My Three Pence

Photo by Magda Kmiecik on Unsplash You will find me by the brambles,  A thicket of tangled branches, thorns and mayhem,  The reflection of my mind,  But not in the now, For here it is calm, gentle, at ease. With the only thought of: one for me, one for the tub. 

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash I was supposed to have a job interview today. It has been scheduled for over a week and I got an email half an hour before with the subject line "cancelled" but the email congratulating me on my interview.  Now, the person conducting the interview, I was told, could not complete the interview as they were sick. Ok, I get that, they are ill, unavoidable. And that I would need to reschedule for a later date.   Why is the onus on me? Do you not have another person to hold these interviews/assessments? Why am I now needing to wait another week, surely it is in your interest to get these done as soon as possible. Or actually does it not matter to the company, as there are plenty of candidates.  The issue now is, my day was revolving round this interview. I had it mapped out: workout, interview, snack break, go for a walk, lunch, look at other jobs, watch TV, make dinner, scroll. But now my day is all askew and I do not know what to do....

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash When I get an oven I will roast a chicken with lemon, garlic and herb butter. I will bake The Pioneer Woman's soft cinnamon rolls . I will bake a quiche, all cheese and wobble. I will roast pork ribs, spicy and sticky. I will bake bread. I will bake my Nigella Lawson cookies. I will cook a lasagna, all layers and topped with ricotta. I will bake a frozen pizza and savour the simple pleasure. Please can I get a new working oven. 

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash  Is blogging dead?  Google and the rest of the internet says not, it's just evolving.  I remember when people would blog about their life, like in the old days of Instagram when people would just post up the dinner that night. Yes there were those out there wanting to and making their blog into a business but generally I loved the blogs that were just peoples updates, a recap of what they done at the weekend, their successful recipe the tried out, their trip with friends. We didn't know each other in real life but I "knew" them enough to want to know what they had done, to catch up. I always thought the best blogs were those written as it was a letter to their friend or a diary entry. I recall my brother telling me I should start an "online" journal during one summer holiday to give myself something to do, he was clearly well ahead of his time. Although I do think that was the summer holiday I taught myself photoshop, so not...

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash If you arrive prematurely at an establishment and find it not open yet, please do not stand in front of the doors and for the love of tiny ducklings do not stare in.  I cannot stress enough how aggravating this seemingly innocuous action is.  From the early arrivals standpoint, you have arrived to find the doors closed but lights on and staff inside. You look at your watch to see its 2 minutes to open so will just wait for them to open. No harm.  From the staff's point of view, you have turned up before opening, rattled the door, scowled at them with your face pressed to the door and are denting the ground with all the foot tapping. If you find yourself in this situation, please follow these easy steps:  1. If finding the establishment still to open, but in the next few minutes, walk a few steps away from the door and face away. Take in the scenery or play on your phone. Do not stare into the premises.  2. Once the doors have be...

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash They say write what you know.  Well, what do I know?  I know working in retail, hospitality and customer service. I know food. I know trying and failing. I know of not being taken seriously because of my gender and appearance. I know the love of Christmas. I know a failed relationship. I know the awfulness of Scotrail and First buses. I know late self diagnosis of neurodivergence. I know the desire to live a quiet life. I know a bumpy childhood. I know a good period drama. I know the anticipation of a house renovation. I know the joy of a little treat.