Frump to Fab 2022 - The Big One

Wednesday2000

I went out with my brother the other night and we were so pathetic as we had tickets to an event and we could not be bothered to go. We just stayed in the pub and talked. He is very frustrated at the moment with trying to get on the property ladder.

I am getting some help filling out my PIP form as I have a volunteer at the local advocacy organistion coning round next week. I asked my old GP surgery in London to provide me with a letter listing my conditions/medications and they said yesterday it could be a couple of weeks so I would have to call the DWP and get an extension which is annoying.

We are having a man come round today to fix our back gate. He did the fence at our old house and then did our front fence and now we are having to hire him again. Third time since April!

I am going to go out in a while and look for boots at a charity shop as I wore my brown ankle boots yesterday as it was raining and realised the sole is split.

I have a couple of social outings in October. We are seeing a play at a theatre and then I have a music quiz at a bar. It is based on Black History month. I went to it last year. I am also meeting an old friend before that in Greenwich which would be nice as I haven't seen him since 2005!

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Wednesday, you do not need to submit that type of information from your GP for a review form for your PIP claim. In the guidelines for how to fill in the review form it expressly states that. 

Yesterday afternoon, I got my 1st feedback about the scene from my play and the treatment for my play from Ola and Kirk Ann. I got some positive feedback from Ola and a suggestion about changing 2 scenes around.  Kirk Ann was completely negative, was not constructive with her criticism and did not give me time to discuss any of the points she was making to me in any detail. I asked her to email me the points, as I had only managed to write down 10 of the points she made in the 15 minutes allocated for our zoom meeting. As I am a complete novice at play writing and she is aware of this, I felt that her whole negative attitude was totally unjustified. Even when I tried to discuss one of the points she had made about how in her opinion the 2 characters did not sound like they were having a conversation, it sounded like a debate, she did not listen to me. I was puzzled by Kirk Ann's assessment of the exact same scene, that Ola was impressed by. Their 2 opinions were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum of opinions. I expect and can take constructive criticism, but I need to understand what exactly Kirk Ann feels is so wrong with the scene and what she suggests that I do in terms of re-writing or changing any of the scene. I feel as if for reasons that only she is aware of, she had her own agenda. None of her negative comments are going to derail me from my desire to have a play that will be ready to submit to theatres in January 2023. 

In the evening I went to my niece's 60th birthday party in the Palmers Green area. It was such a wonderful coming together of some of our family members. There was good food, a free bar for most of the evening and a really fantastic DJ. I danced the night away after I had a plate of food. It was great to talk to family and catch up on each other's lives.

liberty_lily

Good to hear you're remaining upbeat and positive despite that less than helpful critique, Sugarbaby 🙄 You're so determined, I'm sure you will succeed in overcoming such little setbacks...fingers crossed for you 😊 

I know that when I was a fashion student there was one particular lecturer/designer who was always rather negative - particularly in regards to the work of my best friend who had some fantastic ideas - we later discovered that some of her designs had been pinched by said designer 😠

Over the weekend DH has been cracking on with our building work after a two month plus hiatus. We now have a gaping hole where the window (and wall beneath) was, although the flimsy French doors are still just about hanging on! The new target to get the oak framed DG frontage fitted is 21st Oct as on 22nd DH is off to Brighton to work at DS's house. Once it's all watertight we can take our time getting the plastering, decorating and flooring done, not to mention the new loo (fortunately DH will be doing the majority of this - just having some outside help with the plumbing - with me labouring 😉). As long as it's finished by Christmas I'll be happy!

As well as a spot of labouring today, I've been rearranging stuff on the guest room window sill...which hopefully looks slightly better than the building site that is our living room currently, lol 😆....

sugarbaby125

Liberty Lily that is shocking behaviour by that lecturer/designer. 

chanie

@sugarbaby125 what a shame about your feedback on your scene.  Maybe it’s something you should discuss with the course organiser, in that it’s not helpful to have two different people commenting because they gave you conflicting feedback.  But as you said, you aren’t going to let it derail you.

chanie

…. My previous post cross posted. 

@liberty_lily your window sill looks very pretty.  

I honestly don’t know how you do it… those big renovation projects. I know you create some beautiful homes, but I can’t imagine rhr stress 😂.

Wednesday2000

Your house looks so stylish Liberty Lily.:) 

I haven't even read the info about the PIP form Sugarbaby. The man coming to help me fill it in is coming today. I might just send the form off then without the letter from my GP. I will read through the info properly before he gets here.

I am dyeing my hair now as my natural roots are coming through. I did book a pedicure for tomorrow as I haven't had that done since mid August. I think I will get a pale pink this time as the dark red made my nails slightly discoloured. I am getting a check up at the dentist tomorrow too and then I will book the hygienist for a cleaning when I'm there.

I think I am heading into perimenopause as I had my period when I was in York and then I got it again two weeks later. I am feeling very tired and I am going to get some iron supplements after I wash my hair and get dressed. I am wondering if that is why I had a fibromyalgia flare recently as that came out of nowhere. It is raining here, but I was going to drop off a charity donation bag and I wanted to look for some winter boots. I did declutter yesterday and rearrange the wardrobe so I can see what I have to wear with the change in season. I have to go out anyway to get the iron tablets so I will just take my umbrella.

Oh yes, I need to buy a card too as it is my friend's 70th birthday coming up.:)

I did get £150 from the DWP today which I think it because of my disabilities. I also got a message about my Covid booster which I have booked for next weekend at a local health centre.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Wednesday, that £150 is the cost-of-living disability payment. Most of us who are entitled to the payment are still waiting to receive it. 

Chanie, everyone on the Neighbourhood Voices course had 15 minutes feedback/discussion with Ola and Kirk Ann on Saturday afternoon. The course is organised by Alisha, Kirk Ann and Ola. Alisha and Kirk Ann work for The Young Vic and Ola is employed in a more senior position with The National Theatre. 

Alisha is a dramaturg and Kirk Ann is an assistant dramaturg. They work with playwrights to hone their plays which are being produced with The Young Vic, so they both have a wealth of the relevant experience to help us develop our 1st play and support us on our play writing journey. 

The 2nd time I had a 1-1 15 minute zoom meeting booked with Alisha for 24th August at 3.15pm. On the day, she kept on contacting me, saying she was running late and moving the time of our zoom meeting. In the end, after sitting waiting to be let into the zoom meeting for 50 minutes, I ran out of patience and gave up. I was surprised not to get any kind of apology from Alisha and when I submitted the scene and the treatment of my play to her, she said she was looking forward to reading them and I said I was looking forward to hearing her feedback. I have never had the feedback from her. 

The 1st ever 1 to 1 zoom meeting I had with Alisha, she waited until just before the booked time to contact me, to ask if she could move the meeting to a week later and I had no choice but to agree. On the day of the zoom meeting a week later, she was running late, so I sat waiting to be allowed into the 1 to 1 zoom meeting with her until she eventually let me into the meeting. Then I was surprised to find that she had not read any of the pages of my play that I had sent her to discuss with her, so I had to give her a verbal overview of what I had written so far. We did discuss my play and she made some suggestions, but it is difficult to discuss what you have written with someone else, when they have not actually seen or read anything that you have written. They need to see your style of writing, to comment on it.

I feel that I am in a difficult position of trying to get the help and support I need and deserve, let alone expected from Alisha and Kirk Ann when neither of them has been very forthcoming in providing me with help and support. 

My next step is trying to get all of the points that Kirk Ann was making in writing and with her suggestions for how I should make changes in that scene. Then, I can decide if the points she is making are valid and if her suggestions for changes are going to work in that scene. 

Wednesday2000

Oh yes. It does say that on the form about not needing a GP letter. I was thinking of sending my list of meds I get from the pharmacy and it said that was okay. The form is not as long as the first one so I might go and send it off at the post office after the advocacy man leaves.

I just managed to snag the pair of khaki ankle boots I saw last week in a chazzer. Only £3.50 and they are fleece lined so will be good for the cold snap we are supposed to have.

sugarbaby125

Wednesday well done on finding a pair of winter ankle boots so quickly and at such a bargain price.