I applied for another internship

I normally check the job sites each and every morning as I have been looking for employment or even an internship for the last 4 or 5 months. I would love to do any type of active work as I have worked in the customer service and office environment for far too long and found that sitting on my backside all day is not very good for my health or waste line for that matter. It would be fantastic to do something creative like the internship for a stone cutter that I didn’t get a few weeks ago or something like that. WELL after checking all the job sites religiously for the last few weeks and applying for whatever jobs that I could do, I overlooked one of my ideal jobs. THE JOB, or to be more accurate THE INTERNSHIP was for a furniture restorer in the Dublin area. This would be brilliant as it would be a way back into cabinetmaking once again. The company is looking for someone that they can mentor to do furniture restoration, French polishing and upholstery. This is something that I can do if I get a chance. When I started as a cabinetmaker apprentice many years ago (I sound old) furniture restoration is one thing I really wanted to do but did not get the chance and by the time I was a qualified cabinetmaker, I could not afford to give up my job as I had started saving to buy a house. I had also become institutionalised and myself belief and creativeness had become stifled and undermined by a very egotistical employer and a management regime. This is the main reason I never went back to cabinetmaking even though I so craved it.

ANYWAY as I was saying, I missed this internship that was posted on the FAS website last Friday. How I missed it I will never know and I am really peed off with myself about it. This morning applied for the said internship by emailing my C.V. with a cover letter. The only thing is, I am sure they have received hundreds of applications for this job and all I can do is hope. I cannot give them a call as it was made clear on the application, that they will only take emails. All I can do is live in hope. I just wonder when this unemployed hell will end as I am really starting to feel down in the dumps. As I said before, it is not the lack of money that gets to you. It’s the feeling of worthlessness. I just hope that this company will at least look at my CV and give me a call or even just email me. Wish me luck.

Slingback girl

A few weeks ago, I told you all about my date with, let’s just call her the SLINGBACK GIRL.  As you know, it wasn’t the most successful date I have been on, but in fairness, it wasn’t the worst either. Well anyway I was doing some shopping (I know, a good catholic boy like me shopping on a Sunday when I should be in mass) and who did I bump into again, but the SLINGBACK GIRL. I was surprised that I wasn’t as embarrassed as I thought I would have been, but it was a bit awkward to be honest. I know it would have been the easiest thing in the world to ask her out on another date (in the hope that she doesn’t drink too much and start moaning about people again) but somehow I managed to avoid this. In fairness, it was really nice to see her again and we had a nice yap and even a laugh. I know she does not know, or at least I don’t think she knows why I do not want to go out with her again. I did kind of get the feeling that she was a wee bit, I was going to say hurt that I did not phone or contact her after our night out, but I think hurt may be too strong a word. Maybe she bitches and moans about people because she is hurt? That would make sense wouldn’t it? But then again, she could just be one of those people that are really judgemental.  No, I think I made the correct decision not to go out with her again as she made really personal negative remarks about our past work mates, and I just don’t think it was called for and also the fact that it was over five years ago that we all worked together shows that these are deep rooted opinions.  I’m just wondering what she really thinks of me now?   Ah well.   Oh just to let you know, she wasn’t wearing slingbacks today lol. In saying all this, I really do wish her the best and hope she will be happier with herself and others.  It’s odd in a way because yesterday I blogged that I was finding it hard to find a girlfriend and today I turned down the chance. I wouldn’t mind, but Slingback Girl is really good looking as well. The truth is, it’s what’s inside that really counts. If only I could find a girl that was into arts and crafts and the simple things. If I could find myself hippy girl that doesn’t mind fat, unemployed guys that have boxer dogs and drives a granny car (2006 Renault Modus).  I will tell you about my Renault Modus another time.

Lifes ups and downs?

So it is over a week ago since I went for the job interview for an internship as a stone cutter. Well needless to say I did not hear anything back about the job, even though I was really happy with how the interview went. That’s how the job market is in dear old Ireland at the moment. In many ways I was lucky to get the interview in the first place as there were literally hundreds of applicants out of which only 40 CV’s (résumé) were picked. 

Looks like I will be sending a lot more CV’s out before anyone will give me a job. I don’t know why I am still happy as the list of things that have gone wrong this year for me, would drive most people loopy. But then again, that’s life and it’s the ups and downs that make life interesting. I know it just sounds like I am trying to put the bright side to things to the front, but judge for you. Here is a list of things that have gone wrong since December 20^th.

December 20^th    Gas central heating boiler stops working and I can't get it to stay lit.   No money to get it fixed.

December 23^rd    Starts to snow so I can’t drive home to Donegal for Christmas as the roads are really bad and I’m not used to driving in snow.  First Christmas away from home EVER.   All Christmas there was no heat in house and it turned out to be the coldest winter for 50 years or so. 

 December 26^th   Due to cold weather, the pipes that brings water to attic tank freeze, which feeds the toilet, washing machine and washbasin. But at least the water is coming into kitchen sink so we can use buckets to flush toilet and make a cup of tea and cook. Although I can’t wash cloths or have a shower, at least we do have water, even if it is cold.

December 30^th   wake up about 3am with the sound of rain and think, fantastic, it has started to thaw and there will be no more ice or snow. Go back to sleep feeling happy, only to wake up as I realise the sound of rain is coming from inside the house.  I go out to the landing and see water flooding through attic hatch and down the walls and stairs. I run down to kitchen and shut off the water from the main valve and run all the taps so it will empty the attic tank before it all empty’s through the house. Mop as much water up as I can. Also water is running from the boiler under the stairs. As I can do no more I go back to bed and leave it for the morning. It turned out the boiler is a total wright of and it will cost €1600 or so to replace.

January 2^nd I was going to drive to Loughlinstown (12km away) were I was doing a computer course at the time and I find there is a big split in the tyre which I only spot because of a reflection from ice on my driveway. Otherwise the split in the tyre was almost invisible as it just looked like part of the tyres construction.  In some ways this was brilliant because if I were to have driven home for Christmas, the split could have resulted in a serious accident.

Went up to get a new tyre which I was going to be charged €110, as it was an odd size. Was at the tyre company for almost an hour as they could not find the correct size even though it was in stock .I had to used spare wheel as the tyre I was looking for would not be in for at least a week, however I drove down the road to another company and they changed my tyre for €40 less as it was a different make from the original.

You know what? the negative of Christmas is really a big positive as I could have had an accident due to the split in the front tyre which was almost impossible to see. Also If I had gone home to Donegal for Christmas, I know the water damage to the house would have been worse as it would have flooded the house until I came back which could have been 3 or 4 days. How lucky am I?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT    There aren’t really any negatives or things that have gone wrong. They were just hic ups that could have led to disasters.   You know, thinking about it, I am pretty lucky.

All I need to do with my life is to

Get healthy again ( I used to cycle and loved it)

 

Lose weight  (at least 6 stone)

Get a job  (would love to work in an arts and crafts type job. Mabe get back to cabinetmaking?)

Get motavation back (Keeping up the motivation is the hardest thing. This is a real struggle that I have battled for years with. I wonder if hypnosis works?)

Get a girlfriend  (not easy when you don’t have money and are overweight and to be honest, suffer low self-esteem, slight depression and just can’t get motivation) ( on the positive though, I have my own teeth, full head of hair and car  OH! and I also have a new bottle of aftershave  WOoo WhOOo!  How can I go wrong    LOL) ( mind you, it could be like the last date I went out with a few weeks ago. Am I better off single?)

I was going to do a big list of things that went wrong this year, but, life is not that bad.

The real negative is that I have abandoned art and have stopped drawing and painting. Now this is one thing I can control.  I am going to start putting a new portfolio together and I will try and get motivated so I can apply to NCAD, which I should have done last year. The only real hard thing is that I work well with other like thinking people and find it a struggle to do my art on my own.

NCAD is The National College of Art and Design of Ireland   

Please have a look at their website http://www.ncad.ie/

Sunday Dinner = Courgettes?

Sunday dinner is normally one of the best dinners of the week. I always look forward to going up home to Donegal for the Sunday roast with Yorkshire puds and gravy. Oh, how my mouth is watering wright now!

It’s a wee bit different when you are living on your own (well except for Rocky the boxer dog). It would not really be worth buying a Sunday roast beef as it would be a glut for only one and anyway, Sunday roast is a meal that people should eat together. Anyone out there want to invite me for a Sunday roast? LOL

I decided that I would continue experimenting with my courgettes and make another dinner, and I have to say it turned out really well.

First I got all my ingredients and prepared and chopped them. I used a really cheap mandolin type cutter to slice the courgette so it is just like spaghetti.

I then lightly fried my onion (red onion as the other one was bad) and in with the garlic and chicken. Because I was unsure about how courgettes cook, I added half a mug of instant vegetable stock. To be honest, I could have left this out as the dish started to get to wet.

I then added the courgette and then the peas. Because of the stock made it seem too wet, I added some instant noodle to soak it up. The instant noodle did a great job, but it didn’t really go together with the dish so I would be inclined to leave it out if I ever make this again. After a few minutes, I added a few spoonful’s of low fat cream cheese, or at least I think it was cream cheese as it was in German as I bought it in Aldi.

And here is the finished dish. I have to say it was really good and if I left out the noodle and maybe used smoke salmon instead of chicken, it would be fantastic and every bit as good as you would get in a restaurant. Add a few shavings of Parmesan cheese and maybe a bit of cream or creme fresh, and it would be perfect. All in all it cost about €1.30 to make.   Who said you need money to eat well?

Courgettes for dinner

Today I took a look at my flower bed in front of my house and decided that some of my courgettes were big enough to start cooking with.  Now to be honest, I don’t think I have ever had a courgette before, although I am sure I have in some form or another. I am going to use what I have in the house and NOT go to the shop for anything. I know I have some chicken, onion, garlic and I’m sure there are other things I can use. So off I go now to get my ingredients prepared and I will see what happens.

20 minutes or so later.

This is all the ingredients that I will use. As you can see I have prepared the veg and chicken so it is ready to cook.

First I browned the chicken and added the onion and garlic. After a few minutes I added the courgette and then some spices and a touch of pepper. I added the yellow pepper, tomatoe and peas last. 

I then added some vegetable stock (OXO stock cube) and last but not least I added the noodles and a wee touch of soy.

This is the finished dish that took about 20 or so to make. It tasted really good and far better than a Chinese take away.

The only thing is, after making this dish; I still can’t say I tasted courgettes as the dish was so flavourful with all its spices and mix of ingredients. 

I guess I will have to try again tomorrow.

Job Interview for stone cutter

I had good news regarding the stone cutter internship that my last post was about. I got a call from the owner of the company and he asked me if I could come in and see if I was suited to the job?

So on Wednesday I came in for an interview and was shown around the workshop and studio. I think the interview went really well although I was told that hundreds of people had applied for the job. Out of the few hundred applicants they picked 40 CVs so in a way I am really lucky. Not really sure if I will get the job as it may come down to something as simple as how near someone lives to the company or even a toss of a coin.

The manager said he was amazed at how meany people had applied to work for nothing.

When you are unemployed, the worst thing is the feeling that you are not doing or contributing anything and I can tell you that you start feeling worthless. If you are working, even for no money, at least you feel like you are worth something. Every day seems to be the same as well. You can’t go out and socialise as you don’t have enough money and it sometimes feels like there is a big black cloud hanging over you. It’s odd really as I know if I had a full time job, I would be looking forward to having time off.

WELL ANYWAY   I should hear by Monday if I get the job that does not pay anything.

If I don’t get the job I will still be happy as I know I gave a good interview and also that they picked my CV which is a big plus. I kind of wonder if I didn’t give them a call, would they have called me in the first place? Better stop now as some doubts are starting to pop into my head.