Thursday 9 September 2010

Times they are a changing

It's been so long since I sat down and wrote, and a lot of things have happened; or should I say will be happening over the next few months. Some things will be scary, some exciting. One thing is for certain, my life is never dull. Not quite sure if that's a good thing or not, but things will be differen't that's for sure. Different people have been giving their advice, and normally at times like these i'd ask my mom; the fountain of all knowledge. However, that's not possible anymore so i'm kind of torn on where to go from here. With all the advice I think I need to take 5 and try and sort things out in my own mind.

So, where to start!

Well, my beloved sister has turned psychotic, and decided that she wanted to stalk me first then proceed to attack me at my own home a few weeks ago. Police were called and she was warned to stay away otherwise risk arrest. Thing is she really didn't care, not about me, not about what the police were telling her. She's been told now to stay away for good and not to contact me again. Whether she'll heed that advice or not, time will tell, but if she does come around again, I won't be pulling any punches. My mom and dad would be turning in their graves. So what was the fight about? A photo album! Unbelievable isn't it what lengths some people will go to to hurt another. I was entitled to copies of my parent's wedding album, she disagreed and told the solicitors not to give me copies. Luckily mom chose some good solicitors and they told her to back off and gave me copies. So now all I have to do is give her money in exchange for staying at my parent's home. This is where the fun starts, which i'll talk about in a little bit.

My second news? I'm going on a cruise to Asia; Beijing, Shanghai, Kagoshima, Hiroshima, Okinowa, Incheon, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, my birth place and the place my parents lived for 2 years. It's going to be a fantastic journey, 2 1/2 weeks of contentment and memories, especially going to Hong Kong, specifically Kowloon. I can't wait. I leave in October then board the cruise ship Legend of the Seas. I've never done a cruise before, unless you count a Nile cruise. I think i'm at the stage where I can't quite believe i'm going yet, so i'm keeping my excitement down to a minimum. I think it'll all sink in when I get to the airport. I'll be taking my camera with me, so will keep posting pictures of my journey, and will get the opportunity to wear cocktail dresses. Only one problem with that, i've not bought any yet, so will have to go shopping, and I hate shopping, but I suppose it's a mean to an end. I know my mom and dad will be traveling with me, and keeping me safe. I can't wait to go on the Star Ferry and see the Great wall of China. I'm taking my friend Vickie with me, and hopefully we'll have a blast. I'm having trouble with my Arthrirtis at the moment so it's causing a few problems both personally and profesionally which i'll go into in a minute.

My friends in work suggested instead of taking my sticks to take a wheelchair instead or try and get one of those mobility scooters. I told them that my friend Vickie loves to push me around, ergo I wouldn't need a wheelchair. ;) Only joking. I'm not quite sure how i'm going to manage, but i'm absolutely determined that this once in a life time holiday. Well my second once in a lifetime holiday (Stargate Atlantis holiday to Vancouver).

Talking of work, things have kind of gone from bad to worse for me in that department, and i'm finally leaving for good. I've not really got much choice to be honest as my bosses are curently preparing to dismiss me for inefficiancy for being off sick so much. I got my first formal warning on Tuesday for being off sick when my mom died. I was then told if I was off again i'd have to attend a stage 2 warning which will eventually lead to dismissal. Unfortunately as my Arthritis has been really bad recently and work are constantly ignoring my requests for support and reasonable adjustments, my doctor signed me off for two weeks. So hello stage 2 warning. My union rep thinks I've got a good case to appeal the warning as i've not had any support, and even my doc says that i've got a good case to go to the Employment Tribunal under the DDA. Thing is, even if I did that, what would change. I have no job to go back to, work are looking to get rid of about 10 thousand people across the UK, and then there's me, who's intermittantly off sick, who has a long term disability and hasn't had a job to do for the last 6 months.

I just wonder what is left for there. Hence my last dilemma. My job has always been secure in the past, it was one of those places that you never get made redundant they simply move you elsewhere. Now, however with all the cuts, nothing and noone is safe in any position. I volunteered to leave, but got told that I couldn't leave until my department was finished in March 2011, but given what's happened recently and by all accounts will continue to happen, i'm left in a dilemma as to what to do. Do I leave in October like i've now been told can happen and get some money so that I can last for 12 months while I look for another job. Or do I hold out until the end of March, where there's no guarantee that I will have a job as they're looking to dismiss me.

My mom was brilliant at guiding me in the right direction, and I really miss her, especially now. I don't think i've grieved properly for mom yet, and not quite sure when it will actually hit me, but I honestly am struggling with which way to turn. People have been giving me advice, half are telling me to go, the other half to stay and fight it out. As for me, I want to leave. I honestly don't think there's a future for me there anymore, and realistically I know that they're trying their hardest to get rid of me and will eventually succeed especially with my being signed off at the moment. My doc has told me that it's pointless having anymore physio or steriod and facet joint injections and i'm not gaining the benefit. So i'm being referred to a pain clinic which hopefully they'll help control my pain somewhat until I finally get my knee replacement. Which will likely be in about 10 years as i'm apparantly too young at the moment.

So, everything is kind of up in the air, if anyone has any advice, please put your answers on a postcard. ;)

And lastly as I like to end on a high note, my hair is growing back nicely and it's now a couple of inches long and platinum blonde. I had a cut and blow dry today to cheer myself up and my whacky cat decided that she also liked my new hair so much that she decided to groom me. I know the quality of the vid isn't that great, but she just started doing it, and all I had was my mobile to hand.

So the video of my cat licking my hair is short and sweet. Ignore the clothes in the corner, I've been trying them on for my hols and deciding what to wear.

The next time i'll post will probably when i'm on my cruise and sailing the seven seas. I'll keep you updated, please feel free to drop me a line.