The Nice People No. 17

Pyxis

chris_m said:

Pyxis said:

For another thing, you are in immense demand as a blood donor, so might be called out at a moment’s notice.

"You're AB negative, Rhesus positive, that's very rare."
"Rhesus? Hang on, they're monkeys. I came to give blood not to be insulted by a legalised vampire."
"Hold on, where are you going?"
"You've had my blood, I'm off for my tea and biscuit"
"But that was only a smear to test"
"It might be only a smear to you, it could mean life or death for some poor soul. How much do you want?"
"Well, a pint is the usual quantity."
"A pint, why that's very nearly an armful. Sorry, I'm not walking around with an empty arm for anybody"

A Hancock, The Blood Donor

There was a recreated Hancock episode on the TV the other day. (Repeat). I haven’t watched it yet.

SingleSue

Pyxis said:

Sue, the situation is now different since the Government introduced the ‘package’ to help individuals and businesses.

It looks like UC will be a lot easier to claim, as there will be a lot of people in the same boat as you. There may never be a better time to claim it (Ironic smiley).

Comparing your 2.5 year unblemished attendance record  with an ‘enforced’ 12 week social isolation, I doubt any good employer will hold it against you. Keeping yourself safe is your number one now. Just keep holding on to the fact that you are not alone in this predicament now, not by a long chalk........ when you have been self-sufficient and used to coping alone for so long, it might be easy to forget that.

Whilst it may be slightly easier to claim at the moment, it is still the beast that scares the living daylights out of me. I purposely didn't claim it so that I have control of my finances rather than someone else deciding how much (or little) I can work, be paid etc. Up until this last week, I knew what I would have coming in week to week, month to month whereas with UC, all that goes out of the window and my sanity is just not able to cope with it...I have to be able to plan (it's one of my anxiety/OCD areas). 

It's ok if you get paid exactly the same each month or you don't work at all but if you get paid from work weekly (as I currently do), it all goes out of the window and you can find yourself up a creek without a paddle and unable to pay rent and once claimed, you can't go back.

It's a similar reason for ESA, I know what I can manage and not manage but my major disability is caused by a condition that is poorly understood. I opted not to claim that so that I had the freedom to manage my condition and work within my capabilities...I know what those capabilities are, others may have other ideas. It's not just the fear that someone could say I can do something I can't, it's more the fear that someone will say I can't do anything at all, I want to be productive, I want to work within my limitations, not written off.

For both of those, I need clarification on if sick notes are being offered for those who have been advised to isolate due to vulnerabilities, I have a full NI contribution record (of the right type) for the relevant two years needed for new style ESA and at the moment that would be my choice of beast but it still feels like giving in, giving up and that is not in my vocabulary.

Re sickness record, in an ideal world it shouldn't matter because these are weird times but in reality, it is just an extra unattractive thing to put employers off. Decent employers didn't want me before because of my disabilities, how many would want me after all this is over with disabilities and vulnerabilities (weirdly, my main disabilities are not what makes me vulnerable to Covid 19, it is the thing that goes along quite nicely year on year and is generally the least of my worries until I get a cold (or someone sprays something, cuts the grass, lights a scented candle, someone/thing stresses me out)...my asthma)

Re sleep, I think I exhausted myself with worry and stress yesterday...I slept not too badly! Silver linings and all that hey? 

silvercar

OH blood group is O rhesus negative. It's a good one to have for everyone around him as he's a universal donor. 

Pyxis

Sue, I really understand that, especially the control over money thing, and the anxiety that not having that control brings.🌷

SingleSue

chris_m said:

Pyxis said:

Comparing your 2.5 year unblemished attendance record  with an ‘enforced’ 12 week social isolation, I doubt any good employer will hold it against you. Keeping yourself safe is your number one now.

A friend phoned me yesterday. He's diabetic and his work have sent him home for, initially, seven days, even though neither he nor anyone else is showing any symptoms. They wouldn't accept any argument that he was feeling fine, just told him to go as it was for his own safety.

My ex husband is refusing to stop work, he is also diabetic (and has been since he was two). Not sure what his employers have said about it but he is pretty headstrong and bombastic about stuff so they would probably have got a reply littered with naughty words in response. His wife is justifiably doing her nut and worried about him.

Youngest is anxious but trying to carry on with life as normally as possible...he has his driving test today! Social distancing is slightly easier for him as he doesn't like people anyway and actively avoids contact already but he is worried about being confined to his room, getting supplies, how to cook (shared kitchen) and of course, the ramifications to his dissertation.

Pyxis

SingleSue said:

chris_m said:

Pyxis said:

Comparing your 2.5 year unblemished attendance record  with an ‘enforced’ 12 week social isolation, I doubt any good employer will hold it against you. Keeping yourself safe is your number one now.

A friend phoned me yesterday. He's diabetic and his work have sent him home for, initially, seven days, even though neither he nor anyone else is showing any symptoms. They wouldn't accept any argument that he was feeling fine, just told him to go as it was for his own safety.

My ex husband is refusing to stop work, he is also diabetic (and has been since he was two). Not sure what his employers have said about it but he is pretty headstrong and bombastic about stuff so they would probably have got a reply littered with naughty words in response. His wife is justifiably doing her nut and worried about him.

Youngest is anxious but trying to carry on with life as normally as possible...he has his driving test today! Social distancing is slightly easier for him as he doesn't like people anyway and actively avoids contact already but he is worried about being confined to his room, getting supplies, how to cook (shared kitchen) and of course, the ramifications to his dissertation.

He might find the driving test stress is a lot less than it might have been, due to the corona stress.

SingleSue

He's certainly hoping that is the case!

Pyxis

SingleSue said:

He's certainly hoping that is the case!

I can still remember my driving test......in the 70s! I don’t remember many things, but that’s one! 
(I passed!😁)

I also remember my motorcycle test, a few years later.  I thought I had failed when the examiner misunderstood what I said in answer to one question,  but he did pass me!

chris_m

Pyxis said:

There was a recreated Hancock episode on the TV the other day. (Repeat). I haven’t watched it yet.

Yeah, there have been a few done, of varying quality IMO.
Paul Merton did a version of The Radio Ham. Good though it was, it wasn't a patch on the original.

Pyxis

chris_m said:

Pyxis said:

There was a recreated Hancock episode on the TV the other day. (Repeat). I haven’t watched it yet.

Yeah, there have been a few done, of varying quality IMO.
Paul Merton did a version of The Radio Ham. Good though it was, it wasn't a patch on the original.

They did a Till Death Us Do Part remake (repeat) last week.........that was quite good, although I suspect some non-PC words might have been omitted!