Shadows

For those that don't know, or do but want more information, I have a new job. "What?" you cry, "Were you so abysmal as a youth worker that after three months they fired you?" No, people. It'd be nice if you thought better of me, but there we go. For those who didn't even know that I was a youth worker: where have you been? Go to my other blog for more information about that. Well, I now have two jobs. I am a part-time youth worker, a part-time Learning Support Assistant. I work in a local sixth-form college, working with kids with learning difficulties. The amount of different learning difficulties I will come across is amazing, they range from the 'dys-' conditions (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia), autism, ADHD, Prader-Willi and loads of others.

Unfortunately, until my CRB (which I personally think should be said as one sound, like 'crib') check comes through I have to shadow the other LSAs. But they're really good at what they do, so that's not too bad. I did a LADS test (Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening) today, as that's something that the student's will have to do to see if they have dyslexia. My working memory is okay, with a few problems, but my reasoning ability was pretty much off the scale, in a good way. So my risk for dyslexia was low. This job is really going to be an education, not just because I am working in challenging situations, but also because I have to go into a variety of subjects to take notes and help individuals. I've learnt stages of social development in infants, what makes good communication, and the eight challenges posed by cold environments (relief; climate; unstable ground due to solifluction and active layer; natural hazards; poverty; economic vulnerability; peripherality and low electoral importance). I feel smarter already.

Reading: The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing (I was meant to read it for university but didn't)
Grateful for: Jam and cheese sandwiches.

Gone

Yesterday, after months of me writing about how I am leaving soon, I finally left Aberystwyth. Well, I will return for Graduation and visit, but it wont be my home anymore. I left at 1.30 and gave the people the opportunity to wave me off by arranging a lunch at Wetherspoons. I expected 3 people to turn up, Rose, Rachael and Joel. However, there were about 20. Most of them just wanted to make sure I had actually gone, I expect. It was really touching and I nearly cried. Well, um, I managed not to for the whole journey...I'm such a girl.

There are so, so many people that I will miss. There are some that I only just started getting to know, there are some that have been such good friends. Okay, less of the gushing. Also, the Church in Oxford emailed to confirm my suspicion. I did not get the job. However, as all the other candidates were really cool, I'm not that disappointed.

Digging

Today I'm actually leaving university. I'm packing at this moment because, as usual, I've left it to the last minute. I don't think I've got the job in Oxford as they haven't got back to me yet. That's a little disappointing.

I had a lot of things to write about, but probably won't get a chance. Well, I'll do a quick summary. Tuesday, I had people over for a meal, which was really good fun, and then Becca, Lee, Rachael and I watched Changeling. That was quite good. Wednesday I slept until late, went to the CU photo, did first aid (to use the term loosely, more helped get him to hospital) on someone who crushed their leg in the silly boys' photo. Went to Lord Beechings, then did ChristianAid collecting, walked up two very steep hills, watched Finding Neverland and said goodbye to my friend Sam. Yesterday, met up with Steve, the St Mike's Youth Worker, at 10am for tea and coffee; then met up with Jenny, my longest friend at uni, and had quite an intense chat. Went to Banana Club, where they gave me a book, Why do farts smell like rotten eggs?, as a leaving present. Finally, I went to Le Casablanca and Salt with Rachael. I am exhausted. Luckily I can sleep on trains.

Steve is one of those people that comes out with sagical advice when you don't expect it. He said to me yesterday:

There are two types of people in the world. Those who dig for dirt and those who dig for gold. The media and society tend to dig for dirt and shame people. Those of dig for gold look for the best even in the most difficult of people. And when they find that gold they don't just leave it but they need to polish it up and show the world how beautiful it is.

So that struck me quite a bit. Which one am I? I wonder. Which one are you?

Waiting

It feels like I have been waiting forever to find out about this job. It is too scary. I want to know now. Like NOW. Maybe if I check my emails for the nth time...mind you they'll probably phone.

Awesome

The May Ball was last night and it was AWESOME. The Zutons were really cool, and I enjoyed dancing like a loser. At the moment I am 1/10 of the way through packing my room and my parents come at 1 (that's two hours, people). The house is a mess. My room is a mess. Life is a mess. Thank God for Jesus, is all I can say to that.

Speaking of Jesus, I'm getting really anxious about my job situation. What has that got to do with Jesus? I hear you ask. Well, probably I wont actually hear you because a) you're probably out of earshot and b) you possibly already know about the job interview I had. I applied for a job at a church in Oxford, and I want to know if I've got it. I don't think I have. I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'd be cool but I did like the other candidates. They were nice. Okay, less of the random ranting. I have a habit of verbalising my random thought processes, now I've begun to type them.

I'm tired and ill and I have a random ironing board in my room. It is a rubbish ironing board. As a matter of fact, I'm going to save this post as a draft, take a photo of said ironing board and post it up. Because I'm cool like that. Note the fiendish holes in the cover. That was how the board was when we arrived, and I had to iron my shirt on it. What you can't observe is that it also likes to collapse. Okay, this has got to be perhaps the most random post ever in the history of blogging.

Count Down

It is only about 9 hours until the May Ball. I have 500-800 words to go until I've finished my degree. I day until my parents arrive. I have about 3-5 days until I find out about the Oxford job. A week until my last ever first-aid duty.

In the meantime I have to iron my shirt for tonight, pack up my stuff for when my parents come, tidy the house and the garden, sleep a bit, meet up with various people for pretty much the last time. Possibly shed a tear or two. This last hurdle is going to be the hardest. But I'm quite excited about moving on.

Scared and sushi

I'm getting scared now. Well, sort of. I'm going to pray about it and read the Bible. God is always faithful and always does things for our best, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. So I'm totally relying on him for tomorrow.

I had sushi for dinner. Nothing fancy, but £4 from Tesco Express. It was a crazy buy for someone who doesn't like fish. Or didn't. I quite liked it, but it was a bit ambitious, so I only ate 1/2 of it. £2 down the drain. I'm having money worried (aren't we all?), and have worked out that by the time I've paid my rent for March, April and May, I'll only have about £100. Eeek.

I walked down to the church I'm being interviewed at to see how far away it was, gaining a lot of interest from cats (I smelt of fish). That scared me a lot. Not the cats, but seeing the church.

Anyway, to prays and Bible-reading.

In Oxford

I am currently writing this from Oxford. I'm disappointed that I forgot my camera, but I'll probably use my phone. Then I'll have to get around connecting it to my laptop. I have seriously neglected the prettiful picture side of things with this blog lately.

I'm not at all nervous about my interview at the moment, but I soon will be. I'm going to got out, get some dinner and look like I've been ditched in some cafe, come back, read through/correct/improve/cry about my presentation for tomorrow. The B&B is really nice, it is called Lonsdale Guest House, so if you're ever in Oxford (visiting me after I got the job...a bit presumptuous) it's a good place to stay and with a bus route right to the city centre.

I forgot to bring the girly magazines I bought. But I learnt something new about women's sanitary products. You really don't want to know.

So off to get food...but first Molehill Empire calls. Yes, I am a loser.

Things to do

I have to:

1. Finish my presentation
2. Find out my train/bus times
3. Call my B&B to tell them what time I'll be arriving tomorrow
4. Aquaint myself with St Andrew's Church child protection policy.
5. By girly magazines
6. Sort out my rent
7. Find somewhere where heat-stroke isn't a distinct possibility
8. Get off the internet.

I'm in the university computer rooms by my Church at the moment and nearly dying. It is obscenely hot in here. I just met with the wonderful Hannah Nelson to discuss my interview and as usual she gave good advice.

In other news: I burnt my face today. Well, actually, my lunch burnt my face. It was a Wensleydale and BBQ sauce toastie, and the gloop fell out and stuck to my face like napalm. Now I have a red mark on my face. The reasoning behind the odd mix of Wensleydale cheese and BBQ sauce is that I have decided that like without bricks and mortar you don't have a house, without Wensleydale and cranberries you don't have a pleasant culinary experience. So to get rid of the offending cheese I smothered it in BBQ sauce and put it in a toastie. Just so you know it was Rose's idea. So I blame her. A rather dubious example to go in the 'recipes' tag collection. But aren't all of them?

Also, while writing this a girl asked me to help her to photocopy something. Bless her. Now to do number 8 on my list.

Interview

This Sunday I have an interview. Scary stuff. Very scary stuff. It is a 9-9 interview day, basically, and I have to do a presentation on 'Is the Bible relevant today? How and why should we read the Bible? 2 Timothy 15-17'. So I should be preparing that. But instead I am writing this. Blame my brother.

I have two random sites, well one is less random than the other.

Random site #1

I have recently bought a book of crosswords. Stuck on the first and most basic (look, I'm looking to improve, okay), I found a site called oneacross.com.

Random site #2

This one I found in an advert on oneacross.com. It is 'a fun economy simulation'. Recently I have become addicted to 'Travian' but it got a bit lame, but this one is really cool. Also, I really really want a garden. And I've found one at molehillempire.com. So, this is my next internet addiction, methinks.