Jobbie

No unfortunately I'm not blogging to say I've got a job. I am trying my utmost to step my search up a notch. I've been far too lazy about getting one and money is running out fast. I've just received two forms for jobs at my local university. Just admin ones but reading the skills list fills me with dread and I've got the old 'I'm not qualified for this!' feeling. I'm terrible at selling myself. I've no confidence at all and I often take one look at the job description and panic. I wish I was better at it. I know I'm intelligent and hard working and capable and reliable but just saying that isn't enough. I went for a little advice sesh at the Jobcentre the other week. It was ok but I don't really feel much better off than I did before. I've got a website to look at for further details. I think it was Learndirect or something.

So I rang one agency I'd sent my cv to who told me they didn't have anything. I tried to ring another but no-one was answering the phone. I've just trawled the Jobcentre website and printed off a couple of job details and I finally got round to uploading my application for a vaguely media related job in Salford.

What else have I been up to? I went to Cardiff a couple of weeks ago for silly Dr Who fan things and we had fun with muppets. Everyone seemed impressed by them and our performance and I got very drunk and silly and created a photo story on my Facebook page of 'When Muppets Go Bad'. Thankfully I don't think I was too embarrassing. The weekend after I went to a friends wedding reception near Birmingham which was great fun and it was really good to see people I hadn't seen for a while. The hotel we stayed in was like the Crossroads Motel but still stuck in the 70s. Appalling decor and really rather dog eared and grubby but at least it wasn't crawling with creatures and everything seemed basically hygenic. Well, apart from one of the glasses in the bathroom with was encrusted with toothpaste. Ew! By all accounts the Premiertravellodgeinn that the rest of them were staying at wasn't much better.

As I mentioned in my previous post I've a tiny weeny piece in the latest issue of Countryfile magazine. Its a column called 'My Country Escape' to which I've contributed a very small part. I've now got a Myspace page, not that I use it much, and am still spending far too much time on Facebook. My thoughts on the new layout are that its probably here to stay so I might as well get used to it. And at least we have Scrabble again though it looks like I can't play against my chums from across the pond. Boo!

And Ugly Betty and The L Word are back! Woo hoo!

Where does the time go?

Its official. Facebook has completely taken over my life. I'm spending far too much time on there playing Scrabulous and Superpoking. God I love to have a good Superpoke. *giggle*

I'd love to be able to list all the things that have been going on since I last posted but I've been doing f*** all. Still no job. I signed up with another agency but I've had no contact from them. Great. The whole process of claiming dole is really getting me down too. The fact that I've worked, paid taxes and national insurance for nearly 20 years means absolutely jack shit to them. I'm just some other workshy chav who doesn't deserve a penny. Oh wait though. Workshy chavs get money f***ing thrown at them don't they? Don't want to work? Think the world f***ing owes you everything? Think spitting out babies for benefits is a really great idea? Here, have wads and wads of cash! Meanwhile I had a sanction on my money because I quit my job voluntarily. It should run out this week. Great. Except that I got a letter this morning saying they weren't paying me anything from now on. Its probably because I missed my signing on session last week. I totally forgot about it. I've only been doing it for a month or two so I haven't got used to the routine yet. I could have lied and said I was ill or there was a family emergency but I didn't. I was honest. More fool me. I should remember that honesty doesn't pay in this country. The lady I had an appointment with said they'd cancel my claim but got me to fill in another form for a renewal claim so that I'd still get the money. Needless to say, the letter doesn't reflect this. I really hope I'm just being pessimistic and that there's another letter on its way saying I've got a new claim starting. What are the odds though? It really makes my blood boil. I paid my taxes etc so that layabouts could sit on their backsides but now when I need that help they don't want to know. Bastards.

I'll have to try giving the second agency a kick up the arse.

LA was loads of fun. Its such a pity its so smoggy. I had a great time drinking the bar dry with my mates and having a laugh. My new favourite cocktail is the frozen strawberry daquiri. Yum! And we made the aquaintance of the stupidest person to walk the planet - an air steward called Jamie. He was so dumb that I thought he must be putting it on. He cruised our little group for ages, the gay men I was with panting with lust after him. As soon as he opened his mouth though. Oh dear. He asked if there were any homos around. Like the half dozen tongues lolling in his direction weren't blatantly obvious. He asked why we were there and was told it was for a Dr Who convention. Quite seperately, B mentioned that his favourite film was Dr Zhivago. So suddenly Jamie thought we were there for a Dr Zhivago con. He disappeared for a while then came back with a chap in a kilt. He pointed to the chap and told us he was abstaining, to which kilt man said that actually he'd said his drink was absinthe. Uh oh. More shenanigans followed, too numerous to mention. Kilt man had some kind of kinky electric shock device on him. Jamie told us he wasn't into that crazy M&S shit. What? He's not into chocolate profiteroles and reinforced gussets? For shame.

Happy days. The only downer was the hostel I stayed in for two nights. While the website made it look really nice, in reality it was a noisy dump. Oh, sorry another downer was the journey over. Never ever ever fly with US Airways. They are utterly shit. I got stuck in Philadelphia overnight. Which sounds like a kinky cheese fetish but more annoying. I thought that the Post Office had no concept of customer service but US Airways are so so much worse. Never ever fly with them. I can't stress this enough.

I've become addicted to Sudoku since then too. It was the waiting in airports for several hours that did it. I can only do fairly easy ones and the Samurai Sudokus in the Times which are fun.

We went to watch Lucy Porter the other week and she's fab. So funny and so cute that I could just put her in my pocket and take her home.

I'm missing alot of my favourite programmes that have taken a brief hiatus due to the writers strike. Ugly Betty seems to have been gone for such a long time and the L Word, which shouldn't really have been affected has just disappeared completely. I suspect this has nothing to do with the strike but is down to Living TV just giving up on it. Bastards. Fortunately, CSI is only taking a very short break. Hurrah. I can't live without my weekly dose of blood and gore and the very sexy Marg Helgenberger. Mmmm.

Are me & my brother the only ones who cheer when the announcer warns about violence and gore at the start of the programme? I hope not.

Another one bites.... the dust.

Happy new year!

Lets hope 2008 is a damn sight better than 2007 was. I keep hearing various astrological personages saying its going to be a fab year but judging by alot of my net friends, 2007 bit the big one anyway so the new year can only be better. Here's hoping.

I signed up with a job agency yesterday so with any luck I'll be working again soon albeit in a temporary capacity. And if their zeal for finding people employment is anything like their fastidiousness over the enrolment process then I should be in good hands. Gawd it was like the Spanish Inquisition. And nobody expects that. I had to go through 20 years worth of jobs detailing what I did, why I left etc. Nightmare! I can barely remember stuff from last week never mind some mind-numbing job I did ten years ago. I needed a stiff drink afterwards.

Other than that I've got a media job to apply for if I can manage to stop myself faffing about on Facebook long enough to get it done. Fingers crossed. If procrastination was a qualification that employers were looking for I'd be a managing director by now. Or by tomorrow anyway. Ho ho.

For now I'm carrying on watching daytime TV, surfing on the net and having fun digging out cds I haven't listened to in years to upload into iTunes. I'm also trying to eke out my finances so that I can still go to LA in February without having to worry. And there's a trip to London at the end of the month. Shit I really need a job. Either that or I'm going to have to join the other dole scum and sign on. I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to that. Enquiries must be made.

Lots of fave programmes are back on imminently. New CSI: Las Vegas tonight and we'll find out whether Sara escapes the clutches of the miniature serial killer. I actually know what happens more or less, thanks to various spoilers I've happened across.

Torchwood is also back very soon, there's new ER later this week and the Life on Mars spin off starts soon. TV is my life at the moment.

Shit I need a job. Quick.

iTunes iNnoyance

This evening I have been mostly uploading my first audiobook to my iTunes library and then to my ipod.

Won't be doing that again.

Its not like uploading your usual music cd. At least this effort wasn't. iTunes couldn't get any track names, cover art etc from Gracenote so I spent about 1/2 an hour typing in all the details, making sure it all matched up etc. Tedious but simple. Or so I thought. Only, you see, it was loaded into my ipod as a 'music' cd not an audiobook as I thought it would. And once it was in my ipod the tracks were in alphabetical order not the correct running order as in my library. Arse! Much faffing around ensued but I really couldn't figure out how to change it. Thankfully Ben A and Noax came to my rescue and, more tedious faffing around changing file names later, I had it in my audiobook section. Only in my ipod its still in the wrong order. Oh well, It'll have to do.

After all that I decided to browse on iTunes for more books. Only to find the very cd I'd just uploaded but £1 more expensive. So I can either buy an actual physical cd cheaply and spend hours pissing about with it to get it mostly right or spend an extra quid and have no hassle. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe it. Gah!

Big up to the lads btw. Apparently some people do read my blog. A whale of a time was had in the Lass O Gowrie last night watching silly old Dr Who videos and deciding which companions were the foxiest. I still say Leela wins hands down.

And a big up to Bob who turned 40 last week. Much fun was had at his do in Liverpool but I think I'm way too old now to be up that late tramping round the 'Pool in the freezing cold. There was a point in the Chinese where I suddenly felt like I was having a mid-life crisis. I can't remember what triggered it now. That's middle age for you. I've found out that another of my friends is exactly the same age as Bob so a big up to Adele too.

I've discovered more daytime tv to while away my time. I've got into a routine now. Its 'Escape to the Country' to watch people with annoyingly huge amounts of money buy gorgeous houses, then either eps of Frasier I've Sky+ed or DS9 if its an ep I like, various repeats of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' and I'll spend the rest of the afternoon in town if I need some shopping or watching more stuff I've Sky+ed or surfing the net. By far the best show I've discovered is a US import called 'The Dog Whisperer'. I've decided that Cesar Millan is my hero and a god. He is to dog training what Kim & Aggie are to house cleaning. Not that I'm a dog person, I'm more into cats but what he does with them is nothing short of amazing. He can take the most psychotic deranged hound and turn it into an adorable bundle of snuggly fun. He always says that its the owners he trains, he just rehabilitates the dogs. Apparently most of the bad behaviour you get in dogs is down to the owner not being a calm assertive pack leader which is first and foremost what a dog needs. It doesn't sound much when I describe it here. Its much better to watch the programme and see what I mean. Go on, you know you want to.

Dole Scum

What ho!

Gawd I'm bored sh*tless.

I've been a member of the ranks of the unemployed for just over a week now and I'm bored to death by it. Bored of watching telly, bored of surfing the net, bored of getting up late just because I can, bored bored bored.

So why do I still do it when I could be foisting myself on job agencies, rejigging my CV, answering job ads etc? Because I'm a lazy arsed get. And because 'procrastination' is my middle name. I despair of myself I really do. If anyone (if there is anyone still reading this) has any ideas how I could motivate myself I'd be eternally grateful.

Instead I've been entertaining myself with righteous anger at the Royal Mail who can't manage to deliver a small box of contact lenses to our house. I've tried emails, phone calls, actually turning up at the depot. All to no avail. B*st*rds. I've been wearing my scratched specs for the last two weeks. And if anyone makes any waggish comments re going to Specsavers I'll have to point out quite tersely that that's where I got my specs in the first place. So there.

I haven't even taken advantage of the break to go somewhere nice. I'd half planned to go to Crosby to see the Anthony Gormley art installation/sculptures on the beach. I like beaches I do. Better in summer but there's something to be said for being all gothic and windswept on a beach in autumn. Or is it winter now? I haven't even been into Manchester. Maybe i'll do that tomorrow as the weather won't be good enough for gothic gazing off into the middle distance in Crosby.

I have recently been enjoying repeats of Tenko. Just thought I'd drop that in. And Armstrong & Miller are back and as funny as they ever were. Peter Serafinawotsit has been fun, especially 'Gravies of the Ancients' which had me giggling lots but Vivienne Vyle was awful. Well the first ep just wasn't funny at all so I didn't bother watching any of the rest of it. It hasn't stopped me booking tix to see French & Saunders on tour next year though.

I went to KT Tunstall's gig at the Apollo in Manch the other week and it was excellent. No surprise there then. I think the entire lesbian population of Manchester was there. Some cuties included. Last night I went to see the Nunkie Theatre Company's MR James thang at the Bury Met. Just the thing for Halloween, having a chap dressed as James in victorian costume telling a couple of his spooky stories. Very very atmospheric and creepy. Fab. I love MR James stories. I really must join the Facebook group.

Oh yeah that's another thing I've been doing. Whoring myself on Facebook. Its amazing how many people I haven't seen for years have turned up on there. Its yet another reason for me to avoid doing my CV.

Just like posting on my blog really.

Birfday

It was my birthday yesterday. I'm the ripe old age of 36 and I've still got all me own teeth. I inherited an ipod shuffle which I've been faffing about with this evening. I was also given a pair of 'top range' headphones which I'm slightly less impressed with. They're in-ear ones which take some getting used to and at first I must've had them inserted wrong as the music sounded like it was coming from the inside of a tin can. I tried the phones that came with the ipod and they sounded alot better. That can't be right surely. I've heard that ipod phones are supposed to be shite. So I faffed around a bit more, changed a few bits on the new phones and inserted them correctly and they seem to be ok now except for a background hiss. WTF! I might as well dig out my old Sony Walkman and a few cassettes & listen to them. Oh well. Mustn't complain & seem like an ungrateful bitch.

Birthday was really quite shite for reasons that I don't want to go into. It would've been really nice if it wasn't for someone being a complete & utter arsehole. As usual. I long for the day when I can go out for a meal/lunch/day out without this person being a twat at some point but sadly I don't think that's ever going to happen.

Still, I've got a lovely meet up with some genuinely lovely people on Saturday to look forward to so I'll make up for it then & have a whale of a time. My birthday can be a week late this year.

It doesn't help that I'm a bit bereft this week. No new Dr Who to look forward to (or enjoy slagging off like the last two eps - peee-ew!) and no new CSI: Las Vegas. *sigh* I've rediscovered Frasier lately though, thanks to repeats on the Paramount Comedy channel. Such repetitive, annoying trailers in the ad breaks though. Oh look its a trailer for Grumpy Old Men/Women.... five seconds later... oh yeah here we go, Everybody Loves Raymond..... a minute later Rules of Engagement and Two and a Half Men.... ooh never seen that before.