What are you doing right now?

[Caspin]

Well I hope that anyone who just wants to talk to other sane simmers (if I may take the liberty of classifying us as such!) find their way here. People seem to be taking themselves way too seriously and indulging in some kind of tribal verbal violence over there.

Anyway, how are you Minty and where have you been hiding the last few days?

Time for bed. I'm too old to stay up late like Ollie!

[Minty]

Hi Caspin, I've been busy with application forms & trying to shake off a virus. Also I had a battle with my internet providers as they managed to burst a local junction box while repairing it & I objected to being charged for the time I had no internet or TV.

I think I will be doing battle with my "advisor" tomorrow as well, so I've been in a pensive mood.

[Caspin]

Poor Minty - have a free hug. :smiley-hug002:

I hope things go all right with your "advisor" and that you shake off the virus.

[Caspin]

Watching the first few episodes of "Wentworth Prison". Haven't yet decided whether or not I like this show.

[BreAnn]

I'm eating tacos and watching Family Guy on Netflix xD A good way to spend a day off work.

[Caspin]

Cursing the stupid traffic and the stupid roadworks that have my bus on diversion. Although it has enabled me to see some new streets and pass some new shops, including a bakery called 'Crusty Bloomers'. Quite off-putting!

[Minty]

Feeling unbelievably sick & can't believe I've got a ****** interview tomorrow feeling like this!

[Caspin]

Very best of luck, Minty. I've got all kinds of things crossed for you.

[Minty]

The interview was a fiasco. The only way to get to the place is by car or taxi as it's in one of those weird out of town industrial estates off a dual carriageway with no pavements & well away from any bus stops or train. If there was any risk of pedestrians going near the place they'd probably erect machine gun towers.

The guy supposed to interview me had forgotten about it & gone out. I had to wait until quarter to 12 for someone to be available to interview me. The job it turned out was NOT what I'd been told it was, it was in fact merely to be one of those automated nuisance callers jobs on minimum wage trying to get you to buy Sentinel Gold if you had bought a product they are "partnered" with. Those I talked to had all been sacked & brought back many times, never lasting longer than five weeks - temping by default. Fair enough to get a bit of money in before Christmas, but they also told me there was no guarantee of hours - if they found they were slack, you'd be sent home & only paid for the time on. The other advantage for the company is that by having nothing but temp staff, it means no holiday day

I am beyond furious. Working Links sent me to the first crap job they could find it in the hope of getting a "success" one way or the other: either I took the job or they could claim I had rejected a legitimate offer of employment & have my claim stopped. I was no sooner in the door than they were on the phone asking me how the interview went, an interview that represented £20 down the drain in fares for a wild goose chase.

I came home as well to find the kitchen top flooded with water. It seems the kettle had developed a hole in it. Since trouble comes in threes, I'm hoping that cold, crap interview & broken kettle makes up this month's allocation.

What am I doing right now? Sneezing!

[Caspin]

Jeez, you have no luck, do you? You remind me of my brother, in that while I seem to lead a charmed life, he slogs his guts out and gets little reward. If only things could be balanced out. It's a truly crappy day when even your kettle turns against you. It's Friday 13th soon, so please just stay indoors surrounded by four-leaf clover and rabbits feet and don't meddle with any sharp objects.

These zero-hour contracts are a joke. They're not even temping in disguise, more like unemployment in disguise. What a bunch of fudgers.

You seem to get ill quite frequently. Are you not being looked after properly? Not eating enough polenta?!

Right now I am appreciating my relative good fortune and wishing that things will soon improve for Minty.