Signed off

CS was consistently chaotic to the last. Two weeks ago I got my last pink slip. As the supervisor filled it in he tallied up my hours. He wrote, 'balance - 1 hour', (crossed out) with 'zero/completed' written underneath. I asked if I had to have anything else to prove I was done. Not that I was expecting a graduation ceremony and a scroll but this seemed a bit too casual. I wasn't surprised that the supervisor was typically vague. All he said was 'I think you are just completed'. So I just did not turn up the next Sunday.

I got a call during the following week, from my offender management officer. I had to turn up one more time to be signed off. So I did. Last Sunday, the supervisor said 'hi'. He didn't know what else to say or do, I guess. I TOLD HIM he had to sign me off. As he didn't have any sort of form to complete he said I should consider myself signed off.

So I came home again. I have now completed... I think.

Decision time

I have begun following some of the new blogs that have sprung up since the general election was announced. I resent being lumped together with everyone under 30 as one of the x-factor generation. Apparently we are those who will vote for a sad wannabe that eveyone knows will end up being manipulated by some rich manager but not in a general election

Aren't politicians and wannabe politicians also motivated by money and manipulated by big business? I do not follow X-Factor, but I did buy Killing in The Name.

Tell me what you stand for and why I should vote then I won't spoil my ballot paper. I am not even dignified with the name of floating voter. Though if you read the Indie blog www.indyeagleeye.livejournal.com that term has definitely been un-dignified. Politics of the playground, why should we be any different?

Blogscorrespondent

As there was no CS this week I am allowing myself to digress. Anyway my sentence is nearly over and I thought I would diversify. A few weeks ago I mentioned I read the Times when no one is looking, I also read The Indie from time to time. It seems that the Independent has appointed a blog correspondent for the duration of the election. Michael Bywater. So far he has commented on blogs by the famous and the lesser known. I bet he doesn't look at this blog.

Nearly at an end

First I thought I would have done my 240 hours by early January. Then there were all the Sundays when I was among those turned away (no work, no supervisors, no BUS!) so I thought it would be February, then there was the snow. But now I have 8 more hours to do, one day plus a couple of hours. Not this week though, it's Easter.

Some people don't seem to care how long the hours stretch out, it is just a way of life. A couple of weeks ago one bloke (I'll call him Steve) was on his last 6 hours. It was clear, yet again, that there would not be enough places on the one rotten bus that they had actually managed to get started that morning. The rule when you get near the end of your sentence is you are not to be stood down.

Steve was moved to the front of the line to make sure he got on the bus. Somehow he was counted then doubled back to the end of the line again behind me.

The dumb look on the supervisor's face when he thought he had a full bus and looked round and saw Steve made everyone laugh. Steve must have thought it was worth it but he's mad, he could have finishd that day but he didn't, just so that he could beat the system. It reminded me of the time when I had just begun CS and two boys stole all sorts of stupid worthless stuff from the school we were painting, just because it was there. I was a bit shocked then, not much surprises me now.

No PPE

I haven't got a lot of time for all the tedious regulations we have to obey at work. The Health and Safety rep is the most annoying bloke in the yard. He is always shouting about some breach of the regs, not lifting properly, failure to wear a high vis jacket etc. You name the infringement and he has made a note of it in his little book. But there are certain safety instructions I think anyone would be mad not to follow. Like wearing steelies (steel capped boots)and eye protectors.

Two weeks ago at CS we were given the choice of indoors or out door work. I usually choose out door but we were close to the road and I don't want to be spotted. I got my job before I went to court and don't want to loose it because some sneak sees me in the 'chain gang' The job we were asked to do was chipping tiles off a shower room wall, PPE? Forget it. Dust and chips of tiles flying everywhere and no goggles or masks. I got some cuts on my hands and arms but luckily neither the person I was working with nor I got anything in our eyes, the dust made us cough though. Last Sunday I took my own goggles and face mask, just as well, we were doing the same job.

Today

Stood down again. I didn't mind for a change. I stupidly banged my knee last night (pub table since you ask). So when they asked for volunteers to go home I put my hand up. It is possible to self certificate but they only give you a couple of these. I would rather turn up and be sent home, that way I keep the self certs in reserve

Tomorrow

I'm thinking about tomorrow. My next day of CS. Wondering what we will be told to do. Last week we went to the old churchyard again. We are clearing the weeds and long grass from around the grave stones, we began the work before Christmas and the extended break caused by snow, lack of supervisors and no supervisors at all. I have been reading the inscriptions on the stones, no one has been buried there for over 50 years. Then last week a very old lady walked through. She said how glad she was to see the place looking more cared for. Her brother was buried there, he died when he was five. That must have been way before the second world war, so after all someone appreciates what we are doing