In with a Bang

As the new year was welcomed in with a bang, bottle of Cava and Jules Holland, January crept by in a cold, dark and uneventful manner. I carried on volunteering while job applications fell on deaf ears. The Job Centre introduced this amazing way to apply for jobs via their website. You see a job that you can apply for so click on 'apply'. You then upload your CV and click 'continue'. The screen then tells you that your application was sent successfully. Well isn't that simple.
Where the fuck is the option to add a covering letter?
Oh. There isn't one.
Why can I not apply for the job directly from my email account?
Because We Want To Watch What You Are Doing.
Where is the confirmation that my application has been sent?
The Job Centre Website tells you.

Fortunately, I am on one of the Government's Work Programmes, one of those that the tax payers in this country are subsidising, I think - where else would the government get the money from to pay out the millions they do to run these programmes which, once somebody is on one, means one less-unemployed figure. Because you are on a Work Programme you are knocked off the unemployment statistics, apparently. Even though you are still unemployed. You can sit and scratch your head about that one for as long as you like but it won't help. The present government is in denial.

Coralie left for Vietnam with her boyfriend for 7 months at the end of January. She seems to be enjoying it although said she was sick of the food after the first week. That girl is so difficult to please. At least she is happy to be in the sun and heat.

February crept by. Dark and miserable. Slow and cold, reminding us all that it is still winter. The new Aldi near us started putting down it's foundations which means that by the end of the year we may be shopping there. Or not.

Richard and I went away to Aberystwyth for a couple of days to celebrate my 50th. I had a lovely day with fantastic weather and we stayed in a room with a sea view. Watching the sunset on the last day of being 49 with a cup of tea was succeeded by watching my first sunset at the ripe old age of 50 with a bottle of Cava. The highlight of my day was watching a red kite (bird) flying over us looking for food. Red kites are quite common in Wales as are other birds of prey so I would like to go back again to do some bird watching. Richard had my bicycle serviced which means that I can now get cycling although I miss being able to get on my bike and cycle inbetween fields. I was lucky back home in that sense.

The Crewe Lyceum has been taken over by a better company and so we shall be seeing Rich Hall and Jack Dee in May. I'd like to see Sean Lock too, but Richard spent the money to see him on tickets to see Wilko Johnson next week. Crewe has picked up in one area that I enjoy - the arts - but shops are closing all the time and being replaced by Pound shops - or in one case, a third amusement arcade. I thought this town was poor?

Richard has been keeping Hermie entertained as apparently, each time he picks up his guitar and starts twanging away, Hermie comes out of his welly and does a groove, or something. As soon as Richard stops, he goes back to bed. I had a son who wanted to be a rock star - it now appears that I have a tortoise that wants to be one.

Hermie, the Rock and Roll Tortoise.

Oh Bloody Hell - Where did the Time Go?

It's been so long since I last posted that I almost forgot how to create a post. It wasn't until I realised that I had to sign in first that I managed to get anywhere and now it's all changed. Blogger has made everything look new and sparkly but to old people such as myself, this is really quite a nuisance. I'm sure that I'll cope.

In a manner.

So.

1. The Parental Unit came and went.
2. I've been volunteering madly at Oxfam which is quite good fun and obviously rules out the question of being employed. Still looking.
3. I've had a couple of interviews for jobs, including at a Catholic school. Ho hum.
4. Tatiana and her boyfriend visited.
5. Coralie and her boyfriend then visited.
6. Richard and I visited the Parental Unit. Mine, not his.
7. I took part in World Book Night.
8. Things happened - Olympic Torch went through Crewe! The Olympics happened. Things in the garden happened. Sales on eBay happened. My fractured wrist was a true happening.

If there is anything on that list that you want to read about in particular, do say. Otherwise another year may pass before I let you know of what's going on - if anything - and just to let you know that I am alive.

One thing that never happened: bloody summer.

I'm still here. Just.

Belgium is now high on my shit-list as it fails miserably to give me or tell me anything that I need to know. And that is after I ask for it. Nicely. What will happen to my pension is anybody's guess, what will happen to the few euros left in my bank account over there is bleak and yet my lawyers are still chasing me for money. These requests from them leave me cold as I have told them the situation: no job but desperately looking, no JSA and my house has started to chew generously into my bank account. Fuck off.

Richard and I have finally moved into the house as you have naturally guessed from the dire lack of posts. The bedroom is finished although it could do with some pictures, the bathroom is finished although I still need to clean the tiles and there is an issue involving a shower door to attach to the bath. If anybody specialises in shower doors, I could be an interesting challenge for you. The guest bedroom is finished although pictures are needed in there too, as well as two bedside cabinets. The living room is also close to being finished - we can relax in it, which is good enough. The dining room, hall and landing need to be finished and we haven't even started in the dining room. We eat off a cupboard door on top of a work bench in the kitchen, rammed up against the fridge/freezer which is a bit annoying, but there isn't anywhere else to eat.

Coralie and Tatiana are coming to visit on Friday for a very short stay so I can show them how people climatise in this part of the world. It is absolutely useless to judge what to wear by looking at those already out and about outside as on a hot day they will over-dress to the point of excess, and on a cold day, people tend to walk around in t-shirts and shorts. They're a funny bunch, up here. They will also get to see grown men cycling around town on their child-size BMXs, knees sticking out at right-angles, no lights and basically a threat to all drivers.

I can't wait to see my daughters. I'll treat them to PIES.