Isn't blogging hard?

Well, what a gap since the last outpouring.

It proves that blogging is tough. The self-doubt or the writer's block sets in and that's that! We'll lack of belief and ideas aside, here goes!

The Numbers game:
Recession Fairy is officially unemployed for 2 months.
Recession Fairy has now applied for 42 jobs.
Recession Fairy has had 4 interviews.
Recession Fairy had 1 2nd interview.
Recession Fairy had a 1 in 3 chance of a job.
Recession Fairy has 0 jobs.

I was never that super at maths but you don't need a degree in fantasanomics to see that's a bit rubbish!

Brighter news. Was out in a terrible local night club - I know, I should be in counting the pennies - and got a compliment, I think.
Was dressed up in an 80's stylee mish-mash of Penney's (tights x 2, leg-warmers, bra) and Bay (top) and Stradivarius (shoes). Don't worry, I was still 50% neon pink.

A lady came over and asked me what I did for living. (Oh the irony.)
She said I looked like an interior designer or something, really cool and individual. Hooray!!

Hooray for neons and recession-in-your-face fluorescent clothing. Bright on the outside is a start...

Yours,
RF

I live in Hope

I live in Hope.

It's a nice town...
Bit uninhabited at the moment.

I only recently moved there from 'Ignorance' in the suburb of "It'll never happen to me". I liked it there but I got evicted. Needless to say I wasn't expecting it.

Hope's not the easiest place to live. Especially when my phone is resolutely doing it's best not to ring. I think it's maliciously reject calls from potential employers to thwart me for slagging it off and saying I want my old Nokia back. The postman in Hope is not my friend either. Bad news always comes with a stamp on the outside and no on the inside I've recently come to learn.

Happily though, there is broadband available in Hope so I can do high-speed Internet searches for the jobs that I'm not going to get.

The sun also shines, particularly in the mornings, so it's a nice walk to the dole office. Or sometimes a cycle to break the monotony.

Now I'm thinking about it, I have the funniest feeling the nasty estate agent sold me a house right on the border. You see Hope borders Despair - and it all depends what side of bed you get out of in the morning as to which place you end up in.

I don't wanna save money ;_;

Lots of supershiny mass media advertising from Bord Gais and some other green efficient crowd saying you can save minimum 10% off your leccy bill by doing the old switcheroo.

How many people do I know that have done it?

Just me and Mr. Fairy.

Excuses as follows:
"It's too good to be true." It's not a pyramid scheme.
"I must call them up, I have a few questions." FAQ on the website, lo-call number, get to it!
"I'd do it if I was gonna get one bill instead of two". Which add up to the same amount anyway?

Seriously people - it's an actual, real, live discount. Money in your pocket instead of someone else's. And you can always switch back, ESB won't blackball you for life. I'm pretty sure I didn't miss the clause when signing up that said I'd given Bord Gais my immortal soul to produce electricity with. I hope I didn't...ah, sure it's still 14% extra for me :D

On the road again...

Well Fairy followers.

My first bit of action in over a month. I had two interviews so far this week. One was a 1st round for a permanent job, one an interview for a temporary position. Obviously I'd love something permanent - if that still means anything these days!! - but I'll take what I get. If I get.

I can't believe how much my confidence has been knocked. I used to stride into interviews like I was born to do them. Like the people were privileged just meeting me. Not any more.

Now I feel like I'm shuffling in, cap in hand, begging for the crumbs from their table. They all gently remind you that there's tons of candidates out there - plenty of juicy fish in the sea all willingly jumping into the nets.

Yesterday was particularly rough, even the heavens having a giggle at my expense, soaking me from head to toe in freezing rain. I got temporarily lost and had to run around the block dodging puddles and working up a nice shiny pink face for my troubles.

The radio goes on now every morning, just so I can be further depressed with 200 redundancies there, pay cuts here, mini-budgets. The only time 'mini' has absolutely no cute effect whatsoever.

And I've realised I don't even need to turn on the radio to hear these bad tidings. Almost everyone I know has been affected, either one or more people in the household. It's really sad, and we're all being very supportive of one another but we can only do so much, be so comforting when our own wallets are being emptied.

So I'm waiting for my phone to ring with good news for a change. I have fingers, toes and wings crossed at this stage. Cross them with me people, for me and possibly for you too.