“Work expands to meet the deadline!” (Definition of Parkinson’s Law)
I find that my schedule has fitted in naturally. Now that I don’t pressurise myself to get up early, run my errands in my own time.
The places of worship will reopen, in Northern Ireland, this Friday. Yay! I feel that there is something to look forward to. When all around me go stir crazy, I can enjoy the serenity of my own space.
Shame about the young woman who was stabbed by her partner – a drug-addict, who also stabbed his mum. I may have known her, whenever she was younger, from an Internet Café in East Belfast. There’s a special place in Hell for the stabber.
The new car is going well. It feels liberating to drive a decent-looking car.
I will be on a new scheme with USEL; now that I have a job. There’ll be a liaison to act as go-between with my Employers. I just need to prepare.
My brother will be doing the dishes; from now on. I’ll have to pay him £10 per week to do the job. But, I wouldn’t have the time, or energy, to keep up with my washing-up. Whatever it takes.
The lend of my Mate’s laptop will have to be extended until I get a laptop of my own. His laptop may have to be mailed to him; which will cost an arm and a leg. But I’ll cross that bridge whenever I come to it.
I will give away the used jars I have, and incineratable waste, to my aunt-in-law. She makes homemade jam out of the jars, and burns the waste in her stove. (I burn whatever has my address and card details)
I ordered diarrhoea-prevention tablets from Asda. Imodium are impossible to get out of the peelable-pack.
I start a new job – Covid-Related – this coming week. After the December I had, I definitely need to work.
I had to get a new Phone, after being sick while driving and the vomit damaging my old phone beyond repair, and my MacBook Pro gave up the ghost. While I was able to order a new phone, I have to borrow my Artist Friend’s laptop. The Libraries mightn’t allow me to do all I have to do online. (and I’m not talking about filth)
My bin lid broke on New Year’s Eve. I ended up getting a new one this afternoon; in B and M bargains. Also, I had bought a compilation of the ‘Golden Era of Video’ songs at a Charity Shop for 50 p. (double CD) Normally, I avoid the Eighties like the plague. But, I wanted to help out. 🙂
Driving in the frost has given me the heebie jeebies, again. However, I survived a close call this afternoon. I swear to God that the older I get, the more nervous I am driving. But I am a fighter. 😀
No more tunes. Instead, I’ll outline a course of action;
Do more walking. (I am doing Slimming World online)
Keep in contact with my Employment Support Team. (I may have one month left with them)
Appreciate quality over quantity. (especially as I’ll be doing twelve-hour shifts)
Keep up with the Natural Remedies. (Holland and Barrett are a Godsend)
Keep making sandwiches. (Buy my own lunchbox)
Go back to eating Kiwifruit. (I heard it’s ideal for long-shifts)
I have a job interview tomorrow in Belfast. I have ironed my white shirt, and shined my shoes, for tomorrow. Fortunately, tomorrow’s interview is in the afternoon. So I can tie some loose ends in the morning.
Tomorrow is also the last day before a fortnight of a severe Lockdown in Northern Ireland. I feel like Number Six from ‘The Prisoner’ at times, recently. And Belfast normally resembles ‘Dawn of the Dead’ at this time of the year. Imagine tomorrow.
I heard an expression on a Zoom conference on Tuesday, which resonated with me. “Comfort doesn’t exist in the growth zone! Growth doesn’t exist in the comfort zone!”
My Slimming World online subscription expired today. Then I went to a class – weigh-in only – to check the aftermath of Lockdown eating. I gained SIXTEEN pounds. From being 20 Stone 0.5 Pounds, I’m now 21 Stone 2.5 Pounds. However, I needed that kick up the Arse. Even though the drive to-and-from Brackaville was a nightmare.
Next week, I have a job interview in Belfast. I can ask the interviewers if there is a possibility of transferring to a more regional location if I do a good enough job there. It’s for Shopmobility. God willing, Lockdown in Northern Ireland will end tomorrow. The Executive decide tonight. A haircut and shave next Tuesday afternoon depends on it.
Sensory overloads are taking place quite regularly now. However, music is my best therapy. Plus, I’m on a Discord group for Adults with Autism.
Black Friday tomorrow. My brother and I have to run an errand together in Cookstown. Hopefully, my sleep will be good.
One piece of good news, I found my parcel box. I left it at the shop where the Post Office was. Everything’s fine now.
Today, I got frustrated after buying something for a friend in Toronto – Christmas Present – and then buying a parcel box; only to lose the box. It was wrecked my brain all evening. I’m letting it go.
Weekend before last, I bought a £12 USB Keyboard for my MacBook Pro. I intend on buying a similar one for my Artist Friend; as I had a lend of his Laptop last month and he has a broken B key.
I react so easily under stress. I haven’t had good sleep recently. But now I can have some rest.
This morning I had a job interview with Bannvale Credit Union in Portglenone. Last week, after hearing the offer for an interview, my cleaner helped find a used car for me; which I paid for and insured. The car is a 2008 Black Peugeot 308 Turbodiesel. Nippy, but not good news whenever it gets colder.
Yesterday, I had a massage with my complementary therapist, and she gave me a bottle of rescue remedy for me. This morning, I overused it; and was hyper. Time-wise, I don’t operate on a regular schedule. If you have no job, no kids and no patience, ‘taking your time’ is like having a loaded gun pointed to your forehead.
On Saturday, I drove to Portadown to get a train to and from Belfast to see an art exhibition by a Chinese artist; for Chinese New Year. Then I drove to Loughgall chapel; with three and a half hours to kill before an anniversary mass for a relative’s mother-in-law. Being left to one’s elements – with the time constraints of others – meant that I rely on my phone, and 4G, to keep me company.
However, Belfast Trust has got back to me about possibly volunteering at Lifeline Helpline. I did a quick résumé for them; and will call them first thing tomorrow. Also, I plan to apply for an engineering apprenticeship with NIE. God loves a trier. 🙂
This morning I woke up when the alarm sounded at 5 am and went to a phone group based in America then got ready to head out to Antrim to get a train to Belfast to speak to Specialisterne NI about the 2gether project that they’re running for those with Autism. It would be good to reach out to others with the same condition. However, the ultimate solution is to find work.
Heading over to Antrim I thought I would avoid the bottleneck by driving to Whiteside’s Corner via the Rougery Road and then turn towards Randalstown. But a van was in front of me all the way from Ardboe with a light out and, whenever he turned to a shop heading to Moneyglas, I let him know his light was out. Then I bought a cappuccino and a builder’s breakfast and just missed what I thought was my expected train in Antrim. However, the fog this morning meant the trains were delayed and I got a train fifteen minutes later.
After the induction with Specialisterne, I felt exhausted. I got a taxi to the place where I get IT help from I was trying to install Debian from my ISO image and there was an issue connecting to the internet. The good news is that I can head over tomorrow and get help prior to an Open Source series of talks about Startups there. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The drive home from Antrim was a forced exercise. My trousers were too tight and I felt uncomfortable. However, I got home safely and did laundry. Then later I drove to Moneymore to post my travel receipts and then drive to Cookstown to buy groceries at Lidl. Then this evening I moved the lawn before it got dark as it was still dry and the grass was 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.
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