Work, New Years Resoulations and Pizza

I don't do new year resolutions. A year is a very long time to commit to something trivial, like many common new year resolutions. But if I did make one last year (and the year before, to be honest) it'll be this..... Get a job.

Since graduation in 2012 I was in, what you may call, the "finding your voice" stage of my creative career. Or, as Daily Mail readers would call "scrounging off the state time." A lot of people have some idea what they want to do when they leave school or higher education. But I didn't. I had no idea what I actually wanted to do for a living.

Also, been autistic, most of my time at education was focused on academic stuff and getting good grades. I rarely socialised with school friends. I didn't get a part-time job while studying. I didn't even attend my school prom. I was just wasn't interested. It's only recently I realised this and its consequences.

During that time I had some assistance from the National Autistic Society. It started with been given a mentor that forced me out of the house once a week to meet up. Soon, someone in the office heard about my talents and I was asked to edit a newsletter for them, beginning my professional career. By 2014 I began to instigate small talk without prompt. Something I never did before.

Things were improving. Then my dad died, and a few other relatives very quickly, triggering a bout of depression that needed pharmaceutical intervention. And in 2017 the allowances I was provided by the government were cut. For months I had no income what so ever. So, I was made to sign up to the infamous Universal Credit system that has become famous for reasons that'll mark it as successful as the Corn Laws.

So, I needed money, and Universal Credit was paying me pathetically.

After my stand-up debut in 2016 the thought of finding employment lingered in my mind. I thought that by 2018 I'll get a job. That didn't happen. Because of my lack of social skilling during my school years, I needed help. So I got help.

Last week, thanks to the assistance of Remploy, I got my first ever paid job - delivering pizzas.

On my search to find jobs, I pondered about applying for jobs I found advertised in take-aways looking for delivery drivers. I had been fetching and taking things to and from family members since I got my licence, so I thought such a job will be no different, except  that I'll be doing it a dozen times in a couple of hours a night and I GET PAID TO DO IT.

I am still on the look out for creative jobs, and applied to a few. The pizza thing is just something to rake in money until then. And I'm glad I got it, as my finances were not so good when I started.

So that's what's been happening in the past while. And since its Christmas, here's my card to you all....

I admit that I struggled to think of a design for this year's card, 

but this late development gave me some inspiration.

Meme Dictionary Update

I have published on a separate page a list of (almost) all the subjects my meme dictionary will cover.

You can access it by clicking here.

By the way - like the banner?

The Start of (possibly) Many Teardowns

Have you ever had the urge to take a screwdriver to something to take it apart just to look inside it?

I have. Just today I did this.....

I purchased this Acctim alarm clock last year, during my crazy eBay binge. Its fully-mechanical! Yes, you can buy a mechanical spring-powered clock made this century. That's why I bought it. Cost me less than £10. 

Now, I do already have some form of alarm clock at home when I bought this. So why did I do it? 

The answer is above. 

Yes, I bought something just to take it apart.

In fact, I bought a few things just to take them apart. It's only now I got the time to do this teardown. And more are planned in the future, so watch out. 

A Snowy Situlation for the Cultural Vandal

As I am writing this snow has fallen outside my home. The UK is currently experiencing (what the local media have dubbed) "snowmageddon" ..... again.

Back in January the snow as so deep in that I was not able to drive. (The snow was just touching the rim of the wheels, which my front-wheel drive hatchback struggled with.) The way it is now, I will not be surprised that I will be stranded again.

But don't worry folks. I am well stocked with food and supplies that will last until spring (which is very soon coming, as this is in fact the last day in February).

The real reason I'm writing this is to tell you that thanks to some improvements of my current situation (I am not stupid enough to write out what exactly these things are on a blog because I know the of people who monitor for such things.) I am in a great mood, despite the weather.

Because of this I have decided to tackle a few things I have laid dormant for a "while." Just today I finally got around to decorating my hallway. I had bought the paint and tools to do so months ago, but I had been too busy to get it done. And that was just a warm up.

For the next few weeks I "will" (I am putting that word in quotes just in case) be getting a few dormant tasks and projects done ... or at least attempt to.

This will include tackling the list of "draft" posts I have for this blog. I have drafts dating back to 2013! So, unless my mood takes me in another direction, the next post you'll see here will be one I have laid unfinished for possibly years.

Until then, see ya later.