Work part whatever!

Well I decided not to do this work. I tossed and turned all night, and frankly, well earlier in the evening than that, perhaps even as soon as I was walking out of that building, I was trying to convince myself that it was right to do this. But it doesn't matter how much you try to convince yourself, you intrinsically know when some thing's wrong don't you? Hence the tossing and turning!
As soon as I'd made my decision I knew it was right. And consequently felt better! When I told John about this, he said well, I didn't want to say yesterday but I thought there was something altogether dodgy about these people - so it was the right thing to do.
So come Monday I start all over again. More news from the jobs battlefront in due course!
And I also decided to re-vamp the blog. Make it easier to read, and well, new look for a new start.

Interviews!!!!

Ok, so if you read the post below you'll know that I had an interview today. I'm blogging this because I've got so much to say about it - and not very much of it good. Oh nothing way bad either, I've been offered work. I just refuse to call it a job!


Firstly, John & I went to the uni today, and it was lovely weather and not too many people around so I took some pics - here we go. This is the library on the left, as much as I could get into a single phone pic!

This is behind me as I took the other photo, this is the reading room. It's a round building with the most popular books in it for the undergraduate courses - at least that's the theory as I understood it first time round!



This is the entrance to the Medieval History Dept!


And that's your lot photo wise. Anyhow after we'd been here (and I did pick up some useful email addresses, some hints and tips, and the email address of the woman I have to contact about getting a reading ticket for the summer!) I set off for this interview. I got a taxi over there, and it's a bloody good job that I did, because what I thought would be a simple look around to find the building nearly turned into some sort of strange intellligence test - find us and you get the job, fail and you're toast. I found Partick Thistle Football ground, and according to what I was told yesterday, it was supposed to be opposite, but all I could see where houses. Big flash new office a bit further down, so I thought aha! But no, that was number 99. I was looking for 55. At least I was on the right side of the road. But it didn't matter where I went or even who I asked no one knew where it was - and this girl I'd spoken to hadn't thought to give me anything useful like the name of the company running this place. Finally I went to the big Housing Association office at the bottom of the road and asked, and they did know where it was - if only I'd've thought to ask there first! Turned out, of course, that I walked straight past it at least twice.
So in I go, it's a double storey business unit, very basic. Ah, says the girl fulfilling the tasks of receptionist, up the stairs, turn right. Up I go, and yes I did find the right place. It remains a matter of question as to whether I'd've been better off turning round and going home.

Turns out they sell kitchens and windows. What I'd have to do is to phone people up, and masquerade as some sort of researcher for a non-existent magazine - actually I say that, but I bet they've got some kind of leaflet that is the 'magazine' , and ask them questions about if they were to get a free kitchen what sort of kitchen would that be? Once I've got them talking, I then have to get them agree to be called back by another group of callers, who book appointments for representatives to go round. I can just about square this with my conscience, because it's just another phone call, and I can square it all the better because I got home to find another three bills on the doorstep. Believe it or not, I have done this sort of thing before, under slightly more respectable circumstances, but to my way of thinking it's easier to get a job if you're actually working. You don't necessarily have to tell people what it is you're working at. Well ok you do, but I can give this a go and see how I get on. I'm going to go tomorrow, yep they work weekends of course, and see how I get on. If I find it beyond the pale, I shall simply say so and leave. They pay a basic salary, it's 3 hours a day, for 4 days a week. It's on a direct bus route. It is an appalling salary but hey you never know, I might be good at this sort of thing. Not. Beggars can't be choosers people. Let's gird the loins, and actually say it, life's been pretty good for the past few years, and maybe I should have done a bit more appreciating what I had. Now I get a chance to broaden my outlook and do what it takes to stock the freezer!

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

Well those of you who've been following my Glasgow progress will have seen my complaining on Facebook about jobs. Basically having waffled about for the last two weeks, this week I got down to business and went looking for work.
It's incredibly dispiriting. My first couple of trips into town to try and get registered for work at some temp agencies almost had me slitting my wrists! Firstly, of course, this was because the economy is in such a state that the agencies can't deal with all of the people that are coming through their doors - although having said that, I can't say I found myself in any queues. In fact, to be honest, half of the time I felt as if I was interrupting them! You know that awful feeling as you go through the door into an office full of people busy doing stuff, and you stand there like a prawn for thirty seconds until someone deigns to notice you.
And that brings me to point two. The way some of these women look at you. Those of you who know me know my attitude towards make-up, well, believe it or not, I was wearing it. Yep, I did 'dress' up - that is, I looked smart. I do feel uncomfortable when I do this, the stuff makes my face itch - luckily I don't go red as a tomato, but it does make me itch. So I'm surreptitiously rubbing at some part of my face - or rather trying not too. Then there's the clothes - I don't do suits, and it's been years since I wore anything other than jeans to work. My preparations for 'work' in Glasgow which might involve something more formal have so far stretched as far as some new t-shirts and a pair of black cotton trousers. So to do this agency thing, I dug out my black cords - well, they aren't jeans, and a new t-shirt, which I topped off with my rain jacket, which is reasonably new, reasonably smart, and always a wise precaution north of the border. For me this constitutes a bit of an effort - quite a bit of effort actually 'cos I had to figure out what was going to look smart, and yet not overdressed. You tell me, what do people wear to walk into a temp agency?
Anyhow, I got what might be described as a mixed reaction. Probably the fault was mine for not judging the agency correctly and going in to the places where they want a size 8 supermodel with talons to match. You'd think I'd know better by now. Anyhow frankly, I've almost had enough of this. A couple of good things did come out of it however.
Firstly, abandon the entire walk round, present with CV deal. This might have been how things were done as recently as say 18 months ago, now it's all "have you registered online?" Now I've got a cv dressed up into a pdf, I've distributed it electronically and it's saved me a sore foot or two. However, and this is a bit of a problem, neither have I had any response to these - as my friend John said "Oh that's how they're doing it these days is it." He's right of course, they'll do anything to get you to walk out of the office.
On the other hand, job sites are good news. Gumtree is my tip, I logged onto to this, and found an ad where some one's looking for call centre staff, where you had to text your name and telephone number. I did, and didn't really expect to hear any more from it, but lo and behold this afternoon, I got a call, and I'm off for an interview tomorrow. I've ironed my white shirt and black cotton trousers (if it rains, the cords which are just about dry from washing on Weds!) and we'll see how it goes. Fingers crossed eh?

Friday 3rd July

Gosh you've no idea how I've missed my internet connection! Even though I bought that wretched dongle, which was supposed to connect my little notebook thingy, I get here and what do I find? Of course it doesn't work. Turns out I'm in some kind of dip or something, a contactless hell, so bad that whilst I could receive text messages I couldn't even send them until Orange sorted out my server connection!!!

Anyhow, this is in the past, the hub thingy arrived this morning - early, points to BT, and was relatively easy to set up, and barring one or two little mishaps - cables in the wrong holes etc, here I am back with my online family!
Well the move - went suprisingly well. They turned up and were lovely, whipping all of my boxes into the back of this capacious van, drove off - so I basically followed I guess, only on the train of course, lugging this huge suitcase with me.
Here are the boxes going in to the van! What this doesn't show is the police at the bottom of the bus stop, pulling over everyone driving in the bus lane. I thought this was going to cause problems at first, but we were within the loading hours on the road signs, so it was fine.




I had to clean after I left, so I basically had the hoover and brush & dustpan, not to mention enough bottles of cleaning fluids to set up in business with me - my overnight clothes in one backpack, and of course my old leather handbag backpack on the other shoulder - it was a miricle that I got here without either loosing some of this, or breaking down under the weight of it all.



This is a blurry shot out of the train window of the lovely countryside around the lake district. And it's not a UFO, it's a reflection of the light in the carriage in the glass of the window - and there was me thinking I'd got the most marvellous sunset!

Rushed off to the agency to sign the lease the next morning, and now it's hard to think that all this was actually two weeks ago. The best thing of all was that on the day that I arrived, John & Patrick swept me off to theirs for supper, and I got given the most fabulous meal! And I really, really needed it as well.
So, what's been happening? Well, I've got myself unpacked, and not one single thing has been broken in the move. Really brilliant. The flat is huge, with these fabulous cupboards. Years ago when it was built these tennement flats housed quite large families, and they had beds tucked into cupboard niches in the walls, and now that these are no longer needed, the niches have been turned into cupboards - so I now have a walk in wardrobe, and in the one in the lounge I've been able to stash all of my book boxes. This is excellent, because alas, I'm having trouble with the bookcases. As I think I told some people there's very strange 'wall paper' in the living room - I got the impression it was that artex stuff, but turns out it's actually a decorative plaster effect. I don't really fancy drilling into this and bringing the whole lot down, so we tried to fix the bookcases in the bedroom - which my little drill didn't like one bit, as it has stone walls. Patrick bought his grown-ups drill, and we've got one up, but the other of my big bookcases has either warped, or the wall is curved. I can't make up my mind as to which of these has happened, and strongly suspect it's a combination of both.

Haven't got to go to the temp agencies yet - I did set off to do this on Tuesday, but needless to say I managed to leave my cv at home, so that was pretty pointless. Still I did get a bus pass, so it wasn't an entirely wasted trip. Then BT said that the broadband could either come on the Weds or Thurs, and a letter turned up on Weds which said Friday, so I've been trapped in the house waiting for this. Which has actually given me a chance to rest my knee - I bruised it really badly falling on Sunday when I was taking the rubbish out to the bin shed. It was very dark in the corridor leading outside and I didn't see a step, and went down hard on my knees. Luckily no serious damage was done, but I now have a spectacularly purple and yellow left knee!


This is a photo of the view from my flat bay windown at dusk - you can see the pitch between me and the road opposite. This turns out not to be attached to the school, but to be a public football pitch, so we get lots of kids playing, and people throwing sticks and balls for their dogs, and occasionally running those remote control cars. Now I'm up and running, I'll take more photo's and you can see all of the area around me! Oh I'm so happy to be online again!!!

23rd June 09

Well here I am in wait for it, sunny Glasgow. Its not sunny all that often, so best make the most of it! Yesterday was the day from hell, having kittens waiting for the van - about twenty to nine I suddenly realised that the police were outside stopping everyone travelling in the bus lane. I was a touch anxious about how they would feel if a vast pantechnicon suddenly turned up and parked on double yellows, but thankfully a) we have loading permissions, and b) the van wasn't a pantechnicon, but one of the smaller varieties. Panic over!

As for the loading it went really well, three very nice lads, rushing up and down the stairs with all of those boxes - amazing. And the junk that was left after they'd gone! Anyhow my back got shot about three days ago now, so I was glad of a bit of rest - eventually I took myself off to the station, and here I am.

We got in to Glasgow Central Station about 11.15, which was actually a bit early. I t was a magnificent journey up, in fact I'd reccommend the 17.30 train to anyone - not many people on it, plenty of seats, the only problem was with the 'shop' where the hot water equipment was out of order, and there was no tea or coffee all journey. Having arrived I grabbed a taxi, a) because I wasn't exactly sure where the hotel was, and b) because my back's shot, and I had a case not dissimilar to that of Dr Who's tardis. You just don't want to see inside it, trust me. Whe we got there and I found out that I had to lug it that last 50 feet or so from the road to the hotel I was very distressed! On the other hand maybe it did me a bit of good, having been sitting for the last 7 hours or so.

So I'm now clued up as to the differences between a cheap hotel, and a hotel that costs £75 per night. Firstly, the lift. The lift here is a thing out of Grace Brothers, without any form of attendant - you couldn't get one in. It creaks and rumbles it's way to the third floor (where I am) and when you stop, it sort of shakes from side to side as if it can't wait to get anyone inside outside. And the noise! It makes a noise like - well I don't know, but I don't like it that's for sure! My room is nice - not as nice as the Millennium, but you can't have everything. I've moved here now, and frankly that makes any sort of hotel feel like cheating. In a bit, I'm rushing off to the letting agents, and then on up to the house. I shall be so pleased to get there, I'm going to just die for a proper cup of coffee which this hotel seems to think is beyond it. The coffee served with the breakfast was best described as a cup of hot water, appropriately coloured so you might possibly think this is coffee but ha! We fooled you!

19th June 09

Now do I want to bore everyone to death with more accounts of my battles with boxes? Not really. But I'm sitting here in my dear little flat where I've been living for more years than I care to remember, looking at all of the spaces on the walls where the pictures where, and it's so sad!! So many memories associated with this place. Sniff. One thing I don't think that I'm going to forget in a hurry is how sore my back is from moving out!!
Anyway one of the worst things about this, is that I've packed the clock. I keep looking at where it was, the way that you do, you know it's not that you need to know the time, simply that you're used to knowing what the time is. And it's not there!
Apart from this, well, most of the packing is done. Martin and I had a devil of a time with the sacks of stuff going to the charity shop - I rang them to see if they could do a collection, and they tried, but apparently their van broke down, leaving me with 7 heavy sacks of stuff - we got a taxi and it was bad enough having to lug it downstairs! I've booked a collection from the council for the rubbish, but are they making any kind of special effort to pick it up? Are they heck. Nope they're coming on the regular day, but they are prepared to pick up to an extra 15 black bags, which is pretty good going I reckon. So I've got a bit more stuff in the bedroom, and of course the kitchen, but apart from that, I'm done. I must remember to call the hotel - yep, another night in a hotel, but I need to call them and remind them that I'm going to be arriving very late on Monday night. The plan is to have the van collect everything in the morning, do the cleaning, and then grab the bags, grab a taxi (bags girls, bags!) and catch the train to Glasgow. I should (fingers crossed) arrive by about 23.30. Then the next day I rush off, sign the lease, and be there to greet the van which should arrive sometime in the afternoon. I can't believe this is going to be my last couple of nights here. It's been a gas people!

Monday 15th June

Ah well, the boxes arrive tomorrow, and the serious packing starts - I have a week to do this in, and the big move is next Monday! Despite this though, I'm already surrounded by boxes, I've had to stack black bags for the local Hospice Shop on the upstairs landing - I'm hoping that they might even come and pick it up if I speak nicely to them, otherwise it's into a taxi with it at some point. I've put little notes through every one's door to let them know what's happening, and tonight I've spent a good while cleaning the kitchen. Why you ask? Because the wretched agency who rent this place out phoned me today to say someone wants to come and look at it tomorrow. Since the kitchen is the only room wherein there is furniture - ha, furniture, let's say cupboards, cooker and fridge, that's staying. The rest of it's all mine and is coming with me. I feel a bit, well to be honest, really quite violated by this, as if this person is coming to inspect my belongings. But I don't have the right to say no, because basically it's a rented flat and the right to view the property is in the rental agreement. But this person is going to have to pick their way around the stuff and peer about in a very quick fashion, because I'm not stopping.
So what else has been going on? Not much to be honest. Right now my brain is fixated on did I order enough boxes? Am I going to get it all in? Still John has very kindly agreed that he'll pop round on Tuesday night to help me assemble stuff - basically I need to get the bed up as soon as I get there I reckon, and it'd be nice to get the bookshelves fixed so that I can unpack books. I spoke to Sky Tv today, and I'm arranging for them to get their stuff switched on for me. The letting agency do the gas and electric for me so that's ok. I don't need to take final readings down here because it's all communal. I'll have to take the emergency stuff with me on the train, but because this is all happening overnight, I don't have to take as much which is really good. I figure I can put clothes for the night & next day into a backpack, and drag my big bag with me with the emergency kit - kettle, tea, coffee, a bit of food to tide me over until I can go shopping, the hoover - yep, you read rightly, the hoover, must leave the place in a reasonable state. Anyhow on top of all this is my diy kit - hammer, nails, drills etc, cleaning gear. I think I will be able to get this into my large bag without too much difficulty. Then once the boxes and stuff have all been collected, I head off to the station, and that's it - I'm on my way to Glasgow!