By the end of the working day, I’ll find out if I got the Shopmobility job in Belfast, or not. In the meantime, I put my name down for possible work at Fibrus in Belfast – who won a multi-million-pound contract to provide Fibre-Optic Broadband across Northern Ireland. It was because a woman from Dunloy, on my Quiz group, is a cousin of one of them employees. 🙂 Strike while the iron’s hot. 🙂
The Saturday-Night Quiz, which I was Quizmaster for, turned out well. They’re impressed by my added dimensions to each round. I was inspired by the Ardboe Quizzes.
Yesterday morning, my gran’s sister passed away. Tomorrow morning, my brother and I will attend the funeral. Then, on Sunday, there’ll be an anniversary mass for a brother of my gran. And the Gospel reading will be Jesus walking on water. I need faith, somehow.
In the Eighties, there were tv commercials here for an English Insurance company called Commercial Union – with a Citroën 2CV crashing down a cliff. Their buzzline was, “We won’t make a drama out of a crisis!” That’s my motto for Covid-19 survival. It’s not precisely ‘Fight Club,’ but I am better equipped for underground lifestyles than others.
I ended up having to apply for a tax book to get my car back on the road. And the guy I bought the car from will pay me back the £25 I had to pay – by postal order – to apply. Then, I spent the road tax online. As Benjamin Franklin said, “The only sure things in life are death and taxes!” 😐
Today, I drove to the Chemist in Coagh – to collect a repeat prescription- then withdrew cash at Ballinderry Post Office to last a week, or more. My local shops deliver to the homes – until now, I paid them either by bank transfer or PayPal. Tomorrow, I will get gloves and masks from The Hub in Cookstown, buy A4-sized picture frames at the Home Bargains beside there, and get photographs at a Chemist in Magherafelt- to renew my driving licence. (the one I have expires in June)
Today, I improvised the gloves and mask rules, wearing work gloves and a Jason Voorhees Hockey Mask for this afternoon’s errands. At least, I have a sense of humour. 🙂
The picture frame is for handwritten lyrics of an album track by Mansun – I paid the singer by PayPal. (Check out his solo work) Considering that Italians and Spaniards are singing from the balconies, I need musical therapy, too. 🙂
Being an Aspie – taking a ‘Career Break’ (lol) – I feel isolated. Friday was thirty years – to the night – since my father died in the Troubles. I ended up with a case of ‘poor-me-syndrome’ that night. However, I am grateful that I can focus on myself and helping others.
Yesterday evening, the Christmas Lights were switched on in Ardboe. It was full of parents and kids – with ‘Free Food’ (though, not in the Slimming World context, lol), and I felt isolated. In the end, a man I know – who was buying cigarettes from himself at the shop brought me home. I didn’t even get to see Santa, or the lights switched on. Such is life.
Yesterday morning, I was up since 3:45 am and was making chicken for my slow cooker at 5:10 am. The 1978 vintage gave up the ghost; there was smoke coming out of it. In the end, I ordered a new slow cooker online from Argos; at 6:20 am. The delivery arrived this afternoon; at 4:30 pm, and now the bird is stewed. 🙂
This coming Wednesday, there’s a Christmas Shopping Trip in Belfast I’ll attend. I plan to buy a gift for an online friend, and buy lights for my tree; I’ll put up the tree next Sunday. Most of the decorations were purchased on Friday at Home Bargains in Cookstown. I was with my neighbour and her five-year-old granddaughter. She’s a bright little girl, but she turned my brain into spaghetti.
Also, on Friday night, I attended a prayer vigil for the young man from Ballinderry, who’s critically ill in intensive care at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Not the news one wants to hear at Christmas time.
This morning, the electricity was off. I failed to realise about the furnace switch until I was wondering why the bled radiators weren’t omitting heat. I’m learning as I go along. 🙂
Yesterday, my car was serviced for £100. Not bad. But, whenever you have very little income coming in, and one is eating into savings, that’s still sore. I feel that I could never get any financial luck.
Also, the ‘r’ key on my MacBook Pro is broken. The guy who fixed it reckoned it was due to dust. But I feel that cleaning my keyboard made the situation worse. I am feeling despondent again.
This evening, I went to another Slimming World class, and I lost another half-pound. But I feel that I want it off NOW! However, I just have to keep doing what I am doing and the miracles will happen.
Exhaustion is an issue fo me. Yesterday, I went on a few bus rides en route to Belfast. While I got home safely enough, I had so much to do at home, I wore myself to the ground. Now I know how difficult it is to be a Single Guy in this world.
On Tuesday morning, I received an email from Queen’s University in Belfast saying that they’re placing me on a twelve-month waiting list for available jobs. Not wholly there yet. But I’m within touching distance of work. 🙂
However, I found out yesterday from a friend in my art class that an old friend of mine; whom we both knew from the Beacon Centre in Cookstown, was found dead on Tuesday morning. Suspected suicide. That kinda knocked me off last night and I had a long sleep last night, until almost one this afternoon. Then I had to send a mass card to the Beacon Centre and they were away on a day out. I put it through the letterbox.
Also, I saw ‘The Meg’ on Tuesday evening in a Belfast Cinema with a Meetup group. Hooray for pippin. 🙂
I heard from someone saying that, when they get rid of clutter, money arrives at just the right time. She calls it ‘Making room for money.’ Now I hope that getting rid of my backlog of newspapers I bought recently will hopefully provide me with another windfall. There is a bank account that my gran has dormant in Monaghan, Irish Not-So-Free-State, that we’re trying to get released. Hopefully it will sort itself out in good time.
My right palm is no longer itchy, though. A Skype buddy of mine from Toronto says that if my right palm is itchy I’ll receive money but if my left palm is itchy I’ll have to spend money. Sorting out the issue with the car tax is my next port of call; posted a letter to them today after printing out my old tax agreement and the new one I had to do last Friday. Reinstalling the driver on my Kyocera Printer as part of it. Technology, eh! 😐
Now I’m having some time to myself. I realise that some people will ALWAYS have issues with certain things. Practicing tolerance is key.
I had a good day, besides one issue with posting a Christmas Present for a Friend from Toronto; Lancôme face cream; and the Post Office Clerk grilled me about whether I had Perfume, Aerosols or Nail Varnish in the envelope. Guess, I can only pray for the person. (love our Enemies, and all that)
I am reading a 500+ page book about Bob Dylan which I borrowed from the Library back on Monday. Good time-passer now that Winter has come with a vengeance. But it makes me realise just how much I shouldn’t meet my idols in real life.
My driving today was to The Loup; via several side roads to avoid the Friday logjam in Magherafelt; and to Moneymore. I was buying the Irish News; as I always do; and the Belfast Telegraph; no Jobfinder this Friday, mainly due to our First Minister retiring. (another Bloke I detest) Also bought a Mass Card; as part of the Christmas Gift for a Skype Buddy from Toronto as her Mum died of Cancer earlier this year.
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