OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

Horace

Money I am not going to show the jobcentre my diary - I don't want them to know what I am doing every minute of the day. Thankfully I have my voluntary work which keeps me sane. These days the jobcentre is not about jobsearch - they have done away with all the computers (except those used by staff) and all the telephones so we are not able to call about jobs whilst we are there. Time to make changes to the DWP for sure and perhaps get rid of the staff that don't want to work there, the chap I saw yesterday was as miserable as sin and he is more about ticking every box whereas some of his colleagues are a bit more flexible and understanding.

I keep applying for jobs - I spotted one in the local free paper last night and now I am doing the application, it will be printed off on my white heavyweight paper so that it will stand out during the sifting process. There are times when I feel disadvantaged due to age (being over 50) and the fact I have a disability - I make sure I work harder because of it (and why I have distinctions for most of my recent office qualifications). The sensible one at the jobcentre has said that I am doing everything right but the job market is geared towards 18 year olds who want apprenticeships.

Don't mind me I am having a self pitying grump because I want to know when it will be my turn to get a job.

moneyistooshorttomention

In your position, Horace, I wouldn't just be having a "self-pitying grump" I'd be having a full-scale rant of anger.

It does make it a lot more difficult for people to apply for jobs (ie being able to use computer and phone) to do so if they don't have their own. Not everyone has home computer and landline phone and is on scheme with their provider whereby they have unlimited computer use and inclusive landline calls and so therefore don't have to stop and think about the practicalities of just how to access the necessary computer and phone to do this.

I certainly felt pretty angry (never mind grumpy) when I was having to go through all that years back - and I was in my 30s at the time/with no disability and with a better "job climate" than now. So "grump away"...

The only downside then that I don't suppose applies these days, is I never saw anyone that looked remotely like me or that I knew in the dole queue and I used to feel really "singled out" and wonder "Why me?". I expect these days I'd see lots of people who "look like me" standing there too alongside me - ie because unemployment has hit a much wider range of people than it did back in My Day iyswim.

Horace

Money I have gone past the full blown anger stage - it is now the despondent grump. Still I will have to keep plugging away - it is all I can do. I am sick of applying and getting nowhere - these days I am lucky if I get an acknowledgement

This afternoon I have been practising my typing skills and re-typed a 6 page document and emailed it to one of the folks who couldn't remember the rules for the light festival - she now has her own copy.

It has been raining for most of the day here and it has been cold (the heating has had to go on). Rather than make a mistake with dinner - I got the remaining stewing steak out of the freezer and am thawing it out (it will be tomorrow's dinner), tonight I will have omelette.

Last month I did a survey for Home Base - today they sent me two free tickets to Grand Designs Live at the NEC (if I forget to take the tickets with me I will have to pay £19 (each) to get in). Not sure if I will go - if I can scrape the money together for a rail ticket I might.

Need to go shopping for milk, sugar and loo rolls (my 16 roll pack is down to the last one). I ran out of sugar today so I have been putting caster sugar in my coffee instead of granulated. I made a decision today too - if I host a Friends committee meeting then I will have to have some expenses for refreshments because I can't really keep forking out and having nothing to show for it.

Renewed my library books online too.

JustKeepSwimming_2

Horace wrote: »

.....Must remember to label food that goes in the freezer, earlier today I took out a steak it wasn't until I bunged it in the frying pan that I realised that it wasn't a beef steak at all but a pork one - I am afraid that it has been left partly cooked in the pan because I know I won't eat it because I had covered it with steak pepper which really doesn't go with pork - I hate wasting food but I just can't stomach it.

Oh I keep meaning to do this too after having had a few surprises from the freezer, but I certainly could do better :rotfl: Having no oven does concentrate the mind a little more since I can't just bung random stuff in anymore.

Horace wrote: »

....Don't mind me I am having a self pitying grump because I want to know when it will be my turn to get a job.

I'm with MSTM on this - you have every right to feel p'd off with the whole situation. It sounds like utter madness & even worse than when I went through the system 4 years ago. Back then I had to cancel voluntary work to be able to go on some stupid training course about becoming a carer (which I'd never be able to do as I have a disability that prevents me from doing so - even after the care home manager providing the training said it was pointless me going, JCP insisted I had to go. No doubt my attendance ticked a box on some sheet of paper ). I didn't realise they'd got rid of the phones/computers thought - they were always being used when I was summoned to appear. Bonkers.

I also agree with MSTM about not sharing any more personal info than you need to - I went round in circles with JCP saying if you can commit to regular voluntary work then you can commit to doing a job; almost as if I was shirking paid employment to volunteer instead. They seemed to not remember why I was at the darm JC - to find a job :mad:

The whole process is demoralising & frustrating & I feel for you Horace. I prey I never have to use their services again.

Hope all goes well at the police station Mum2one.

I've been having a catch up day on admin since I haven't been able to use the laptop much due to backache (which is almost all better now :j). Its depressing how quickly it all piles up :rotfl: The we have the delight of trying to sort out DD Y10 work experience - that'll be fun since she doesn't want to do anything except be in her room, listening to music & snarling at everyone. Bad teenage w/e so far . Then helping with homework - sigh. All I really want to do is curl up with a good book & have someone else sort it all out :wall:

Big hugs to some of the quite regulars - LB & Byatt hope all is OK.

LavenderBees

Hi, Everyone

Just catching up, and big hugs to you all. Such a diverse range of problems being faced (alone ) by us all.

I'm not very chatty these days, and I'm sorry. I am conscious that I'm not providing any support to anyone else at the moment, but I am just absolutely too full up with problems, and too exhausted. But I am sorry, I'm wubbish, eh?

I have recently seen in black & white that my work is disappearing (lots has anyway), and the remaining tasks are being transferred across country. At first, it looked like this would be by the end of this year (why do they heap more misery onto Xmas??), but it seems I'm in the "too difficult drawer" for a bit longer, so likely to be some time next year.

I'm glad for the warning, and am now in full blown prep for losing job mode (well, tbh.....I really am too exhausted to be in full blown prep, but I have plans for store cupboard, CV production, how to stay in touch with the world etc). Although I have "known" this moment would come, I am actually very shocked. And it's taken a good few days to just be able to articulate it to any other than my closest friends.

I feel depressed just at the thought of unemployment and the financial worry etc. But reading the recent posts, I have learnt a lot about the importance of staying feeling valuable, so will have a think. Trouble is that I can't see how I can run a car without an income, and I need a car to do any voluntary work/get to sign on/get anywhere...I'm thinking a scooter may fill the gap for all but vets appointment...although Young-Boy-Cat swears he'll be fine on the back of the scooter :rotfl:

As for the stories of signing on....it all makes me want to go to bed and just not bother with life at all.:(

And my other depressing thing is that I have an appointment at the vets for Old-Boy-Cat on Tuesday, and I really can't see that I'll be bringing him home...



On the plus side...em...... hmmmm.....there must be something....em....Will let you know :rotfl:

Keep safe all, esp JKS....bloomin heck girl! My advice would be talk to your HR dept about them making training accessible to you, and also about any flouting of rules around safe storage of chemicals etc. Make a note of the discussions/conversations/changes to rules etc...REALLY IMPORTANT in case anything more serious happens to you or anyone else for that matter. The school (?) has a health & safety obligation that it doesn't seem to be meeting...make them meet it!!

Enjoy your Sunday's folks! Sorry to be a depressing minx.

LB xx

mum2one

Lavenderbees - don't be daft you've been through a lot, sorry to hear about the job, but hopefully there find that you are an asset and needed for a lot longer, it reminded me of my ex-employer a large company if they were closing a location it was literally go in shut down and tough luck, one of the girls that worked with me was made redundant twice by the same people.


Sorry about old boy cat -you take care xxxx

moneyistooshorttomention

Lavender Bees

Have sent you a PM.

Horace

Lavender - sorry to hear about your job but hopefully you can hang on a bit longer. The jobcentres these days are populated by smug peeps who have a job, who like to tick boxes and make people like me jump through hoops.

It is possible to run a car without an income - I manage it (admittedly I did have some parental help when it came to buying a new battery and paying for the MOT) but I have managed to tax it and insure it. I put about £10 of petrol in it - gone are the days when I would spend £50 filling the thing up (mind you I would only do that once every 3 months). I squirrel away a fiver a month into an emergency fund to cover things like car tax and insurance (I will need to tax the thing again in December - more expensive I know but there was method in my madness, the car service/MOT and insurance are due up in June/July and it was expensive to have the car tax on top so I thought I would pay the tax in December instead).

My alarm went off at 8.30am but I switched it off and woke up again at 10am. Stew is in the slow cooker, I have washed up, made some lunch. I have been doing a bit of artwork trying to make a plain white piece of card printed with The Woodlanders into what looks like a wooden sign (I am no artist by any stretch of the imagination). I guess I should mow the lawn but it is wet, I should also be raking up leaves or digging the garden but don't feel like it.

I really must phone mum tonight - we used to phone each other every week but she got ratty with me (I am a disappointment to her and she makes sure I know it) so to be honest I rarely phone or visit despite her and dad living about 4 miles away.

Winter_Phoenix

LavenderBees, I'm sorry to hear of the shock and exhaustion and depression which have accompanied the "moment of truth" re: the ending of your job. They are all a very natural reaction to circumstances, but not much fun to live through!

The silver lining, I guess, is that you do have a few months' warning to prepare for the change, and that (I get the impression?) you don't much like your work anyway, so at least you won't be grieving for a loved and cherished career. There will also be more time (at least in the short term) to follow your hobbies, such as your allotment and your hens. These pluses may not compensate for financial worries etc., but sometimes they can be a comfort.

I do hope that, a few months down the line, you will be posting, "Best thing that ever happened to me!"

LavenderBees

Thanks for all your kind comments, and support. As always, you're a lifeline in a rather depressing world at the moment....

But, there are far far worse things happening to people out there in the wider world (I barely dare watch the news these days ), so I guess I will just suck it up, prepare as best I can, and keep on keeping on.

I won't answer all the comments/PMs individually, mainly because I'll cry...:(, but I will, no doubt, be back asking lots of questions as I get on with my prep...I've never been unemployed before. Had hoped never to be, but then a few others probably had hoped the same.

As for grieving for my career/work, I probably have been doing this since 2011, when the company I enjoyed working for was bought out...since then my work and opportunities for progression/job satisfaction have been drastically reduced. It's a strange dichotomy that a company that talks so much of opportunity, delivers so little of it, and I've been horrified to watch many talented and skilled staff being thrown aside in the last few years. Which is incredibly short sighted of a company that sells its' people's skills....

I always knew my time would come...it is inevitable. But no, I won't mourn the job this has become, but I do mourn the job I had, and the income...I don't mind admitting I am fearful for the longer term future...despite my own skills, and those learned on MSE to keep me going as long as possible on as little as possible, I just don't see the jobs out there....

But, yes, I need to get over the fear and feeling of paralysis, get some control by stocking up on some things to reduce outgoings for a while, save, save, save :money:, look at my CV, find out how to job hunt in today's world, hone my sadly lacking, rarely used interview skills etc etc.

And, yes, who knows...this could be a wee opportunity to have a summer "off" for the first time in my working life, enjoy my hobbies, and look for something more rewarding (tho I fully expect rubbish pay and conditions)

Where is that job cuddling kittens and puppies when you need it? :rotfl:

Hope you all manage to have a good week, despite your own worries and problems.

Thank you again

LB xx