It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

Becky_2

wmf wrote: »

Becky (((hugs))) to you feeling lost. It's understandable and I really hope it passes quickly for you. You've had lots of good advice from Grey Queen. Apart from the phone call, take some time to 'regroup' your thoughts. You'll soon get your energy back. ./QUOTE]

Thanks wmf for understanding that I am feeling lost, by tomorrow I am sure I will be feeling better. I shall try to stay positive and also see this as an opportunity to catch up on things at home that I haven't had time to do while working. I keep thinking of the phrase, when one doors shuts another one will open.

Good luck to all of those who are job hunting.

kidcat

Becky2 - just wanted to add to GQ brilliant post, that our LA only pay rent from a Monday - so if you put in a form tomorrow the claim wouldnt be eligible till next Monday - losing a weeks rent. But if you put in the form today it would begin from today. SO its worth asking your LA what their policy is when you call.

Its wet and miserable here today DS7 is off school having had a raging temp all weekend - he sounds hoarse and is just not quite himself, ordinarily I would have risked sending him in to school but as they are spending the day at the beach I felt it better to keep him here - which means nothing gets done here today while I watch him.

DD5 went back to school after two weeks off with her lungs and chest, and I am not at all happy with schools new morning procedure - they are opening the doors ten minutes early and no more lining up, but you are not allowed past the corridor door and you are not able to see your childs teacher. How does this help build up a good working relationship if they are hidden away from parents? It wasnt popular and most parents are viewing it that is a way for the school to hide the fact that yet again a chunk of staff are off and being covered by a variety of supply staff with no continuity.

My friend had an offer for her house yesterday 25% below asking price and 33% below original asking price. Its scary to see how house prices are dropping.

VJsmum

Isn't peanut butter one of the most nutritious foods there is? I heard on the food programme a while back that they are sending sachets out to Ethiopia which is one reason why - although there is terrible famine - fewer people are actually dying. Thought up by some chap whilst preparing lunch for his kids.

Can't contribute to food or non food poker, tho i do seem to have rather a stash of pasta around the place. My biggest hoard at the moment is magazines that i mean to read (and some work ones i have to read) that i can't seem to get round to. I guess it will give me something to do if we do get snowed in

Gave up trying to persuade teen and nearly teen agers to come out and just went by ourselves yesterday, leaving older one babysitting and younger one doing homework and both were told to tidy kitchen (as punishment :cool:). Walked by a canal where we used to live and gathered blackberries as we went. Came home and had our last barbie of the year, i suspect.

So today is crumble making (with said blackberries and apples a friend gave from her tree) and chutney making with toms that i stripped off my plants at the weekend. My tomatoes have thrived on sheer neglect this year - no feeding, erratic watering, overcrowding and no pruning but i haven't bought any for weeks and this will be my third batch of chutney - so i guess my food poker hand may consist of HM chutney.:T

Really need to dig around the overstuffed freezers for something for tea. Have a good day all

mardatha

Well wmf this will cheer you up. I lost my temper yesterday (honestly a rare event) because somebody in a group was talking down to me. telling me his job was a difficult one "as a teacher of knowledge" and that people like me were "misguided and childish" ....so I was emailing a pal privately what I thought of him but sent it to the whole group by mistake.
I called him a snotty erk.
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
And then swanned out of the group.

katieowl_2

mardatha wrote: »

Well wmf this will cheer you up. I lost my temper yesterday (honestly a rare event) because somebody in a group was talking down to me. telling me his job was a difficult one "as a teacher of knowledge" and that people like me were "misguided and childish" ....so I was emailing a pal privately what I thought of him but sent it to the whole group by mistake.
I called him a snotty erk.
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
And then swanned out of the group.

Snotty erk....LOL I like that!

Well you will all be pleased to know that inspired by your talk of food poker I've tidied my food cupboards in the kitchen up! Wanted to make some space.

I've got a '1000 bonus points if you spend £50 online' voucher from Mr T - I only ever shop online when they send me an incentive to 'come back' and of course I SHALL only buy special offers etc... but I do want some bread flour, which my local branch doesn't always have and a couple of other 'essentials' so will do that today.

I just paid my credit card - we put a car repair on it earlier in the month - ouchie...but at least we did have the money to cover it. Once upon a time we wouldn't and I am so praying that we don't go back to those days. I just got my refunded car tax in the post too, for the other car we scrapped...so that can go in the pot now. Was on my to do list to chase it up, but I couldn't remember exactly when I'd posted it off

I'm popping over to my friend in the village in a minute (was hoping the postie would come with my Amazon package first) as she has some crab apples I can have. OH and I picked hedgerow 'stuff' yesterday for a mixed hedgerow jelly, elder, hawthorn, rosehips, blackberries, sloes...we did have a few crabs we found, but a few more would be a good idea for the set of the jelly. So I'll make that this afternoon.

I don't know why but I've got this terrific urge to make sure the house is well stocked? I'm convinced we are going to have a really hard winter? I don't think in the food poker stakes I've an excessive amount of any one thing, but I do have a pretty good selection I think we could do a couple of months (if the freezer didn't go off)

I must remember too to ask the DD's what we shall do for Xmas this year. I rather liked the simplicity of last years food gifts only. I wouldn't mind doing that again (as long as they compare notes, I ended up with rather a lot of good chocolate and campari which my waistline could do without!)

Kate

Becky_2

kidcat wrote: »

Becky2 - just wanted to add to GQ brilliant post, that our LA only pay rent from a Monday - so if you put in a form tomorrow the claim wouldnt be eligible till next Monday - losing a weeks rent. But if you put in the form today it would begin from today. SO its worth asking your LA what their policy is when you call.

Thanks Kidcat, I have just spoken to my LA and asked the above question without having read your post. Their policy was that as long you claim this week the benefit would start from this week. But I would still recommend to anyone to call on their first day of unemployment. There was one question that I couldn't answer about my OH's monthly salary so I will have to call them later re: the claim. My LA do an initial enquiry to avoid sending out a form in case you don't qualify.

Seeing the job centre on Wednesday for my first interview though, entitled to received contributions based JSA so at least there will be some money coming in.

Thanks for all your support.

GreyQueen

Becky_2 wrote: »

Thanks Kidcat, I have just spoken to my LA and asked the above question without having read your post. Their policy was that as long you claim this week the benefit would start from this week. But I would still recommend to anyone to call on their first day of unemployment. There was one question that I couldn't answer about my OH's monthly salary so I will have to call them later re: the claim. My LA do an initial enquiry to avoid sending out a form in case you don't qualify.

Seeing the job centre on Wednesday for my first interview though, entitled to received contributions based JSA so at least there will be some money coming in.

Thanks for all your support.

Glad it's getting sorted, Becky2; my LA is like Kidkat's and run's benefit weeks Mon-Sun and if you don't get your oar in on a Monday benefit starts the following Monday. I was concerned you might be in a similar boat and could lose a week's entitlement if you didn't make contact today.

Phew!:)

SDG31000

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I'm so angry right now I could scream. It turns out that I did pebble dash the neighbour's van while spraying the gate last night, so had to scrub it this morning. I'm just hoping that I haven't damaged the paintwork further. I'll go and confess later and hope that he is ok about it. So that is worry number 1.
Another neighbour Wayne was helping me clean the bits I couldn't reach, when a woman who I know in passing as the mom of someone my DSs went to school with, stopped to talk. She was really upset and worried, so I brought her into the house, gave her a cup of coffee and asked what was wrong. She told me that her DH is away all week, her card had snapped in the ATM and she had no money as she has internet/phone banking only and she can't get any money out of the bank until her DH gets home. So I lent her £50 and told her how to do an internet grocery shop. She seemed happier, so she left and I painted the front of the gate.
Wayne passed me and I told him what had happened. He then told me that the woman is due back in court on charges of conning her 84 year old neighbour out of £4,000 :mad: He says that I should get my money back from her, as I know where she lives and she passes the house twice a day. But I am soooooooooo angry that chances are she has lied to me and spun me a sob story to get money out of me. People like her are the reason that everyone has second thoughts abut helping people and makes me wish I wasn't so trusting sometimes. I feel like she has taken advantage of my good nature and that hurts a lot. One thing I know is that she is never getting another penny out of me.

kidcat

SDG - you are right it does make us all more distrustful. Are you absolutely sure that Wayne is right? could it be a rumour that has snowballed? Hope you get your money back.

SDG31000

Thanks kidcat. Unfortunately it has been reported in the local paper and another neighbour has confirmed reading about it and Wayne knows her a lot better than I do. I suppose that £50 is a lot less than it could have been. Luckily it was all the money I had in the house and I don't have £4000 to give anyone. I hate confrontation of all kinds, so will give her the benefit of the doubt until Monday and then ask about it.