July Madness – And a new chapter in my life

Posted on by gizzajob

The Twelfth was last Friday – the day celebrating the Victory of William III over James II in 1690. As eggs are eggs, there are sectarian conflicts then. A Catholic man was savagely attacked in Kilkeel; while a Protestant Couple from Castledawson were chased out of their home by a Republican Mob. Most in Northern Ireland holiday away during then. I stayed at home. Although I bought groceries at Springisland Store that morning.

On Sunday, I went to People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire for a picnic with a Meetup group. The Meetup itself was run by an American woman who Lectures at a Protestant Theological College based in Carolina. (not sure which one, though) She said she has done missionary work in Africa and is in Ireland to do consultancy for the College.

Yesterday – Tuesday – I signed off the Condition Management Programme. I have now progressed to Antrim New Horizons. If I don’t start with them next Monday, it will be a few months later.

Last week, I was at the Apple Store in Belfast, as my MacBook Pro has a broken r key. Turned out that the MacBook Pro is too old to be fixed. However, I was advised to buy a remote keypad. Then, I ordered a Logitech keypad from Amazon. It arrived on Thursday. Then I had to use DuckDuckGo to learn how to open the battery latch. (Bluetooth didn’t work on my MacBook Pro)

Also, last week, I got to see my Cousin’s kids from Dubai. They were with the seven-year-old son of my other Cousin, and they were playing Minecraft on their Tablets. Being modern kids, the boy from Dubai called his Cousin a, “Douche!” while the girl said, “OMG!” I got some laughs out of that.

 

Tunes:

 

Keeping the Change (Sonnet I wrote about my experience watching Home Alone)

Posted on by gizzajob

Thank God ‘Home Alone’ was made in 1990

or else Kevin would be eating the Tide he bought

while his parents’ items were sought

by two incompetent thieves!

Generation Y kept the change

while on the way to Deansgrange

I anticipated the childhood experiences I never had then!

Buses to Belfast, Dublin and Dun Laoghaire

while the rest of the country got lairy

I watched a Christmas Classic!

Now it’s almost 2019

it’s Uber’s time

to get me on my way back

negotiating freezing fog to be home alone!

Acceptance this Christmas Time

Posted on by gizzajob

Acceptance is the hardest thing to do, but acceptance DOES set you free. After a strenuous week of Meetups and chores, my employment advisor made me realise that I am PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE  of working full time. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I am managing okay, as it is, in my life.

Last Thursday I attended a Coffee event in Belfast run by Specialisterne. We explained to an organiser, originally from Seattle, that French Fries were Belgian and served to US Soldiers in WWI by Walloons. Net Neutrality was also discussed. Shame the Verizon Lobby won that vote. 😦

With one week to go until Christmas, I wanna take it easy until the new year. My brother came home last night and this afternoon I found out that his old mentor from the SUSE Program’s gran died during the weekend and I went over to the wake with a mass card. Thank God the weather this afternoon was mild. The road the wake was at is in the arsehole of nowhere.

Also, I thought of freelance writing as a career option. But that proved to be just another cosmetic expense. At the moment I wanna focus on being social and my artwork.

Ladt Friday I attended a painting session in Dun Laoghaire. On the train back to Portadown there was a guy with a Christmas Jumper saying, “Merry Chris-Marx!” Another Champagne Socialist in Ireland. lol

Tunes:

 

Potential paid employment – plus other blessings

Posted on by gizzajob

My employment advisor is arranging for me to get a job through the workable program, at a new place opening in Toomebridge. Hopefully, that will provide me with much-needed income. It seems that those who want to work suffer, while those who don’t want to work profit. Bizarro World, indeed.

I need to spend as little time as possible on Facebook. It’s like a Vampire, sucking the lifeblood out of one. Fanboys see no other opinion other than their own. Don’t drink ANY political Kool-Aid; be it Tory or Labour.

Last Tuesday I attended a short guided tour of Monkstown Castle, as part of a Meetup. The Wednesday prior I had booked an online day return from Portadown to Dublin and back for £10 – Cheap as Chips – but I booked a taxi from outside Connolly Station and the car we were in kept dying out whenever we approached traffic lights. It was a fuel-efficient automatic. (thanks ever so much Al Bloody Gore) But I saw a burgundy Peugeot turning at a junction at Blackrock – unsure of the road – and nearly running straight into a cyclist in a yellow jacket. There, for the grace of God, go I.

The tour itself was dominated by the random musings of the organiser’s ten-year-old son. He probably has Asperger’s. But I chipped in with some tidbits of information. In the end, I really needed the loo and went to a Chinese Restaurant named Victoria – probably after the Capital of Hong Kong – Then I had just enough for a DART from Monkstown to Connolly and was able to board an earlier train back to Northern Ireland than planned. However, I didn’t have to pay extra thanks to me informing the conductor I was worried that the park where my car is might be locked at night.

My brother is back in Derry for his second year of University, he has placement year sorted as well, and now I have the place to myself. That both gladdens and saddens me. But I will soon be getting proper broadband, once I receive a 4G SIM from EE, and will hope to return to designing websites.

Tunes:

 

 

 

 

 

Awkward moment for me at a bar yesterday

Posted on by gizzajob

Yesterday I was in Dublin and was watching the FA Cup (Soccer) game between Arsenal and Preston North End at a bar in Dun Laoghaire and got to speak to a guy from Portsmouth who supports Tottenham Hotspur – our arch rivals – and we had good banter, and even some tidbits about graphic design opportunities – his girlfriend is a graphic designer – but it was a double-edged sword as he wanted me to approach these two German women in the bar for a drink. Of course, I made a pig’s ear of it. Being placed on a pedestal is difficult for those with Asperger’s.

 

I always feel that being socially awkward inhibits me when I want to go out. Naturally, I’m more confident in my own wee cocoon. But I managed well. In spite of the mishap.