Up and down

I keep going through patches of being pleased/happy that I finally have a job on the cards, then subsequent patches of being indifferent/down. Every five minutes I seem to find myself doing calculations in my head of how much money I'll actually have to spend. Take the salary, then minus tax, rent, petrol, and there isn't a lot left. And it gets worse. We have two cars here at home, one is used all the time by my parents, and the other is only ever used by me and my sister (and neither of us use it much in any case). Anyway, I had a conversation with my dad last night, and it went something like this:

Dad: so, James, how are you going to be getting to Heathrow when you start this job?

James: well, the first 5 weeks is all training, which takes place right next to Hatton Cross Station, so I'll get the tube initially.

Dad: [a sick facial expression appears] Hatton Cross?!?! Jeez, James, that's a bit of a drag!

James: it's not that bad!

Dad: so, how are you going to get to Heathrow after the 5 weeks training?

James: well I guess I'll have to drive.

Dad: [eyes light up, as if he's been looking forward to this moment for weeks] You're going to drive?!?! You're going to have to get a car then aren't you?

[James exhibits a blank, bored, tired face and prepares for the monologue]

And you're also going to have to get your own insurance policy....

[James decides against listening to the monologue and leaves room]


... so, looks like I'll have to buy a car and get my own insurance on top of everything else. Which is going to leave me with more or less nothing. I'd nearly get as much money staying on the dole!

All of these calculations flying around in my head have led me to have some pretty strange thoughts on other jobs I could look into. I just spent about 20 minutes researching being a gravedigger. It would be peaceful, just me and the great outdoors, no one hassling me. But it turns out you need to go on a TRAINING COURSE and that I would have to PAY FOR IT! Really, what is this world coming to? Over my period of unemployment, I've lost so much faith in the recruiment industry, and in society in general. The bureaucracy and BS that life is riddled with today is utterly ludicrous. You need a qualification to do manual labour. You need a qualification to be a gravedigger. For whatever reason, I couldn't get a job doing shredding in a bank.

Anyway, enough whining for now. Drinks later with the boys. I'll probably be playing poker all afternoon before that.

Thanks for reading.