The Blue Sky Tag

 

A big thank you to My Journey Into Darkness/The Story Of A Life Wasted With A Lying, Cheating, Disease-Giving, Narcissistic Husband LaurelWolfeLives for nominating me.

I don’t usually accept awards, however, this one means a lot coming from someone who has suffered more than I have so I’m very pleased to accept this.

The Rules:

1.  Ask 11 questions.

2.  Tag 11 people.

3.  Answer the 11 questions given to you.

 

I’m not doing it in that order, though, as I’ll start off by answering the questions asked of me:

1.  Murder mystery or love story?

Murder mystery when in need of a brain teaser otherwise a love story will do.

2.  Favorite color car and why.

Favourite colour is purple, I don’t have a favourite car as I don’t drive but the best one I’ve driven was an E-type Jaguar in the early 1970’s.

3.  Favorite childhood memory.

Helping my mum clean up the baking dish and licking it (and the spoon) clean ready to wash up.

4.  Last time you did a first.

The other day, I was waiting in line for my prescription medication and started talking to a lovely young woman who was ahead of me. Not flirting or anything just a general conversation, first time I’ve spoken to a woman in her 20’s since I was out of my teens :).

5.  Best and worst traits you inherited.

Best traits, I hope, are an ability to see people as people and not skin colour or sex or sexual preference. I believe this is a short and bumpy ride and we all deserve a fair crack of the whip. Worst traits are probably my procrastination and pig-headedness.

6.  Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?

More often than I would like, first time was when I was 2 or 3 and being rushed into hospital with meningitis, last time was being rushed in after collapsing on the street.

7.  What is your biggest regret?

My biggest regret is not going to Australia in the early 1970’s looking for adventure. However, I did join the Royal Navy for a year so did find some. I left because they wouldn’t give me a ship to sail away on.

8.  What is your greatest joy?

My greatest joy was watching my children being born, my daughter in 1974 and son in 1997.

9.  If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?

It would have to be one of my hero’s (or David Bowie again) as you didn’t mention someone living I’d opt for someone dead, John F Kennedy or Mohamad Ali. From the world of music the choice gets wild – Lou Reed, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Osterberg (Iggy Pop) or representing women would be Janis Joplin, Janis Ian, Grace Slick, Sheila Ferguson (met her twice already though but she is an absolute pleasure to be with), CeCe Peniston (met her once and she is terrific).

10.  What song gives you chills?

Harder one this, as the song that always guarantees tears to run down is Candle In The Wind ’97 by Elton John and the other one which gives me chills is White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. A song which always lifts me up though is one by John Lennon which I know was a single and not on any album until Shaved Fish, Instant Karma.

11.  Silver or gold?

Silver, only gold jewellery I’ve ever owned have been rings but I don’t go for gold that much.

Now for my 11 questions:

1.  If you could live the life of someone else for one day would you choose a pauper or princess to swap places with?

2.  Favourite way to relax?

3.  Cat or dog?

4.  Most embarassing moment ever?

5.  Happiest memory?

6.  Do you listen to music for background or pleasure?

7.  Favourite piece of music or song?

8.  If money were no object would you work or live a life of pleasure and leisure? Why?

9.  If you were to win millions on the lottery draw one week what would be your biggest purchase and why would you buy that?

10.  If someone came up to you and said you could have anything your heart desired but only for 24 hours what would you choose and why?

11.  What is your favourite food and where did you have it for the first time?

 

The 11 nominees are:

http://blackbutterfly7.wordpress.com/

http://amehrling.com/

http://michadam.wordpress.com/

http://michele@rabbitpatchdiary.com/

http://violetnese.wordpress.com/

http://aspiringwriter2016.wordpress.com/

http://thedarkestfairytale.wordpress.com/

http://womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com/ (in the hope it helps)

http://knycx.wordpress.com/

http://alexischateau.com/

http://hourglassevents.wordpress.com/

http://amommasview.wordpress.com/

 

Mothers Day 2017 (United Kingdom)

Mother, you carried me inside you

When I was born I relied on you

I hated having to leave you to go to school

Everyone else, in my eyes, was a fool.

If you were here today I’d see you

As it is I always feel you

If you could help me I know you would

You were my best friend, and I should

Be at peace because you are at peace.

A huge SHOUT OUT with thanks

OK my dear friends, I’ve wallowed long enough in a state of depression. A huge thank you to everyone who commented on my last couple of posts and especially to the following:

Lucy Brazier https://portergirl.com/

Laurel Wolfe https://myjourneyintodarkness.wordpress.com/

Tikeetha T. https://athomaspointofview.com/

Rabbitpatchdiary https://rabbitpatchdiary.com/

Nyssa the Hobbit https://nyssashobbithole.com/wordpress/

Anne Mehrling https://amehrling.com/

and John Howell https://johnwhowell.com/

Your kindness and well wishes have really helped me to come to terms with not only losing my job and self-respect but also with the loss of my 4th marriage.

For those who are still unaware, I have a mental illness which means that I take everything to heart and while the good things lift me to a manic state, bad things (which everyone goes through from time to time) affect me so badly I feel suicidal and really can’t face getting out of bed in the mornings.

Anyway, increased medication for a brief period was enough to get me back on track, lots of jobs out there so I’m applying like crazy for everything. I will, of course, keep you all informed of anything that comes up for me. With less than 3 years to my pension though I’m not hopeful that I will find anything else but have to keep hoping or else the blackness will be back to haunt me.

Watch this space for further developments and, who knows I may even get the next Chapter of my memoirs finished (I’m part way through 1967 which was the year I became sexually aware and active). Because of the fact that there will be sex acts described in this I feel it won’t be suitable for a general release – only for the over 18’s. Funny how when things are bad, thoughts turn to sex…

If you are one of the others who helped me through the black days and I haven’t mentioned you above, apologies, but the ones mentioned above took time to leave me feedback and have a conversation with me. However, thank you to everyone who took time out to pray for me, offer solace and advice as you all helped in small or large ways.

I really am grateful to all the friends I have found here, the people who count me as a friend won’t be let down by trusting me. Anyway, enough for now but as I said I’m back and ready to go with the next chapter. Life is a bitch, we’ve finished our news, homo-sapiens have outgrown their use, all the strangers came today and it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh you pretty things don’t you know you’re driving your mama’s and papa’s insane.

Thrown out with the bath water?

I have just found out that Sage, the accountancy software people don’t want me, current employer is extracting the urine with their offer of redundancy and my wife has said she won’t stick around if I don’t have a job. Happy days are here again and things can only get worse from here on in.

I really don’t know why I bother going on, would be better for everyone if I just called it a Monday and signed out completely and permanently.

Meet and Greet: 3/11/17

I always feel welcome at the meet and greet. Everyone does because it’s an inclusion zone. If you follow the rules and join in you will meet new friends, enjoy the company and have fun. Join us please

Why was I surprised?

I had a meeting at work yesterday to confirm what I already knew (I am being let go – made redundant – surplus to requirements) at the end of March. I was also given a statement of how much my redundancy package would be worth, while I wasn’t expecting a fortune the redundancy part was as I expected (a pittance) but I thought 12 weeks PILON would have made it enough to tide me over for a couple of months, however, the figure for PILON is equivalent to 1 months salary less tax. How does that equate to 12 weeks – which is almost 3 months?

I shouldn’t really be surprised by that, after all I was promised that my salary would increase annually and the initial increase would be 6 months after starting. That never did happen. Morale within the company has gone through the floor and the majority of our customers can’t wait for their contracts to be up so that they can go elsewhere as the service they are paying for is far less than that they were receiving 12-18 months ago.

If the staff are treated badly, then the company can’t expect them to give a continuously brilliant level of service to the customers. Case in point, DWP have been really spectactularly overjoyed at the level of service my team has provided to them. The team is already 33% below the level it was at a year ago. The team now can almost provide the daily, weekly and monthly reports on the usage of our service, after I leave there will not be the level of staff to cover the daily operational period of 07:00-17:00 as well as out of hours support. The way it works currently, if someone is called out and spends two or three hours on that call out they cut back on their working day by an equal amount.

That works because there are still two of us to cover the incident queue and monitor the servers. Once I’ve gone at the end of March there will be two to cover everything, including out of hours support and with major upgrades due to go in between now and the end of July that means no holidays and no time off even if they work 24/7 some weeks.

We all know that no-one can keep going indefinitely without sleep so it will be interesting to see if they ask me to go back just so they don’t have to train another newbie from scratch. (I won’t hold my breath though because knowing Enterprise Services (soon to become DXC Technology) they will continue to lay people off until they have no customers, no shareholders and no staff.

Image below courtesy of Terry Pratchett and Discworld.