I have finally found a job, which I begin tomorrow; Thursday, November 01.
It’s an Admin role with the Southern Health Trust at Portadown Health Centre – on Thursdays and Fridays – and Brownlow Health Centre (between Rushmere Shopping Centre and Lurgan) on Wednesdays. Three days-per-week, nine-to-five. Contracted until Christmas; but, if I do well enough, they might keep me on. 😉
This role was as if it was plucked from the sky. I happened to notice it on NI Jobfinder’s website last Wednesday morning and on Friday the agency involved called me to say they were willing to offer me the job; without the need for an interview. 🙂
I didn’t get the job with Genesis Bakery in Magherafelt, but I am currently undertaking a course in UX/UI with Adobe GenPro. As usual, I am being pretty proactive in the process. Xd is a new challenge for me, it became offical last Friday after being Beta for so long. But I am getting the hang of it now. I do, still, flip the lid quite a bit. :p
Now, the next challenge is to lose weight. I am pretty chunky. I used to chat with this lad from Backpool in England about Darts; he was 16 at the time, 12 years ago. When I added him on Bebo I was soon given stick about how fat I was. But I was able to take it on the chin. Or double-chin. :p
I have my high-speed broadband now, but I do have to pay a king’s ransom for it. Trust me, living in a city is far more affordable than living in the country. But I may have to relocate next year to pursue a career. I’ll be forty in 2019 and the past eleven-odd years have been spent chasing work and getting nowhere. But, then, they do say life begins at forty. When a friend of mine did Death Clock for me back in 1999 they said I would die aged forty. My father was killed in the troubles at age thirty-three, the age Christ was when he was crucified, and I thought that because of that link I would die at the same age John Lennon was when he was killed. Then fear entered my life.
But, now, I feel that I am starting to make an effort to prove the naysayers wrong. 🙂
I could be getting a new job with Genesis Bakery in Magherafelt, on Monday I will do an iduction with an arrangement between my employment advisor and the employer. Here’s hoping.
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 morning I will head to Lissan House to discuss a voluntary placement there, with view of paid employment there further down the line. I seem to have made a good first impression at Friday evening whenever I met the office manager; the daughter of my art Teacher. So, all smiles there.
I am all dickied up. Though my left shoe is cutting my heel, but I intend to play through the pain. 🙂 It’s about learning to grow up and be a man, after being a howling brat as a young boy.
Yesterday was the Lama’s Fair in Ardboe and I made myself present for the first fifty-odd minutes. Good to see the kids out enjoying themselves. I was an invisible non-entity at that age.
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 only got an hour and a half of sleep last night. The night before, following the BBQ, I sleep for over fourteen hours. Problem is, I need caffeine to keep me going during the day. Routine is still a challenge for me.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. To America! The cause of, and solution to, all the world’s problems. 🙂
Perhaps in order to find substantial work I would have to move closer to Belfast and commute by bus or train. Nothing to see here. 🙂
Looks like I have another Summer Cold. My cleaner will be coming over in a few hours time to sort out stuff for me and then I will get a shave and finally get rest before getting up early tomorrow for a Meetup in Dublin. The things one has to do to get out there. 🙂
Yesterday – Thursday – morning I went to a recruitment agency in Belfast to register. That agency has public sector work contracted out to them and they also said that they’re in charge of the Civil Service recruitment for those with disabilities; it has been a while since I submitted my resumé for that opening. Plus, they might have jobs outside of Belfast; be a huge boost for me to get a job elsewhere as I wouldn’t feel confident enough commuting to Belfast and back every weekday.
I’m still dosed – as we say in Northern Ireland – and have got Co-Codamol to get rid of the worst of it. The temperatures dropped all of a sudden this time last week.
One good piece of news from this week was getting my driving licence; after almost seven months of wrangling with the DVA in Coleraine. I must buy them a ‘Thank You’ card for putting up with me. 🙂
Tomorrow I am planning to attend a BBQ. 🙂 God willing, it won’t rain. As gran used to say, “Rain, Rain! Go to Spain! Never show your face again!”
Next Tuesday I have a job interview with a car hire company based in Jordanstown – between Carrickfergus and Belfast – and this time I AM willing to attend the interview, having turned down so many offers for interviews due to travel issues. However, with my new car and an increased sense of motivation, I feel that I can manage the journey for work.
This afternoon I drove to Derry and back for a careers fair at Ebrington House, former Army Barack turned into a social setting, however it was predominantly for kids. But I did buy an ice cream there and submit both printed resumés I had. One to an IT firm for a US insurance company and the other to an Insurance company who operate locally who have a call centre in Derry. Driving to and from Derry is a forced exercise for me due to the Sperrins being dissected by the main road from Belfast to Derry, but I faced my fears and got home safely.
However, there was a band in one of the tents at the careers fair playing cover versions of ‘Get Back’ by the Beatles and ‘High and Dry’ by Radiohead. 🙂 Perhaps there is hope for future generations. 🙂
Yesterday I observed the Minute Silence for the kids killed in Monday’s Suicide Bombing in Manchester. To Hell with suicide bombers and those who fund them. (won’t mention names)
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