can i winge for a moment?

Today was a day for getting those silly little jobs done around the house.

Fix the faulty tap: it wasn't JUST the washer, the spindle had got bent somehow so it took a bit longer.
Replace broken door handle: they don't sell the exact one we had so had to get a set and that means re-drilling the door.
Replace light switch cord: replacing the broken section wasn't enough so I had to dismantle the switch mechanism rather than but the whole lot new.
Replace broken toilet seat (see earlier entries regarding mother in law): I bought the wrong type (apparently)

So it's a constant barrage of 'you're taking to long', 'my brother could have done it quicker', 'I didn't want a botched job' etc.

Now, why was it I had low self esteem?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

lesson: your value is you, not just what you do. (poetic eh?)

I am very irregular at the moment

At the moment I am working very odd hours because I am taking and collecting staff from events. I don't mind silly hours because I don't like routine but it is a problem at home because I am sleeping when I can and some of the family have a problem with that.

Oh no!

I've finished my stint on the library bus, now what can i talk about?

*long silence*

Hey, I've got work every day over the weekend for the other agency, this is working out well. I had a word with the coordinator about my pay, I said that they were under paying me hehe and she agreed so she will adjust my wage woohoo!!!!

lesson: If you don't speak out don't be surprised if your voice isn't heard.

Are you bored yet?

I am turning into a Library bus anorak

today I got to move up to a newer vehicle complete with internet capability



unfortunately it was very much internet incapability as it wouldn't connect.

My son's comment on learning that I was driving a new bus 'is that because you broke the other one yesterday?

Lesson today: you can't beat a pen and paper for keeping records

Taking a plunge

I have decided to include bit's of my writing on my other blog (http://musingtoad.blogspot.com/)now and again. I think it is appropriate because much of my writing is very much where I am and the way my though processes are going

Naughty toad

It had to happen! Put a toad in a mobile library and sooner or later something has to go wrong.

Today, I scuffed the bumper (fender) of a parked car. The car was parked so that it protruded a little across the exit gate of library HQ and as I tried to turn out the side of my bus caught the car. It was a very superficial scrape although the car owner's friend said that the car was pushed back into the car behind, they are definitely trying it on but I have lots of witnesses and I also have the sympathy vote of all the other drivers.

Lesson today: be more bl**dy careful

the job centre

Called into one of my agencies, looks like they are going to have lots of work for me, yippee!!!

I called into the job centre today to sign off as I worked more than 16 hours last week.

Asked about the job start grant and was told that this is a discretionary grant to help people get back into work. I am told that I don't qualify as I have found work already, I thought it was to help with expenses of going back into employment.
I made the same enquiry a couple of weeks ago (before I worked) and was told I would only be eligible if I found a job!

so let me get this straight. I find a job, but don't do it until I have applied for this grant. I made the mistake of going out on a limb and spending money to get the stuff I needed to do the job rather than telling them i couldn't afford it.

Ah well done is done

Today's lesson: If you act like you can cope people expect you to.

My wife doesn't understand me!

how often has man uttered those words?

and yet........

She does say that i have a very mummbly voice and doesn't like my accent and whenever a crack a joke or make a (supposedly) witty comment she takes it very seriously.

Sometimes I think were not from different planets, we're from different realities as well.

Floods

Rained rather a lot over the past few weeks

and things have started going wrong, schools closing, people being late etc.

Here's the entrance to my local park



and here is the rose garden



at the top left of the picture you can see part of the aviary. about 60 birds have died there today as the rain forced them down and then the floods caught them. The man I was talking to said that the park workers had been cutting holes in the aviary, I thought this was to let the birsd excape and have a chance but it wasn't it was to relieve the pressure of water so that they could get in to remove the bodies.

I really should have this job

start of second week on the mobile library, I am enjoying this so much (even if I did get the oldest, leakiest bus today!).
Monday is generally the day for rushing hot romance to the elderly and we managed to brave the floods to do so. At one point today a lady of 80+ got on the bus and explained that her neighbour wouldn't be coming as she had three men at her house doing something. The librarian said that it sounded serious and without thinking I added 'or fun'. There was a moment of absolute silence during which I cursed my enormous mouth and then the entire bus erupted into laughter and I was given the seal of approval as a toy boy to the elderly!

today's lesson: Never be afaid to be yourself, people might even like you.

Another weekend over, phew!

Had a brilliant job yesterday, one of the agencies asked me if I could drive some waiting staff out to Fountains Abbey (a beautiful ruined abbey in North Yorkshire). The agency get a lot of bookings for weddings in these sort of places and they are difficult to get to. I am hoping that this will be a fairly regular gig.

For driving the three waitresses out there in the morning and collecting them in the evening (about 3 hours work) i got £40 plus mileage. The sad thing is that the waitresses will have got about £36 for 8 hours work.

Today I got up early and did a car boot sale, wish I hadn't bothered because i only just managed to cover my costs.

Today's lesson: offer junk, sell little

clean sheet (2)

because everyone was in the wrong beds last night and because Jack still has some skin problems there was lots of bedding to wash today and far to much rain to get anything dry.

I really fancied a glass of wine to finish the week but J had drunk it all with her friend Grrrrrrrr!

Took Mother in Law home and earned diplomat of the year award. She couldn't get the seat belt around her and complained that it was stuck (it wasn't it just wasn't long enough). I suggested that the seat might just be to far forward and managed to get the belt fastened.

A clean sheet (1)

Yay, a whole week of driving the mobile library and I haven't even scratched it. My librarian companion told the senior manager that he had made a big mistake not employing me when he had the chance, that feels sort of good!

Opression

It's great to come home and find that you have house guests especially when the house guest is my mother in law. She is staying over so that she can baby sit in the morning so I shouldn't complain.

We do have a minor problem though, she can't sleep in my daughter's bed because those beds are simply to weak to take her weight, my son's bed is to high and younger son's bed is to small (is this beginning to sound like a variant of Goldie Locks?). This leaves only my bed so guess who's sleeping on the floor tonight *sob*

today's lesson: buy stronger beds or slighter mother in law.

Let me introduce you to my little red bus. The mobile library I am working on at the moment. It is due for retirement very soon which is probably why they give it to me to drive lol.



here is the inside



now isn't that fascinating?

I was operating in my own area today so I knew all the shortcuts hence..........

today's lesson: get back to base first so you have plenty of space to manoeuvre into the best parking space.

Mobile Library

today was my second day on the mobile library, it was a much bigger vehicle today but I soon got the hang and it's wonderful the way cars avoid you hehe.

My librarian wants me to work full time but the problem is that I applied for that job a couple of months ago and didn't get it.

Today we did a nursery and I was in my element, I love working with kids and the nursery teacher expressed surprise that one little girl spoke to me as she hasn't spoken to anyone except one teacher in the 4 months she has been there. I felt so pleased.

The good news is that I now have another week on the library bus and then 2 weeks on school book collection so plenty of work at the moment.

Today's lesson. Don't try to squeeze a big library into a little space oh and never try a 3 point turn on a residential street in a vehicle the length of a small coach.

ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGG

There is a habit in our household, it is not a habit I like, it is not a habit I subscribe to.
Whenever paperwork or written materials are put down ANYWHERE they are gathered up and put in a plastic refuge sack to 'be sorted'. This effectively means that items can spend many months languishing. Last Sunday I decided to empty one of these refuge sacks and i found some poems I'd written, several unpaid credit card bills and various items of value to me. I carefully places all MY papers and writing neatly on MY computer desk so that I could copy poems and make a note of addresses etc. 12 hours later, having been out to do some shopping, I realise that my papers have gone. Where? yep, they were lying around so they got put in a refuge sack under the bed with lots of other stuff *sob*

It's worth a try (forgive the pun)

I have done some serious market research and it appears that placing video of the All Blacks (sorry the MIGHTY All Blacks) on my blog will increase the number of female visitors.

A working Toad

Today was the first day of my driving work for an agency.
I am assigned to the city Library service all week driving their mobile libraries (one at a time!)

Today it was the geriatric run rushing Mills and Boon to the ancient thrill seekers of Leeds (and believe me there are a lot of them , average age seems to be about 85)

Todays lesson: Don't try to corner faster than walking speed when you have shelves of unsecured books in the back.

So this is bloggerland

seems quiet enough, almost civilised.
Hmmmm, wonder what the natives are like