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Hey Scones! I'm sort of back online again, broadband has been sorted at the house but I've been a bit too busy to get online and say anything.
My housemate Dororthy is all frustrated because I won't let her put any decorations or the tree up until the 13th, in the states, she used to put them up for Thanksgiving and leave them up until the end of January!
The housemates were all excited after they installed Skype last night and talked to people back home. I guess I might get to using it to call some of you eventually. I never seem to have time though. Everything is such an effort right now with the cold weather slowing me down somewhat. I've been trying to get some wee graphics and web jobs to help meet the ever increasing bills and not finding any balance between work and rest, treading water.
Been getting used to my scooter though. I was able to get out on it for two days in a row seeing as we had two days without rain. I'm learning how many trips I can get out of one battery charge etc. He has a name now (chosen by my crazy friend Julia - her car is called Bubble, nuff said!) he's called Marvin and he's British Racing Green :) He can do 0-5.5mph in 30 seconds! I've not been going out with the basket on the front though, I'm still feeling a bit like a granny and the basket (although black) just adds more of a granny element. Mind you, I really still need to get a canopy for it so that I have the freedom to go out on rainy days. They cost a small fortune but hopefully I'll have one by the Summer if things get any better financially. I have to thank everyone who helped again for helping me have this freedom, I'd be stuck indoors all the time and wouldn't be able to network for wee jobs or help anyone else. I really appreaciate it.
Skitzocat had her first wee trip out in the garden this morning in the thick frost. She was smelling the other three cats that frequent our garden I guess from the funny wee noises she was making. She made a bid for freedom so I had to tackle her to get her back in the house. Now she's had a taste she's going bananas trying to get out of the back door and the patio doors! We have to get more fencing up before we can let her out there and she'll always have to be supervised. She hasn't been a well kitty lately so I need to keep a close eye. She's settling in still, slowly.
I have missed a lot of LJ, almost a month, so I won't read back all that way, no time. If I missed anything important, do shout at me.
I do know a few people are having a particularly hard time and I wish there was something I could do. I'm already spreading myself a bit thin trying to help people with various situations here. Although my situation is still a bit dire with the illness and the financial issues (still not had my tribunal date, still trying to get by on under £50 per week - that's been since July and I never see it, it all gets eaten by direct debits.) and Christmas looking like a barren one; I'm seeing lots of people round here struggling, too. I've been trying to help them in any way I can whether it's buying the ones on the street a hot drink or giving free stall space to the ones that do handcrafts to try and make them some cash, keeping an eye for things on freecycle to grab things for folk who have no money and no internet access and then getting it to them. One of our local homeless charities has gone down due to funding being pulled (it's said in favour of the 2012 Olympics thing) and that has had a major impact on the more needy people here. However, there is a bit of a culture of mucking in together here that I haven't seen anywhere else in a long time. It's amazing.
My latest mission is to find a pair of size 7 walking boots for one of our starving artists who lives in a tent, the ones on his feet are his only pair of shoes and they are letting in badly now. I'm helping in the shop today, I get £30 for that, then if I get some sales at market on Tuesday I should be able to afford some. I filled the freezer up over the last few weeks so I won't starve. He's such a lovely bloke and I think it's bad that anyone should be in a position where they can't afford a decent pair of footwear. I know I've got plenty footwear, what about you?
Anyway, I have a few things to be getting on with. I shall update again when I have time, hope you are all better/well.
~ Sharon XX
My housemate Dororthy is all frustrated because I won't let her put any decorations or the tree up until the 13th, in the states, she used to put them up for Thanksgiving and leave them up until the end of January!
The housemates were all excited after they installed Skype last night and talked to people back home. I guess I might get to using it to call some of you eventually. I never seem to have time though. Everything is such an effort right now with the cold weather slowing me down somewhat. I've been trying to get some wee graphics and web jobs to help meet the ever increasing bills and not finding any balance between work and rest, treading water.
Been getting used to my scooter though. I was able to get out on it for two days in a row seeing as we had two days without rain. I'm learning how many trips I can get out of one battery charge etc. He has a name now (chosen by my crazy friend Julia - her car is called Bubble, nuff said!) he's called Marvin and he's British Racing Green :) He can do 0-5.5mph in 30 seconds! I've not been going out with the basket on the front though, I'm still feeling a bit like a granny and the basket (although black) just adds more of a granny element. Mind you, I really still need to get a canopy for it so that I have the freedom to go out on rainy days. They cost a small fortune but hopefully I'll have one by the Summer if things get any better financially. I have to thank everyone who helped again for helping me have this freedom, I'd be stuck indoors all the time and wouldn't be able to network for wee jobs or help anyone else. I really appreaciate it.
Skitzocat had her first wee trip out in the garden this morning in the thick frost. She was smelling the other three cats that frequent our garden I guess from the funny wee noises she was making. She made a bid for freedom so I had to tackle her to get her back in the house. Now she's had a taste she's going bananas trying to get out of the back door and the patio doors! We have to get more fencing up before we can let her out there and she'll always have to be supervised. She hasn't been a well kitty lately so I need to keep a close eye. She's settling in still, slowly.
I have missed a lot of LJ, almost a month, so I won't read back all that way, no time. If I missed anything important, do shout at me.
I do know a few people are having a particularly hard time and I wish there was something I could do. I'm already spreading myself a bit thin trying to help people with various situations here. Although my situation is still a bit dire with the illness and the financial issues (still not had my tribunal date, still trying to get by on under £50 per week - that's been since July and I never see it, it all gets eaten by direct debits.) and Christmas looking like a barren one; I'm seeing lots of people round here struggling, too. I've been trying to help them in any way I can whether it's buying the ones on the street a hot drink or giving free stall space to the ones that do handcrafts to try and make them some cash, keeping an eye for things on freecycle to grab things for folk who have no money and no internet access and then getting it to them. One of our local homeless charities has gone down due to funding being pulled (it's said in favour of the 2012 Olympics thing) and that has had a major impact on the more needy people here. However, there is a bit of a culture of mucking in together here that I haven't seen anywhere else in a long time. It's amazing.
My latest mission is to find a pair of size 7 walking boots for one of our starving artists who lives in a tent, the ones on his feet are his only pair of shoes and they are letting in badly now. I'm helping in the shop today, I get £30 for that, then if I get some sales at market on Tuesday I should be able to afford some. I filled the freezer up over the last few weeks so I won't starve. He's such a lovely bloke and I think it's bad that anyone should be in a position where they can't afford a decent pair of footwear. I know I've got plenty footwear, what about you?
Anyway, I have a few things to be getting on with. I shall update again when I have time, hope you are all better/well.
~ Sharon XX