and the nearest childcare centre is just up the street from the school. This is a big thing for Robyn (and me).

Looking at the award wages, man upholsterers are paid crap. Did I get into the wrong industry. Have to work for myself up there.

The house is the deal sealer. 4 dbl b'rooms all bi and ensuite, office, large sunroom (kids rumpus), huge lounge with projector (s.o.o. at my place (not)) large kitchen, dining, large laundry, front deck and back covered area with salt water pool, full workshop on site (about 2/3's the size of my current one), currently double garage. Fil will be taking one of the garages to build a second b'room for the downstairs unit and increasing the size of the lounge and rebuilding the kitchen, laundry and bathroom at his own expense (more equity for me for free). He'll also be closing off the internal door.

He's talking about offering it to us about $150k under valuation with the proviso that they live in the unit for a period of time rent free (will be a long time).

All Robyn's family live in Bli Bli. Most of mine are in Zillmere. Robyn has a huge Dutch family which visit often enough (she lived in holland for a year after school) but we don't see them much as they spend their time with her parents. This would solve that as well.

I'm certainly more likely to make ozgolf games from there than I am from toowoomba. Especially with finances more sorted out. Probably get one of those emmy memberships till I sort things out.

Still lots to sort out. Selling the business will be a bugger and a half. But no matter what happens our lifestyle will be so much better we won't know ourselves.

And we've been talking about moving up there in time to be closer to family, why not just do it sooner.

Anyway, my ramblings must surely be over for now. I'm sitting on cloud 9 at the mo since Robyn made up her mind. It's a big decision but I was convinced from the first moment. But I guess you need to take the time to think it through. But the staff situation here has really reached a limit for me. I'm over it. Wanna work for myself from now. No one else to muck up things but myself.

[goughy]

a good friend of mine teaches up that way and has positive reports about Chevallum and Bli Bli SS......can get more info if needed, particularly places to avoid........let me know

damoocow

Really like the sound of bli bli after reading their website. Any info or opinion you could gather would be much appreciated damo.

[connico]

go the move, picking up and moving is the hardest thing to do, but it sounds like you've wrapped your head around it nicely. good luck and get some golfing done!!!

[damoocow]

Really like the sound of bli bli after reading their website. Any info or opinion you could gather would be much appreciated damo.


Have just sent off email to find out further details - give it a day or two, good luck to you in the meantime

damoocow

[markTHEblake]

Gee Goughy, who is gunna look after poor old Jaster now?

be wary of Maroochy High. at least 5 of my old school teachers are still there and look how i turned out.

[AndyP]

be wary of Maroochy High. at least 5 of my old school teachers are still there and look how i turned out.
You were a lost cause anyway, Blakey. I turned out fine............
At the risk of starting an off-topic discussion, which teachers are they?

goughy, do you definitely want to stay in the upholstery business?

[goughy]

goughy, do you definitely want to stay in the upholstery business?
Andy

At this stage we are going to see how things go. We will both need to get jobs to start with and if Dean enjoys his job and it pays well enough he may stay in it, otherwise he will work on building a new business there and work from home. No staff, less overheads and higher rates will mean that he will be able to do much better there than he has ever been able to do here and the working from home thing is a BIG plus.

My brother has recently left the upholstery business there, and my father is retiring (he has also been doing upholstery) so there is room for a new upholsterer in town.

I think Dean prefers the idea of working from home particularly since you can charge more at the coast than you can in this hole. LOL At the end of the day tho, we are going to keep our options open and go with the flow.

The idea of my going back to work isn't quite as depressing knowing that I will be able to get better paid jobs at the coast than I can here. Wages in Toowoomba are total crap.

I really love being a Stay at Home Mum, and it is not something I really want to give up, but I am hoping that the worst case scenario is that I need to work full time for a few months till we get settled, and then drop back to part time. I am hoping that my website will continue to grow so that I can earn enough from it so that I can continue being a SAHM. I will have to work my butt off between now and then me thinks!

edit: DOH! I have done it again! Clikchic here, not goughy...

[BrisVegas]

My brother has recently left the upholstery business there, and my father is retiring (he has also been doing upholstery) so there is room for a new upholsterer in town.

Crikey, three family members in the upholstery game! You will have Bli Bli stitched up.... :smt002

ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom!

[PeteyD]

Crikey, three family members in the upholstery game! You will have Bli Bli stitched up.... :smt002

ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom!

Stop stuffing around!

[Bruce]

Stop stuffing around!

Yeah - we've well and truly covered the upholstery gags.

[markTHEblake]

At the risk of starting an off-topic discussion, which teachers are they?

Clarke, Hasthorpe, Phillips, Boyle, Stoschek - 4 consecutive years of Hastthorpe is enough to drive anyone bonkers....a classic mad scientist

[AndyP]

Clarke, Hasthorpe, Phillips, Boyle, Stoschek - 4 consecutive years of Hastthorpe is enough to drive anyone bonkers....a classic mad scientist
Stoschek is the only name that I can't recall on that list. Don't know if you ever had Newton as a teacher, but he is club captain at Nambour GC now.

[goughy]

Yeah - we've well and truly covered the upholstery gags.

At least you guys can spell upholstery.

Robyn will have a heap of pics on her blog tonite. Will post the link later.

[cazandpaul]

Caz and I packed up and left Sydney 7 years ago with no jobs (much to our family's horror) and ready for a change - it really was the best thing we ever did.

People we worked with thought we were being really brave and saying they wished they could do it - once you have made the decision it's easy.

I believe your decision is absolutely the right one.

Good luck.

[goughy]

Robyn has added some stuff to her blog. Here's the link. It has a few other photo's etc.

http://www.clikchic.com/

[damoocow]

Goughy - have just gotten word back on the state of play in terms of schools - Bli Bli seems to be the way to go, but as always I suggest you look into things yourself, Bli Bli gets a good wrap from someone i know who has taught there but is now at Chevallum [ app 15 mins away?]

damoocow

[goughy]

Thanks Damo. Have been looking into things as well, and all looks good so far. The structure looks good etc, and it's within a minute from the house. We'll make an appointment to see them next timw we're up there. We've also been told hat there will be no probs with getting jaz in there.

[Jarro]

all systems go then Goughy 8)

[goughy]

Just trying to nut out how it's actually gonna happen. But I'd happily lose money in toowoomba to get out of here. I'm placing the blame for the last 5 years squarely on toowoomba's shoulders (it had nothing to do with us ;) )

[Flowergirl]

Good luck on your big move. It sounds great!!!!
John and I did "the big move" when we were in our 30's. We both had steadt jobs and living in the outer burbs - but we were getting no where- not just financially. Really in a rut. So - on the spur of the moment - we moved back down to Rosebud( where I grew up and where my parents live) bought a garden supplies business ( I had to learn to drive a front end loader) bought a new house and we have never looked back.:-D

As far as living with family is concerned just set the "rules" early and stick to them. Sit down together and discuss what you all want and expect. It may cause a bit of conflict to start with - but in the long run it will avoid any major clashes in the future.

All the best guys.:smt002

[Golfgirl]

Good luck Goughy and ClikChic, you are making a bold move, but one that sounds like the right move.

I can totally sympathise - we are in the same boat at the moment - our situation here in Sydney has just changed radically, and we are planning our move back north.

Best of luck with the house sale, setting up the new business, and getting Jaz settled at school. Mitchell is starting school next year also - exciting times are ahead of us!!

[BrisVegas]

we are in the same boat at the moment - our situation here in Sydney has just changed radically, and we are planning our move back north.

Oh? Hope all is well Jodie. Good luck with the move back to God's country.

[Golfgirl]

Yeah - no need to panic, hubby just had an offer of work back on the Gold Coast which was good as we want to return before Mitchell starts school next year. The main thing is that professionally and financially we have decided that if he takes the job, it will be best for me to stay put here for a few more months. So it will be a bit of a short term struggle and then we'll be back where we belong. We're still weighing up our options....

[goughy]

An update!!

Looks like Toowoomba will now be our base of operations. The coast move has soured on us. At least I don't mind the cold much!!

[jaster]

I will love you forever mate ;) You know you couldn't move away from me!!

[Jarro]

sorry to hear that Goughy :(

i know how keen you guys were to move to the sunny coast.

[AndyP]

You've crushed my hopes of having a fellow Nambour member.

goughy, is this it? Life continues on as it does now? Or are you going to try and change things another way?

[goughy]

Possibly sell the house and rent for a while. Invest what we get out of the house. Restructure the business so I can make some money for a change and Rob's going back to work full time.

Still a lot to do yet. Just not what we'd hoped for. Lot's a hard yards to go now.