Blimey, is this thing still on?

It is actually quite embarrassing that I had to go through Swirals blog page to get back here, so long has it been since I last wrote anything. Its a wonder I remembered my password first try.

A brief summary of my life since saturday 2nd of june, the night of the bats.

Work is fine, bordering on successful, as I have now mastered the art of putting lots of chemicals into a pot and mixing vigorously without getting most of it over myself. Considering that I went from a standing start of knowing absolutely nothing about Ink manufacturing to getting one of the better yearly reviews in the lab within 9 months is hope that this job might go somewhere interesting. I just have to figure out how to convince TPTB to give me a computer of my very own and I'll be laughing.

My car, now known as that 'bastard heap of uselessness' has managed to breakdown on a monthly basis since september, necessitating a full service, new break pads, discs, fan, radiator, battery, undercarriage, door lock cable, suspension thingy, fan belt, altinator belt and full set of tyres. Leaving a cam belt replacement, new filter line, air con blower, front wing replacement (came with the car), rear wheel arch scrape, (might have been me,) to be completed when I have the money and/or inclination to pay through the nose for them. The rear passenger door lock that had broken, (the door was helf shut by tying the door handle to its opposite number and reducing my large estate to a 2 person car) miraculously fixed itself after half a can of WD40 and numerous threats of the scrap heap. Yes I could have payed for a considerably nicer new car with the money I've spent on this one. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Open university is going well, though I have swapped from geosciences to molecular science, (a technologists position with 30K a year is a great motivator) But I still get to do Archeology as my next module regardless, so its all good.

I continue to be a weekend warrior on wow, latest character is at level 62, with a shiny new go faster mount.

So between open university, world of warcraft, and my car, I have little free time, no social life and very little disposable income. Strangely enough, I feel more content now than I have for years.

My sister is getting married in 2 months, I may not survive the experiance, - I have to go on the hen night. THE HORROR! - A Limo and a bunch of absolutely bladdered group of my sisters mate's under my supervision, ( the reason I'm going apparently) in Bristol. Shudder.

There we have it.

- incidently discovered today the poverty line per household in the UK is considered £16472 - A fact I intend to bring up at my salary negotiations at the end of the month. A trembling bottom lip and big sad eyes may also be employed.

Stuff and Things

New job has now started and I've survived the first week. Its been exhausting but I think I'm going to enjoy it, lots to learn, but I'm getting a handle on the basics fairly quickly (hopefully).

The Bank has written back finally refusing to pay up and hats off to them, I don't think I've seen such a finely crafted piece of bollocks in my whole life, its almost a work of art. If they'd managed to work 'synergistically' and 'vision' into that letter it quite possibly could be considered a master piece.
We're onto round 2 now, where I threaten them with court. I suppose it was too much to hope they'd fold quite so early.

An update in several parts.

I have a job, its very exciting. Apparently being interviewed by five people is a good thing and even better, apparently they were impressed. Just got the paperwork through and things like the holday entitlement aren't half bad. 28 days annual holiday, plus bank holidays and such, its as much as the parents get after having signed their formative years away to local government. With opportunities for foreign travel down the road and a good training scheme, I'm a bit chuffed.

But between now and then I've got two weeks of temp work for a company in Bath. Its basically ringing up companies and updating contact records and emails. I've been at it for two days now and I'm about ready to gouge out my eyes. I'm only on the C's.....

Non work related, in an act of consumers activism or something, I've sent one of those 'I want all the money you've buggers have charged me over the years back, you bastards' to the bank. Given that when I added all of my charges up it totalled to something just over £2000 pounds, I don't think its unjustified. We'll see what happens.

Job Interview

Had a job interview today, interesting little experience, it lasted most of the morning, and I was interviewed by a total of five different people.

Have to say I'm feeling a little drained, as far as potential employment goes, we'll have to see. I'm vaguely hopeful, but beyond that? Its difficult to get a handle on that many people and what they thought of you. We'll just have to wait and see.

This afternoon I have a packed schedule planned, starting off with a snooze, half an hour on world of warcraft and perhaps I might watch a movie if I can work out what the hell Sky has done with its movie channels.

Still Here

Still alive, still lacking full time employment.

Unemployment I have decided is quite possibly the dullest thing I have ever done and sponging off the state is harder than it looks.

Have just done a weeks worth of temping for BBC Audio, which against all expectations was actually quite enjoyable. Admitably, I have just spent 35 hours sticking labels and barcodes on to things, but I got a comfy chair, a break and an hours lunch. One. Whole. Hour. I watched the News and Neighbours on the telly! Absolutely surreal and it turns out Neighbours is even more ridiculous than I remember it being. The whole place really brought previous employment into perspective. ie: a shambolically run shit hole, with very few properly working systems and absolutely no awareness of staff needs. I could have certainly coped staying a bit longer, but one week was all I got.

I've got the house to myself this weekend, which means I get first crack at the papers and control of the sitting room with the big TV, so the plan is to kill the housework off, find a Cat for purposes of keeping my legs warm and watch England more than likely being stuffed by the Welsh in the Rugby.

Also, While I hold Tony Blair entirely at fault for most of the ills of the modern world and hold great satisfaction of never having voted for him in my life, I laughed like a loon at his sketch for comic relief last night. I may have even clapped. Not much of a fan of Catherine Tate either, but fair do's, she was brilliant. David Tennant wasn't half bad either.

And Matt Lucas as Vicky Pollard. Performance.

Well, thats that then.

So employed? Not so much.

Quit work for good now after the failure of the snow to arrive. Incredibly liberating and a bit terrifying at the same time. But there was no way in hell I was staying a minute longer. There are some things you should never say to anyone, especially if you want them to continue working for you and an awful lot got said today. The question remains is whether to cut my losses now, or sue his arse for constructive dismissal and loss of earnings.

Its tempting.

Serious job hunting will commence tomorrow and I do have the luxury of H's promise of a good reference, which is a comfort. She at least knows what an absolute tit her husband is.

Well, I lasted longer than most employees there and I didn't physically assault him on my way out which has happened twice before apparently. I was tempted briefly to take his head lights out, but hey, the Inland Revenue can do that for me.

Once more unto the breach, unless it snows.

Rather an eventful day all round, considering it was my day off. Work managed 4 phone calls today demanding attention. Which has got to be a new record, but considering the circumstances I was honestly surprised it wasn't more.
A in a masterful stroke hasn't paid the inland revenue an undisclosed amount of money for what I suspect is something to do with PAYE. You do not f**k with the Inland Revenue, at all. They Will Collect. Thus they sent the baliffs around to the shop this morning. A apparently refused to pay and so they're going to repossess his car. Given that his car is a heap of rust and masking tape, I doubt this is going to cover what I expect is quite a large sum.
So cue what was probably a hellish day for poor old P, in which he was instructed to call me about an order I'd done previously in the week, a parcel cock up from yesterday caused by M that I had no dealing with whatsoever, and best of all a mistake on an item stock file that was obviously an input mistake somewhere along the line and was so inconsequential I almost laughed at P when he told me. A always throws his most obnoxious behaviour around when he's under stress and made a cock up, all this adds up to is one hell of an argument with A when I get back to work. The chances of me still being employed by the end of the week are slim to none at the moment.
Hell even on a good day, we haven't managed to talk to each other without devolving into an argument. (We've had some special ones this week, A listened into a minute of conversation I was having with a tech support guy that had lasted half an hour and I was treated to a full ticking off for being to leniant with him. Not to mention his absolute conviction that I should have sold someone another product (that we hadn't got) instead of recommending and ordering something they had specifically requested.)
It would seem the God of something is smiling on me at the moment, because if the man off the telly is to be believed, its going to really snow over night and there is no way I'm going to manage to get to Bristol in those conditions, I'll just take a snow day and tackle this mess on friday.

Wow, what a rant.

Lazy day and whatnot

Have spent a rather glorious day doing absolutely nothing beyond reading and watching TV. Somewhat marred by evil monthly pains of doom, but I do enjoy a good grump and I managed to work up a good one today. Capped off by little sister having her normal weekly/daily crisis that involves me going out in the rain to do her bidding.

Work tomorrow, which should have the consequences of the latest 'chat' with H that has filtered back to A, probably accompanied by the domestic violence that currently punctuates her communication with him. But not my problem, there's a job advert that I'm hoping will be mine and I'll be free of the place soon. H will have a bit of a shock, I've decided to take 'ownership' of the stock take he has commanded we do, we're going to do it properly, sensibly, thoroughly and sort out all those problems he keeps declaring we have to sort in some generalised future. We will not be doing anything else. This is the january project, the february one will be the website and hey presto, the shop will be all ready for the rearrange! Fancy that.

Job anyone?

Yep, Stressed again, cheers for that A.

And you want to employ a muppet, thats going to go well. You fired him last time remember, do you think its going to go any better this time round?

God do I need a new job.