As many of you know, I'm giving up minding and have been looking for another job. I spoke to someone from my old work today and they said they haven't replaced me yet which got me thinking. Before I left my boss told me if it didn't work then I was to go back. Obviously if they had a replacement I wouldn't be even thinking about it, but I'm tempted to email him and see if that offer was serious.

I generally enjoyed it, got on really well with most of the people and it's only a 5 minute walk from our house. This means no travelling costs and since it's a small town the chances of another job coming up here are pretty slim. Now the downside is my colleague - she is one of those people who thinks she is the boss when she isn't (my office manager went on maternity leave a few months after I started and she even used to try and tell her what to do!!). Office manager is due back from maternity leave at the beginning of November and we get on really well - if she wasn't going back I probably wouldn't be thinking about contacting my boss.

I really need to weigh up the pros and cons but I don't want to end up in a job which I hate, when on a whole I did enjoy this one. Am I best to go back to what I know? I'm thinking I have nothing to lose in emailing him - he may well say they have someone starting in a few weeks, but if I don't ask I'll never know - and if I don't, will I regret it?

If I do email him, I'm not sure how to word it? Any ideas?