How was your day? (Random off topic chat)

Deciding to start the repainting of my bathroom at 6pm on a Saturday night was not my best idea of the week, it has to be said.

Being such a nice day here in London and without much to do this morning, I decided on a visit to the recently opened “The Garden” on the roof of 120 Fenchurch St. It didn’t disappoint and the view of the city is absolutely stunning. It’s great that it’s free to visit and a chance to get away from city life for an hour or two. If you get the chance to visit it, it’s worth your time and you’ll get some great photos as well.

Had a glorious almost perfect London day yesterday- met up with friends, saw Company, saw a friend’s show at Vaults, has a nice post show drink at the YV all lovely.

Ah but after midnight...

Short version, was staying with one close friend and one acquaintance in a Travelodge for this trip. That’s already more people than should be in a Travelodge room. On the first night acquaintance asks “hey can *random woman also in town to stalk Gillian Anderson* stay here tomorrow night, she’s staying in Chelmsford and there’s rail replacement.

Begrudgingly we say yes, because you don’t want to be a dick. Saturday rolls around, we get a message at 11pm as we’re heading back to the hotel “just sitting down to dinner don’t wait up” oh also random woman has a train to catch so will leave at 7am. Great.

Parking judgment of those eating dinner then, we head back. Try to sleep around 1 ourselves but don’t really. 2.30 rolls around they roll in. Cue much crashing about in the room, and it’s 3am before there’s hope of sleep. At 6.45 two alarms blast out and random woman starts getting ready.

Then she comes out of the bathroom and announces “Oh Pete can’t meet until later now guess I’m staying” and flops back into bed...

4 hours sleep. And infinite rage at random woman (and Pete) is why I was hanging around a Travelodge restaurant at 8am because there were too damn many people on that room.

Went to my sister's, my brother in law says hop in the truck we're going to pick up a ram, I didn't get an answer to why, or does my sister know but on the basis of the look on her face when we returned the answer was no.

Had to do one of my favorite things today .... advance the outdoor lights at the house to turn on a bit later. The days are finally getting longer again and it is still light outside here in the States at 1815, about an hour later than we have experienced during winter.

You are right. No snap. Tragic. I used to love them. 

Two of my favourite TV programmes return to the small screen tonight, so I'm counting down the hours.

Inside the Factory is focusing on a vegetable that is VERY close to my heart, with Cherry learning the difference between waxy and floury. Then it's straight over to Channel 5 for The Yorkshire Vet. Although Peter races to an emergency lambing, I'm sure he'll still find time for some @theatremonkey style puns!

Back in the time of quills, we had a brilliant professor who told us he had ignored the exam qs on the Tudor Age in his finals and written his own analysis. He then gave this to us in the form of a lecture I have never forgotten. Of course he went on to be a professor so brilliance was recognised in the old days. Not so much now. Good luck with your exams aingidh. 

Gutted to miss the chance to walk on every single one of the 9-day spell of consecutive brilliant weather (in the south-east, anyway) which ended yesterday, but it's still too soon after my second op so I've been doing exciting and time-consuming stuff like visiting the dentist, hospital and osteopath instead.

However, after yesterday's 90-minute session with the dentist, I spent the rest of the day in London catching up on some more films: saw 3 back-to-back (The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind; On The Basis Of Sex and Fighting With My Family), all of which I enjoyed 100% and would recommend.

Probably not worth me starting individual threads for each film but happy to discuss if enough others have seen them.

Sitting in bed wishing my ears would stop aching & wondering how on earth I can have caught 2 colds in 11 days.

Filled with rage at not getting a 'dream job' (or even a second interview) because I 'failed' the Excel and proof reading (on paper) tests. I'm dyslexic, and these two things are my nemesis, but also things that are easily remedied and supported in the workplace. I've never had a manager I've worked for have cause to complain about my ability in either, but obviously in 'test conditions' I'm not able to use any of my usual 'coping stategies'.

An infuriating state of affairs, and fuels the idea that dyslexia isn't 'real'

But more so than that, because these tests are 'standard' in so many jobs I'm increasingly of a mind that I'll remain unemployable forever.

I didn't declare it and before anyone (not directed at you posterJ!) jumps on that, I'd ask: are you disabled (yes dyslexia is a disability), have you experienced the (unconscious or otherwise) bias against you? 

because that's the issue, I've declared it to employers (in a job) in the past and ended up pushed out of jobs, and outright insulted to my fact (ah academia you joy) and honestly? you never know if they're going to find a convenient other way to not shortlist/give you the job...not just dyslexics but other disabilities, so there's kind of a mentality of 'can i get away with not sharing this' which is obviously a catch-22 because then you don't get it anyway etc etc