Tuesday 25 January 2011

Glass half full

What's this? An atypical Sammy B post that isn't full of doom and disaster? Well....kind of. The main cheerer-upper has been my finding some accommodation, even if only for this week, which is perfectly acceptable, reasonably priced (albeit still somewhat more than I could afford to pay all the time), and, best of all, easily accessible from work by public transport. It's a cheapish hotel, for which I found a special offer online, in a fairly quiet part of South London, a two-bus, 40-45 minute commute from where I work. That's still a fair chunk of travelling by some people's standards, but being able to sit on the top deck of a London bus and watch the world go by rather than flogging my way to and fro around the M25 in the car is a much more restful experience. And not one entirely without collateral rewards, either. Yesterday evening, I changed buses in another area not too far from where I've ended up staying, and while I was waiting for my next bus, I was treated to the sight of an absolutely stunning 13/14 year old boy, waiting for a different bus (sadly!) at the same stop. I think it's fair to say that he was the most eye-catching boy I've seen since the last time I saw DBJ, four or five months ago. A fleeting experience, with no foreseeable sequel, but it still brightened my day a lot more than I had any reason to expect.
The other good news of yesterday was that I sailed through another competence assessment, albeit one that was far less taxing than the one at the beginning of the month, which has now brought me within sight of the end of my training and familiarisation phase in my new workplace. Another few weeks, and I should be integrated into the full rota, which will mean the chance to earn substantially more money by working more regular night shifts and weekends, and open up the possibility, if I want to take it, of more overtime as well. The overtime aspect has to be balanced against the amount of time I'm going to be spending away from home, and the cost of accommodation while I am, but, ultimately, the more money I can earn in the short term will hasten the day - I hope - when I can retire (dis)gracefully back to Cornwall, this time permanently.
Sitting in relative peace and quiet, in a hotel room which, while it's by no means on a par with The Ritz, is comfortable enough, and with all the basic facilities available and working adequately, I get the feeling I could get used to this sort of lifestyle. Heat, light, a warm shower and the internet, with daydreams of cute blond boys like yesterday's in my head, what more should I expect? The boy in reality would be nice, but not obtainable by any conceivable means, but even that thought can't dampen my current mood of drowsy well-being. I'll have to try and bottle my contentedness and take a draught or two the next time the rollercoaster takes a downward trajectory. If only....

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

6 comments:

  1. Hi there, Sammy

    I'm glad to hear this - it sounds like good news all round. The much shorter and more relaxed commute sounds particularly beneficial, and presumably also saves quite a lot on petrol costs. And congratulations on passing your latest assessment.

    Take care

    Mark

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  2. Hello Mark
    The hotel isn't a permanent solution, but it will certainly do for now. As well as the cheaper, shorter and more chilled out commute, it gives me almost an extra hour in bed - a definite win/win!

    Love & best wishes
    Sammy B

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  3. "all the basic services ... heat, light, a warm shower and the internet". Hasn't the internet made such a difference to our ability to adapt to any environment.

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  4. Hello Billy
    It certainly has - I can't imagine working away from home without it now. The mix of entertainment, information, but above all communication keeps me from going 'stir crazy' when I'm on my own. Long may it continue!

    Love & best wishes
    Sammy B

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  5. Ah, Sammy!
    Good to hear things are going so well. At my last job, I spent an hour and 15 minutes each way to stay with a friend to save money until I could sell my old house and buy a new one. Fortunately it only lasted about 7 weeks. There's a lot to be said for convenience and comfort without all the hassle of ridiculous commutes. I'd ride a bus for an hour each way to avoid driving 30 minutes each way every day!

    Peace <3
    Jay

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  6. Hello Jay
    Yes, there's a lot to be said for stress-free, or, at least, stressed-reduced commuting. Some people seem to think it's beneath their dignity to travel by public transport, but I've certainly got no problems with it.

    Love & best wishes
    Sammy B

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