Challenges with Spaghetti & Marshmellows

These last few weeks have been stressful and I have put myself in situations that have taken me totally out of my comfort zone but more about that in a bit.  Not this Saturday but the one before we went and
stayed over at the caravan.  I invited Sue and Ian over for supper as I realised that Phil hadn’t seen them since we went to Egypt which was mid October.  I only did lasagne with home made garlic bread but it was enough to fill out stomaches before going for a few drinks at the clubhouse.  We wanted to go to check out the band that night as it is the same band playing on NYE.  They were okay not brilliant but what can you expect for 10 quid on NYE.  It wasn’t a late night and we didn’t stay until the end.

Unfortunately for Phil, I woke up really early on the Sunday morning.It was such a miserable day outside so we decided to pack up and leave.  Infact we were back at the flat by half eight.  Phil had his assignments to work on plus it was a grand prix weekend and I had an interview at MK Stadium.


My interview was at 2pm and I admit to being quite nervous.  I had asked prior to interview for a job description and a person specification but none came.  I had a bad feeling that it would be a group interview and I was proved right.  There were seven applicants and eight assessors in the same room. First we had to fill in a form and the HR person said that the pay was £6.50 whatever job we were applying for.  Personally I thought 8 assessors lurking in corners of the room while we had to conduct a debate on customer service was a bit OTT.  I did speak up because I knew it wouldn’t do me any good being a wall flower but it was painful.

After this exercise we were then split into 2 teams and asked to build a tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti.  Which ever team built the biggest tower won, my team lost.  To be honest I couldn’t see the point of the exercise.  The whole procedure took 2 hours and I came away thinking I don’t really want to be part of this team.  I had high expectations for Stadium MK so felt let down.   I thought I did okay but it was a bit of a blow to get a rejection letter even if I didn’t want to work for them.


On Tuesday I was back for another group interview, this time it was for Asda.  This time we had 5 minutes to get to know the person next to us and then had to talk about them for 5 minutes.  It wasn’t too bad but then we were given a product and had to sell it to the team in form of a presentation.  I felt really uncomfortable doing this and was glad when it was all over.  We were then assessed tidying shelves on the shop floor. Yes really, all this for £6.55 ph.  The whole process finished with a  one-to-one interview in which I was offered a job as a checkout girl subject to completing a training day the following day.  Unfortunately I had plans so was told I could do the training day when the next one came up.  I went into Asda that morning at 9.45 am and came out at 1.15pm.  I went home afterwards and caught up with some domestics.


My sleeping habits have gone crazy; on Wednesday I was up at quarter to three drinking tea.  I was due to go to Phil’s mum’s so I decided to leave at half six and go the back way. Big mistake, it was very dark and very foggy so I had to drive really slowly.  I was knackered when I arrived there at half eight.  I had gone down to take her to the local hospital to get fitted for a hearing aid.  Mum told me to drive into entrance 1 which I thought was strange, and in hindsight should have questioned her.  We parked up and literally walked for what felt like miles, finally ended up in the new part of the hospital which is accessed by entrance 2.  At one point I didn’t think she would make it but we got there eventually.  A short wait to get moulds for her ears and we were done.  I made her wait in reception whilst I ran and got the car.  We had fish and chips at The Harborough and were back home after done shopping by quarter to two.  Another foggy trip back to MK which seemed to take forever but I got there safely.


Having been up so early I felt shattered but I had promised to take down a lasagne to Suffolk so we could have after the funeral.  Finger buffets never do it for me and I always forget to eat so seemed like a good idea to take a dish down.  On Thursday morning we left in funeral attire and landed at Step dad’s place in Suffolk just after 11 am.John had made sandwiches for everyone but Marie’s daughters and their kids didn’t even both to come in, instead they prepared the club house for the wake.  To say things were awkward would be putting it mildly.

The funeral cars came to the house at quarter past one but Phil drove us in his car.  The crematorium was packed so I was pleased for a good turn out.  Lots of Marie’s daughters and their family but also a very good turn out from the Park.  The service was nice but not how I would have done things.  They had this thing with the grandchildren lighting candles in the middle of the service and it broke my heart to see the 6 year sobbing her little heart out. It also upset me that step dad wasn’t mentioned in the eulogy.  Unfortunately this was noticed by one of the neighbours because she questioned me afterwards.  Sue and Ian came to support John and me and Phil and I was very glad of their company.  They left shortly before it all finished.  We stayed but were back at the house having packed up at half five. It had felt like a very long day.


Nobody slept much slept well that night and we were all up and dressed by half six the following morning.  Phil booked step-dad a flight back to La Manga as he has decided to return and come back next March as originally planned.  I don’t know what is going to happen re the will or the estate but he has decided to see what demands are made and then take it from there.  This makes sense as it will give him time to think.  I think the old saying goes “act in haste, repent at leisure or something like that anyway. Phil took step dad into Colchester to get some copies of the death certificate as the daughters refused to give him one and then we left Suffolk and got back to MK about 1pm. We were knackered, Phil had study to do but we just unpacked, stuck
some washing on and washed TV.


Last weekend was nothing to write home about. I left the flat early to go to the gym and then went to the city centre to do some shopping. Big mistake, it was jam packed and I was lucky to get parked.  I hadn’t realised that there was some kind of cycling event in Campbell Park and also it was the end of the month so people with money in their pockets were getting their Christmas shopping.  I stuck it out until nearly 3pm and then went home.  Sunday was nothing to write home about, gym for me, cooked a roast dinner and then watched unhealthy amounts of TV.


Today I had my interview at the OU.  I was extremely nervous and spent most of the morning cramming up on Excel, data sorting, pivot tables and cell manipulation, not terribly exciting.  My interview was at 1pm; first I had a 30 minute admin test which wasn’t too difficult. I completely forgot all that I had learnt that morning about data sorting so ended up inputting by hand.  Got there in the end even if it was the long roundabout way.  I was interviewed by a panel of 3,they were friendly enough but I am not sure if I gave the right answers, sometimes I can be too honest and not terribly PC.  But I did my best and gave it my best shot.  Keep your fingers crossed; I need this job, my life depends on it.