Slime Wars

The recession appears to have led to overcrowding. In my garden. With the ground constantly damp from the tears of the many unemployed and overlevied, slugs can now freely roam the globe.

And they are freely roaming my garden and eating about a €1 of plantage a night. I come out every morning to see another sweet little lobelia stripped of its foliage and reduced to a sad little mohican of skinny stalks pointing hopelessly to heaven. Marigolds denuded to an inappropriate state, left only with a perverted veil of slime as a calling card.

Oh sure, there's always been slugs in my garden. There were root consuming moth larvae too before that that stealthily killed my new plants from the ground up 2 years ago. And an annual invasion of aphids on my rosebush that make me wish I could sell honeydew to the masses and become a millionaire.

But this year, the not so adorable, shell-less, be-antlered, slime-slitherers can fly. Or possibly they rent small private jets. Because they are getting past the inch high mound of slug pellets all around the base of the precious posies. Which they are not supposed to do.

Not only that, they are completely nocturnal. Trust me, if ever I laid eyes on one of the voracious gastropods in the light of day, they will experience the full spa treatment of an all over salt scrub that will result in Wicked Witch of the West style melting.

Any suggestions before I resort to a plastic garden?

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.