So after a chaotic few weeks of slogging through administrative treacle, things are suddenly coming together.
1. Driving Test Booked
Firstly, I finally got granted an emergency driving test... for the end of September. Having to wait another month is crushing—not least because jobs have been popping up that I can't apply for—but at least I know instead of vainly hoping. Now I'm just dealing with the stress what-ifs of failure or a return to lockdown.
It's still embarrassing having to explain to various people that I can't drive at the moment. Everybody is too polite to ask, but I know the obvious assumption is that I have had my licence revoked. It was amusing when it was just my neighbours seeing the L plates, but when I'm talking to somebody in a more professional capacity, I don't want them assuming I'm a reckless driver! It's very awkward explaining the US licence though, since that requires further backstory. I'm still working on a nice pithy wording for that.
2. Back on the drugs
After a last minute hiccup of losing my prescription, the pharmacy managed to produce some ADD medication for me this week. A few days in, and I've got killer insomnia while my productivity's through the roof. I expect this initial dramatic effect to wear off, but it's pretty weird right now. Instead of being drowsy and having to push myself through the to-do list, I'm restless and keep finding more stuff to do.
It's not a magic bullet, so I still can't multi-task, and I keep forbidding the children from talking to me while I'm on task, but I can stay on task without my brain fogging over after half an hour. Meanwhile, I'm averaging about four hours of sleep a night and my eyes are burning holes in my head, but I'm not yawning and nodding off throughout the day. Nights are hit and miss: I'm only sleeping a few hours at a time and then struggling to get back to sleep, so I'm firmly routining my body clock and hoping that will settle. I've got a follow up call from my doctor in two weeks to decide how it's going.
3. Return of the Course
Out of the blue, on Friday, I had a phone call from the early years training course I'd applied to, chasing up some outstanding documentation. The following day, they offered me a place for September conditional on the receipt of my last reference. As I had given up hope of that, this is incredible news. I'm a little concerned about how it will go due to the last-minute-ness of it all, but in these pandemic-times, that's going to be a recurring theme. It's a full-time (funded) course though, so I won't be working much if at all this year. As it turns out, it's probably just as well I couldn't apply for any jobs.
Despite the vagueness, I'm really, really happy about this. I'd been feeling very down about my complete failure to progress with the career stuff, but this is a definite progression. Not only do I get a vital qualification, but I'll be placed with different schools throughout the course, which will give me the local contacts I've been missing and, with any luck, might lead to a job offer for 2021. When I moved to the UK, I had a five year goal of achieving a steady job at a particular salary level. I feel like I'm on track for that now.
4. Et Cetera
Meanwhile, all the other variations on life are ticking over... like back to school stuff, particularly my son's switch to secondary school, for which the guidance keeps changing. But we've got a full set of school uniform now, he's got a bus pass and the information for the bus service laid on for this stage of lockdown, and since the government's last minute switch on facemask advice, I've got ten extra washable facemasks thanks to Amazon Prime. (He's required to have one for the bus and one for school every day.)
The house is pootling along at a quieter pace. I've had all the information on it to read through—including a wonderfully old-fashioned document from 1949, when it was converted from one detached property to two semi-detached. I'm told all the agreements in that document still apply, so I'm making careful note of my right to install a pipe in my neighbour's well (so long as it is not lower than his pipe).
The main issue with the house is that the surveyors are all over-booked. I had one surveyor cancel on me this week "due to unforeseen circumstances" which is useful cover for all eventualities from "somebody died" to "we made a mistake we don't want to admit to." Luckily, I was able to get another one, but as they won't be able to survey the house before October, I really hope they don't find anything.
The sellers still haven't found a house, and as they'll have the same issue with surveyors as I've had, I now think it's unlikely we'll move before Christmas.
And I haven't even mentioned dentist appointments, a car insurance issue (that turned out to be a glitch on their end)... Thank goodness for the bank holiday weekend! Despite the sunshine, we haven't really done anything with it, and I've spent a lot of time on the laptop. But it meant a three day break from phone calls and emails.
I think I'm caught up again.... We'll see what happens on Tuesday.
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