5th August, 2020.
Right …
I’ve officially spent a lot of time on the phone, over the past couple of days.
Yesterday?
I had a phone call from a temp agency: who wanted to keep my CV on file, in case they found anything.
I spent a lot of time on the phone, yesterday morning … ? On the phone to the Work and Health programme I’ve been signed up to: discussing all sorts of things.
Including the possibility of getting funding for a computer literacy course.
Yes, I’m reasonably computer literate: but it would be nice to have recent paperwork that says so.
At ANY rate? That funding could be expensive.
It would need to cover the cost of the course.
The nearest one is, unfortunately, a remote one. Which leads to issues.
I’d possibly need a copy of Microsoft Office: not something I want, but it is the standard people expect you to be familiar with.
Both the Mac and Windows version of the suite? Costs roughly £120. That’s about €130, or $160.
However, whilst the Windows version of MS Office is four gigabytes in size — about the size of a film on a DVD — the Mac version is ten gigabytes.
Twice the size of the Windows version.
As I told my case worker, yesterday? That’s not something I have drive space for.
As I also told him? The only way I’d be able get a copy of MS Office, is if someone bought my a Windows based laptop, with a copy of the blessed suite included.
Whether that happens … ? Is a whole other issue.
~≈Í≈~
Monday, on the other hand, was a different kettle of fish.
I had to phone BT, to arranged my landline/internet contract.
I finally came away with a deal that isn’t perfect — it basically involves a pay as you go landline — but that is a lot better than what I’ve got.
The internet connection will cost roughly £15 less than what I’m paying now: which can be spent on food.
It also involves a new payment card.
The BIG drawback … ? Was the amount of time I actually waited for the phone to be answered.
I phoned, initially, at 10:30 … and waited for roughly thirty minutes before I got answered.
I sorted out the basics of a new deal: then got told I’d be put through to the sales team, to finalise it.
Then got cut off.
So I rang back … and waited for forty-five minutes, forty-five whole, frustrating, damn minutes, listening to soothing — ha! — music before I got thought to someone who could put me through to the sales team.
Who, once they’d finished with me, said I’d need to talk to someone else, to actually finalise the deal: before I got cut off … again …
It didn’t take long to get back in touch with them.
But, ye gods …
I can see why people have heart attacks on the phone!
~≈Í≈~
