NICETIES

My fringe is still behaving itself, two washes after I cut it. Revolutionary. Charlie thinks it looks too much like Becca Moody from Californication... but hers is waaay shorter.

In other news… the cold I mentioned in my last post kicked up a notch the following day. I got sent home at midday from work feeling miserable, went to bed and alternated between sleeping and watching rubbish TV. Was still sick yesterday, which meant I missed the Internet Industry awards at Parliament, and the chance to rent a pretty dress! So disappointed! Unfortunately being sick was made all the more boring by the fact we’re currently Internet-less at home. We cancelled our plan with Orcon because, despite their amazing customer service, we (cough) have poor self-control when it comes to keeping under our plan’s GB limit, and can’t afford the charges when we do go over.

We signed up with Slingshot a week ago via their website. I finished the application, submitted it, checked my email and… nothing. Left it for almost 24 hours. Nothing. I called them, expecting to be told my application didn’t process correctly, but they answered my call, greeting me by name; a good start. I was then told they don’t send email confirmations.

Huh?

And also that it would take a week to connect. It’s been a week now. During that time we’ve had a letter by POST which was so brief it could have been sent as a text message, and most definitely an email. I finally got an email yesterday (so they DO HAVE a computer!) saying it’s now connected (it’s not) and instructions to configure our (own) modem (they don’t work). I called them, and it’s not working from their end either. So now we wait to hear from a Chorus worker, to make a “technical visit”. I miss Orcon (who connected us within two days). I need more money.

Money! A smooth segue (thank you Kathryn) to the other issue weighing on my mind… my Dad’s unemployment. He was made redundant a couple of months ago, and has so far been unsuccessful in finding work. My parents live in my hometown in the Wairarapa. For those unfamiliar; the Wairarapa is a large, rural valley an hour north of Wellington. It consists of five main towns, less than 40,000 people (2001 census) and over 500 on the unemployment benefit. Work is scarce as hell. He managed to gain a month of temporary work at a garage (he used to be a mechanic before I was born) but since then has spent his days at home or applying for jobs. I’ve been doing everything I can to help (emailing and calling old bosses and WINZ contacts, helping him format his CV etc.)

It really fucking sucks; he’s less than 10 years to retirement age so he really needs to find something for the rest of his working life. He’s going out of his mind with boredom, I hate it.

The only positive of it is that we’ve built a good emailing relationship in the past month or so! I try to send him funny pictures and articles when I can… and he’s always available to scan or photograph things I request from home for my art! Mum has a job working in schools and is looking for a second job to help with the finances. They’ve done absolutely everything for me my whole life; I want to be able to help them more!

Lotto winnings plz.