# You doing much?



## Aidan of the tavern (Nov 24, 2012)

We had a thread like this ages ago, but I think it sank to the depths of the archives, so here's a new one.  Hows your life?  Done much today?  Planning anything?

Last night I went to the finest pub in town, to see a Texan Blues guitarist called Buddy Whittington.  It was awesome, really good atmosphere (and ale), and it was cool having a small venue, you weren't getting lost in the crowd and it was like having the band in your front room!  Plus the guy's a master on guitar, and I even got to shake his hand on the way out.  

Enough of me, how're you doing?


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## Steerpike (Nov 24, 2012)

Traveling the past week. Flew to Midwest. Taking train back. Looking at the New Mexico countryside right now. Have time to read and write on the trip.


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## Sparkie (Nov 24, 2012)

Been relaxing this week, on vacation from work.  I needed the break.  Supervising four childish, passive-aggressive forklift drivers can be a real drain.

This week I managed to get started on one short project, and also somehow managed to come up with a character I abseloutely love.  I'll have to come up with a story for her soon, but first I have to finish what I started.


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## Ireth (Nov 24, 2012)

Haven't had the chance to do much travelling lately, due to being stuck at college. I did go into the nearest city last night, and got most of my Christmas shopping done. Next week I'm going home to spend the weekend with my family -- Saturday is when my dad's side of the family is having our Christmas get-together, and Sunday is the same deal for my mom's side of the family. Should be fun. ^_^

As for today, I slept in till 1:30, had a shower, and here I am. Going to try to get some writing done, and some homework too.


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## Kit (Nov 24, 2012)

Laid off. Again.   


Haven't decided what to do yet, but I'm going to just take December and January off and do nothing but jiu jitsu and write.


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## Chilari (Nov 25, 2012)

Work. Mostly writing CVs. I work for a construction company as a proposals co-ordinator and recently I've spent a lot of time writing CVs of the management team we'd put on jobs we're bidding for. My boss and the Bid Director write the majority of the document, I get handed the easy but time consuming bits like CVs.

In my personal life, things are on tick-over mostly. Went to the cinema yesterday with a colleague, that was nice. Writing articles and reviews for my website, that's fairly enjoyable. Reading - got quite a pile to get through. Next week I've got a day off and am going down to London for CN Lester's album launch. Very excited about that. Also rewriting a short story at the moment. And before mid December I've got to do a painting for my grandparents, so my parents can take it to them when they visit from December 13th.


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## Aidan of the tavern (Nov 25, 2012)

Ireth said:


> Haven't had the chance to do much travelling lately, due to being stuck at college. I did go into the nearest city last night, and got most of my Christmas shopping done. Next week I'm going home to spend the weekend with my family -- Saturday is when my dad's side of the family is having our Christmas get-together, and Sunday is the same deal for my mom's side of the family. Should be fun. ^_^
> 
> As for today, I slept in till 1:30, had a shower, and here I am. Going to try to get some writing done, and some homework too.



Good work, my Xmas shopping takes me ages, I normally don't finish till Christmas eve.  In fact I haven't done any yet.


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## Graylorne (Nov 25, 2012)

Me, my job went poof when they closed our school, July last. I'm 5 years from retirement, and with the present rate of unemployment there isn't a shadow of a hope for another job. So I'm trying to become a professional author, at least now I'm doing something in return for my monthly benefits. That's why writing is 'serious business' to me.


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## Aidan of the tavern (Nov 25, 2012)

Graylorne said:


> Me, my job went poof when they closed our school, July last. I'm 5 years from retirement, and with the present rate of unemployment there isn't a shadow of a hope for another job. So I'm trying to become a professional author, at least now I'm doing something in return for my monthly benefits. That's why writing is 'serious business' to me.



I'm very sorry to hear that, best of luck in this awkward era.


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## Chilari (Nov 26, 2012)

Graylorne said:


> Me, my job went poof when they closed our school, July last. I'm 5 years from retirement, and with the present rate of unemployment there isn't a shadow of a hope for another job. So I'm trying to become a professional author, at least now I'm doing something in return for my monthly benefits. That's why writing is 'serious business' to me.



Ouch. Both my mum's sister and my dad's brother are in a similar position - both in their early sixties, can't claim unemployment after 60 but can't get pension until 65 without taking a significant cut to it. My aunt is relying on renting out her house and her holiday let in the Turks and Caicos, and staying with various family members for a month or six weeks at a time; my uncle is fixing computers for friends and neighbours while his wife earns the dough and the one cousin of mine still living at home pays rent to support them.

Good luck with the professional author attempts. If you want a beta reader, drop me a PM.


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## Graylorne (Nov 26, 2012)

Aidan and Chilari, thanks.

I've got my benefits, though they get lower and lower. And the Government just upped the year of retirement from 65 to 66, so that'll mean a year longer till I'm getting my pension that's getting reduced due to the crisis. Ah well, at least I've got plenty of time to write now  
But how is that in the UK, does unemployment benefits stop at 60?

Chilari, I'll PM you.


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## Chilari (Nov 26, 2012)

Not entirely sure about the situation, but something has changed recently that makes my aunt's position really awkward with benefits. It's because her pensionable age was 60 before but now it's gone up and is now like 63 or something, and my aunt is like a few months too young to keep 60 as pensionable age, so can't claim her pension, but the unemployment thing doesn't match up so she can't claim that either. And in researching that, I have learned that my state pension age is 68. God I hope I'm not still working by then. But basically, benefits in the UK are a mess. I'm glad they exist - I had to live on them for 4 months last year - but everything is so inefficient and very much a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.


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## Graylorne (Nov 26, 2012)

Sounds very familiar. 

We've people who went with VUT, that was something you paid for every month and you could stop some years earlier. It ended with your 65th birthday. Now they're goint to raise the state pensions, first in steps to 66, then to 67. That means a lot of these VUTters have no income between 65 and 66. Oops, sorry. Solutions will be found, no doubt. But there were a lot of very angry  folks.


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## Aidan of the tavern (Dec 4, 2012)

This evening I did a book-keeping exam.  I've got the strangest feeling I've failed, we only had 45 minutes, and I only did about half the paper in that time.  My main concern is that you have to pay to resit (I think), stupid time limit if you ask me.


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