Yet another extremely delayed update :)
So, as ever, it's been an age since I updated. Things are jogging along pretty well. The things which have most struck me as significant are as follows:
Work continues to be slightly annoying in that people at the school job (staff and governors both) are showing themselves to be less than stellar at getting back about any queries/producing papers on time - but that's like most governance jobs, IME. At least they've finally been assigned a budget code for my wages, so they actually paid me for my July and September invoices. On an even more positive note, carefully unnamed publishing company has this week - finally - paid me for my July and August invoices. :)
I have an application in progress for much the same job at another school. I was in two minds about whether to apply and how easy it would be to balance the two clients (given how much more time School 1 is needing than originally advertised). Given that the two together would mean I'd actually have income in excess of my outgoings, and could stop raiding my savings for living expenses, I'd more or less talked myself into applying...and then I got a 'gentle reminder' e-mail on Monday about the deadline from the HR person I'd been speaking with at School 2, which tended to suggest that they haven't been mowed down in the rush of qualified applicants. So I applied...and received an invite to interview, less than 48 hours later!
Bookclub continues, although we only managed two of us for meeting 3 (book 2). I guess we'll have to see how we do with the third of the three books which were originally chosen.
The first TLL crafts meet, as mentioned in my last long update, did happen. My attempts at figuring out knitting from a book failed, so I hand-altered a vest top to fit me properly instead. I had slightly more luck at figuring out casting on later with an online guide, as recommended by fwuffydragon, and a little help from nezumi_sama, who vaguely remembered knitting when he was but a nipper. I also signed up for a one day introductory course at the local Adult Education Centre later this month, so maybe the 'Henry Ford project' will happen at some point. I suspect I'll do better with cross stitch, and I picked up this book ridiculously cheap at the last Alternative Bring and Buy Sale (where I also found some more excellent bargains in books, clothing and accessories). I bought some bits and pieces and was planning to make a start on the 'Read In Peace' bookmark at the second meet, scheduled for Monday night, but unfortunately it was cancelled.
Other recurrent things have included more gaming with A's weekday group, now with the addition of a guy called Chris, who is running a Star Wars: Edge of Empire game. I'm enjoying this game, too, but think I may end up skipping whatever comes next, as (with the game not having a set night) twice now I've ended up gaming on a Friday night when I'd half-intended to go clubbing. This means I've fallen badly behind on my 12 clubs in 12 months challenge and I've still never been to Antichrist! There has been a little low-key clubbing in the last month, in that I did manage to check out the opening night for "Propagation", which I suppose could be described as doing (mostly) modern postpunk/dark indie type stuff. It wasn't really my kind of thing, which is to say that I knew almost none of the music and thus ended up not dancing at all, but it was a decent enough night, not least because I managed to get A to come and meet me there after he finished work and he and I and Sahra, who had also showed up to check it out, had a good old natter. Turnout wasn't great, although I see from the Facebook page that it was good enough that they will get a second night.
In terms of future stuff, besides more work and stuff already mentioned above, it looks as if I may finally make a start of the volunteer coaching thing, for which I have a 'matching day' in a week or two. With any luck, the young person I'm assigned to will actually show up this time, rather than bailing before the process even starts, like the last one! The other thing I'm looking forward to is the New Model Army gig, for which I have a ticket sitting happily stuck to my kitchen calendar right now.
Work continues to be slightly annoying in that people at the school job (staff and governors both) are showing themselves to be less than stellar at getting back about any queries/producing papers on time - but that's like most governance jobs, IME. At least they've finally been assigned a budget code for my wages, so they actually paid me for my July and September invoices. On an even more positive note, carefully unnamed publishing company has this week - finally - paid me for my July and August invoices. :)
I have an application in progress for much the same job at another school. I was in two minds about whether to apply and how easy it would be to balance the two clients (given how much more time School 1 is needing than originally advertised). Given that the two together would mean I'd actually have income in excess of my outgoings, and could stop raiding my savings for living expenses, I'd more or less talked myself into applying...and then I got a 'gentle reminder' e-mail on Monday about the deadline from the HR person I'd been speaking with at School 2, which tended to suggest that they haven't been mowed down in the rush of qualified applicants. So I applied...and received an invite to interview, less than 48 hours later!
Bookclub continues, although we only managed two of us for meeting 3 (book 2). I guess we'll have to see how we do with the third of the three books which were originally chosen.
The first TLL crafts meet, as mentioned in my last long update, did happen. My attempts at figuring out knitting from a book failed, so I hand-altered a vest top to fit me properly instead. I had slightly more luck at figuring out casting on later with an online guide, as recommended by fwuffydragon, and a little help from nezumi_sama, who vaguely remembered knitting when he was but a nipper. I also signed up for a one day introductory course at the local Adult Education Centre later this month, so maybe the 'Henry Ford project' will happen at some point. I suspect I'll do better with cross stitch, and I picked up this book ridiculously cheap at the last Alternative Bring and Buy Sale (where I also found some more excellent bargains in books, clothing and accessories). I bought some bits and pieces and was planning to make a start on the 'Read In Peace' bookmark at the second meet, scheduled for Monday night, but unfortunately it was cancelled.
Other recurrent things have included more gaming with A's weekday group, now with the addition of a guy called Chris, who is running a Star Wars: Edge of Empire game. I'm enjoying this game, too, but think I may end up skipping whatever comes next, as (with the game not having a set night) twice now I've ended up gaming on a Friday night when I'd half-intended to go clubbing. This means I've fallen badly behind on my 12 clubs in 12 months challenge and I've still never been to Antichrist! There has been a little low-key clubbing in the last month, in that I did manage to check out the opening night for "Propagation", which I suppose could be described as doing (mostly) modern postpunk/dark indie type stuff. It wasn't really my kind of thing, which is to say that I knew almost none of the music and thus ended up not dancing at all, but it was a decent enough night, not least because I managed to get A to come and meet me there after he finished work and he and I and Sahra, who had also showed up to check it out, had a good old natter. Turnout wasn't great, although I see from the Facebook page that it was good enough that they will get a second night.
In terms of future stuff, besides more work and stuff already mentioned above, it looks as if I may finally make a start of the volunteer coaching thing, for which I have a 'matching day' in a week or two. With any luck, the young person I'm assigned to will actually show up this time, rather than bailing before the process even starts, like the last one! The other thing I'm looking forward to is the New Model Army gig, for which I have a ticket sitting happily stuck to my kitchen calendar right now.