All quiet on the Misty front

Well, I have had a few days away from my blog and not much has happened to me personally worth much comment.

On the plus side I have finally, after 48 job applications, been asked for an interview! On the negative side the company sounds a bit dodgy and is probably some kind of tax con. Its not that I am being pessimistic, but there are so many so-called wonderful opportunities, and it appears that most of them are not quite what they seem. When looking at the current job market there are so many adverts for positions that, quite cleverly, offer a reasonable salary with good chances of promotion. That obviously sounds wonderful until you google the companies to find that the 'Marketing Executives' are actually bussed to housing estates in Stoke to sell cutlery sets door-to-door. What is even worse about this is that this (yes worse than going to Stoke) is they make the 'employee' pay for their own return bus fair otherwise they are stuck. I think it is an absolute disgrace that businesses are allowed to run like this, and take advantage of the millions of depressed and dejected unemployed.

Many of these people, like myself, had decent jobs before the market crashed, and now we are left to rot in the black hole of unemployment, with no one to help us but ourselves. It obviously doesn't help that the Job Centre system is not equipped to deal with people who have had a job, and only offer help to those who need basic skills. I hope I don't sound harsh as those people who slipped through the education system desperately deserve help from somebody, but the Job Centre needs to expand its view on what the landscape of unemployment is currently like. Lets be honest about this, asking your next door neighbour if they know of any jobs going is fine if you have just left school, but for those poor men and women who have studied for years to become accountants/engineers/architects its not exactly practical.

I suppose at this point of the rant I should go on to berate the government, but that isn't going to happen. I don't think placing blame is of any use, but maybe we ought to preach a little understanding:
1. Being unemployed is not a lifestyle choice for most people,
2. It is not helpful to suggest that a qualified, educated, person take on a job sweeping hair off the floor of a Salon within a few months of redundancy,
3. It should not be allowed that unknowing people are taking jobs that don't actually exist from vampiric people who like to make the best out of other peoples misfortune.

Anyway, enough of yet another depressing and moaning blog from me, I'm off to find job application 49!

Couch Worm

After yesterdays melancholy I feel that a bit of a list session is in order. I'm more of a book worm than a couch potato, but I still watch TV, and thinking about it I actually watch quite a lot...probably something to do with not going to work! Please be assured I generally only watch in the day when I'm having my lunch or tea, and strangely spend my evenings in the bath reading a book!

Current 'TV Choice'
X Factor - sad I know, but I like to sing along to the music and give my own opinion (to my boyfriend or my mum!)
In Plain Sight - I wish Mary was my friend!
Flash forward - visions of 6 months in the future...scary idea
Medium - I wish Allison Dubois was my boss, going to work would never be boring
Reno 911 - Hilarious, more Police Officers should be like this
Harper's Island - slightly loosing interest, but still entertaining
Lie To Me - Only just getting into it, but unusual concept
True Blood - Only watched one, but I think I might be comparing it to Buffy, and it is never going to be better than that.

The Future is Here!

Well, what a weekend, poor Stephen Gately! I was such a fan of Boyzone - despite being more of an indie chick that a pop princess, I even went to see them in concert. It is so sad when anyone dies, and I think the death of a young person in the public eye brings it home to everyone that life is a thing to be treasured not trashed. One thing I can't understand is that people these days seem to be so full of hate. It seems that in the past hate and prejudice were displayed with pride, and now people just hide it. The other day in the pub I actually left when people on the table next to me started a massive (and loud) racist rant. In a way I felt guilty for not saying anything, but then as a girl on your own what can you say to a group of 5/6 larger men and women. The strange thing is that as I walked away I began to question who is worse them or me?! They say what they think and I just keep my trap shut. Don't get me wrong, when I am in groups of people I know I always say what I think and these people now know that I do not find fascist racists jokes amusing, and make vile comments about people from other countries is not something that I will let pass. However, I sometimes think that I am in a minority; surely we should all get by in life and accept that everyone is different. Maybe it is me who is mad, but I like to think that it is everyone else.

Ooh, Im being a bit deep today, maybe it is because the winter is setting in and the world is getting dark (physically, not metaphorically). Having said that I need to make a conscious effort to not be as miserable as the rest of them, so I will run the bath, have a coffee, and read about a serial killer (fiction, not fact)...that should cheer me up!

Cat Attack!!!!

Two posts in one day - I must be bored today!? No, just annoyed, and where better than to vent my anger than a page that only I will ever read!

Tiger Two, the stray cat who has recently been evicted from the outhouse by a hedgehog, is in very very bad books! I just went upstairs to see where the cats were, and to check what they were doing, only to find T2 in a very serious predicament. It appears than when he woke up from his long slumber on the chair he found himself 'caught short'. Obviously, it is ridiculous of me to think that he would go to the door to cry to go out, NO that would be silly. Instead, he took it upon himself to park his hairy derriere in the bath tub and proceed with the biggest wee known to cat world! I didn't know what to say...so just filmed him on my camera phone when i realised he was mid-stream and not stopping for anyone.

Sorry this is a bit gross, but to be honest I am probably just killing time while the disinfectant kicks in....though I suppose I should maybe advertise him in the classifieds as 'very clean' instead?!

I've fallen through the cracks and its black, black, black!

Well, it was that day of the week again - a visit to the lovely sum centre...that's the job centre for those who aren't in the know! I do appreciate that to someone without a job taking a half hour out of the day, once a fortnight, is not a lot to ask. At this point I would like to say "I don't get benefits"...I'm even thinking of having a sandwich board made for the fortnightly walk of shame! What is even more hilarious is that I have to attend a "Why haven't you got a job yet?!" meeting; I feel like inviting them to a "Why do you care when you don't pay me anything anyway?!" meeting! Unfortunately, I do not this that will go down well!

Anyway, in the interests of saving money I have had two great finds today, so that's a bit of a bonus really. The Donny Osmond autobiography for £1.50 for my mum's birthday; it seems slightly sad that such a legend should have his story available at such a low low price, but I suppose it is all the better for me! Secondly, a lovely satin-eke throw (brand new by the way - I'm not that poor) to save me having to wear two coats when we can't afford the fire being on (maybe I am that poor?).

Anyway, despite the positivity of the last point, I do wish to end on a more negative note. Sorry, but the blackness reflects my post scum-centre-syndrome; Why do people wait at a road crossing and NOT press the button to make the green man appear??? What is the world coming too????

Another Day with the Parasites

Its not that I don't like animals, but I do seem to be being over-run!
- The Hedgehog in the outhouse, who seems to think it is acceptable to poo everywhere!
- My own cat, Chunky, who is sleeping on the pile of nice clean washing that I stupidly left on the bed...it would seem cruel to move him now;
- The irrepressible Tiger Two crying at my feet for MORE food;
- The sneaky Bobbette (child of Bob) from next door who keeps running in the kitchen and trying to steal food;
- Evil Jess, from god-knows-where hissing at me every time I go to the washing line;
- And finally, The Godfather, the king of cats, jumping on my head when I go to the shed.
Due to this maniacal menagerie I have decided it would be safer to sit at the laptop with a nice cup of tea and surf the net for something to take me away from this general limbo and stop me being a computer geek who writes the story of my boring life to give me something to do! (Phew, long sentence needs punctuation, but I feel it has helped me vent so I will let it slide!)

A Cat in the Hand

After the hedgehog trauma of yesterday, it has only gotten worse for poor old Tiger Two...he has now been beaten up! The most gut-wrenching screech echoed through the street as the poor little skinny stray was attacked by Devil Child Dave and The Godfather! My little chunky looked on in disgust...though I'm not sure whether it was due to the bullies of the whimpiness of his food-mate! After an afternoon in the security of the fluffy cushions T2 does seem to have made a remarkable recovery - albeit a little short on fur!

On a lighter note I have just had to turf the voluvant loving Chunky outside while I cook the diner as he seems to have developed an insatiable obsession for boiled eggs...which wouldn't be too bad, but for the fact that they are currently boiling! I may be out of work, but I am not in a position to require the self sacrifice of my furry friend to put me some food on the table!

Cold Comfort Shed

Ooh, what a drama the days has begun with! The poor little stray cat that has adopted me, and my out-house, has been evicted! As if life is not hard enough for poor little Tiger Two, it has now got worse...a hedgehog is squatting in his home. The unwanted little cretin is also suffering from major food theft in that the ferocious spiky chap is eating his wet food, his dried food, and is drinking his water. I have taken the only action I can in such circumstances...moved him into the house.
I suppose, despite the change of tenancy, the overall results are quite positive as I have already noticed a distinct decline in the number of 8-legged-monsters, and I think that this is definitely the work of the prickled prince himself. However, I know very little of the correct care package that needs to be provided for hedgehogs, and I do have to try and find a new storage solution for the scaredy cat stray so I really should get cracking!