29 August 2005

A series of unfortunate events....

Well, as I said before, its been a strange time for me recently. It's been a period of upheaval again, and I've found myself in the middle of many arguments.

I think that possibly the best way for me to catalogue my actions is to start from June to work forwards to the present. Since I'm currently on a 2 hour train journey back to Uni, and have unearthed my old palm pilot, now would seem an appropriate time to do it.

When I returned home from university this summer, I had been lucky enough to secure myself a relief job within the NHS, mainly doing cover work for holidays and sickness. The idea was that this could count as work experience, as well as earning me some much needed money.
The money wasn't quite as good as I'd expected, but any money is better than none, especially when I had only been home 3 days before starting work.
The job started stunningly, with my working over 40 hours in my first week, but as is the nature of relief work, it came in fits and starts. The second week I was there I was only busy for 10 hours, and as such, only paid for 10 hours. This wasn't going to help with tuition fees at all. It had its humourous parts, including splitting my fetching NHS issue trousers, and falling over a wheelchair.

With the general relief work, sometimes I didn't get any shifts at all, and I was forced to seek a secondary job to get more money. I know that this sounds greedy, but I have no money and owe a lot....

I managed to (again) virtually walk straight into managerial position at a local leisure centre, where I was tasked to focus specifically on the non-sports side. I was responsible for the 'play-boat' (soft children's play area), children's parties, food areas, bar and reception. As a matter of point, the locals in my area are not to friendly when you tell them, as the bar manager, that it's time to leave as it's 11.25 pm and I'm taking their drinks. It's not as if I hadn't asked them 3 times. Nevertheless, I came the closest yet to getting my head knocked off my shoulders. Ne'er mind. Thank god for fast reflexes and having been a bouncer.

Unsuprisingly I was paid more for my leisure centre work than the NHS work, but the hospital job had one huge benefit, which I will explain in a short while.
The managerial job was fun but came with stress and shit, unlike the hospital job. I became a little too loyal to the leisure centre, and when shift rotas weren't done in time, I ended up missing out on hospital shifts too.

Ne'er mind eh?? You learn from your mistakes, and I've made enough to write a book on. I earned a reputation of being an honorary blonde this summer, and it was probably much deserved.

More later when I've got back to halls and unpacked.

26 August 2005

oh bugger

well... a lot has happened, which I promise I will catch up with when I get myself sorted. I'm back to uni on Tuesday, and then straight on a field trip, as I've kind of had my hand forced into taking a masters.
Half pleased, half pissed off.

There is more to it, but I need to change my computer back over to the primeval thing my parents use so I can take mine back up north with me.

Tatty bye

Merys

21 August 2005

tension

I know you've heard me whinge before, but I don't think I can stand the tension and the pressure. I still haven't heard from THAT university if i've got a place for medicine. Apparently it's tomorrow, but they have been saying that since last wednesday when I was on work experience. (great fun, I will post about it later).
If I ring them however, I get a grumpy woman who tells me that, as she has previously explained, she can't tell me yet. All I can hope is that they're whittling down the chaff as I speak, and that there will be a place for me in the end. The problem is, that I've been accepted to a masters degree, and it starts in about 9 days.
Also, there's the fact that I think my heart lies not in education, but in the healthcare environment, either as a paramedic or a doctor. I don't think nursing is my forte unfortunately.

The stress is taking its toll though - my IBS has flared slightly and i keep feeling really weak and dizzy. Probably because I'm not eating because nothing is staying in me long enough.
This sucks.
I can't cope
M

18 August 2005

argh

WILLSOMEBODYANSWERTHESODDINGPHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

16 August 2005

2 days until judgement day

Well, the A Level results are out in 2 days, and the papers today suggested that A grades are up by 23%, which is not what I really want to hear at the moment.
I'm sorry if you're currently awaiting your A2 results, particularly if you want to study medicine, but I am hoping that lots of people who applied to my choice have dropped their grades. I know you'll hate me for saying this, but in the long run you will appreciate life more and be a less conceited med student. Trust me on this one - post grad med students are much nice, rounded people, and much less likely to drop out of the course once they have started it.
Fortunately, I've been on work experience today, and am going again tomorrow. The idea being that my mind will be so preoccupied with what I'm doing that I won't have time to think about it. Unfortunately the name of where I want to go keeps unexpectedly coming into conversation with staff I'm shadowing - which is odd since I haven't said anything.... I'm hoping its a good omen.
Everyone cross everything for me... I phone up on Thursday morning at 9AM.
T minus 36 hours and counting.
Merys

12 August 2005

snowballs

It's been an interesting week.

I should start by complementing XScape at Castleford for a damn good day this week. I turned up, avec friend who can snowboard and ski (some people have just too much time on their hands), while I have the enviable skill of being able to fall over without moving.
Needless to say, I have never tried skiing, snowboarding or tabogganning, but fancied a go.
Despite warnings that skiing is far easier than boarding, I'm a woman and have to find these things out for myself. So I arrived and begged them to let me have a lesson, so I handed my £26 over and went and killed some time until lesson time came. It's fair to say I went to the toilet far more than was necessary prior to the lesson, but I don't think I've ever laughed so much in all my life. I'd managed to get a lesson on my own, which was probably a very good thing for everyone concerned.
I've passed my level one learner now, although I think the L Plates are still necessary for the time being ( or a helmet in my case ), and I hope to go back sometime soon, lessons come highly reccommended from Merys, and the instructors are quite cute too - even if they do laugh at me falling on my arse. *
This week I've also sampled two films at the cinema, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is worth more of a visit than the Fantastic Four, although the latter does warrant a popcorn visit.

On a separate note, the NHS job is still ticking away in the background, as well as my leisure centre job (I'm managerial don't you know!!!)

Time to leave now, as domestic duties warrant my attention.


* Merys now has a bruised left butt cheek, as well as pulled muscles in her neck and sore fingers (no idea how that happened actually!!)

02 August 2005

this is a bad day, please don't take my picture

well, i've been rejected from Paramedic School. I had applied to do a degree in it, and it seems that they don't want poor old Merys.
I dunno, I still need to hear if the other med school has taken me, but they won't tell me until the A Level results come out.
Damn you college kids
M