Michael's Meanderings

LoneStar 3 (the worldcon) took place at the end of August and beginning of September (I didn't make it). The Hugo Awards were streamed live and I stayed up to watch most of them (service was interrupted occasionally - particularly at the beginning).

Wednesday Dance classes merged with the Tuesday ones so I'm now only dancing for 2 hours every Tuesday (which saves on train fare!)
In the later class we started to work on a new Samba routine. (which we finished in December).

Library Book Club on the 1st Wednesday only 4 of us there. Continued to Volunteer at Sussex Oakleaf, visited project in Crawley.

First Saturday was a mini-maker faire in Brighton, held in the Dome and the old library. Lots of cool projects especially an animatronic knitting machine. There were also a number of talks on 3D printing and the Raspberry Pi

My dendarii.co.uk website was switched off due to exxcessive downloads, and then got it re-instated.

On the fist Monday of the month I went to Brighton Jubilee library and joined the Brighton & Hove library system. Then went to the Brighton SF Reading Group at the Earth & Stars pub, they serve a very nice stout. Lively discussion of Paul's book, even though I didn't finish it, gave my copy back.

Saw a doctor about my knee and got it X-rayed at the Princess Royal the next day. Lost part of lower left tooth and had to get it repaired at the dentist.

Started new course at Crawley College "Technical Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration" Level 3 there were five on the course. Asked f I could work on some course material on my own (as the last time I was to start the admin L3 course I got a job and couldn't do it)

Went to Sainsburys for ANOTHER TravelEx interview and once again I didn't get the job!

Caught the train to Horsham and then the bus to Southwater to visit my parents. Mum had been seeing various medical people due to a clouding in her left eye.

Got a call from Tate Recruitment offering an interview with Sussex NHS IT in Durrington. Caught the train there, the office is 30 seconds walk from the station. Interviewed with BH, went OK but I didn't think I was great, so was surprised to be offered a job starting on the last Monday of the month.
I also visited Clever with Leather in Brighton (on the way back from the interview) and ordered a leather Kobo case for £10.

I was able to take 2 modules tests, of the Business Admin course, before I started work, passing both, and booked to take the final 2 in the evening after work.

Strictly Come Dancing started this month, this was it's eleventh season and it's tenth year. I went Social Dancing in Crawley on the last Saturday so watched Strictly on the Sunday, before the results show.

Started working in IT support for the first time in over 3 years and on first line telephone answering in probably ten years.

Continued training at the Arora Hotel. Saw Despicable Me 2 at my local cinema.

A new / refurbished PC arrived. Dell box and HP monitor with Windows 7 and Office 2007 Basic installed.
As I was on Job Seekers Allowance I got it for less than £100

Had a mock interview which went quite well. Dancing classes continued on every Tue, Wed and Fri, my left knee started hurting (this is an ongoing issue.)

Had an interview with the travel bureau in Haywards Heath Sainsburys, was unsuccessful.

Saw Blue Umbrella / Monsters University also at the local cinema. Discovered that my new PC doesn't have a CDW installed.

Went to see the doctor regarding my knee, but not much can be done.

Registered for a smart railcard (The Key) then discovered I needed to add a photo for a monthly season ticket, then it didn't work and I had to get a replacement eventually getting 3 cards!

Job Centre sent me on another 4 week course, this time to Baldwins Training Centre in Eastbourne, had to buy a monthly season ticket, which the job centre refunded.
I initially couldn't find the training center, as I'd turned left when I should have turned right. Unfortunately the road numbering was such that there were two number 34-35 in the same street.
The first couple of days was spent sorting out classes. BTC didn't have any other info about the trainees but their names and that they had been sent because they were long term unemployed.
A nice thing about BTC (at least while we were there) was that lunch was provided every day! The original remet was to provide a Level 1 qualification, but since I had already done this the previous month they kindly agreed to let me work to level 2.
They also allowed me to take, at no additional cost, Functional Skills English and Mathematics which gave me an additional couple of qualifications and shows that my skills in these areas are still OK (despite O levels being 35 years ago).

Last Saturday was social dance night in Crawley. Danced all the dances we knew at least once and sometimes twice or more.

The last Sunday in the month was SofaCon 1, a virtual convention with GoH Lois McMaster Bujold. There were a few teething problems but it seemed to go quite well (no ability to chat in the bar though).