Life's Rollercoaster........ 20.08.09 (I forgot my password....)

Whee hee ! Yippieeeee ! I gotta job !

- I gotta new job in office administration ! – School cleaning finishes tomorrow, 2 weeks off (with a few days away to try and catch up with myself) – An Auspicious Day – and then start on 8th September ! – whee hee !

Yes – it IS pouring with rain here – The Glums are knocking on the door – the S.A.D. light is on next to me – and Mr Mutt has almost given up hope of getting out for his morning walk......
Wot the heck. This is Great News – an’ I’m going to enjoy every positive moment I can !

Whee hee !!!!!! Yippieeeeeeee !!!!!!

(Meantime – if YOU are currently in the Great Crowd Of Jobseekers, you have my unwavering support and very very best wishes – hang on in there – I’ve been Jobseeking for over a year, and I know just how very very difficult life is when that’s where it is at. Hang on in there. Take heart. Best Wishes).

Somewhat Later Than Anticipated

There seem to be a number of us bloggers who Aren’t Just Now........

ChickPea – as one of the aforesaid company - has been sans Muse and directing her energies in one or two alternative directions..................into her current regular working hours (being “ 3hrs paid Mon-Fri workout” – alternatively known as School Domestic Duties), a very few paid office hours (only a few – but a welcome start along the new path, and providing a wee tad of affirmation), voluntary reception hours, voluntary office filing assistance, choir stuff, dog walking, cat care (tho our Holiday Visitor has now returned home), household chores, some job applications (largely sidelined just now in aiming to allow time to devote to her remaining ECDL modules), ECDL attention (aiming to support office working credibility)........... occasional (precious) snippets of time spent social networking..... gaining more job application rejections (wow).......and being Major Grouchy cos blitzed with a head cold for the last week........

Not much excitement or avid brain activity to provide ready cannon fodder to blog about........

Occasional visits to her favourite blogging community sites have been happening intermittently, but few of these show much recent activity, causing concern – are they ok ? – would a comment help ? - or would a comment be irritating ? ...... or maybe there’s Something In The Air.......... certainly many of us appear to be caught in the out-of-employment-morass or similar-life-sapping-struggles which tend to undermine the very best of blogging intentions .........

...........anyway........ 2 days ago ChickPea decided to commit to making a comment ....... didn’t seem too demanding a venture........... oh yes, need to just log on first.........oh *(expletive)* ...... what’s the password then....haven’t used it in a while but the brain must hold it somewhere........ not THAT one then......... nor that........... nor that.......oh dear........

OK. This can be dealt with........ all you do is follow the onscreen prompts.......so she did.......after a few circuits of these she decided enuff wuz enuff......... gave up. .....dispirited.....

The Next Day she discovered that The Process had just been being a tad slow(er than she thought it would be)....... SO...... here - at last - is proof that The Grim Reaper Has Not Yet Whisked Her Away - she still exists, can still use a keyboard ............ and is still a computer numpty.....................

..............loadsaluv, x

Good Friday

And some good things happening in ChickPea’s life – tho’ the kitchen has been much neglected…………

Job adverts are still surfacing, allowing incalculable hours to be spent merrily (?) re-jigging CV or compiling application form and letter or email. After the disappointment of the first two applications of 2009 being rejected without even a sniff at interview, ChickPea has been trying to be more philosophical. And has stopped counting. Kind knock-backs have included the insight of 70–plus applicants (even for part time low waged jobs), numerous competitors having perfect previous experience IN a similar role – so an aspiring post-holder like CP fully appreciates they would want to employ the bestest and most ideal candidate…….. (****** !)

Ms Mog is still – ASTONISHINGLY – in residence, frail as a frail thing but eating like a horse, and waking TH and CP up at 5am if she’s scoffed all the food from the night before but is still feeling peckish…….

Chooks are laying well and waking TH and CP up at 6am because chookies got up at dawn and are now bored with pellets and want an INTERESTING breakfast. NOW. (Oh yes – and HAVE you seen my egg – BEST egg in the world – in fact – in the Entire Known Universe !) Aye. Vocal, our chooks……

Voluntary receptionist hours are proving to be great – and filing system activity at S Elsewhere’s is FUN – yes – really fun – and satisfying – providing a sense of achievement and fulfilment - and even a bit affirming for the ole battered ego - and reassuring CP that a career change in the direction of office administration-type stuff really could be feasible (even tho it’s not actually happening yet….)

AND - The most recent blood test for cholesterol was great (seriously !) – with a family history of this calibre, and cholesterol at ‘time bomb’ levels, diet and previous statin therapy making no appreciable impact over several years, it was indeed an excellent moment to discover that current medication and semi-industrial dosage has finally battered the numbers into mid-range scores. So ChickPea seems likely to get a bit longer in the tooth yet, and able to stave off pushing up daisies meantime……..

And so we have got to Good Friday. I highly recommend visiting Kelvin's blog if you are seeking some seasonal food for thought.

Hibernating.........

Snow has been visiting and swathing the whole country of UK – except the West of Scotland. Brief smatterings of the white stuff – but not enough to really notice, or to feature on the weather report. Mid-afternoon the tiny powder flakes started. And persisted. During pre-service rehearsal and Evensong it evidently got heavier. By the time TH and ChickPea left the Cathedral (after the Assistant Organist’s surprise 21st party) there was a couple of inches lying – enough for snowballs !

In a moment or so Mr Mutt will be off out to visit the park – for TH and ChickPea wellies will be wequired, methinks. In the snow visibility will be good enough for a foray into the park at even this late hour of the night.

ChickPea has now completed a month of school cleaning duties. General fitness (slowly) improving, and the belt now reaching the 5th hole (formerly straining on 3rd). But the scales are adamant that only 1 lb has been shed………

Tomorrow she starts some voluntary office hours with a counselling centre to hone her ‘Receptionist’ skills. And resumes filling out Application Forms……………..

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Bestest Christmas Greetings to you ! So kind of you to visit. Apologies. Things have been a bit quiet here in the electronic kitchen, the soufflé deflated and the hens scoffed the risotto……….

Largely because ChickPea was ironing cassocks and surplices in readiness for the Cathedral Carol Service, trying to do the Seasonal Things and usual chores (failing dismally in achieving the impossible) ………and frantically …… desperately…… sending off job applications………. until, with the end of the Jobseekers Allowance getting ever and ever closer, she decided to change strategy, and just try to get SOME hours doing ANYTHING……..

And…….

AND……… YES ! A great Christmas present was landing 15 hours part time work from 5th January – wheeeeeeee !

So, yup, she’s away to school again ! 3.30pm till 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, wielding a mop or similar and ensuring the educational premises are of A Standard. This will not only ease financial fears but will assist General Fitness, boost the flagging morale and allow return to a more appropriate ‘long term’ jobseeking strategy. All good things at the start of a new year.

So – FANTASTICALLY - a Very Merry Christmas Indeed !

Here’s hoping things are ok with you, that Christmas has been a Fine Time, that Hogmanay and New Year’s Day will be even better, and wishing you good times and great companions throughout 2009.

SUMMING UP

MINUS: Well, the waiting finished today. Neither job landed.

PLUS: ChickPea completed her first ‘European Computer Driving Licence’ module
today; exam completed and passed. Next two modules ready to start.

EQUALS: No excuse for being bored this Christmas !

Sunshine

ChickPea was out early with Mr Mutt this morning, determined to give him a decent walk after two days of ‘other demands’. Mr Mutt’d missed out because of ChickPea having two more interviews………. More anon.

Most important - give Mr Mutt some time and space today. It was light, but cold – some frost, some slippy areas. They’d just left TH at his workplace, there was loads of car parking space along the Kelvin Way, so Kelvingrove Park it was. Mr Mutt was very pleased. They’d not been there for over a week. And not seen Mr Heron for over a month – and there, as the sun crept through the nearly-bare bones of the winter trees, was Mr Heron. Up to his knees in the cold river as ChickPea and Mr Mutt strode along the path (well - nearly strode - there was still slipperiness). Breakfast was slow in arriving for Mr Heron this morning. It was good to see him – just about ten feet away, quite unconcerned to be observed (“as long as you’re quiet – please don’t scare the fish…….”). A pal has been watching him higher up the river recently, so we knew he was still around – but it was still good to see him. If only Chickpea had had the camera along this morning ! Mr Heron caught them up again ten minutes later as they went past the frozen duck pond – he’d decided to take a break from the river, and was high up in one of the trees. ChickPea had never seen a heron in a tree before, but he was clearly perfectly satisfied with his vantage point.

Oh yes – the interviews. Well, one was for a post applied for over six weeks ago, which she’d almost lost hope of ever hearing about. The other had been a ‘next day response’ to receiving an agency’s version of her CV (which ChickPea’d not seen before it went in……. CV had become basically inaccurate through their ‘tweaking’, giving rise to ‘personal integrity’ issues…..)

But both interviews were extremely good experiences (assuming ‘good’ and ‘interview’ can ever be linked !). Both very different, but each conducted in a highly professional and most competent manner and very positively handled to get the best they could out of their candidate. So ChickPea feels confident that the end result will be both fair – and the best for the jobs concerned. Successful for ChickPea ? Time will tell. Maybe both will identify a better candidate to fill their requirement. Either way, Chickpea felt kind of ‘honoured’ to observe such interviewing expertise in action, and apart from chattering on like a budgie (not particularly typical for her) and not managing to say much of what she’d prepared and hoped to include….. she was fairly satisfied with her performance (throw her a fish someone !).

Now is the wait…….. Either job would be fun; each very different and requiring very different approaches and activities. One supporting the function of Strathclyde’s Finest; one assisting the community aspects of tower block demolition (!) One easier to get to, probably (she forgot to ask) with more training, much more structure, significantly better prospects overall, and better paid. The other much more demanding on travel, less pay, ‘quirky’ in context and allowing (maybe) more personal interpretation of the role. Both hoping to get the successful candidate launched into the post in January………..

Now is the wait.

You’d think it was Advent, or something……………

The Big Dipper

Yup. ‘Life’. Roulette Wheel. Or Rollercoaster without much fun. ChickPea wishes apologies expressed as her blogging has been somewhat neglected of late. Too much of the ‘Rain’ stuff, too many job applications, much too little positive affirmation, and no interviews………..

Sunday was a bit of a rollercoaster – big service a.m. to celebrate the end of the Church Year with ‘Christ the King’ as the Front Page Headline. Then the AGM. (Happened. No bloodshed. No Public Floggings. Not exactly ‘fun’ – but it was an AGM after all…… ). Then ChickPea was off to an exam….. a kind of ‘first interview’ with the DWP (Dept of Work & Pensions…….)……Don’t think she’d gotten around to telling you about this one……

ChickPea hates – but HATES and LOATHES ‘maths’…… maybe somehow related to her ‘Class 4’ primary teacher who got locked up for child abuse a few years later. She doesn’t remember much of that year or class. Except that THAT was when maths became really scary. Like terrifying. And ‘tables’ became taboo. Suffice to say that ‘maths is not her favourite activity’. So she has been avoiding maths. She knows she CAN do it, especially when it is necessary, and there’s a reason for it, and, let’s be honest, most jobs need a bit, but that she can handle ok. But she doesn’t like having to prove it. So if ‘financial’ or similar appears in the advert, ChickPea….er….sidesteps.

But about 2 weeks ago was the ‘3 months’ Unemployed Point/ Jobcentre Interview’……. I guess it was fairly gentle really. More gentle than ChickPea expected. But her current allowance (which stops in January anyway, as assessed on her 2006 contributions…….. yup, despite 28 years continuous fulltime working and full contributions, 2006 was when she stopped after 6 months to care for DJ……..) – said allowance can be stopped early if The Interviewer thought she’s not ‘all out’ to get a job……… so when she was……um……’encouraged’ to apply for a DWP vacancy, ‘choice’ was not really a relevant word………..

Anyway…….. let’s gloss over Sunday afternoon, noting that failing an exam juggling with numbers, several charts and percentages – despite working as conscientiously, honestly and as carefully as possible, but still only getting through eleven of the twenty questions in the Time Allowed – was not an Affirming Life Experience for ChickPea……… quite the opposite. Empty and Demoralized, yes. To spend precious time in a such a No Win Situation was frustrating. (If she failed, it was a bummer for the self-confidence and morale. If she succeeded, she might get a job, but maths would be an ever-present requirement…… To deliberately Flunk Out would destroy any Personal Integrity…….).

Anyway, Integrity and Honesty Triumphed, but Failure Won. Congratulations ChickPea !

A wet and cold walk back to a preferred/warm/welcoming/newspapered environment for an extravagant G & T (nothing like a place and staff you know well when you have to say, “ok, what’s cheapest, a glass of wine or a G&T ?” !!) and a chilling-out moment with a sparse tear or two.

So, ChickPea was most grateful for the distractions of pre-service ceilidh preparations, a humdinger of an evensong (despite our rend ition of Stanford’s Canticles in E flat….. a new foray into the …..er…… realms of the unknown region…….) for the Bishop’s Celebrations, and then high jiggers in the aisles to round off the day. Even Fun looked in to join the party. Wow. Some day.

But more was to follow. ChickPea had made a phonecall on Friday in response to a local job advert found via the jobcentre on Friday. A lovely receptionist took her name, and said there’d be a followup phonecall on Monday or Tuesday. And on Monday/yesterday there was a phonecall – about a job THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY ! - and an invite to interview on Wednesday / TOMORROW ! No application form, no CV…….. no job description !!! (MOST bizarre ! – but watch this space ! “A job’s a job for a’ that” to make a mis-quote…….)

Wellies' Weather

Whether we want or not, Wellies’ Weather is once more upon us……. Well, ok – you’re right, as usual. Such weather never quite left, did it. Maybe sat down and took a nap for a day or two, but remains with us nonetheless.

The dry hours of yesterday allowed TH and ChickPea to re-do the chooks’ roof and thoroughly renew their (the hens’, that is) carpet of bark chippings, so they now have dry feet again (and if the roof re-do works, this will continue….). Today the chooks are busy digging thru the pile to lay the carpet in a satisfactory fashion for today’s fashion-conscious hens………..

Meantime, Mr Mutt, having been out for his morning paddle, is running free in sunshine in the Land of Nod……..

ChickPea is girding up the lions – sorry, loins - to do ironing. (Lions don’t like ironing, girdles or not). The novelty of job applications is a little thin today, so the steam iron is heating up, the next batch of washing is doing (wonders and miracles of modern technology), and the clean-but-not-yet-ironed-surplices-for-next-sunday-fun is waiting, along with R4 and the SAD light……

The Other will still be ready and waiting tomorrow……. and maybe, just maybe, (Hope Living Eternal an’ a’ that, tho mostly at a different address) The Postie will call by with good news before then……..

And next Funday we have the Scottish Primus celebrating 40 years since his ordination, and 10 years as Bishop. A Choral Evensong Event, to be followed by a ceilidh. Fancy joining us ?

Tired........

Very tired tonight. Another interview today – not a post that ChickPea wanted to go for, but the Powers That Be (and that can influence The Allowance) were very very keen (well insistent, really) that her CV go in for this one. She feared repercussions if she refused…… (And a bit dischuffed - after all, an average of an interview a month doesn’t seem too bad over these past 3.5 months since Unemployment moved in. And 18 applications submitted over the 14 weeks as well. OK – no room for complacency, but not really needing the sort of kick up the wotsit and compromise of personal integrity that this has all felt like. . ….. )

So they put it in (was due in when Jury Duty was happening, was found just about the day before and she really had no opportunity to do it by the deadline).

Herself was not keen for an interview for a job she doesn’t feel suited for .... and, guess what ? (Ha ! But of course ! )

So – re-jig the brain: decide to be pleased to have got to interview ….. and commit to it…..determine to give it a best shot and be as honest to self as possible……

(but what if offered ? – go with the flow - a job is a job, after all, and pennies ........engage with dilemmas over that if it ever happens)…….

Trouble is, all the other applications ARE, in fact, jobs she’d really like and want to commit to……….

Anyway. So what happened ? Interviewers at the end of their afternoon who seemed to think it was all a bit of a joke, really…… (we all waited and expressed concern while the interviewer couldn’t read her questions and fussed about her contact lenses)…….. And despite best shot, ChickPea didn’t really feel she’d got a clear sight of the target, so it all came out rather woolly, really. Disappointing feeling. Didn’t feel like ‘her best’. Never mind. Maybe it means future engagement with this one won’t have to happen…. Expect to hear by the end of next week……. With a second stage scheduled for mid-November for successes from today…….. (So time for other things to show up in the interim…….)

But see the amount of energy this has consumed in preparation, not sleeping and not getting other things done…….

Not the best start to the evening. No matter. If she ever wondered why she Cathedral Sings, ChickPea knew something of ‘why’ tonight. Not the most inspiring of repertoire either, nor the greatest of rehearsals, and most of us seemed somewhat jaded. But there was still That Something that carried her through the evening to an OK place.

And tomorrow……… what tomorrow ? There’s a few possible jobs left from the last search……. and the requirement to scour the newspapers at the local library and computer search again at the jobcentre….. so let’s see if she can get another application in before the weekend………..

Well - another Wednesday

ChickPea had hoped that she’d be more adept at re-wording the CV by now. But no – has taken all morning again today, just like Monday. There again, I guess she’d hoped to have solved the unemployment hole in her life by now so’s CV-manipulation would no longer be necessary……. And headaches aren’t helping. (They recede at times, so I doubt if it’s anything other than rather horrid).

So here we are. Unsuccessful outcome to last week’s interview. (Thank you for your kind enquiry Fr K). Nothing further from the other two applications that were submitted at the same time.

SIX more applications submitted so far this week – 2 by the kind person at the jobseeker support place (cos I was unavailable yesterday at the critical moment to further re-jig the layout and submit), another 2 sent off last night at some unseemly hour (and wondering why ChickPea has a headache, eh…), and a further 2 today…….. This now brings her to a grand total of sixteen applications over the 14 weeks of Jobseeking, so a current average of just over 1/week (lucky ChickPea is not applying for accountancy-type jobs, eh !!). As she’s away Monday-Friday next week, and avoids doing job applications at a w/e if she can, this average is unlikely to stay at such a giddy height……. But maybe still a few more ‘possibles’ to get to grips with before she goes away on Monday………

Currently needing to clear the head, scoff some supper, polish the determination and aim to get to bed at a sensible hour………. ironing, washing up, hoovering and tidying will just have to wait a bit longer. (And no – ChickPea doesn’t do ‘dusting’………)

Life is all tangled up with ‘Jury Duty’ this week – ChickPea phoned last Friday and found she was not required for Monday ( Yay !), hence working on CVs for submission on closing date of Tuesday. But the phonecall Monday night confirmed the trek to the High Court was required on Tuesday (hence non-availability for final re-jigging of CVs and submission – thanks again to Kind Person). Finally got home just after midday, not selected. (Again)

Curious, isn’t it, how these things bombard your psyche. The great relief of not having to Do The Public Duty after all, and not have to wrestle with the sordid details of alleged incidents that should never have happened had there been appropriate respect and consideration. And THEN, unaccountably, the ridiculous sideswipe of “they don’t want me either”…….. chain up the lions and gird up the loins………..

Last Saturday, the chooks’ accommodation was re-arranged to provide better wintering quarters (no more paddling across a flooded lawn to shut their door at night ! – no, now they can be reached from the house !!!!). They appear content with the changes – certainly there wasn’t the hullabaloo on Monday morning that occurred Sunday when they confronted the day and found their world had changed dramatically. (This was a pity, because the folks upstairs consequently overslept on Monday………….). But tonight – Wednesday – it feels like we’ll get a frost, so the chookies have been shut in for the night, hoping the two of them’ll be a bit warmer. They huddle together to sleep, all very endearing, but probably still a bit chilly in the rather larger than necessary house. (But better for our backs…… yes, the final decision re ‘whch one’ was all down to design considerations). Hoping to get another two chooks on the way home from hols next week (no – we haven’t told the neighbours !) – four of them together should be warmer.

Meantime, Autumn has happened over the last 2 days of rain. ChickPea had been hoping to take sequential photos of the staggering changes of leaf hue when out with Mr Mutt each morning……. but her photographic abilities do not stretch to keeping a camera dry if out in a monsoon. And the vast majority of the leaves are now down. Winter approaches.

A Rollercoaster of a day......

ChickPea and Mr Mutt were awaiting TH’s emergence from his place of employment this afternoon, so to pass the time (and because she’s only just discovered this unexpected aspect/resultant requirement of her mobile phone), ChickPea was ‘deleting sent messages’ ……… months’ and months’ and months’ worth………so there was heaps of stuff relating to DJ. Fairly ‘tame stuff’ maybe, but it was still unexpected, and more of a shock than anticipated.

Bereavement is like that, isn’t it. Just when you think you’re moving on, something grabs you by the ankle.

There’s a lot of this kind of stuff around in ChickPea’s day to day life at the moment, not least because her own Dad was dying slowly in the extreme south of England at the same time that DJ was moving into residence with her and TH in Scotland. So ‘Dad loss’ has been a compound experience spanning somewhat more than these five or so years. And I guess there’ll be yet more to reach the surface – as it does, and as it must.

Meantime, a very dear pal is living thru the heartache of losing a beloved pet who has been close friend and companion, and supported both heart and sanity thru recent divorce. Initial survival of pet was precarious about ten days back – apparent progress seemed to offer hope, and got pet home and seeming recovering – but now the blood tests show a hopeless outcome just a few days away. As Ms Mog is almost nineteen, and slowly but steadily fading away (tho still appears content, enjoying her food and occupying most of the bed all day - and much of it all night), ChickPea and TH feel very very aware of pal’s sadness.

And then, this evening, surprise, surprise – invitation to an ‘initial interview’ ! On Thursday. Yes – just three days’ time! Hardly time to draw breath. After recent knockbacks and several non-replies, one of the Jobseeking efforts of last week is daring look at ChickPea in the flesh ! Cor. Gosh…….. (panic)

Now, the chances of her getting to the next step may be most unlikely – and much as she had been thinking of part time hours, “five-going-on-fifty-something” is kinda young for green fields and horseplay – and maybe a change of direction into a satisfying employment course will need not only personal commitment but time dedicated to achieving change…….. At the very very least, another interview will be another most useful experience, and even just getting invited to interview is dead good for the morale, and … who knows what the future may hold ? She’s been saying she wants “to do something different”, and has been doing ‘head level’ reinventions of herself after all, and ambitious job applications ……. so will this chicken come home to roost ? ………..

Autumn is definitely upon us..........

Yup. You don’t need to be a working mum to notice the flying by of the time, nice clock or no nice clock. The colours of autumn are encroaching, so enjoy them while you can ………. ChickPea was out in Kelvingrove Park again yesterday with her box brownie (well – a descendent of her BB), and all being well we’ll see some autumnal flavours getting into the Risotto over the next few days…….

Meantime, let’s see what’s been happening to fluff up the soufflé……. ( and we’ll just forget all about PK’s take on ‘fluffing’, won’t we…….)

ChickPea has been vigorously jobhunting of late. Various returns not wishing to employ her talents notwithstanding. Luckily, enough combined SAD light exposure and sunshine by-the-by to rouse her wilting spirits, and to fire up both The Imagination and The Latent Blagger Within……. Whoo hoo ! ….. So the most unlikely of job adverts have been viewed with decreasing suspicion, the CV turned inside out, with a nip here, a tuck there, a few more stitches and a modicum of embroidery……. I tell you – if all it took was Positive Thinking, she’d be running the world by now….. but…….

So there’s now another 3 applications in during this week… (quite enough to handle for just now - tho’ she picked up more possibilities at the Jobcentre this morning, so will doubtless peruse the potential therein before hanging her Blagging Boots up for the weekend……) …….. and I do believe the sunshine is out to play, the chooks are only up to their ankles in mud, Ms Mog is sleeping the sleep of the well fed, and Mr Mutt is surveying the back yard morosely, and wondering If There’s Any Justice At All In The Universe…….. (cos if there is, why oh why is he jus’ sittin’ waitin’ for his walk ?)

OK, Mr Mutt. Like the Guinness advert says, all it takes is patience…….. good things come to those wot wait…….

Tuesday 16th September, 2008

…..and STILL raining. Rain on rain on rain........

Mr Mutt is bored of paddling round the park and the chooks are well fed up of pretending to be ducks. ChickPea has finally given up thinking this is summertime and is accepting that her glums and lousy sleeping may be ‘SAD’-related, so she spent much of this morning in front of the ‘SAD’ light. We’ll insist she repeats this for the next few days and we shall see what happens…..

Dunno if it’s related, or not, but it is certainly high time she flexed the fingers and got back to the blogosphere……. All this rain an’ traipsin’ doon the Jobcentre isn’t doing her a lot of good. But she also toddled along to an employment agency a few weeks back – heard nuthin' - and then got a phonecall about 12.30md today asking if she wiz available to work this very afternoon………

So, wot the heck – off she scampered, and spent the next 30mins changing ‘Euro’ prices on shoes to ‘££££’ prices, and the next five and a half hours changing black plastic coathangars to fancy wooden ones, and trying to make the new coats and clothes involved look just perfect for someone to buy tomorrow when the shop opens for the first time……. She knew it’d be tiring – and she’s not sure she wants to do the same ever again – but the astonishing environment of a new clothes shop sorting itself out the day before opening is a vignette not previously encountered. The progress over the six hours was really quite, quite remarkable. Organized chaos. The ‘boutique’ for tomorrow was emerging steadily from the apparent melee of today.

And rather good to finish an hour earlier than expected……….. and GREAT to find that TH had cooked ChickPea her supper for when she got home. Now, bath and bed……….and if she doesn’t sleep well after all that………..

Role Play Update

ChickPea has been upping the stakes tonight, with more job applications.

As she told you before, the ‘Pharmacy Assistant’ did not have her name on it, tho’ she felt she could have worn the hat quite proficiently. She awaits ‘Phlebotomist’ and ‘Home Care Provider’ responses, and/or developments from the employment agency. She might alternatively become a ‘Kennel Person’ at a local vet surgery, or maybe ‘Receptionist’ for a local dental practice.

Alternatively………..

Maelstrom

Round, and round, and round, and round.

What’s this ? Roundabouts again ? - with Gorgeous Golden Gallopers or with motor vehicles ?

Er, no.

Just the repetitive dull skies/grey clouds/rain/dull skies/grey clouds/rain saga…… and the ‘get up/survive/try to sleep/get up/survive’ round……..and the ‘try to be nice/walk the dog/try to be nice/do the washing up/still try to be nice/do more chores/try to be nice/walk the dog again/still try to be nice/do supper/try to be nice/do the washing up/still try to be nice’ edition of Everyday Life For Everyone…...... and, of course, the ‘find advert/believe it’s a job you could do perfectly well/gain application form/apply/make sure application was received/wait…./wait…./wait…../find anuther advert/believe THIS is a job you really could do’ version as well………

Monotonous. Maddening. Mindnumbing. Muddling. Messingwithhead-ing.

(and this is only week 5 so far…....)

Yup. Not enough sunshine. Open the 'Red Bull'....... On with the S.A.D. light....... try to assist a miracle.............

...... Morbid Mabel Strikes Again, and Loopy Looe is out to play……...

"Time for bed" sez Zebedee.......

The BlogBug Is Biting

Great ! ChickPea think she’s evaded capture by the ManFluBug (remember Pride goeth before a fall, ChickPea !) – but the BlogBug seems friendly……. So what’s been happening in this wee corner of the Virtual Universe ?

Headaches and sneezes aside, of course……….

Well, jobseeking continues apace. You know how it goes. You move on from the last knockback, convince yourself you could maybe fit the profile of the next vacancy…… needs a bit of tweaking of the old CV you finally tracked down in a pile in the back bedroom…… (could the sneezing be dust, ChickPea ? – perhaps a…. er…. small possibity ?! )

Remote. (NO, ChickPea – that’s the thing TH uses for the telly……)

Go away……. SORRY – not YOU, dear reader – that Irritating Other that pops up….. Now where were we……..

So you tackle the next Application Form…….. CV handy ….. last application stuff up on the computer (Aha ! – saved a copy – that’s good……)….. cup of coffee and a chocolate biscuit and…… (just get on with it ChickPea). OK. Of course, this one requires minor remodelling of the Persona Profile, re-orientation of ‘Dream Demands’, a little brain adjustment to really believe I Could Be This Person. But hey – Of Course I Could. Might Be Fun. Certainly different. Less money too. Of course. But hey – there’s more to life than filthy lucre…… scribble scribble, scribble oops, scribble scribble…….

Hardly was that one away, and Mr Mutt walked for the morning, and ChickPea had to scamper off to sign on. Got there early. Onto computer-like-Thingy to see what jobs we’ll do tomorrow……..Scaffolding Erector ?...... maybe not… Corner the doorman in good time to try and get my documents into the way they do the queue…..

One or two printouts in her paw when she’s called over……some printed accidentally. So, of course, THOSE are the ones he latches onto, no discussion, and trots off to ‘Make An Introduction Sheet’ for……. How Kind. What do we do with these then ? Does she HAVE to follow these up because They Can Trace Them ? Will this stop the net income of peanuts if she DOESN’T follow up ? It’s all a bit embarrassing…… this one was interesting because it was temporary, in an office (new exploration), for just 2 months……. BUT does say ‘Senior Officer’ …… which seems to suggest they’d want someone Who Knows What They Are Doing – not Someone Just Finding Out…….. Ho Hum.

Got home. Made a few phonecalls. (This is supposed to be 'holiday'). Yes, that one needs experience (of the right type. As We Thought). This one’s closing date is today – but not to worry – they’ll email the Application Form and it can be emailed back again. Oh yes – and they’re REALLY glad ChickPea got in touch, and late arrival of details Will Not Be A Problem……….b****r…… no getoutofjailfreetherethen……

But it’s ALL on computer …… it’ll be easy then……..’Allow 30mins to 1 ½ hrs’……doddle even……..

Now this is A Good One…….. Takes The Biscuit better even than Mr Mutt. Not only do they demand the exact pass marks of the ‘O’ levels I took well over … er… 20(ish) years ago, but they want to know which month did the course start/finish, and what board the exams were with…….. NEVER been asked that one before……. How the f*** do we find that one out, then ? ……and I can’t move on in the electronic form without that detail….. Ha ! ...Got It ! ...put “I’m not sure but will find out if necessary”…….don’t suppose they’ll even notice…….(and all for an 18 hours a week ‘career’ at that…….)

But that was not the best bit. OH NO.

ChickPea was due to take TH out on the randan for the evening, about 6.30pm, then Go To Visit A Friend. Starting on it at 4.30pm should have meant it was All Over by then. 6.40pm and still no end in sight. “Should be fine to leave it on till later on, and come back to it” sez TH…… that’s good, because ChickPea can’t see any way of saving it, and as her windup laptop has forgotten how to enter sleep mode, seems feasible………

So. Off they went. Delivered TH. ChickPea off to great evening with Friend. Nice chicken’n’pineapple, boiled rice (chooks’ll love any remaining boiled rice), duck‘n’noodles, veggies (get our ‘five a day’) and prawn crackers…….

Home. 10pm. On With Application. All Seemed Well. Now into ‘Statement in Support of Application’…they insist on more than 500 words, and hope for more than 600 but less than 1000…… WHY did I want to do this ?....... Ah yes…….. Midnight plus fourteen. Go Collect TH. Good evening. Good. Home. Coffee and finish the Startrek episode (a few minutes’ downtime is good for the concentration). Back to ‘statement of…’ All Well.

2.30am, Statement Finished. Polished from several re-workings. Now has right number of words. Excellent. Copy and Paste and move on. Oh. “Too many characters” eh. Why didn’t they mention that, then. OK, whittle down this Excellent Statement…. take out the unnecessary words, re-order/re-word/summarize. ChickPea can do that. Even at this time in the morning she can do that if it’ll get this thing finished and sent. Done. Still too many characters…….. OK. Take out any remaining less important bits……now take out a few more adjectives (Yes – I got my ‘English Grammar’, even if at ordinary level)……… GREAT ! Just under ‘maximum number of characters’. Cut, paste AND MOVE ON….. (Still haven’t got to details of referees….)…… WHAT ? STILL TOO MANY CHARACTERS ! - but there’s not ! She word-counted it……… oh……. maybe they’re counting characters AND spaces……… so we’ll take out the gaps between paragraphs……..No different….. B****r. Over 1000 characters too many. But still over 500 words. That’s good then. Should’ve been in bed hours ago……… more re-working……..some of my best phrases now gone forever. Distillation. Distillation of the distillate. This is frustrating. Now how many ? YES. Cut’n’paste. YES. Done. (4am. Ooops). YES. Nearly done. Click on ‘next’…….

Oh NO !

“Your time allocation has expired. Please return to START.”

This wasn’t a dream.