Life Spugs because...

[Noisybast]

Having finally jacked in the booze and fags several months ago and started getting herself back on track, my girlfriend's mum has had a sudden (if not entirely surprising) decline in health and is now in intensive care with liver failure. As you'd expect, my girlfriend is in bits. Bad times...

[JOE SOAP]

Depending on her age it's quite common for people to get sick after letting go of the old 'crutches'. It's the body manifesting/purging what it wasn't allowed to in all the years of being numbed. Hopefully she'll get strong enough to pull through.

[HdE]

Van Dom - Noisybast - blahhdy hell, those are grim stories.

Hope some light appears at the end of your respective tunnels. I'll be rootin' for all concerned.

[Noisybast]

Thanks Joe, but it's looking unlikely. She had a serious problem with drink for years, right up until about February (the first anniversary of her son's death - also from drinking). Since then, she's amazed us all by taking control and just quitting. Sadly, it looks like the damage was already done.

[Van Dom]

Thanks for the support guys. D-day is sometime next week so whatevers going to happen will happen...then I 'll have to decide what I'm going to do.

Noisybast thats bloody awful that is. Really sorry to hear it. 

[SmallBlueThing]

It's not often life gets so bad it actually spugs, here. But this is one of those times. As some of you may know, I make my living travelling about seeing adults on the Autistic Spectrum who have gone from residential care into flats of their own. I spend 40 hours a week going into their homes, supporting them in their lives, helping them to do stuff and whatnot. For the last two years I've been dealing exclusively with two gentlemen, whom I'd previously known when they were in residential.

Just recently they've had their funding cut- which means they've gone down from apparently needing staff a lot of the time, to just a little bit of the time. The knock on of this is that my team and I are currently scrabbling around for the 40 hours a week for which we are contracted. I've taken on a new guy- but he lives an hour's walk from my house (and an hour back)- and he's only funded for a small number of hours per week too. The upshot of this is that as of Monday I don't know if the company I work for can fulfill the terms of my contract and offer me the 40 hours a week, plus two sleep ins, that i've had for the last eight years and upon which I depend. I've managed 22 hours so far this week, have another eight tomorrow across two bases five miles apart, and then that's it. I appear to have suffered a 25% cut to my salary. This week I'll have walked thirty-six miles to and from work, when I usually walk ten. It's either that of take an extra £20 a week reduction by taking buses- which I can't afford.

On top of that, we had builders booked to come in an strip the knackered plaster from my son's bedroom, replaster it and give us a new skirting board. This was due to be done by tomorrow, so I could get him back in his room on Saturday.

Oh no. Tonight, I get a text from the builder saying they weren't coming back til Monday. When I query this, I get an abusive, barely-literate text back, that all but tells me to fuck off. My wife had to physically restrain me from phoning the fucking cunt- on the grounds that she'll be here alone when he does turn up (me probably hiking to my new guy at the time). So, I've got two under-eights in a tiny boxroom, one on the floor on a baby mattress- until Tuesday. Which will be a week since it was started.

I'm snapping at everyone, the red mark between my eyebrows that flares up when my blood pressure hits the roof is up again, and I really, really want to hit a builder.

I shall not be much fun until all this is sorted, so apologies if I'm not around for a while.

SBT

Edit: Van Dom, Noisy, I feel your pain. Hope it gets better soonest.

[TordelBack]

Grrrr, I can see that little lot angrying up the blood all right.

But, and I'm sure you've considered it... bike?

[SmallBlueThing]

Grrrr, I can see that little lot angrying up the blood all right.

But, and I'm sure you've considered it... bike?

"Bike" was all I thought about during my 68 minutes walk home today (I timed it- I'm trying to find a "quick route"). But frankly, I've not ridden one in twenty years, don't own one, and can't afford to buy one AT LEAST until I get paid. IF I get paid more than just our rent money this month.

Unless you meant "motorbike", in which case no- I shattered my right shoulder, broke my left, skinned myself down the right side and spent too long in hospital due to one of those back in 1987 and have had too many friends come to untimely ends due to cars and vans hitting them while the drivers were pissed. Not getting back on a motorbike no matter how far I otherwise have to walk!

SBT

[SmallBlueThing]

Too late for the EDIT: In my haste to add all the woes that have hit me in the last 48 hours, I neglected to mention the beginnings of this period of utter horror. After the Forum Meet-up last weekend, I got home, settled down with a bunch of comics to read after my wife had gone to bed, and I got a text.

The text was from this old schoolfriend whose "life I saved" (read: Took to the hospital when she took an overdose in 1986. That's not saving a life, that's trying to get inside a pair of knickers). Ever since, she's looked at me as her "saviour", and as she has spiralled into further mental health issues and depression over the intervening 25 years, has ocassionally come to me for advice and help. I've done my best, and all has been quiet for a number of years- in which time she has moved away, had a granddaughter, and got a degree. These days I only ever see her at school reunions. Anyway, on Saturday night I got a rambling message telling me that she should have died in '87, her life is my fault, and it was all ending "tonight". To cap that, she signed off ":-(". I mean- what the FUCK?! A sad smiley?? Up Yours! So- at the end of my tether, I thought "fuck you, 25 years is enough. This is another cry for help, and if it's not then it's obviously what you want". Absolutely sure she was just after attention, I decided not to give her any, and ignored it.

Don't worry, she didn't die. I still haven't received an apology for dropping that on me, or any contact whatsoever, but she did update her facebook status three days later, with a "Am booking a holiday! LOL! :-)".

SBT

[TordelBack]

...but she did update her facebook status three days later, with a "Am booking a holiday! LOL! :-)".

I know it's not funny, but that very nearly made me LOL.

Oh, and you're right:  not suggesting a motorbike. 

[Richmond Clements]

don't own one, and can't afford to buy one AT LEAST until I get paid.

http://www.uk.freecycle.org/


(It was only after putting up this link that I realised the hilarious pun- but seriously- freecycle is brilliant)

[SmallBlueThing]

Thankyou mr clements, i'll check that out when im next near a computer.
SBT

[Van Dom]

That's shit SBT, and yes, I feel your pain too as we are in similar situations.

As for the bike thing-----I havent had a bike in about 11 years (since my last one was nicked). I've been walking to and from the train station every day since then. Last weekend, I was given a bike by a Japanese friend who is heading back to Japan and doesn't need it anymore. Held off until yesterday before deciding to use it (as it was pissing rain yesterday and I didnt fancy walking through the wet grass on my shortcut to the station). I thought it was great - for about two minutes until I realised how unfit I was!!! I was out of breath in no time and my calves were on fire! Bloody hell! I used to be a demon on a bike, I could barely make it to the station yesterday morning!!! Coming home was a little bit easier but man...... it takes some getting back used to!Good luck.

[vzzbux]

Freecycle is a wonderful thing, we have given away loads of stuff on that site.






V

[Dandontdare]

I feel for all those losing jobs right now,I've been there, done that but never with children to support. I fear it's only going to get worse these days . I hate my job but I'm hunkering down and thanking the gods that I've got a secure income.