Breaking News!

I've got a job! I declined the job selling financial services and accepted a call centre job signposting for the NHS. I'm sooo chuffed. I went along for the interview today and they were so lovely, I forgot I was having an interview. The only down side is that it's a temporary assignment. But it gets me through the Christmas period and the pay is just wonderful.

I'll be in training starting Wednesday for 3 weeks and then I'll go 'live'! So the blog here might be a bit sporadic. I'll be based in Hellesdon so I'm going to be catching the Number 28 on a regular basis, which will be an interesting comparison to the Number 25.

I've just re-read that last sentence...I have turned into an anorak. Oh dear.

Opportunity Lost

Well, I did the best I could, and I just wasn't the best candidate for the call centre job. So it won't be my dulcet tones that you'll be hearing when you ring up to complain that your life has been ruined because the train was late.

I did however, receive permission to walk my son to his rendevous point with his mates on his way to high school. He had a great day, met his teachers, came home happy and bouncy. The reality of high school was a lot better than that which existed in his imagination. He has loads of friends in his year and in the years above him, the teachers are fine as are the other students. I wish I could say that it was down to me that he is so well adjusted, but it's not. He's a brilliant young man, because he is simply brilliant. I think I'm the priviledged one, being his mum.

Waiting Part II

Today, my life felt like a sitcom. I got up this morning with weirder than normal hormones, which meant one heavy period, there went the sexy interview undies. I gathered together loads of paper and popped them into my briefcase. I changed my shoes twice before I'd even ironed my blouse.The croissant I'd intended to have for breakfast waved goodbye to me and wished me luck along with my boy. I made it out the house on time; stood and waited for the bus for 10 minutes. The bus wasn't late, I was early for it. When I got to their office I was told that my interview was 11 o'clock, not the 10 o'clock the agency wrote in their e-mail along with the rest of the interview gubbins.

I smiled pleasantly and said I'd have coffee and return. Which I did. Did some more interview prep, drank my frothy coffee (too light on the chocolate dusting). Visited the loo, feminine disaster and no friendly dispensers. I hoofed it over the Spa shop over the road made my purchases and minced along to the railway station, the closest public loo available. At this point my shoes were killing me, hold the image of minced in your mind, I'll come back to it at the end.

I get back and am ushered in. They then ask for a copy of the letter that was e-mailed to them by the agency. Which wasn't in my pile of papers in my briefcase. I then had to talk my boy through the process of forwarding it on, which he did, bless him, my saviour. The rest of the interview went reasonably well, they were amused by me being a trainspotter and were interested in my project. The second part was a close examination of my letter and a couple of scenarios. I didn't think the this part went so well. I've never done front-line customer service and answering on my gut instincts perhaps wasn't what they wanted to hear. We'll see. I find out tomorrow.

I was supposed to meet boy in town for some last minute stationary shopping, but I could barely walk. I made it on to the bus and then the few yards to the flat, I was that close to just crawling my feet hurt so much. When I got in and took my shoes off - yuck! Remember I mentioned 'minced'? I might have a shoe fetish, but my feet certainly aren't up for the punishment. I knew there was a reason I'd never be a ballet dancer.

Saturday Shopping

I'm almost prepared for the interview Monday. I have my interview undies. My boy was completely perplexed why new nix would make a difference, but he was game enough to troop around M&S as I tried to make my mind up. Once I made my mind up I had a look at their shoes....

I have developed a shoe fetish. Their shoes are amazing. I found the most amazing pair of black shoes, they must have been about 3 inches high, they had ribbons. Cheeky power shoes. If I get the job, they are so going to be coming home with me. After M&S, I went into Next and looked at their shoes. Oh yummy. Dainty shoes with glitter and sparkles and tiny tiny straps! Nothing fortunately in my size, because if I bought the shoes, I'd have to buy something to wear with them. Like a slinky dress from Monsoon....

Don't worry, I'm not going to give into temptation. I've got will power and there's no point buying sexy shoes and a gorgeous dress (and of course accessories to match), without having something to go to, in order to show it all off. But I have been wearing my 'oops' shoes, flashing my shiny pink toes off. The cat always looks at me with disdain. I'm used to it.

Persistance

Be warned, I am making chilli. Of course, what started out as chilli for 2 has now turned into a mega pot full and because I believe in 'one for the pot - two for me' I am now enjoying the rest of the beer, and boy the chocolate tasted good. Yum!

We've had a good day, boy and I. We managed to get the rest of his sports gear and some new trainers for him, he is now set for high school next week. Unfortunately, he's now grown out of childrens shoes and is now into adults, which is a bit of a bugger on the budget. My mum always taught me never to be stingy with shoes, but with the sales at this time of year, we've saved quite a bit of dosh. Hopefully, the shoes will last him through the next growing spurt.

The really great news is that I rang up an agency today and they've organised an interview for me Monday morning. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I am really excited because it's with a local rail operator. It's call centre work, which I must admit, I've never done. Considering that most of my employment has focused around customer services in one way or another, it shouldn't be too hard to get to grips with.

Also, if they are groovy employers and open to suggestion, I could actually make it work in my favour. Instead of doing bus journeys, I could do train journeys, and that would mean that I'm not limited to one city. I could end up travelling all round the country! Which would be much more interesting. I would be able to compare counties, cities, regions. It makes an almost perfect fit. My creative, academic and employment life would fit, feeding my personal and professional growth. All I have to do now is convince them that I am their bitch. Wish me luck! Tomorrow, I'm off to M&S to buy my interview undies, I've already planned my outfit. How anal am I?

Ads

I've been looking at the job paper and I'm fast losing the will to live. Lots of sales stuff, completely above board I'm sure. Do I want a career that will start me off at £200 per week? Yes, of course I do. Do I believe that by delivering catalogues I'll be able to do it? Especially since I don't have a car? Ummm...no. There are those of you who will say I'm being very fussy, after all, there is no shame plucking and gutting turkeys on the run-up for Christmas, and it pays well. I know people who did it for a short space of time and people who do it for a living. I'm not that screwed up thanks. Looking at turkey's guts is not my idea of a good time. I know it needs to be done (though many vegetarians will disagree, don't shoot me, remember your argument about all life is sacred), but I'm glad it doesn't need to be me.

Out of curiosity, I've been looking at the Soulmates ads in the Grauniad. I can't help it. I find them fascinating. Men and Women trying to order partners, like they'd order a pizza (yeah and I'd like chicken wings on the side with BBQ sauce). The list of things they'd like from ethnicity, education to spirituality, it goes on and on. But it never seems to cover the important stuff that make or break relationships. Questions that we all wished had got answered sooner, rather than later. "When you're pre-menstrual does the cat move out?" and "When I'm pissed I think I'm a blind Romeo on steroids. Is it likely to be problem if I wake up in a cell with someone called Tracey after a night out with the lads?"

Craig's List personals has me rolling around the floor crying. Not only do you have the 'normal' ads, they cater for the spicier side of sexuality. Need a gimp, slave or a dominatrix? A guy put it out that he was willing to pay £80 for a pair of ladies knickers still warm. I realise now why I am unsuccessful with men. I am just dead boring.

Slow Blog Day

Not much happening at the moment except I finished my stint at the alternative health care clinic. As always it was quite entertaining. My boss thinks that he and I have the same relationship as Inspector Cluseau and Kato, he's very keen on martial arts and is trying to get my to join his club. I'll be wandering around trying to do stuff and he'll pounce from behind a door. Or I'll be talking to his wife and he'll walk in with his clipboard, and try take me down.

It's quite funny, I've worked for some seriously grumpy bosses in my time, drunken publicans throwing crockery and glasses around, but it's the first time I've been encouraged to retaliate. He was dead chuffed when I lumped him one with my dead cardboard roll. When it gets desperate I fend him off with a plastic bin. I will miss working there, they're good people to work for and the clients are a hoot.

Tomorrow is Thursday. It's job day in the local press. So wish me luck.

Good Luck Charms

I have a friend down in the Big Smoke who needs 14 minutes to get ready. That's 14 minutes between opening eyes and leaving front door, and also includes coffee and ablutions. I am insanely jealous. It takes me 14 minutes to work up the courage to open my eyes.

Given that I had an interview this morning, I pulled out all the stops. Now my racial heritage is such that I am, shall we say, hirsute. And that is without the help that age brings. Now I always knew that men when they hit middle age develop nostril and ear hair which is quite foul. I've had to sit in meetings next to men whose glistening nostril hair were rather off putting. Or worse, hair sprouting on the outside of said nose. All I can say is their wives must really hate them, to let them leave the house looking like that. Eewww!

So, anyway, I defoliate myself which is a major undertaking at the best of times. Once that was done and I was washed and dressed I thought about nail polish. I 'oopsed' yesterday with some rah-rah pink polish for all of £1.00, which I have to say looks just fabulous on my toes. When I left the house I was sassy and brassy and ready to impress.

Except the manager was about 5 years older than my boy, was reluctant to even shake my hand and he started to stammer a lot. He said he'd ring me next week once he'd interviewed some other candidates. *sigh*.

So that's a 'no' then?

PS. People have said that they've tried to leave comments on the site but they've never been published. Can you try and leave a testing message so I can check if the technology is working?

Financial Planning

Got today's paper, there are a couple of jobs in there which I'm going to go for, including bar work and an office type job. I've been enterprising and enquired at the local shop, the manager gave me an application form. I've also got to send off my CV to the lead I picked up yesterday.

So I've got lots to be getting on with. Hopefully, I'll find out tomorrow whether my application to the local charity has been successful, they should be helping me meet the cost of boy's school uniform which goes to hundreds of pounds plus a school trip. My fingers are still very crossed. And I'm still very stressed about it all.

Incoherent with Excitement

Before I go any further, can I just say 'I love my tutors'! My Dissertation Supervisor and my Creative Practice tutor, like totally rock. Totally!

I had a few minutes with my Super and he was interested about my idea to research the power behind Journeying. He gave me a couple of references and basically said go away and read. He wasn't at all concerned that my original idea bore no resemblance whatsoever to this idea, he said it sounds plausible, especially if I tie it in with an interesting context like the Motorcycle Diaries. So as far as that is concerned, I have to get off my butt and start reading like mad. Tomorrow is Library Day!

After that positive meeting, I then trouped down to see my CP and then he completely blew me away. He was enthusiastic about the ideas I've been playing with. I've come away from the tutorial with a mass of references, photocopies, a video and a promise to help me try to secure funding for my travel costs for the next year. He said to stick with what I'm doing. I've got to stop being such a control freak and give the idea the room to grow and develop within its own space. He's given me the name of a French artist who works with everyday experiences and the video is about her. He said it was such a good idea to link the dissertation and studio work, as it means that I'll have an excellent basis for my studio work, and my studio work will add more creative drive to the dissertation. Oh, he also liked the idea of me getting in touch with Mike Carter of the Observer's Uneasy Rider series that I've been following.

It is so good, being able to have direction and support. I have been feeling so lost in the wilderness. But having both tutors back my ideas, and even better, be enthusiastic and engaged in my project has given me such a boost. I feel like I've been given a cape and tights and I'm flying off to pulverise that plummetting asteroid.

Next on today's To Do List: write two begging letters, work on CV, and write project proposal. I've found a charity that might be willing to help me meet the cost of my books and materials for my dissertation and my CP suggested I should write to the bus company to ask whether they would consider giving me free reign of their Norwich service. My mate down South also suggested that I might write to Norwich Prison to see if they have any pagan clients, who I perhaps could work with. All in all I have a lot of things to be getting on with.