Last ten days

Life seems to be all about forms at the moment. Forms for the DWP, tax credits, School forms, job application forms etc. Then waiting for people to get back to me. Most people do, just the employers don't - the ones I could do with replying. Need a job before I finally run out of money - or a tenant. Don't think the letting agents want to reduce the rent so I am going to have to move in the next month or two. Bit of good news - got some money from the JSA, having accepted that I did not have any savings hidden away. I could have used that for...... lots of different things. Will just spend it on kids, now.

Feeling fitter, soccer twice a week is good. Long walks with the dog help. House is reasonably tidy. Garden needs work. Tomorrow, maybe - lol.

Tara has finished her exams. Seems happier. Got her prom coming up - 20 June. Her first full day at home as a lady of leisure. Got up late, long, leisurely shower and a hard afternoon of social activity on the PC. Came into the sitting room with a huge grin on her face, saying she was learning Chinese...... I suppose I should start saving money for a trip to China.

Hari has a job at the Library. Well, it's work experience for his University Course. He doesn't get paid for it and has to spend 20 a week on transport. So every morning, we iron his shirt, trousers at the start of the week, Has to do shelving, reservations, packing / unpacking the books...... Sounds boring. Sets off at 7.15, having made his sandwiches and gets back at 6.15. Long day, I suppose. Good experience for the future?

Went through the laundry basket. Pile of sheets at the bottom. :( Made me miserable just remembering who used them last. Seemed like the start of something good but....... Had to make that decision. It's done.

Went shopping and got a brush and scissors for grooming Jill. Poor old lady. She is getting old. Had an accident a couple of days ago. Hope it was because we forgot to let her out when we got up, rather than the pills and drops stopping working. Don't really want to think of having to put her down, though it seems likely to happen in the near future.

Jill on a walk

Life's full of good - and sad.

Stuff Update

The Legal Aid Agency wrote to ask me to confirm through my solicitor that the transfer of our previous home had taken place. They also wanted to know how much Hari contributed to the household from his student debt; I mean, loan!

The JobCentre people wrote to say that they wanted to talk to me about my complaint. Yay, I might get somewhere.

I also had a note from my Letting Agency getting their knickers in a twist. Did I realise the new tenant, if I got one would have to go on the Tenancy Agreement? FFS! I rang and spoke to them. Did they think I had forgotten?

Have to write to various people to let them know that Tara is staying on in school - so she can get a bus pass, I can get child benefit etc. Fair enough. She could have been getting a job after her GCSEs. I don't mind when things are done for a reason but when you get asked for stuff over and over again and they start accusing you of lying or hiding things  if you question what they say, that sucks.

Stuff

Feeling tired and wan...... or is it worn? Been trying to do too many things and have too much to worry about at the moment. Spent quite a bit of time this week reading stuff about the new Inspection Frameowrk and Teaching and Learning, preparing for the Conference. Also had shit to deal with from Legal Aid people, JobCentre, solicitors, bills plus family and personal stuff. Need a holiday but it's not happening any time soon. I think I should turn into a **** and that would make life easier.

The Legal Aid Agency are deliberately slowing things down. I need it to sort out the passports but I may have to go it alone and build up more effing debt. The JobCentre people still haven't sorted out my money, though they have had the statements for weeks. Wrote to the Housing people for a discretionary grant but still haven't heard. Asked them whether it is really helping families stay together / survive, sticking strictly to the letter of the law.

Still no interviews, no jobs to apply for either now. Maybe I should try some more assertive / aggressive marketing? Could work away for 2/3 days somewhere.

Couple of positive bits though. The Conference went well and I made a couple of good contacts. (I will see if I can put some pix up). The delegates were very positive about it. Also I should get some marking to do which may bring in a few quid.

Enjoyed football but I feel fat and unfit. The last 3 weeks have not been good at football. I feel more out of breath and stuff. Maybe I need to eat less / better and go for longer walks (runs?) during the week, just to build myself up. Or maybe age is catching up...... How depressing!

Oh well! Onwards and upwards, as they say.

Last Fortnight

It has been stunning weather here. The days have been warm and sunny, the nights cool with clear skies. I managed to clean the house with a little help from my little friends.... Garden is looking tidy. Killed loads of dandelions near the path.  Need to do more weeding and thinning out. The beds are green and full of flowers. Had a ton of rhubarb which I took over to Anna, who is going to make crumble and chutneys from which I might benefit. Yay! I think I should do crumbles myself - or get Tara to do them. She does them well. Hari makes a mean cheesecake - and very spicy chili! At least, he will never starve...... The house inspection went okay, except there's a big messy nest in the guttering.

Hari got back on the 30th. The kids have been on half term but we didn't do much. Lazed around. Tara was revising - or so she claimed! We had supper at Sanah's on 31st which was excellent. We were the last ones so she was fussing over us. She was going gooey over Tara, whom she doesn't remember visiting her stall in Market Square. It's worth going to but she is only open on Fridays. She has a great chef! The kids watched him cook as we were the last ones - well the kitchen is in the room anyway. Had a big tandoor - clay oven - out of which he was taking big naans. The kids were on good form, especially Tara. Hari went back to M's to look after the dogs. M was in France for the weekend.

Saturday was the Bentham CARnival but the kids were not interested. There were rides and dances etc but...... Wray Sports was also on Saturday. Adam decided he wanted to go, so I took him there. He won the U12s 100m race. The other races were in the 11 - 14 category so the older boys won those. He decided to go and play with Nick Wacquers while I sat and worked, and chatted with Jenny, in the Institute. Tara and I got a few bits from the coop, the Tara spent some time with Rachel, while she did the garden! Tara was in a good mood and got on well with Rachel.

Hari spent Saturday and most of Sunday on the Xbox with Rob.

Sunday was quiet apart from having the dogs. Ole is a pain in the butt. Such a spoilt, whiny dog. Late supper of noodles and chick peas - how do you eat noodles with chop stick? Carefully!

Miserable Monday..... but we had pizza!

Tuesday was a busy day. Had to go sign in but they were on strike so I was turned away at the door! Do I get my expenses back? Went and swore at, I mean with, a solicitor. 25 words, one signature, 2 minutes, £5! Woohoo, I wish I was a solicitor. Collected my glasses. Tried to see Hari at his work experience but he was busy. He was supposed to start on Monday but things got muddled between the Library and his Uni. Got tank filled at ASDA when I went in. Bought some books at the Samaritans. Lovely stew for supper! Took Jill out for a late night walk. Beautiful night. Didn't fall asleep till 2.45ish. :(

No jobs to apply for this fortnight. No interviews offered. Surprising. Not! My ads have been published in the Bentham News. Hope something comes from them. Been working on Conference with my sister. Going there today (5 June). I feel fat. Hope I can fit in my clothes. Need to be smart. "Tip top" as Gulshan said. May get some marking. So I will get a few bob...... Need more regular work really.

Big decisions to make regarding jobs and house. Also, relationships.

Not finished with this yet. Will upload some pix later.

Jobs - Part 2

I started at St Martin's / UoC in September 1995 and for the first few years, it was ok. I had my own course and my own students, so I could ignore the other science lecturers except Anne, who was always on my side anyway. There was one person in particular who made trouble - a lot. Like I would do everything by the book - book rooms, organise my timetable as well as I could etc. I would turn up at the room I was teaching in and he would have taken it over with his students. He could not be bothered to book rooms or check whether the room had been allocated = or so he said. I am not allowed to discuss what went on at UoC for 5 years. Anyway, just a couple of incidents which might give you an insight.

Some of you may remember there was a high profile case of football players attacking Asian students and causing serious injury to one of them. The cowards hit him after tripping him from behind and knocking him unconscious. This was a racist attack, not just a fight. Both footballers lied to the extent of their involvement and were basically cleared. This was a really disgusting miscarriage of justice. The student who was attacked basically became a recluse. Anyway, these two footballers were up and coming international players. Most people I spoke to were actually shocked by the attack and that the footballers had faced so little punishment.  I was sitting in our common room eating lunch and my "friend" was pontificating on how unfair it was that these footballers were not being allowed to play for England, they had been cleared, etc....... I couldn't believe this crap. I wonder if he even remembered the name of the Asian student who was attacked or what happened to him.

Those of you who believe Lee Bowyer is an innocent victim, read this conversation. There is a video (I assume it was from a security camera) showing him destroying a McDonald's Restaurant after he was served by a Bengali.  There is a comment that racists don't just attack people. I beg to differ. I wasn't even aware I was being attacked till I was knocked down by skinhead thugs. I was also attacked with a knife while I was walking down the street. Maybe I just provoked those attacks........

The second incident really is more of a series of incidents involving my room. It had a leak. Everytime it rained hard it leaked. I had 5 (?) major floods. the first one caused serious damage to my books. The second and third, I had all my books awauy from the area. The fourth one caused extensive damage as I had been assured after the third that there would be no more leaks. The Dean came into my room and said he would give me a £100 towards the books. What a laugh! The books cost hundreds  and the papers that were there - that was a lot of work, done over months. How about all that work? Anyway, they tried repaing it a fourth time. By that point, I was severely stressed. Work, my "friend", whiny students and the flooding...... So I complained - and was promptly put under disciplinary measures for not being able to cope! Anne had left by this point and the person who replaced her had her own difficulties. Anyway, I got through that, no thanks to my effing Union. I was trying to get the manager to give me another room because I knew they wouldn't sort it. I said to him "Please move me to another room. You can sort this one out when I have moved. You have spare rooms." his response was, "We are allocating those rooms. We cannot put anyone in your room till it's sorted."!!!!! I wrote back "So it's ok for me but nobody else?" I wanted to write "Everybody else is too white, are they?" Anyway, within a few weeks, there was a major storm and I ended up with an inch of water in my room. So I dragged the Dean in, in front of witnesses, and said "Do something now!" I got moved that week. They did work on my old room after I moved. It hadn't leaked 3 years later. I don't believe this was an organisation just being inefficient. Once or twice is ok but FIVE times? And that comment by the manager just says it all.