Vicious circle of neighbor complaints

So our neighbor complained to our landlord that our dogs bark all day and night, only shit in her garden, we never clean it up and we leave them alone in the house all day.

Now most of that contradicts itself anyway, how can the dogs be outside in their garden all day shitting if we aren't home and lock them up?

But our landlord had to come and tell us off, don't let the dogs in the garden until you've put a fence/chicken wire up and try to stop them barking.

According to her our dogs have the ability to keep a 13 year old up all night in the next house but leave a 4 year old asleep in the room above them.... She's covering her own ass because her kid doesn't go to school!

Anyway that isn't the point, we were nice to the lady when she moved in and took a load of crap from her sons but since then we don't want anything to do with them. It feels like walking on egg shells, oh our dog barked once they might evict us, oh Christy had a temper tantrum they might evict us.... You get what I mean.

We've done everything our landlord has told us to do, kind of. They've said the dogs can go in the garden on their lead, we refuse to anymore we take them out the front of the house whenever they need the toilet. We haven't got a fence up yet as we haven't got the money but we moved one dog out of the house (yes my dog Gimli is living with my nan now, sad times) and the other from the kitchen to the living room.

Thing is we can't defend ourselves against the allegations, after all it is harder to prove that someone is lying than lying in the first place!

We decided not to go tit for tat as there are plenty of things we could complain about from her screaming at her kids at all times of the day to their cats being left to shit in our garden (yes she is that hypocritical!) but we haven't.

Today they put fish guts on our side of the garden for bin bag day. FISH GUTS! So my mum put it back on their side of the garden, they watched my mum and opened the door on our friend Matt who was helping take the bin bags down glared at him and shut the front door. After we finished we watched out the front door as she put the bag back on our side, my mum confronted her and she said it was dog poo.

Now the day BEFORE the landlord came with the complaint we went into her garden and cleaned all dog poo up as Cat did nearly every day anyway, that was over a week ago so how she STILL has dog poo in her garden when we haven't let the dogs out is beyond me and why our dogs suddenly crap out fish guts again is beyond me. The petty mindedness of it all is beyond me too, I mean for fuck sake what the hell is wrong with putting it with her rubbish? Does she think the bin men will judge her for her stinking fish habits?!

So, finally fed up of it all I've e-mailed the landlord with a counter complaint and asking for advice on what to do. I say counter complaint because I've even said I know that she'll probably complain about us anyway, we are living in fear that anything we do will be reported and we can't defend ourselves and even though we've now complained about them and their shouting and cats if the landlord went to see them about it they'll just find a reason to complain about us and we'll be on the back foot because they complained first!

Nowhere on line seems to have any advice on it, other then what I've done which is to say we are worried that she'll complain about things that we aren't even doing and we already know the second a complaint is made there is no real room for defense as then it'll come down to one persons word against the others.

It is just so annoying!

Finally I looked like I was getting a bit better, I was looking forward to work and I started my Japanese lessons.

Then out of the blue this, we've been on egg shells ever since and now my mum has confronted them no doubt they'll hate us for whatever reason.

Ohhh and the Primary School reported my sister to Social Services who are coming tomorrow at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to assess our house (god knows what our next door neighbor will do if she finds that out!) The big problem with that is that our house is full of clutter, the last time social came round here they said they understood the problems. I mean it'll probably help Cat move out faster but then me and my mum are totally fucked so it isn't exactly good news (to be fair we don't need to be cluttered Christy is spoilt and if Cat got off her arse and just got on with life rather then try and do things to go to the council and say "look I've made myself even more cluttered now I REALLY need a house" we'd be fine.)

I won't sleep tonight meaning I'll either be asleep when social come which will probably get Cat marked down or else I'll be grumpy. I've said I'll take the dog out but I don't think I can handle him around people on my own and right now I just feel like crying.

What the hell are my family actually meant to do?

Our neighbor will complain come what may and gods know what will happen with social tomorrow.

I feel tomorrow my life is going to be turned upside down and it is making me ten times worse than I have ever been.

Fans booing Sebastian Vettel Part Two (Still on the wrong side of the debate...)

So once again the argument of whether F1 fans should boo any driver has raised itself. How many races now has Vettel been booed?

We get people telling us how wrong it is, how disgusting it is, how we should all just cheer them because they are fantastical athletes... And most people seem to think it is generally just Ferrari fans (purely because it happened at Monza which is very much Ferrari territory.)

In some ways I agree, but being on the outside of all this for a while now (how long ago was it since I watched a race?) and also being within a fandom where I grew up learning to boo at "bad" guys which morphed into "people I dislike" later in life I still have my unique view on it all.

Now I agree we should all respect every driver no matter where they come in a race. What they do is incredibly difficult and respect should be there from the moment they step in a car.

That is pretty much the point I stop agreeing.

As I've said before in my blog on fans booing I feel differently about booing for a number of reasons.

I am happy for people to boo Fernando Alonso, go ahead and boo him all you want. What I take great pains seeing online is people who TAG HIM ON TWITTER just to tell him how much of a "greasy Spanish git" he is or how he's a "Cheater who doesn't deserve to win".... And both of these came from a friend of mine I follow who just so happens to be a Vettel fan AND HATES THAT FANS BOO HIM.

Really?

REALLY?!

Why Matt Smith DESERVES Christmas...

What? What does this mysterious title mean?!

Well what I mean by it is simple.

A lot of people who are fed up of Matt's time want him gone in the 50th. A few people who aren't fed up of him want him gone in the 50th.

They aren't being nasty about it (well one or two are) but they are determined they want that last crucial episode before we have to wait half a year or so for another be the 12th Doctors and not the 11th Doctors.

Personally?

Well you all know I love Matt but that isn't really the reason I want him to leave at Christmas.

Lets face it the 50th is an unknown BUT we DO know that DAVID TENNANT (one of the most iconic Doctors) is back and JOHN HURT (one of the greatest actors around) is in it. We know it is a blockbuster, we know it is going to be grand. And wouldn't a regeneration top it off?

No.

David Tennant WAS a popular Doctor who got TWO episodes to say goodbye in, even Christopher Eccleston didn't need to share his goodbye episode. Matt is a well loved Doctor and his fans deserve not to have his regeneration lopped onto the end of a action packed 90 minute (hopefully) episode full of David Tennant, Rose Tyler and John Hurt.

Now will I be angry if he regenerates in the 50th or at the beginning of Christmas?

Not really, I'm as excited as anyone to see what Capaldi will bring.

I'll be upset, a little disappointed and even more not ready to say goodbye to Matt. But I wouldn't go and burn down headquarters or throw away any Doctor Who merch I own.

I guess my real gripe is people so EAGER and forgetting what it is like to lose a Doctor. Maybe you didn't know your fav in the classic series was leaving, we know that Matt is and we don't want him to share his big goodbye with other people.

That might be selfish of us but to be honest.... We are allowed to be selfish. And we are allowed to be upset to see the end of our Doctor being shared with an assembled cast (so far announced, could be more) that will overshadow his departure.

Though I am torn.

It could be a great ending.........

We'll see what happens!

Thinking of a way out...

Well most of the people who have put up with my moaning know I'm having troubled times at work recently so I've spent most of my free time on sick leave looking for a new job and looking for something different.

I really want to travel, I know my photography and writing skills suck to I won't be able to get into a travel job that way.

I guess you'd have to be real lucky to get onto one of the big cruises and even then I've heard staff have no time to get away from the boat anyway.

Other than that it seems you have to be in childcare or able to finance getting somewhere, getting to know the place and becoming a tour guide... Or becoming and English teacher which is a no-no for me as I can hardly hear what people say to me at the best of times!

Failing traveling I wanted to work with animals but the only zoo's close to me will be a pain to get to. Paignton is at least 2 hours away and 2 buses or a bus and 2 trains, Newquay is a bus and a train and about 2 hours away, Living Coast is the same and Dartmoor doesn't really have any transport from Plymouth other than one bus that is irregular at the best of times!

Pet shops... I've been looking but there never seems to be an opening.

I don't even care if I moved away and ended up working in an office in London or something! But that would mean having money to move and I don't earn half enough to do that.

When you get turned down for everything from pushing trolleys in ASDA to underpaid office jobs it isn't exactly easy to get away.

The big problem for me is I have a feeling they are trying to get rid of me now at work, our manager has officially left and they are also looking for another part time member of staff with one more hour then I have (it might sound silly but I've been begging for two hours for years as it takes me up to at least 16!)

I just wish I had some sort of skill! I envy people who do. I thought once upon a time I could write but I really can't, I love taking photos but they are usually blurred and pointless... My sister always seems to be able to exceed in whatever she wants to do WHEN she wants to do it yet I turn my mind onto things and I fail every time. I mean Miss Getting-Pregnant-at-16 is now learning how to drive as she earns double the amount I do in a month, she keeps rubbing it in as well! She's changed her mind about her future about a million times before and after she gave birth but she finds it so easy to get into courses and with her being on benefits she usually gets it all funded anyway whilst I have to pay.

Don't tell me she works for these things because I live with her and can tell you honestly she does shit all most of the day but be a bad mother and ignore all the pets she brought purely because she thought it would make the council give her a house!

Just for once I'd like SOMETHING to go my way. Full time hours on a temporary or permanent basis. If it is just temporary fine because I can save up, get the experience and move away to London or something! Just a little, or in my case going from 14 to anything over 20 hours, extra money so I COULD learn to drive or even learn a new language, splash out on a course that might mean I could move into a better area. Just something!

Any ideas on ways to even just make a small amount of extra money would be helpful! I  thought about adding adsense to the blog but I doubt I'd get anything. I'd love to earn just a little bit so next year I could go abroad on holiday and maybe see if I could do a travel blog on the side! I'd love to do anything!

So readers help! Any ideas what a really under talented, bog standard, too shy to talk to people geek could do in lovely Plymouth? (England)

Tattoo's... Still a big deal?

So recently the tattoo debate has came up again.

My first reaction is why?

As far as I know tattoo's have been accepted in society and I'm not sure why they wouldn't be, I mean you don't make a big deal over someones hair style (maybe colour) or their body size so why are tattoo's any different? I've seen some ridiculous hairstyles that if I came up against the person wearing it I might at first think "here we go" but quickly remember that it is the person under the hair that matters not what they do to it (I can hardly speak seeing mine is usually a mess!)

For me tattoo's are just that... Something someones decided to have done, just like a piercing. Nothing important about them other than to that person.

A lot of the people I know have at least one and two or three of the people I care about the most in this world have tattoo's. My friend Pete has them all over and so does my friend Leigha, another friend called Kelli has at least one that she had done to support her favorite F1 driver. All three of them are the nicest, kindest, most caring and gentle people I know. So what they have a tattoos? What is so bad about it?

Now personally I don't like tattoo's, some look great, others look tacky, my sisters looks terrible and I've told her that. But my dislike means I'll never get one, I can look at others and think "actually that looks alright" or "OMG what where they thinking?" but I'd never sit there and judge the actual person on their tattoos!

It just isn't that big a deal and we need to shake off the whole thing that seems to keep cropping up about them. Now it isn't that weird to have a tattoo, I really don't get why people act like it is such a taboo subject when actually a lot of people are just used to tattoo's in everyday life one way or the other.

At the end of the day if you are a thug, a nasty piece of work or a evil bitch you are going to be one with or without a tattoo.

If you won't employ someone because of their tattoo because you are worried what other people think then you are just as bad as those people. Maybe you should hire them if they are the best person for that job and challenge the idea that if you have a tattoo you might be something to sneer at?

I don't get why we still need to have a debate over tattoo's just get over it already!

Jamie Oliver Day 2

Not a long rant or anything of the sort today just a WTF moment.

Now he's saying he prefers to employ immigrants because British people whine too much.

So he's gone to the press whining about people whining? And probably whining because they don't want to work 100hr weeks by the sound of it...

Can we replace Jamie Oliver with someone else? I don't even mind a British worker because I know just like 90% of everyone in the world they'll work hard.

Once again stereotyping for no reason at all....

Jamie Oliver thinks I eat unhealthy because I prefer my TV?!

Well that is what it felt like he was saying.

In my house we do have one GIANT TV that also happens to be 3D compatible.

Did we buy this TV instead of buying fresh fruit and veg?

Of course bloody not! We still eat cheap options, our weekly food shop is usually at Farm Foods where we buy chicken breasts, gammon steaks and pork chops on the cheap in bulk along with frozen veg. We then go on to ASDA to buy cheap savory rice and noodles as well as the biggest bag of potatoes we can find so that we can make chips from them.

During the month yeah we'll treat ourselves to a pizza or a Chinese and me and David who are on real low incomes end up with a pile of ready meals for most of our lunches but we eat as healthy as possible within our income limits.

Now yeah I'd love to be able to cook lovely fresh food every day, I love cooking. Then again you know how depressing it is when ALL your money ends up on food? I only earn £380 a month and have to pay out for bills first and bus fare for work which leaves me with less then £250, that is for four weeks (sometimes five) of food and drink as well as having a life, because you know what? Being poor doesn't mean you can't live as well.

So I'll buy myself a TV instead of another pack of oranges or some fruit I've never heard the name of? Who cares if I eat a ready meal happily instead of spending up to an hour and sometimes longer than that preparing food AFTER a 7.5 hour day in a busy shop?

It is funny that a man who has ready meals out there that he gets money off of for having his face plastered on them, that got famous by his TV show and makes his money with his expensive cookery equipment and cookery books that cost nearly £20 each can really deny someone who has to choose between things he'll take for granted and a bloody TV!

Do you go on holiday Jamie? Buy DVDs? Go to the cinema? Take your kids out to soft play areas or places like Woodlands? Do you buy new clothes when you just feel like it or when its really needed?

Can you see how saving up for a giant TV might appeal to someone who has no chance of a holiday, maybe will be able to go out once a month if that or lives too far away from anywhere like a zoo or leisure park therefore never gets a chance to go?

In the past on my £380 a month I've saved up to go to London for a weekend to see TNA, my PS3, a new camera and just after being paid have been to days out with my mum and my sister. What I'll eat for the month is way down my list of "important" things at times because yes I can just pop into a local supermarket and buy something cheap and easy to make at the end of the month if I run out.

Maybe you take things like a weekend away or a treat for yourself for granted because you can afford them?

Just maybe you don't know how happy it makes you feel plugging in that TV after you've saved months for it, maybe a whole year or more for it and see it light up compared to getting yourself tired in a kitchen spending all your money on something that will be consumed in seconds?

When you work really hard for a living (and no doubt you do) and earn very little you are allowed to let the small things in life that those who work hard for a living but earn a lot take for granted.

A giant TV might not be important in your mind but then again you probably own one anyway don't you?

The problem with your TV shows is that you'll end up going to "extreme" cases or else to people putting it on a bit to be interesting to get on TV. Yeah some are genuine and you might not understand their circumstances because your own bank balance gets in your way. Don't tar everyone with the same brush.

I work hard for my money and once a month I can afford to treat my mum and buy really nice food and cook it up for her. I buy fruit quite often as a treat, our local greengrocers tend to be more expensive then ASDA or Tesco's anyway so I don't know where you're getting your information from. What I spend my money on is no business of yours. And I don't like you once again preaching to us about how our lifestyles are below what St Jamie things it should be.

Yes I am young enough to have felt the beginning of the healthy school dinners stuff. What did that do for our school? Not much to be fair....

7 Days left to "sort myself out"

So as you know I had a week (well just over a week) sick note given to me on Thursday for work related stress.

I went to the doctors because my face had swollen to twice the size it usually is, I was really ill, dizzy all the time and WANTED TO GET BETTER TO GO TO WORK! I felt bad letting people down, especially as this week I was meant to be doing 5 days whereas everyone else was doing 4 because of the bank holiday. I felt terrible having to have my two days off last week and wanted to be fighting fit for this week.

My doctor said I wasn't ill I was stressed and run down and needed the time off before I had a complete breakdown or ended up in the hospital after working myself to a breaking point.

Mentally I'm not the healthiest person, and people at work should know that other than my assistant manager who has only been in the job since April. I let stupid shit get on top of me, I feel like I let people down when I have to cancel on them in any shape or form... Retail might not be the best sector for me but I've done a damn good job for nearly 4 freakin' years now!

Since Tragic (our old assistant manager) left in February the over time has been non-stop! Because our supervisor only wants to do four days (which is fair enough) I get piled with quite a bit of over time myself. Now usually I don't whine, if I do its because I want a little more or fairer hours when I am doing it, but these last few weeks have been so stressful they've felt like months instead of weeks.

Every week there is something different. At first our area manager made our warehouse unsafe and unworkable and yet I was being sent in there to do normal work AND warehouse work (that I'm technically not meant to do) and I just did it. Then EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD was our fault not his fault (typical management) which meant our manager who had been on holiday for two weeks walked out.

I ran myself ragged trying to help, and yeah I had to cancel the odd day here and there because I'd done too much, but I never signed up to do two people's work, which is what we've all had to do because our part time warehouse man hasn't done anything. I've made doctors appointments and cancelled them to help at work, meaning my health went from borderline to the point my doctor was close to sending me to the hospital over the weekend because he was so worried about me.

Now I just feel I'm getting snide comments and probably people talking behind my back.

The doctor and nurse said it is so common in people my age in retail to need time away from it all, mainly because we haven't got the benefit of hindsight. We worry because we think it is the end of the world if we lose our job, whereas most of the people putting pressure on us or who would whisper about "why do they need time off for stress" have forgotten how stressful it is. It got to me more than others maybe because I don't stand on the same ground, being a recovering recluse my comfort zone is on here, tucked away in my bedroom on my computer.

I don't know why I've become so bad I need to be off on sick, I don't know why the stress got to me and no one else other than our manager. I know it was no where near as bad as what happened to her BUT I DIDN'T GO LOOKING FOR A SICK NOTE AND DIDN'T THINK I WAS TOO STRESSED TO WORK!

Why do I look like I'm shouting that point out?

Because I'm almost certain that someone is being snide about me online.

I wasn't too sure to begin with but even if they aren't it has got to me!

I couldn't even fucking SEE properly yesterday, my eyesight went for half the damn day. Do you know how scary that is? Especially to someone who only finds happiness in books and online?! I burst into tears every 10 minutes, I'm trying to act normally but I feel like if anyone other than my family talk to me I might just break down. And yet I feel like I'm the bad guy!

I'm trying not to but every time I think about going back it drives me over the edge, I've had two panic attacks today thinking about going back to work.

The stupid thing is I'm thinking about it because I want to go back! I love my job (to a point) and I don't want to be at home all the time. I want to work, I want to help when they need it most. I hate being ill and I hate being so weak.

All my friends have told me to delete my work colleague because it won't help me get better, in fact its put me one step behind where I was. How is that going to help? I work in a place with only 5 members of staff (including me and my manager, my manager still has like two weeks after I come back on sick so that is only 4 for two weeks if she even comes back!) deleting her off of Facebook will make everything more awkward. The same with Twitter. She might not even be talking about me!

So my sick note runs out on the 2nd, that is 7 days to get better.

I also have to, before next Monday, get in touch with my assistant manager to find out when I'm coming back.

I understand why I need a week off, I really do understand that, but this whole "take a week away, you'll look at the situation differently and you'll be able to return in a better place then you left" just isn't going to work. ESPECIALLY as I didn't leave because I was stressed. I'm now stressed that people think I've gone to the doctors and got a week off because I'm lazy/mentally unstable.

Why can't life be simple?!

Sorry!

So I haven't even been online properly the last two days, missed all the animes that I spent so long getting up to date and to be honest not sure I'll be able to do much more work on it tonight!

Thing is I have had such a horrid time at work these last few days, usually I bite my tongue as you know it is never a good idea to moan about work in a place someone FROM work could see it, but now I can't be bothered.

Our manager (lovely women) came back from holiday on Monday and had to deal with a messed up shop (welcome to the last two weeks of my life!) and problem after problem. By the time I walked in on Tuesday she was walking out, and is now off sick for two weeks.

My assistant manager (again a lovely women) is very much sales orientated. Good thing you'd think? Well no, I work in a shop that needs people manning the phone, yes our area manager (not a nice anything) thinks we should have volunteers coming out of our ears doing everything because so and so has volunteers and they are brilliant (or fantastic) but you know what? In his area we are 9 times out of 10 the highest earners with the best gift aid scores. We might not be over target every week but then again that is because our target is about £5,000 over everyone else's!

So I was left on Tuesday to close the store which I did with no problems as I'm 100% behind my manager who didn't deserve the wanker of a area manager. Yesterday and today I've been living a total hell and by 10am today I was in the toilets crying my eyes out because I couldn't stand it anymore.

I came home Tuesday and yesterday and just couldn't face the internet, nothing ever goes my way and suddenly I'm the one that has to deal with every rotten ass in Plymouth.

I'm just totally fed up and I apologise that this then effected my blogs because to be honest I love doing my page. Just miserable right now.

I'll get on it though!

So did you take part in #TwitterSilence ?

I know I didn't! And I'll tell you why.

As someone who has been bullied most of my life, whether it was at school, in my area or at work, I can tell you making the victim shut up is the way that these bullies strive!

I agree that the idea behind it was noble, threats pointed at anyone on social media is wrong (threats are wrong in general), I see nasty things aimed at all types all the time and just feel like really asking these people what they think they are achieving?

Then again I'd love to ask a bully that in general!

What really makes you feel so big by upsetting others? How do you feel so special when all you do is threaten others? Make others feel scared and upset? If that person then ended their life would it be a victory? Can you not see that making others suffer and leaving them with life long problems isn't fun or anything to be proud of?!

Shutting up about it will never help. Instead we should spend our days sticking up for each other, not letting them win, not letting them walk over us and not sinking to their level. We should stand up and look out for each other and expose these boring and cruel people.

No one has actually explained to me what being silent is actually going to achieve?!

I just wish people would THINK before they say and do things. It might be corny but really treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Grand Magic Games / Dragons Arc : Final say!

So I've babbled on about the Grand Magic Games and the Dragon arc in Fairy Tail since it ended but I thought I'd write a last blog to get off my chest what I felt was a bad arc (in a way.)

First off it went on WAY too long.

It started off quite exciting, you had all the heartbreak of the guys who went missing coming back to the Guild 7 years later, the games started off pretty awesomely as well and the biggest strength was the new characters we got to meet (and the old character we got to see again MEN!!!!)

So it started off well and then the final day of the games come....

Everything since then has felt really rushed and forced. And I'm going behind the tag now to avoid spoilers if you haven't read the arc yet fully.

Doctor Who v Game of Thrones?

So there was a debate sometime in the last few months that I read that Doctor Who should either split and become a kids show and a separate adults show or else just abandon kids altogether and just become more like Game of Thrones.

But do we really want a show like Game of Thrones?

My favorite rant : Hypocritical fans

Yes its that time to rant about something that really annoys me.

Fans who like to bitch and moan about the driver/actor/character/singer/person/team/thing they dislike but then act all "poor us" when the tables are turned.

You know what?

If YOU can't find anything nice to say about something then don't open your mouth or tweet it or whatever if you can't take it when someone says the same about your favorite!

I like one of the most disliked F1 drivers in the world, I also like quite a disliked MotoGP rider. Plus on Tumblr and on forums a lot of my favorite characters from films or TV are marmite characters you either love or hate.

Personally if I dislike someone I'll say it, even if I admit that I like a similar quality in another person. Sometimes people just rub you up the wrong way (even if you don't know them!) and yes it hurts when other fans act like just because I'm a fan of X,Y or D that I'm a terrible person, or big headed, or this or that...

I dislike Michael Schumacher, he annoyed me. I never was a fan and I have my reasons. My best friend is a Schumi fan, I'd never hold that against her (much) and she'd never hold it against me that I'm an Alonso fan. Some of the things she says about Alonso make me cringe because I hold the total opposite view of him as a person but she's a right to say that and we laugh and joke about it! I'd never make a sweeping generalization of Schumi fans because I know one who is great, if anything my view on Schumi fans are they are some of the most knowledgeable fans around! Schumacher himself is still a cheating git but hey ho you can't win every battle...

One friend, who I love to bits, spends most of a race weekend moaning about how she'd rather that Spanish git didn't get on the podium or how if any other team/driver did something Alonso did they'd be fined and so on and so forth. She's a Vettel fan, arguable a driver who has recently gotten away with a lot of things she accuses Alonso of, does this enter into her mind? No because as it is her driver any penalty would be too much even if he got out of his car, set the track on fire and then drove over the finishing line demanding the race be stopped. No matter what he does it doesn't matter and any time Alonso is punished its the right thing to do but is forgotten when he doesn't get punished in the way she wants it.

Now she also has this thing about how hard done by Vettel fans are.

Well no.

I dislike Vettel as well but I have nothing against his fans.

Yes I have a problem with some fans, I have a problem with Alonso fans too, that is down to individuals and not because they are a fan of a certain driver.

So I'm not allowed to be critical of Vettel and what he does just in case I'm giving too much "shit" to Vettel fans?

Try being a bit nicer to other drivers yourself before you play the poor me card!

I mean come on if you are going to rant and rave about one driver then you can't be surprised that fans of another driver might rant and rave about yours.

As I've said before (in the Should Fans boo post) I prefer that people are honest (not mean just honest) about the drivers they like and dislike rather then start hate campaigns against them or attack other fans and their opinion.

Guess what? We can like and dislike different drivers, we can bad mouth drivers and decisions all we want but fans shouldn't take another fan disliking their favorite driver to heart, after all in all likely hood you dislike their favorite driver. Their view isn't against you personally (if it is they aren't worth talking to) just the same as yours for something else.

Work, who needs it?

So work has hit a new low this week. After doing a seven day week (Wednesday to this Tuesday) having one day off (yesterday) and coming back for two more days (today and tomorrow) I feel like someone, somewhere should be thankful that the 14 hour a week part timer is, you know, pulling her weight in hard times.

Are they thankful?

Like hell they are!

***BEWARE : No spoilers in this blog but a rant that might sound stupid and childish but I need it off my chest!***

Heatwave... Not a good thing

If anyone knows me they know I hate heat so this heatwave is doing my head in!

But just so you know why my best laid plans have failed tonight.

I have been working since Wednesday, I don't have a day off till this Wednesday. Our shop is like a greenhouse, super hot in the summer (and stupidly cold in the winter.) So you can imagine I've spent the last 4 days, 26 hours in total in a greenhouse.

I had to walk to the bank yesterday (other side of town up basically a hill) in this heat. When I got there the guy was being a dick so I went to Tesco to get a drink. Obviously I've left my card there or dropped it since.

Today, stupid me who should have booked the train ticket earlier, went to book my ticket to Weston and OHHH LOOK no bank card! Not only that but I found a ticket for £48 then suddenly that one disappeared and I had to pay £61.

So I've booked them on my mum's card, Catherine is paying Christy's share this week and I thought I'd be able to pay the money I owed my mum straight to her account.

Apparently you can't.

I understand all the safety stuff on Natwest and I'm not dissing it but I need a card reader to transfer my money. All nice and safe yes but totally useless in this situation.

It is my fault, I shouldn't have agreed to work Wednesday, I shouldn't have left my card somewhere and I defo should have booked my train tickets earlier!

I have been running around the place like a headless chicken for the last hour and NOTHING has gone my way, I am so careful usually but because of this heat I just can't think. It has really pissed me off because I have been looking forward to Weston for ages and now I have to send all my money to my mum to get out (instead of having it my bank and being able to withdraw when I need it)  in one lump sum to go to Weston with.

I'm just so angry at myself.

And because of this drama I really should be going to sleep now as I'm knackered but I feel bad doing one review, promising another, going off QUICKLY to do something else, end up taking half the night doing it and then cancelling what I'd given myself more than enough time to do!

The good thing is I'm still going to Weston! The bad news is I'm sucking most of my savings out to go there as I don't think I'll be paid till the week after next. Thankfully I have stupid amounts of overtime in the coming weeks (maybe more after) and I'll just have to carry on sticking it all into my savings (plus maybe a £10 extra here and there to make up for my stupidity!)

Should fans boo rival drivers?

With podium interviews now apart of F1 it gives much more time for vocal fans to show their happiness/displeasure at race winners.

A lot of people think that booing has no place in the sport.

Me?

As a wrestling fan I don't see their problem. Yes wrestling is so much different but I'd rather have people show their displeasure by booing then by doing other things. Some of the banners and online "groups" are way more disrespectful then just booing someone. Do you expect someone who hates Vettel/Hamilton/Alonso to cheer just because we want the world to think we are the greatest fans in the world?

Well it won't work will it?

You can't force happiness out of someone and as long as it is just booing what harm is it really doing? Most of the stands in Canada looked pretty red to me and most of the time I didn't (on the TV) hear much booing just a lot of people chanting for Alonso.

Of course Vettel might not be happy to think he's being booed but then it is the same as the way the English media and a lot of English fans behaved towards Alonso back in '07 and I didn't hear a load of people come out in his defense saying that Hamilton fans should be lovely to him to his face then go off and be cruel behind his back.

I think ALL fans, all real fans will give the drivers the respect they deserve but surely booing someone they didn't want to win is A LOT better then making "hate" pages up and being totally disgusting towards those drivers online?

I respect all the F1 drivers, I don't always respect their decisions and I don't always respect the drivel that comes out of their mouths. But they are human, I am human and I won't go and pay to be at a race to be told to cheer on a rival driver just because its good etiquette.

Be happy fans are only booing it could be a lot worse trust me!

F1 Races losing their excitement?

So I wrote in my F1 blog for the Canadian GP that there is a possibility that F1 is losing a bit of its excitement.

Now this is purely personal and I don't even mean "is the racing exciting" because believe you me condensed down into a highlights package and you SEE that the races are exciting, and all races in the history of F1 have had lulls in the middle of a race or when one driver is slowing down a bit to make sure they get to the end of the GP.

I mean in a totally different way.

Fernando Alonso v Paparazzi

So apparently once again Fernando Alonso has had an altercation with a paparazzi who was just trying to get a photo of him with his girl outside their hotel yesterday....

Hate to break it to the guy but yeah I don't blame Alonso for being angry, I don't blame anyone for being angry about it! Causing damage to the camera I don't agree with though funny thing is this guy KNEW Alonso has had altercations before with paparazzi and is surprised to upset a guy whilst "just trying to get a photo with you and your girl" ?

I hate how he hides behind being "the press" no you weren't, what news would you get from taking a photo of people coming back to a hotel room after going out? Yes there are people out there that want to see those types of photos but taking them at the circuit is one thing outside the hotel? Totally disgusting.

Alonso should probably pay the damage on the camera but can you blame him for getting angry?

The stupidity of the comments that the photographer sent to Alonso and the whole situation is bound (and already kind of) being over shadowed by stupidity of fans.

"This is why Alonso will never be a true legend" they cry. Well at least he just damaged a camera from some rude bastard prying into his personal life, Senna is a legend and he wasn't the nicest of people all of the time. He lost his temper plenty of times. What the heck does a temper outside of the car got to do with him being a legend?

And we are really going to compare him to lying two faced Vettel? Don't make me laugh!

Now I'm agreeing here that Alonso was in the wrong on the criminal damage.

But the photographer was wrong for taking the photo in the first place no matter what the hell he thinks or people in "the press" think. I don't take random photos of random people when I'm out and about and from following wrestlers/drivers/actors online I get the feeling they'd rather you asked then to sneak about taking their photos. So no I have no respect for him prying.

Alonso works when he steps into the circuit or a PR event, that is when you take his photo unless you ask first. If you don't ask and he gets upset yeah if he goes too far its bad on him and his fans won't stick up for that behavior, but don't try to make out you are innocent.

Still hope Alonso wins this weekend!

Free of the Purple Haired Twit!

So let me tell you the sad tale of work recently for me.

We have had this work placement in, lets call her the Purple Haired Twit or PHT for short.

Now the PHT has been with us for 8 weeks, it doesn't sound like much but it has felt like a lifetime for us.

We get a lot of characters in our shop but she was something else. It wasn't that she lied, we've had plenty of liars. It wasn't that she was rude, we've had worse. It wasn't even because she was young! There was just something so... So fundamentally stupid about her attitude that we couldn't help but be astonished with the things that she would blurt out, not only in front of us but in front of customers as well!

She has some very weird views on everything, she always has to have done something bigger and better (or have it happen worse) then you.

Thing is she is only 18, I might only be 23 but I don't talk to Jean (in 60s) or Jenny or Jeannette (40s) like I know better than them about things that I know I know nothing about! She might THINK she knows everything about everything but to be honest even I know she's spread a load of crap around.

The first annoying thing was basically I know her brother. I never met her, I knew her brother at school and bump into him from time to time now we've left. I didn't know he had a sister until she showed up at work. But now apparently I've known her the whole of her life... Well no I haven't.

Then it was that her dad works on the buses so she knew everything about buses that could possibly be known. Just David's friend works on the buses as well and when he made a comment that his friend likes a certain model of bus then he had to be wrong because her dad hated it. When I got angry at some news from PCB because I KNOW they are making a profit (they published their profits in the Herald FFS!) then I was wrong because she's talked to the people in charge and they aren't making a profit at all. Now why the manager of a big corporation, or indeed just of PCB would talk to the daughter of a bus driver FOR ANOTHER COMPANY about their profits I don't know. But apparently they did.

She lets you know at every turning that the Conservatives are evil and that she thinks anyone voting for them are stupid and must have more money then sense. Well no love I vote for them and I'm a part time shop assistant. I just don't like seeing so much money being spent on you and your "partner".

She apparently loves all kinds of rock music but hates pop music... She also owns all of Rhianna's albums... Yeah work that one out.

She's done every drug possible apparently and wants to be a youth worker because she wants to stop people "making the same mistakes as me" well to be honest love I know that you are from a partly posh family and other then radically coloring your hair every few months it seems you've never had a problem! I know this because I asked your brother...

It got to the point were she just had to be smarter than everyone, more opinionated then everyone and have more sympathy then everyone.

Thank god she is going tomorrow! I won't see her as I have the day off. Can't wait to a week of working with normal people again!

My wonderful day off *SARCASM ALERT*

So I worked 7 hours on Saturday with rude and horrible customers, 5.5 hours yesterday which was alright but dragged like hell and 7 hours today with a totally irritating and unintelligent chav. My feet hurt, I have a headache, I've been getting up at 7am every morning and am working 7 hours on Wednesday and 4.5 hours on Thursday.

So what do I do on my day off?

I get to wake up at 7am, go babysit my nan until 3pm then have to get a bus to Derriford to meet David, who refuses to come and see me at my nans, so we can go out for dinner.

Now I don't really begrudge David as it was his birthday today and I was working and then asked him to come down into town and help me with something, but he's acting like I'm the most terrible person in the world. I didn't ASK to spend ALL FUCKING DAY at my nans I thought a couple hours meant over dinner time not half the day.

For some reason the bank cancelled my bank card on Saturday so I have no money, I wanted to go to the bank to get money out but now because I don't leave my nans till 3 and David wants me at Derriford at 4 I can't possibly get money out. So I'm scrounging small amounts of change off my mum till I get to a bank, which won't be till Friday now!

All I wanted to do on my day off was have a lie in and then go get some money out, make sure they've sent a replacement card out and relax. But I don't get that.

Oh by the way just to add context to why I'm so mad about this...

David spent the whole weekend at a Role Play thing in Exeter with his friends.
My mum spent the whole weekend lounging around the house doing nothing.

They don't work. I do. They have 7 days a week off (ok technically my mum "cares" for my nan, that basically means sitting around doing nothing all day though so it isn't like she's actually working, working.)

I'm fed up of work treating me like dirt, because now we have an assistant manager instead of giving me a few more hours or anything like that they are going to hire another warehouse man as well. So now my chances of overtime are zilch as who the hell will I be covering? I work peoples days off in the week so when someones on holiday they'll just adjust my hours accordingly. I've had enough of being treated like that (it isn't anyone in my actual shop, my manager is wonderful, its other people that are annoying) and now I don't even get a break from everything when I should. My choice for Wednesday is leave Jenny on her own in the shop all day and be "ill" or work, on my feet for 7 hours with the idiot talking a load of bollocks at me. And as I'm a nice person it'll be option b I take!