I feel that yesterday was a pivotal moment in my life. On Tuesday night, I had ZERO sleep. Then I only had a forty-minute nap. Then I went berserk; after heading to a friend’s place to borrow his laptop (my MacBook Pro has a damaged charger, and I can’t afford a replacement, yet) and I was about to go on a rampage.
My complementary therapist recommended Magnesium supplements for my sleep. I got that. Also, I went to a chemist and got elderberry tablets. For £14.99! (WTF?)
I am putting in so much effort for so little return. How much longer must this continue?
Today is the start of a challenge, until 10 September, to raise money for a suicide prevention charity. The goal is to walk one-million steps in between then; on average, slightly less than ten-thousand steps per day. I have a built-in pedometer on my phone and can upload pictures with the help of Dropbox. Body-Magic on Steroids. 🙂
I have decided to form a one-man team since I’m not associated with any Primary School or Gaelic Football Club. I called myself ‘Des the Proclaimer.’ 500 miles in roughly one-million steps; oddly enough. 😀
I had my daily ten-thousand steps for record achieved by 1:15 pm today; to free up the rest of the day. I was up pretty early and had to walk to the shop and back for items.
Tomorrow, I plan to visit Belfast for the first Post-Lockdown trip. I want to get my steps-worth done there with a friend from Stranmillis who began Lecturing Nursing Students last Autumn. Thrown straight into the Bearpit.
Memorial day tomorrow in America. If only the Indy 500 was still on. 😦
Also, I am catching snippets of the Streamed Manchester Jazz Festival.
Today is American Mother’s Day. I remembered that when talking to my Canadian friend today; she can’t visit her mum’s grave, because Canada still shuts down the cemeteries. At least we’re making more process.
Last night, I was meant to see an Otis Redding Tribute Act in Belfast. Perhaps I was licking my wounds by having a rough weekend. However, I have come out better. This evening, I will try and bid for the one affordable lot from the Art Battle auction done by Manchester Artists. It’s for the NHS and helping the nighttime economy in that city.
I am on the reserve list for the PPE mask-manufacturing jobs in Magherafelt. If someone chickens out, I might get shortlisted. Fingers crossed.
My brother’s final University exams are this coming week. He’ll graduate next month – no formal ceremony. He’ll be home at the end of June. He deserves to put his feet up once he’s back home.
On Sunday afternoon, I was returning home from a Gaelic Football game whenever I suffered a meltdown, and only God’s grace prevented an accident. Then, yesterday – Tuesday, I was getting a taxi home from a bus from Belfast whenever I had a case of PTSD and grabbed the driver’s steering wheel impulsively. His response was, “Don’t do that, again! If you’re that nervous with my driving, you shouldn’t be driving, yourself!”
That was when it suddenly clicked. I CANNOT maintain a car with the income I currently have. I plan to sell my car by placing it at the car park of a local gift shop with a ‘For Sale’ sign that I ordered from Amazon. Hopefully, someone will buy it. The Car Salesman I contacted, who’s related to me, said the mileage is too high for him to trade the car.
However, I know that this is the last house on the street for me. Just like my own home. 😐
I switched from EE to Three for my broadband. However, it’s horrendously slow and unreliable; my upload speeds are only in K; I’m not s**tting you.
Yesterday, I had to pay for new blades for my windscreen wipers and also fix the motor as the fast wiping didn’t work. More expenses. I had to call Lifeline, Samaritans and a friend from America to outreach.
One positive that I can use either one of my phones as a Hotspot in the meantime. But sometimes I wish I was Amish and never had to worry about Technology.
My job interview went well, thanks to a little help from my employment advisor, but the final outcome has yet to be decided by the School’s Board of Governors. The Limbo has sort of affected me. After a couple of full-on weeks, I suffered depression yesterday evening. After a few cyber errands that had to be run I called Lifeline Helpline.
Today has been a day where I put my foot in it, big time. I upset a good Skype friend and also upset a chatroom with a joke that backfired. In an online environment, I can be a loose cannon, even at the best of times. Something I have to work on when in a job. But, the positive is that I will have no time to procrastinate in a job. Plus, I can live without the internet if I am occupied that long.
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.
Today (Saturday) was the first day of my new voluntary job. I was so eager in anticipation that I arrived over two hours early. The lady who runs the office said that was fine and I could start just whenever I arrived. There was a Teddy Bears’ Picnic event held at Lissan House for kids in the local area. It was good for my inner child.
The job itself went well. I completed a task in the two hours allotted that was meant to carry on next Saturday. The office manager was impressed. She said she was the the office until 3 am the night before. I actually woke up at 2:20 am in the morning as I crashed out at 5 pm yesterday.
Before that I was visiting a friend, originally from Ardboe, who lives in Magherafelt. Whenever I arrived she was in her room, but her two kids let me in and I got to talk to them and pat their pet dog; a female Jack Russell. Again, I’m glad to do all this because I never had a childhood growing up and felt that I missed out on so much.
Arsenal lost today. But, hey s**t happens! I have come to accept that we’re no longer capable of challenging for the Premiership Title.
I can perhaps take it easier tomorrow. On Thursday I went for a long drive to head to Newcastle in County Down. However eleven miles from the destination I thought, “Screw this!” and pulled into a shop/filling station outside Loughinisland and drove back. I headed via Ballynahinch and Hillsborough, but then lost my bearings trying to find the way to Moira and had to turn back after a wrong turn; was honked at twice by vehicles returning from work. In the end the road I was looking for was a slip road from the main Newry to Belfast road. Why do I keep punishing myself with this forced exercises when driving?
This evening I attended an art exhibition of paintings done by my colleagues at the art class in Moneymore. It was at Lissan House; the Stately Home I was looking to volunteer at from next week on. I wasn’t 100% sure of the driveway and was getting anxious and nervous passing through the forest. However, I got there safely. Low and behold, the office manager I will be talking to on Monday morning greeted me at the door and is a daughter of my art Teacher. Small world. 🙂
I got to speak to my friends, as well as a guy from Stewartstown who’s a distant cousin on neghbours of the relative I regularly visit. It was great to be visible in that way. I even found out that one of the class’ organisers is a great-grandmother and she is barely above sixty.
Great to have made myself present and hopefully have made a good first impression; first impressions count.
I had to call Lifeline, Samaritans and a friend from America to outreach.
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