May 23, 2005
Are there any computer geeks out there who can advise me as to why suddenly I can’t access my emails. Outlook Express loads OK but when it tries to connect to the internet (even though I know I’m connected fine cos my web pages come up ok) it gives the following error message:
The server responded with an error. Account: ‘mail.btopenworld.com’, Server: ‘mail.btopenworld.com’, Protocol: POP3, Server Response: ‘-ERR AVG POP3 Proxy Server: Cannot connect to the mail server!’, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 0×800CCC90, Error Number: 0×800CCC90
May 10, 2005
I’m not talking about buses but job interviews! Yesterday, after I came home from work I did a telephone interview for Customer Service Advisor posts with a bank. I got through that OK (actually the guy who interviewed me said I did a very good interview and he thought they would want to have me on board). So I have a formal interview for next Tuesday. I’m not sure what I think about this post (I’ve never worked outside the public sector before) but we’ll see what they say. The salary range is below what I need at the bottom end so to some extent it may depend on what they are prepared to pay me, given that I have no banking experience.
The second interview is as administrator for a Law Centre – probably more people focused, similar salary, more leave and less attractive pension. It’s also a longer journey to work ( maybe 30 mins compared with 15 or so). It’s possibly less secure as it is dependent on Lottery funding and I don’t know how long they have it for at present! That interview is on 25 May!
Just when my counsellor was telling me she though I should try and take things as easily as I could manage at present as she thought the emotional issues were taking a lot out of me!
Still I suppose God knows what he is doing!
May 7, 2005
I seem to be suffering from an extreme lack of motivation today! Basically the flat needs a good tidy and clean and if I got down to it, it really wouldn’t take me too long, but somehow or other I can’t seem to do it. I know I need to do the Flylady thing of setting the time for 15 mins in each room and just doing what I can in that time (and let’s face it, I do only have 4 rooms!) but somehow…….
Anyway – at least it means you get the benefit of me blogging instead. 
(Don’t cheer too loudly!)
It’s been a bit of a funny week. I’ve got quite upset and emotional following my counselling session on Monday but things seem to have calmed down a bit now, thankfully! Then yesterday I had rather an upset stomach. I think it’s only IBS symptoms rather than a bug but it might explain why I’m finding it hard to get on with stuff!
I had a really positive meeting with a job agency yesterday. The woman I spoke to really seemed to pick up on what I enjoyed and what my strengths were (yes I think I do actually have a few!) and seemed fairly positive that given a couple of months she might be able to find me something. She said that public sector posts (which is the main area that I’m looking in) have been rather sparse recently, partly because of financial year end and partly because of waiting to see the outcome of the election. She thinks things are likely to pick up again now because Labour got in again so people can be fairly sure that projects and initiatives will continue to be funded! I hope she’s right! I’ve still not got any news on any interviews for jobs I’ve applied for. Meanwhile my part-time job supporting Elf, an autistic student is going really well. The School are very pleased with what I’m doing and I’m enjoying it. In a way it’s a shame that it can’t be a long term prospect, but it just isn’t enough money and even if they were able to find enough work for me to be able to work full-time, it still wouldn’t earn me enough! One of my major tasks at the moment seems to be converting as much as possible of the GCSE music syllabus into tables/diagrams/ puzzles! Fun – but rather a challenge!
May 3, 2005
Thanks to Jack for her helpful advice on composting (see comments on previous post). Actually we have some special composting liquid (again free, courtesy of the council) to pour on once we get enough stuff in the bin. Another tip I picked up when I visited the Alternative Energy Centre in Wales was to add torn and crumpled up paper and cardboard to the mix. Stuff like cereal packets and the insides of loo rolls – that kind of thing. The idea is that it adds air to the mix and so prevents it turning to evil smelling brown sludge. Well – we’ll see!
Honey went back home yesterday. I am still tidying up the flat! I enjoyed having her once she settled down and stopped crying all night but I’m glad to have my flat back to myself too. I wonder if you can compost cat hair!
In answer to Ian’s question abut unmetered water payments. They don’t estimate the water that you use but calculate a payment based on the rateable value of your home. It’s supposed to be based on the amount you could charge to rent out your home but is pretty wierd and variable. It also discriminates against flat and apartment owners as these are easier and therefore more lucrative to rent out in general than other types of home. Anyway – water meter here I come (once I’ve made it through United Utilities’ 3 month waiting list!!)
I am beginning to wonder about the severe lack of job interviews that are coming from the applications I have submitted recently – I think I can rule out a couple I haven’t heard from now as definite no nos but I guess the closing dates for quite a few of them are less than a month ago – not that long for local government posts in particular! I have an interview with a recruitment agency on Friday so maybe that might be fruitful – who knows!!
May 1, 2005
Well I’ve taken my first steps to being officially green this week (in the purely environmental rather than political sense I mean)!
The compost bin arrived on Friday. One of my neighbours, Bella had been doing a lot of hard work on a rather overgrown flower bed in the grounds of the flats where I live. (We have a lot of green space surrounding the flats which I love!) I was talking to her about it and saying it was a shame that we couldn’t have a compost bin because the soil really needed improving. She pointed out that if we put one behind the bushes, no-one would really see it and it wouldn’t upset anyone (you wouldn’t believe what some people get upset about when you share communal gardens). We then found out that the council supply them for free. I ordered one – and now it has arrived! I’m not too sure how long it will take Bella and I to get any decent amount of vegetable waste etc to make the compost – the bits I’ve put in this weekend do look rather pathetic but I guess like most things to do with gardening – it will take time.
The second green thing I’ve done recently is to sign up for a water meter. This actually isn’t because I have aims of using less water but because I have worked out that I could save maybe £100 a year by doing so. My recent water bill (unmetered) is about £322 pa which I consider exorbitant for a single person living in a 1 bed flat!
Actually it is amazing how being on a much tighter budget (and having more time to do things) forces you to evaluate how you are spending money and see where things could be improved. I’ve found the money saving expert site advertised on the wibsite really useful in giving ideas on how to make savings. I haven’t quite plucked up the courage to change energy or phone supplier yet . Isn’t it funny how you stick with the familiar. Plus not knowing whether I should go for a really cheap energy supplier or try and find a green one! Oh the dilemas! I’m definitely going to shop around though and see if I can get a better interest rate for my ISA savings ( not that much money – but I might as well get what I can with it!)
