Wow ! Wheeee ! Swing from the rafters !

Here’s a lovely surprise ! Have to share it. ChickPea has an interview next week !

(Well – she also has one tomorrow, Part II re ‘Jobseeker’s Allowance’ or whatever it is that they now call the former ‘Unemployment Benefit', but we’ll forget that one, because if it’s anything like the Part I phone-referral that she made yesterday, then I’m sure she’ll be wanting to forget it ASAP – filling in such an insensitive form yourself is one thing ........ ‘Are you looking for work ?' - yes.... 'Are you able to take up work ?' - yes.......... 'Have you any disability ?' - No........ 'Do you have any injury that would stop you working ?' - WHAT ? - NO .....'Are you waiting on any disability claims ?' - NO...... 'What have you been doing’ – fulltime carer for DJ who has just died’……’Have you been receiving any benefits ?’ – yes, Carer’s Allowance which has now stopped….. ‘Why are you claiming this benefit ?’ – because my Carer’s Allowance has now stopped…’Why have you stopped your previous allowance ?’ – because DJ has just died.…’How did you know about this benefit ?’ – because I’d previously been working for the last 25-odd years and paying my state contributions on the offchance that there just might be a time when I wasn’t working and needed to claim unemployment benefit….’When are you claiming from ?’ – well, DJ died on the 13th, and I’m told that my allowance stopped straight away, so I guess I’m claiming from the 14th…..’When did you start looking for a job ?’ – well, from about the 16th when I contacted DHSS to notify them of DJ’s death and heard that my allowance had therefore stopped 2 days before…....‘WHY were you not looking for a job sooner ?’ – because I was looking after DJ who has just died…… SCREAMS….. quietly….. being asked exactly the same unwieldy insensitive no-brainer questions over a poor phone link, in a very fast indistinct voice with a strong indiscernible accent is really no joke……).

But there – I guess it wasn’t really her fault………

So, we’ll forget the hoops of tomorrow, and today we’ll swing from the rafters with joy in readiness for next week………… this was the very first application………. even if one of the other 10 (probably) candidates gets it, it’s still a boost for ChickPea’s morale to get called for interview so soon…………

Re-Invention Roundabout

Travelling along Your Own Road, you too may well encounter this Obstacle To Forward Progress. Re-Invention Roundabout. Tends to occur just after A Life-Changing Event, but may equally unexpectedly crop up anywhere along your way.

If you are fortunate enough to have to encounter this Travellers’ Obstacle on a sunny day, you may be able to stop and take advantage of the tables, chairs and parasols which occupy the centre, to put your feet up and rest awhile, Considering Your Options. You may find others there too. Some may be lucky enough to possess the map which identifies aspects of the locality sufficient to assist Route Planning. Some may even have a SatNav to guide them onwards………

ChickPea is currently experiencing brief interludes of sunshine plus showers. So the parasols are useful. And, having the present luxury of no strict itinerary to set a timescale, there is, just now, time to pause and draw breath…. ( ie. she is unable to find a useful map, unable to work the SatNav ….can’t find the ‘on’ switch …….. dunno where the compass is either…… and now the sun has gone again…….)

Aye, it’s good there’s parasols……….

Perhaps there’ll be Light Refreshment too………

(But we’ll try and stop her pitching a tent……………)