So today started well, I find out I've got the job I applied for, then it all went downhill fast.
The job as explained in the previous post was even worse than I anticipated.
Then the bleeper goes off on the electric meter telling me that there is less than 50p left on the emergency so I need to get myself to town to top up.
My jobseekers allowance should be in the bank as it usually goes in on a Friday, I hadn't checked yesterday as we didn't need anything.
Wait for the bus due at 10.22 it doesn't turn up, the 10.42 also fails to appear, finally one arrives at 10.55.
Get to the town and go into the bank to draw enough money to get my electric, gas and pay a few other bills and leave some for food etc.
Check my account and it says £10.11, nothing has been paid in so I check with the bank who say nothing is outstanding, I draw the remaining tenner as I have to get electric or risk losing what food we do have as it's mainly frozen stuff at the moment.
The jobcentre is closed so there is no one I can talk to, I get home and ring them up but the office is closed for the weekend, so it looks like chips, roast potatoes and brussel sprouts for Sunday lunch as that's about all we've got left.
At least I got one smile this afternoon, watching the football on ITV featuring village side Paulton against Norwich, the effects microphone was far too close to the crowd and picked up a nice "you fat cunt" taunt at Norwich striker Grant Holt followed by a hasty apology from the commentator.
Saturday 7 November 2009
The Job Hunt
"I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now".
There always seems to be a line in Smiths songs to describe my mood, and this one fits well today.
Nearly 11 months after signing on I got my first interview, I'll admit it's only the last few months I've been sending applications and CV's to any suitable companies without being as picky as I was at first.
One of these random applications was to a healthcare company for a stock controller position, the money although not great (the same rate I was on in the early nineties) was better than most jobs being advertised so I applied.
I get a letter a week or so later telling me I'd missed out, but then got a phone call asking me to come for an interview for a different job they had going.
I turn up and they seem impressed and the interviewer gives me the news that the wages are about a pound an hour less than the job I originally applied for, I make the decision that as I'm currently unemployed and needing money I might as well take it if offered as it's always easier to get a better job if you're employed at the time.
I was told I would hear by next Wednesday so was surprised to find a contract dropped through my letterbox this morning.
I should be happy but then I read the wages in the contract and it says they are 53p and hour less than the interviewer said and no mention of the unsociable hours bonus which he told me I'd receive for working shifts.
Sadly I'm in no position to turn anything down as the vultures are at the door for unpaid bills, but it's a bitter pill to swallow doing a job for £4 and hour less than I was earning 3 years ago.
There always seems to be a line in Smiths songs to describe my mood, and this one fits well today.
Nearly 11 months after signing on I got my first interview, I'll admit it's only the last few months I've been sending applications and CV's to any suitable companies without being as picky as I was at first.
One of these random applications was to a healthcare company for a stock controller position, the money although not great (the same rate I was on in the early nineties) was better than most jobs being advertised so I applied.
I get a letter a week or so later telling me I'd missed out, but then got a phone call asking me to come for an interview for a different job they had going.
I turn up and they seem impressed and the interviewer gives me the news that the wages are about a pound an hour less than the job I originally applied for, I make the decision that as I'm currently unemployed and needing money I might as well take it if offered as it's always easier to get a better job if you're employed at the time.
I was told I would hear by next Wednesday so was surprised to find a contract dropped through my letterbox this morning.
I should be happy but then I read the wages in the contract and it says they are 53p and hour less than the interviewer said and no mention of the unsociable hours bonus which he told me I'd receive for working shifts.
Sadly I'm in no position to turn anything down as the vultures are at the door for unpaid bills, but it's a bitter pill to swallow doing a job for £4 and hour less than I was earning 3 years ago.
Friday 23 October 2009
Now I remember
Thanks to Mr Minger for the abuse, as it was the first comment on this blog in over 4 months I'll look at the positives - at least someone still reads this shit :)
Also it actually reminded me that I have this blog, which I'm sad to say had been forgotten or more truthfully neglected.
Not a lot of positives in my life at the moment so writing of despair and despondency doesn't make for happy reading so I didn't bother.
But now I'm here I'll try and give you something worth reading ... well when I can tear myself away from the catalogue of excellent music blogs out there :)
Also it actually reminded me that I have this blog, which I'm sad to say had been forgotten or more truthfully neglected.
Not a lot of positives in my life at the moment so writing of despair and despondency doesn't make for happy reading so I didn't bother.
But now I'm here I'll try and give you something worth reading ... well when I can tear myself away from the catalogue of excellent music blogs out there :)
Tuesday 30 June 2009
If there is a God, he's an evil Bastard
Just when you think life has punched you to the floor, given you a good kicking and spat on your unconscious body, it comes back for another go.
The missus has not been the same since one of her many botched operations about 4 years ago, slowly losing mobility, although still walking she struggles with stairs and has become pretty weak, we came to the conclusion that the op may have caused nerve damage or similar?
So after several months of tests ECG, EEG, MRI, EMG and various other letter combinations she has been diagnosed with something called Myotonic Distrophy :(
An incurable progressive muscle wasting disease, so the future looks far from bright.
A complete loss of mobility in the future seems to be a cert and it's just a matter of sooner or later, hopefully later.
I'm always amazed that we've never won the lottery as she seems to regularly pick all those longshots, one in ten for a hospital infection (she's managed 3 of those), the many baby problems ranging from one in a hundred to one in a million, and this one which is just a one in eight thousand chance.
Some people have all the luck ........ she's had none.
The missus has not been the same since one of her many botched operations about 4 years ago, slowly losing mobility, although still walking she struggles with stairs and has become pretty weak, we came to the conclusion that the op may have caused nerve damage or similar?
So after several months of tests ECG, EEG, MRI, EMG and various other letter combinations she has been diagnosed with something called Myotonic Distrophy :(
An incurable progressive muscle wasting disease, so the future looks far from bright.
A complete loss of mobility in the future seems to be a cert and it's just a matter of sooner or later, hopefully later.
I'm always amazed that we've never won the lottery as she seems to regularly pick all those longshots, one in ten for a hospital infection (she's managed 3 of those), the many baby problems ranging from one in a hundred to one in a million, and this one which is just a one in eight thousand chance.
Some people have all the luck ........ she's had none.
Friday 12 June 2009
Springwatch
Every Spring and Autumn (Fall for Americans) the BBC broadcast a nature programme which keeps an eye on a variety of British wildlife during the breeding seasons. It has always been interesting but I tended to watch it rarely because I couldn't abide one of the presenters former "Goodie" Bill Oddie who just came across as one grumpy old git most of the time.Luckily he has left (various reasons quoted) and been replaced with Jools Holland lookalike (and soundalike) Chris Packham.
The "action" was of the same standard as usual and other presenters Kate Humble and Simon King were as watchable as always, but Packham got me tuning in every night for a non nature related reason.
There was an "in joke" or private bet going on, to see how many Smiths song titles he could cram in without people noticing, which being a sad old Smiths fan made me listen to everything he had to say :)
Last night was the final episode and he didn't let us down as in reply to a congratulation message from the aforementioned Bill Oddie he replied "William it was really nothing", then a close up of a messy nest saw him comment "paint a vulgar picture" and so on he was managing about 6 a night at the end.
As they say little things please little minds ........
Thursday 11 June 2009
Friday 5 June 2009
The Job Hunt
All getting a bit depressing at the moment, I've sent of dozens of CV's but it seems that the old fashioned "sorry" letter has gone out of fashion.
I've only had one reply in nearly six months and that was when I applied to work in the job centre!, even that turned into a farce as I was invited to a numeracy and literacy test which I did but was told I hadn't got through to the interview stages then a month later I received a letter from them telling me I had passed the tests and that I should keep the letter in case I applied again in the future?
Obviously my face didn't fit then so why would it in future.
Maybe I'm setting my standards too high, especially my wage expectations?
Probably 95% of the jobs seen that I would be qualified for offer wages that I couldn't live on in 1995, and the only jobs offering the wages I was taking home 2 years ago tend to be managerial or degree standard health service jobs which I really don't have a chance of.
Oh well something will come along soon hopefully.
I've only had one reply in nearly six months and that was when I applied to work in the job centre!, even that turned into a farce as I was invited to a numeracy and literacy test which I did but was told I hadn't got through to the interview stages then a month later I received a letter from them telling me I had passed the tests and that I should keep the letter in case I applied again in the future?
Obviously my face didn't fit then so why would it in future.
Maybe I'm setting my standards too high, especially my wage expectations?
Probably 95% of the jobs seen that I would be qualified for offer wages that I couldn't live on in 1995, and the only jobs offering the wages I was taking home 2 years ago tend to be managerial or degree standard health service jobs which I really don't have a chance of.
Oh well something will come along soon hopefully.
Wednesday 3 June 2009
The Economy
I read that illegal downloads are costing the British economy £12 billion a year?
Apart from the obvious fact that the majority of illegal downloads are of songs, films, games that you wouldn't buy anyway, it seems to assume that the money you save isn't being spent on anything else.
Surely most of us use the money we save from downloading illegaly to buy life's little luxuries like food, rent, gas, electric, council tax, mortgages etc which as far as I know contributes to the British economy doesn't it?
Apart from the obvious fact that the majority of illegal downloads are of songs, films, games that you wouldn't buy anyway, it seems to assume that the money you save isn't being spent on anything else.
Surely most of us use the money we save from downloading illegaly to buy life's little luxuries like food, rent, gas, electric, council tax, mortgages etc which as far as I know contributes to the British economy doesn't it?
Whinges (Part 99)
Double Standards
People that complain about Anti-Social behaviour and then go and get rat-arsed at the weekend and claim it's only kids.
People that complain about other people Smoking damaging their health and then light up barbecues and ruin the entire neighbourhoods summer evenings.
People that point out that they only buy environmentally friendly products while still driving the kids to the local school in a gaz guzzler and take at least one air travel holiday every year.
Politicians of all parties who despite the indisputable facts that alcohol is the major cause of anti social behaviour and the biggest drain on the health service refuse to back any call for an increase in prices in case they lose a few votes.
People that complain about Anti-Social behaviour and then go and get rat-arsed at the weekend and claim it's only kids.
People that complain about other people Smoking damaging their health and then light up barbecues and ruin the entire neighbourhoods summer evenings.
People that point out that they only buy environmentally friendly products while still driving the kids to the local school in a gaz guzzler and take at least one air travel holiday every year.
Politicians of all parties who despite the indisputable facts that alcohol is the major cause of anti social behaviour and the biggest drain on the health service refuse to back any call for an increase in prices in case they lose a few votes.
Bright Idea
Fair play to Morrisons at the moment, they are selling their "energy saving" 20W (100W) lightbulbs for 29p for a pack of 2 and you get 4 free, so 29p for 6 or less than 5p each.
Surely this is the best way to promote us to change to the energy savers, rather than trying to make us all feel guilty.
Nice to see that these have come down in price even in the big DIY retailers who were selling them at about £3 each about a year ago but have now been forced by the supermarkets to drop the prices.
Sadly they're still not a patch on old fashioned lightbulbs, I tried one in my bedside "touch" lamp and it just made a strange hissing noise and refused to dim or turn off, and my hall light only has room for a smaller lamp so that when you answer the door in the dark it's really gloomy unless you can keep the person at the door talking for 5 minutes until it's bright enough to see them.
Surely this is the best way to promote us to change to the energy savers, rather than trying to make us all feel guilty.
Nice to see that these have come down in price even in the big DIY retailers who were selling them at about £3 each about a year ago but have now been forced by the supermarkets to drop the prices.
Sadly they're still not a patch on old fashioned lightbulbs, I tried one in my bedside "touch" lamp and it just made a strange hissing noise and refused to dim or turn off, and my hall light only has room for a smaller lamp so that when you answer the door in the dark it's really gloomy unless you can keep the person at the door talking for 5 minutes until it's bright enough to see them.
Boot Sale Tales
Well I'm a few more boot sales down the line, some good some bad but the old instincts are returning.
Repackaging crap for profit (works on the high street, why not in a field).
You soon learn that image is most important thing these days, stick an old 45rpm single in a box and try to sell it for 10p you don't get any takers, yet put it in a new 5p plastic sleeve and label it "rare only £3" and someone will try and knock you down to £2.50 and think they've got a bargain? it's a crazy world.
Repackaging crap for profit (works on the high street, why not in a field).
You soon learn that image is most important thing these days, stick an old 45rpm single in a box and try to sell it for 10p you don't get any takers, yet put it in a new 5p plastic sleeve and label it "rare only £3" and someone will try and knock you down to £2.50 and think they've got a bargain? it's a crazy world.
Politicians
Politicians are crooks shock!!
The only shock is that it until it's front page news most of the British public didn't seem to know or care? Even now only 48% of the country think they're dishonest?
I think I've spent most of my life in the knowledge that MP's are parasites living off the public, so I struggle to believe anyone thought they were honest.
Quote
Politics (pronounced "sc-um-ba-gs"): noun; from the Latin words Poli meaning "many" and Tics meaning "bloodsuckers".
The only shock is that it until it's front page news most of the British public didn't seem to know or care? Even now only 48% of the country think they're dishonest?
I think I've spent most of my life in the knowledge that MP's are parasites living off the public, so I struggle to believe anyone thought they were honest.
Quote
Politics (pronounced "sc-um-ba-gs"): noun; from the Latin words Poli meaning "many" and Tics meaning "bloodsuckers".
Back Again
Oh well time's come to update this blog now I'm back with the cyber crowd.
Still got no money and no job but life continues (with a struggle).
I hear things are looking up? although my own family are now all in the same boat as me.
The wife's 2 brothers have both lost their jobs with large companies recently (one with Virgin who are not my favourite people at the moment), my eldest son has been laid off from his job (replaced by someone who was willing to work for half his pay).
Even the mother-in-laws ironing business has collapsed as people have started ironing their own clothes (or don't bother like me).
Still coping well though as me and the wife have lived just above poverty for most of our married life apart from the last 5 years where things went very well, so it's just a return to a lifestyle we're used to, unkike the rest of the family who seem to close to breakdown.
Anyway here's a few things that have been on my mind recently :)
Still got no money and no job but life continues (with a struggle).
I hear things are looking up? although my own family are now all in the same boat as me.
The wife's 2 brothers have both lost their jobs with large companies recently (one with Virgin who are not my favourite people at the moment), my eldest son has been laid off from his job (replaced by someone who was willing to work for half his pay).
Even the mother-in-laws ironing business has collapsed as people have started ironing their own clothes (or don't bother like me).
Still coping well though as me and the wife have lived just above poverty for most of our married life apart from the last 5 years where things went very well, so it's just a return to a lifestyle we're used to, unkike the rest of the family who seem to close to breakdown.
Anyway here's a few things that have been on my mind recently :)
Friday 6 February 2009
Back To The Basics
A lack of money has forced me back into a hobby I had given up for over 12 years - Boot sales.
When you're earning ok the thought of getting up at 5am on a cold frosty Sunday morning doesn't really appeal but faced with a lack of basic necessities like food and electric it sort of forces the hand.
Something that I'd forgotten was how much I actually enjoyed the experience, not the getting up in the dark, or loading my car full of stuff, or the standing around in the freezing cold, and especially not the fact you have to hand over £8-£9 before you've taken a penny to just be there, no it's the meeting people I enjoy talking to complete strangers about everything and anything and seeing people I hadn't met in years.
When I used to do them before I mainly sold vinyl records and assorted junk that I'd polished up and presented in a way that made it appealing to the bargain hunters, this time it seemed like a good way of clearing those hundreds of videos I seem to have collected and never watch plus a large selection of CD's that I never play (most music gets played through the PC these days).
Thought of pricing the vids at 50p each but soon found out the going rate was 10-20p each (they were going for £2-£3 when I was selling before).
The CD's have held their price usually £2-£3 each so as I've ripped them all to my computer and they're not likely to be played again this seems reasonable.
I've been slowly going through my loft for some of the old junk that was left from years back plus being someone that hates to throw anything out if I feel I could make a few pence for it I have a lot to choose from.
Anyway I did my first one just after Christmas on a frost covered car park locally and despite a lack of people I ended up making a profit of just under a hundred quid :)
Back to the same place the following week and the weather was better and more people turned up but this time it was a bit of a disaster as I only made about £30 profit, so the following week it was off to a different place which backfired again as the icy cold morning saw most people staying in bed and I was lucky to make £25 and most of that was after the other 10 sellers had all given up and gone home early.
Last Sunday started out bad as snow was threatened and it was bitterly cold, one of the better boot sales about 20 miles away had advertised they were open so I headed off to get their early but when I arrived I found an empty field, I came back passing all the old boot sale sites I knew and all were closed so I end up back at the local place, so I'm a fivers worth of petrol down and the pitch money as well.
Luckily the few people who'd come out were buying and I made about £25 in the first hour to make it worthwhile but a few snow flurries and a biting wind soon had everyone leaving.
The guy next to me had piles of videos which after I showed an interest he offered to me for a tenner the lot, maybe later I told him.
About eleven and the buyers had all disappeared so he offers me the films again for a fiver and I offer him £3 which he accepts, 50p buys me two large trays full of paperbacks he's struggling to sell and I get a set of golf clubs and some other stuff thrown in.
This little deal has got me right back into the swing and I'm confident that weather permitting things will improve over the coming weeks, I've come home with £30 more than if I'd stayed in bed and twice as much stuff than I'd taken, the additional items although not of a high value tend to attract the punters.
When you're earning ok the thought of getting up at 5am on a cold frosty Sunday morning doesn't really appeal but faced with a lack of basic necessities like food and electric it sort of forces the hand.
Something that I'd forgotten was how much I actually enjoyed the experience, not the getting up in the dark, or loading my car full of stuff, or the standing around in the freezing cold, and especially not the fact you have to hand over £8-£9 before you've taken a penny to just be there, no it's the meeting people I enjoy talking to complete strangers about everything and anything and seeing people I hadn't met in years.
When I used to do them before I mainly sold vinyl records and assorted junk that I'd polished up and presented in a way that made it appealing to the bargain hunters, this time it seemed like a good way of clearing those hundreds of videos I seem to have collected and never watch plus a large selection of CD's that I never play (most music gets played through the PC these days).
Thought of pricing the vids at 50p each but soon found out the going rate was 10-20p each (they were going for £2-£3 when I was selling before).
The CD's have held their price usually £2-£3 each so as I've ripped them all to my computer and they're not likely to be played again this seems reasonable.
I've been slowly going through my loft for some of the old junk that was left from years back plus being someone that hates to throw anything out if I feel I could make a few pence for it I have a lot to choose from.
Anyway I did my first one just after Christmas on a frost covered car park locally and despite a lack of people I ended up making a profit of just under a hundred quid :)
Back to the same place the following week and the weather was better and more people turned up but this time it was a bit of a disaster as I only made about £30 profit, so the following week it was off to a different place which backfired again as the icy cold morning saw most people staying in bed and I was lucky to make £25 and most of that was after the other 10 sellers had all given up and gone home early.
Last Sunday started out bad as snow was threatened and it was bitterly cold, one of the better boot sales about 20 miles away had advertised they were open so I headed off to get their early but when I arrived I found an empty field, I came back passing all the old boot sale sites I knew and all were closed so I end up back at the local place, so I'm a fivers worth of petrol down and the pitch money as well.
Luckily the few people who'd come out were buying and I made about £25 in the first hour to make it worthwhile but a few snow flurries and a biting wind soon had everyone leaving.
The guy next to me had piles of videos which after I showed an interest he offered to me for a tenner the lot, maybe later I told him.
About eleven and the buyers had all disappeared so he offers me the films again for a fiver and I offer him £3 which he accepts, 50p buys me two large trays full of paperbacks he's struggling to sell and I get a set of golf clubs and some other stuff thrown in.
This little deal has got me right back into the swing and I'm confident that weather permitting things will improve over the coming weeks, I've come home with £30 more than if I'd stayed in bed and twice as much stuff than I'd taken, the additional items although not of a high value tend to attract the punters.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Signing On
Well today was the day I had to sign on for the first time in a lot of years.
I had submitted my claim nearly a month ago and have yet to hear from them or get a penny :(
The wife and I had signing on times of 2.05 and 2.10pm so we turn up at 2pm and ask where we have to go? as the layout is all open plan and not as regimented as it used to be.
We are finally shown who to see and arrive at her desk at 2.06pm and greeted with "you're late, I only have 5 minute time slots", so I showed her the time and pointed out mine was 2.10pm so I was actually early and as we are man and wife we could do it together.
But Miss stroppy moo wasn't happy and insisted on treating us like low life scum :(
"What jobs have you applied for" she says, so I get out the e-mails sent to me by the online job search company and a copy of the local paper with the 2 jobs I had rung up about but I'm stopped in my tracks because I haven't written it down on the special "looking for work" form that they didn't give me on my initial interview! "you have to put it on this form" she says, so I show her all the paperwork they gave me and sure enough I didn't have one.
Next I ask when I'm likely to receive any benefits as I had to borrow money to get to the job centre as we are completely broke and it's been a month, she mentions something about the wrong signing day being listed on the computer? and that I have to talk to benefits "so where abouts do I talk to them?" I ask and she points out some telephones "go over there and press button B".
So off we go to the phones, there are two labelled benefits and one has an out of order sign on it, also there is a queue of people waiting for it.
I patiently wait and eventually get to use it, I press button B and get a choice of options jobseekers is no.2 so I press 2 and get the message "all operators are busy please ring back later", I try again and the same message so I try option 1 instead and get a real person :)
after telling me I'd called the wrong department I explained the problem and unlike her colleague she was very helpful and helped me through the process.
My claim still hadn't been processed (as it takes ten days), I pointed out it had been 29 days so she agreed to label it as urgent and I "might" hear from them this week.
Makes you wonder how so many people are supposed to be getting money from them by fraud when it is this hard to get a penny from them with a genuine claim?
I had submitted my claim nearly a month ago and have yet to hear from them or get a penny :(
The wife and I had signing on times of 2.05 and 2.10pm so we turn up at 2pm and ask where we have to go? as the layout is all open plan and not as regimented as it used to be.
We are finally shown who to see and arrive at her desk at 2.06pm and greeted with "you're late, I only have 5 minute time slots", so I showed her the time and pointed out mine was 2.10pm so I was actually early and as we are man and wife we could do it together.
But Miss stroppy moo wasn't happy and insisted on treating us like low life scum :(
"What jobs have you applied for" she says, so I get out the e-mails sent to me by the online job search company and a copy of the local paper with the 2 jobs I had rung up about but I'm stopped in my tracks because I haven't written it down on the special "looking for work" form that they didn't give me on my initial interview! "you have to put it on this form" she says, so I show her all the paperwork they gave me and sure enough I didn't have one.
Next I ask when I'm likely to receive any benefits as I had to borrow money to get to the job centre as we are completely broke and it's been a month, she mentions something about the wrong signing day being listed on the computer? and that I have to talk to benefits "so where abouts do I talk to them?" I ask and she points out some telephones "go over there and press button B".
So off we go to the phones, there are two labelled benefits and one has an out of order sign on it, also there is a queue of people waiting for it.
I patiently wait and eventually get to use it, I press button B and get a choice of options jobseekers is no.2 so I press 2 and get the message "all operators are busy please ring back later", I try again and the same message so I try option 1 instead and get a real person :)
after telling me I'd called the wrong department I explained the problem and unlike her colleague she was very helpful and helped me through the process.
My claim still hadn't been processed (as it takes ten days), I pointed out it had been 29 days so she agreed to label it as urgent and I "might" hear from them this week.
Makes you wonder how so many people are supposed to be getting money from them by fraud when it is this hard to get a penny from them with a genuine claim?
Sunday 4 January 2009
The Job Search
Have applied for a few local jobs, but yet to hear anything :(
So I registered with an online employment agency which is supposedly the biggest in the UK.
Not a great start as I specified a travelling distance of up to 30 miles, which is usually about an hour in rush hour which seemed reasonable.
So they've sent me the same 2 jobs every day since registering, the first reasonably local which I applied for straight away through them, despite this they send it to me again every day.
The second that they advise me to apply for is in Slough which is 60 miles away as the crow flies or 76 miles by road if you avoid central London, also the job has a requirement of speaking fluent German and I indicated I only had basic French as a language skill.
Not promising so far :(
So I registered with an online employment agency which is supposedly the biggest in the UK.
Not a great start as I specified a travelling distance of up to 30 miles, which is usually about an hour in rush hour which seemed reasonable.
So they've sent me the same 2 jobs every day since registering, the first reasonably local which I applied for straight away through them, despite this they send it to me again every day.
The second that they advise me to apply for is in Slough which is 60 miles away as the crow flies or 76 miles by road if you avoid central London, also the job has a requirement of speaking fluent German and I indicated I only had basic French as a language skill.
Not promising so far :(
Friday 2 January 2009
2009 - Up Shit Creek Without A Paddle
Well I'll wish anyone who reads this a Happy New Year and hope you have a good one.For myself it's a case of the only way is up (although there is a possibility of dropping some more).
So I'm out of a job and almost penniless due to a combination of pride, stupidity, over generosity, and generally burying my head in the sand for the last 6 months.
I finally signed on as unemployed just before Christmas but it seems I have to wait till mid January to get a penny, and I expect to have to answer a lot more questions before that as they've failed to contact me in this last 3 weeks?
The bank cancelling my overdraft was the final nail in my stubborn resistance to claiming benefits (although I've been eligible for 6 months), pride or stupidity made me believe I could still bring in the money without going back into the mind numbing employment of previous years but I failed.
My hobby of online gambling brings in the money but not enough to survive on, (before anyone thinks I've gambled my money away I can honestly say I'm one of the few who uses a common sense approach to it and have made a tidy profit over the years) I operate a very methodical low risk low stake policy which on average brings in £50-£100 a week profit but for the hours spent it's not a good hourly rate, and to be honest I've never really liked horse racing so after a few hours of play I'm bored witless, also being at home has so many other distractions so I really don't spend the time I should on my one means of income.
Over generosity is another problem, much as I love my kids between them I've loaned them thousands of pounds which they promised to pay back but I've yet to see a penny, and as they are my family I don't want to pressure them as they're not really making enough themselves.
After 15+ years of solid working since my last period of unemployment it's been a nice break and I had the finances to cover it for the early part, but it's time to get back into work and this is the part I'm getting worried about as most jobs I've looked at are offering salaries which are a fraction of what I was earning 2 years ago, and the lack of any replies to my applications is leading me to think the age thing is a problem? when I last applied for work I was early thirties now I'm late forties although I don't feel any different and I certainly know more than I did then.
The job centre has been an experience as the people I've dealt with all seemed computer illiterate and lacking in people skills, so when I asked what jobs I could do it was hard not to say "yours" :)
The last woman I spoke to there seemed to lack any experience of the real world as she looked at my CV and saw I'd got certificates for car maintenance and told me most surgeons had started out as car mechanics due to their ability to work with their hands??, I couldn't resist telling her to put my name down for a surgical post (I've seen Holby City so it should be a doddle) :)
My computer skills are also a problem as my only qualification was gained over 25 years ago in the days of main frames, and despite using computers nearly every day since then it doesn't look as good as most modern qualifications.
The things I'm really good at with computers (always first point of call with the 200+ workers at my last job) tend to be slightly illegal so don't sit well with employers, A life of crime beckoned but I'm just to damn honest to profit from illegal activities so I'm probably screwed.
Anyway as 2009 begins I've got £4.39 and the remnants of some tobacco in my rolly tin, no job, no benefits, no money in the bank, credit card maxed out, a pile of bills, a sick wife and a dodgy arm, Surely the only way is up?
The strange thing about all this is that I'm now getting the buzz I haven't had since I was in this situation in the early nineties, money in the bank with a regular job and a cosy lifestyle tends to put your brain into neutral, now it's finally got into gear and I feel more alive than I have in years?
Might be my last post for a while as it's only a matter of time till the cable company cut me off as I cancelled their direct debit, and I need to be nice to the mortgage company to keep possession of this place.
Keep smiling people, I will :)
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