Horace's Biting the Bullet Diary

Horace

I am back after a week without the internet, telephone or the gogglebox.

I have been busy moving - packing and unpacking, gawd I do have so much stuff and already the local charity shop are sick of the sight of me.

I vow never to move again - it is way too traumatic. I didnt find my sugar, coffee or tea until about 9pm on Saturday night as the movers didnt mark the box and it was the last box I opened in the kitchen after lots of other boxes had been piled on top. They were very good at piling boxes - putting heavy boxes of books on top of things like portable dvd players:mad: I am now mostly unpacked and need to pack clothes in wardrobes.

The vendors left things at the house purely by accident because if they had bothered then I am sure that I would not have been left with stuff. Sure, I had rubbish but I also had curtains, light fittings and even more importantly a rather nice electric lawnmower which I know costs about £100:D

The job for this weekend is to clear out one of the sheds to make room for my freezer as the fridge freezer in the kitchen is way too small for my needs and it is already full. Electricity is going to be put in there for it.

My boots are still drying out as is my handbag - I washed my jeans on Thursday, boy did they stink of ammonia so I dread to think what was in the water I was paddling through:eek:

Still much to be done but thankfully I am now back online and can watch the telly - just in time for the Men's Final at Wimbledon where a brit has got through for the first time in 74 years:eek:

Mum saw my aged tv the other day and now it has been deemed unfit for purpose so a new one will be bought and a new stand. Mum is having someone come and strim the garden and reinstate the borders because the job is too much for me at the moment and too much for her. Mum has been amazing although she was a bit snippy with me the other day (due to the amount of packing boxes I have).

Oh, I have job news too - despite doing everything that was asked of me and more, I was deemed unsuitable due to my age as the rest of the folks in the office are in their early 20's. I got told by my Remploy advisor who suggested that I maybe ring for feedback (as the number was on my email that I didnt have access too, I felt that it would be a waste of breath and I would more likely offer feedback of my own which would be unsavoury to say the least).

Aesop

Horace wrote: »

Oh, I have job news too - despite doing everything that was asked of me and more, I was deemed unsuitable due to my age as the rest of the folks in the office are in their early 20's. I got told by my Remploy advisor who suggested that I maybe ring for feedback (as the number was on my email that I didnt have access too, I felt that it would be a waste of breath and I would more likely offer feedback of my own which would be unsavoury to say the least).

glad you are all finally moved in Horace. Moving is the top 3 most stressful things to do.

what a load of old tosh!!!!! We have someone who works with us aged about 30, she doesn't know how to put a stamp on an envelope and manually put it in the letterbox! She got all worked up about doing it! as she has never had to do it before!

I would rather have someone with your experience and common sense working with me!

Gintotmelinda

Delurked to say nice to see you posting Horace-have missed you.

Hope you soon get settled in.

Gintot

beanielou

Good to see you Horace.
Glad you are getting settled in.
Bah to job.

MrsPorridge

Happy new house welcome Horace - I am sure you will be very happy there.

short_bird

Horace wrote: »

I was deemed unsuitable due to my age as the rest of the folks in the office are in their early 20's. I got told by my Remploy advisor who suggested that I maybe ring for feedback (as the number was on my email that I didnt have access too, I felt that it would be a waste of breath and I would more likely offer feedback of my own which would be unsavoury to say the least).

Were they really daft enough to admit to discriminating against you because the rest of the office are aged about 20?:eek: Perhaps a quick work with Remploy about direct discrimination under the Equality Act 2010...
http://www.thelongpartnership.co.uk/helpsheets/index/6_9age.htm

And, of course, congratulations on the move!

LondonGirl252

What a load of rubbish re the job and short bird is completely right about age discrimination its taken very seriously now... not good!

Happy new house!!! Hope you are settling in well, sounds like you've had a busy week so make sure you find time to put your feet up

Horace

I don't think they were stupid enough to mention my age outright but when the next trialee was in her 20's and the rest of the staff are in their 20's then it doesnt take much to work out that I am an aged old crone who won't fit with the rest of the team. It was felt that although I did everything and more (plus I have a list of every single pharmacy in the UK that sells optical products - shame, they are not going to see that now:rotfl:) I would not fit in with the team. In other words you are too old and too experienced! Their loss not mine as I am destined for better things. I can get my own back too because they have an unlicensed radio blaring out in their office all day plus their office does not meet Health & Safety criteria as people and equipment are jammed into a small space not much bigger than the side lobby of my house.

I am settling in slowly although I do wish my mother wouldnt nag me - I am not unpacking quick enough for her liking and I have too much stuff. Comments were made about my DVD collection - most of which were not bought by me, thank goodness I had already gotten rid of 30 of the ruddy things.:rotfl:

My parents are visiting tomorrow afternoon to help me clear out the shed ready for a sweep out and for the electrician to come and connect it to the house so that I will have light and a socket for my freezer. A few things will live in that shed, namely my mop and bucket and some other bits n bobs.

Horace

Had a strange day today, woke up in the early hours with raging toothache so I rang the dentist and received an appointment for this afternoon. Turns out that after tapping my teeth and getting no reaction at all it was decided that I had been clenching and grinding my teeth to such an extent that I have bruised muscles and teeth and caused them pain. I need to take 2 Ibruprofen tablets 3x a day for 3 days to see if that improves the situation. Cost of dental trip £10 plus £7 for a pack of toothbrush heads (cheaper than Boots who charge me £15).

Virgin came to fix my telephone too and that took some time and I am not flavour of the month with one of my neighbours who has since been cut off. Everytime I phoned someone or they rang me I got a crossed line and it turns out that we were sharing a phone number but as I have had my number for quite a while it was decided that mine would be mine and that she would have a new one. Virgin sorted it out.

Parents came today and I hate the way that mum has this knack of making me feel really small and as though I am a massive disappointment to her. Today she bought up the subject of my grandfather (her dad) and how disappointed he would be to see how I had been living and what a let down I was to him and the rest of the family:mad: She did, however, give me some anti spider spray for my shed, she did some sweeping and used some orange oil wax spray on some of my furniture - she wanted to do the chest in my bedroom but as I have clothes everywhere did not want her in my room at all. I have a new blind in my toilet though and will need one in the bathroom. Dad tried to fix the patio door too as he realised that it had never been fitted properly judging by the muck under the seal - we cannot lockthe ruddy thing.

Rang an insurance brokers today and got some insurance for my car to start on 21 June - I had a far cheaper quote with £100 excess than I got from the PO, I have had to pay £2 to the PO to change the address on my current policy and their renewal would have been over £500 with a £350 excess - all because I am I could have used a cashback site I guess but it was easier to phone the broker recommended by mum. I need to phone them re contents insurance and will do that tomorrow. I have things that need to be listed separately too.

Why do I let mum treat me worse than a child? I know I am a massive disappointment to her and there is no need to rub it in. I will never be able to achieve her high standards so I don't bother trying. I even got the comment today "it doesnt matter what you do, you will never be able to pay me back for what I have done for you because you will never earn enough money" all said in the sarky tone that she uses...

I am still getting nagged about the unpacking...

LondonGirl252

Horace I'm sending you a big hug, it must be so hard to hear your Mum speak to you like that. I think from reading your diary that you're a very strong, honest, wonderful lady and the help you give to me and others on this forum goes to show what a kind person you are and thats so much more important than earning a big salary. You've tried harder than anyone could ever expect to find work and that should have made them proud rather than feeling you've let them down, the effort and perserverance that takes is huge!