Josh's Blog

So, a while since I last updated… sorry all.

I’ve been quite busy recently – for good reasons, like having got a job! At last! I know, my unemployed time wasn’t too long, but it’s the indefinite nature of jobhunting that makes it seem so bad at the time. Anyway, I started working at King’s College London on Thursday 6th, as an Admissions Officer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery; lovely people, varied work, and a great organisation to work for, so I’m very happy. (I won’t be blogging about work much from here on, to be honest, because I don’t think it’s a good idea, generally speaking, for a variety of reasons.)

I also took my first driving test today. 9 minors, and sadly, 1 major fault, which I picked up in the last five minutes of test for forgetting to cancel a left indicator before pulling away from parked on the road. Very, very annoying, and my next test isn’t until the 4th of January, unless I manage to pick up a last minute cancellation over Christmas – I’ll be keeping my eyes firmly on the DSA website over the next few weeks.

Yeah, that’s about all to be honest… If anyone’s planning a new years party that I can come to, it would be good to know what’s happening

J

…would be a really good thing to know. I’m getting better at generating interviews for myself, which is good, but it’s still a pain in the neck.

I’ve been learning to drive more – had my theory test (passed, 49/50 on questions, 49/74 on hazard perception) and I booked a practical test for the 3rd of January. I also found a driving instructor, who thinks I should move it to early December, so I’m going to do that. All very exciting, and through birthday money and selling some camera gear I don’t use much (still have my main gear, of course) I’ve almost saved enough money to buy a car already , though not insure it yet. In time. I’m looking at 1996-99 Polos and Puntos, which seem pretty affordable, and small but not too tiny to take 4 people to France and back (much as I love the Lupo, it wouldn’t really work with more than 3 + luggage….)

Went to Leicester last weekend for a bit of a last hurrah, going for a night out at Retribution (Totally. Amazing.), seeing friends, and having a little trip to Bradgate Park to see the deer and upside-down-tankard folly. Fun times! I would be going up to Durham this weekend to see people, but no cheap fares. Alas!

Also, a couple of hints for you all, cunningly stolen from the MoneySavingExpert weekly email: £5 train fares on the GNER east coast line (you have to use the link), and a free £10 for Natwest, RBS, HSBC, First Direct and Ulster Bank customers, grab and go.

Went out driving again today, about 45 minutes this time. Things are starting to become more natural (though I still have to think a lot. I’m not stalling as much, and can start to think about external factors a little more.

I’ve been trying to do 3-point turns within the road, without going on to a dropped curb; I’m struggling to get the wheel around in time on the second and third ‘spokes’ of the turn: are you supposed to start turning the wheel before you reverse? I scratched one of the alloys coming out of a tight 3-point turn, which is annoying, but I’m generally being better at not getting frustrated.

Generally pretty impressed with how quickly you can build on knowledge when you’re going out every day, so that’s good. I’m going to start looking at booking a test and getting an instructor, etc.