Certain Circumstances in my wee life,
which I will not bang on about yet again, have led me to suspect that Karma does not actually exist, or if it does, I am either unwittingly a complete shit of a person and the people I think are complete shits are in fact saints, or it has decided to cross out my name on it's "future things to make right" list. Therefore, yet again, I am at a loss for stories for the QOTW.

However, I may in fact be wrong..... Karma doesn't seem to want to sort out the bigger stuff in my life, but seems happy enough to step in and lend a hand on the more day to day crap that happens. I noticed this today.

Being without a job at the moment, I've had to sign on at the local (15 sodding miles away) benefit office. I'm off to start anew as a student hopefully this August, but until then I am unfortunately broo scum, unless I can find a suitable temporary job (yeah I know I know, I'm trying, I hate being unemployed and want off it as soon as possible). Everyone in the local benefit office is pleasant enough, so long as you are pleasant to them.... they have to deal with a fair amount of the dregs of society, so they tend to treat decent folk pretty well. Well anyway, I have been signing on for 6 weeks now, and although most of the advisers are busy and tend to get people in and out as fast as possible, I have ended up with the worlds most helpful jobsearch adviser. Ever. She's a lovely lady and always has a nice wee chat with me, but anyone who's ever been in this situation knows all you want to do is sign and leave.

Now. 2 weeks ago, I had the flu. I toyed with the idea of calling in and trying to get off with having to go in and sign on, but decided it was more trouble than it was worth, so I made the journey there, hoping she would have pity on me and sign me quickly and let me get away. Of course she didn't. After a quick glance at me, she asked if I was fit to work. Not wanting to appear healthy, but not wanting to have to go through reams of crap either, I said I thought so but I was currently suffering from the flu and had been in bed for 3 days. She told me how she knew how awful it was, that she'd once had it and tried to go back to work too soon but had developed a kidney infection and had ended up on medication for months in a really bad way. Then, just to be nice, she put me through a gruelling half hour cross examination of my last 2 weeks, culminating in a jobsearch where every single vacancy in the world was gone through one by one while I sat there shivering, sweating and just wishing one of us would die. I got home and spent the next 2 days in bed.

I was running late today and arrived 5 minutes after my appointed time, which I just knew was going to cost me dearly. I resigned myself to this inquisition being the full hour and went to put my little book in the proper slot.... but there was someone else at the desk! She was quite pretty too! She signed me and let me away within 2 minutes with a cheery "Bye!"

I was a bit afraid to ask, but I think Karma may have killed my usual adviser with the flu. Or I have, same difference, I was maliciously breathing quite heavily. That's a bit of an overreaction by Karma I suppose, but I missed half of Jeremy Kyle FFS!
( baw__bag contains traces of nuts on, Wed 27 Feb 2008, 3:17, 2 replies)

I had to sign on for six months
after having them inspect every aspect of my life (including my sleeping arrangements - they sent someone around to look at my room) the first six months were over, and the lady at the desk gleefully informed me that I had to undergo the entire process again. It was truly wonderful to tell her "No I won't."
"But you'll lose your benefit if you don't."
"Either that or I got a new job yesterday. Byeee!"
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 27 Feb 2008, 12:36, closed)

Yay!
Last time I signed on I went in one day and gleefully informed them I had got a job which should be starting within the next 2 weeks. The drone behind the desk informed me I was not doing enough to find work though, as I hadn't checked the vacancies when I went in. Unbelievable!
( baw__bag contains traces of nuts on, Wed 27 Feb 2008, 17:26, closed)