This is it! Freedom! Horrible freedom! Ahahahaha!
Okay; context. As regular readers well know, I've been working at the Cathedral Office since the start of July off and on, and going on to pull in 35 hour weeks from the middle of July. In many ways, this has been the ultimate bind. Sat inside of a sunny summer's day, answering the telephone instead of... Oooooh say... Anything else? Not exactly my weapon of choice. Still! It's been the financial pick-me-up that I've so desperately needed, the benefits of which will last through October as well. After 4 years basically pissing about at the end of my overdraft, I'm finally making headway not only out but substantially out as well. I've sunk a huge sum into my holiday fund, which as it stands now should basically cover hotel accommodation for a week? Maybe ten days, fortnight-ish. I ought to get flights covered soon though, and spending money could go on for ever and ever. The problem is I quite enjoy the level of domestic expenditure I currently employ - visiting the Alehouse and frequenting the HUBBOX isn't exactly cheap, but it's a damn sight better than not doing so. I visited both two evenings ago with the excellent Cardinal Sin...
But since my employment is temporarily ending, I'll also have to actually start watching my outgoings. Even though things were supposed to quieten down at the end of last choir year, I went out even more than I did when we were in term, because I didn't want to miss out on the experience. Turning a night down wasn't about saving money; money can always be recovered. Time, however, cannot be. I've been saying yes to a lot more things recently as well, starting with "yes I would love another drink." I jest! Not really. Things like leaping up and hearing the call, "Is there a bass player in the house?" at the Old Alehouse jam night. I said yes to surfing at the start of July, even though I can't swim. I've been in Cornwall for three years now and never tried it at all! I've never really felt safe enough with a group of people to really do so before, but I had my prodigal son to back me up after all, saying "If I cry for help, then I'm really not joking" to him. Captain's top tip? Don't have a panic attack when you fall off your surfboard.
For all the excitement of the opening statement, I'll still be working. The usual General Administrator (Administrateuse?) is coming back on a phased return, so I'll still be working full days in a part time fashion tomorrow, and then for the following three weeks. This of course throws my original financial predictions out for October (and even maybe November?) in the best way possible, as does the news that the minimum wage will be bumped up by a whole 19p next month. Nineteen pence! Jackpot. Thankfully, this this phasing out will give me chance to get the drop on things again, rather than feeling like I've been dropped in it. This past two weeks hasn't been the most comfortable in the world, what with full days in the week and only a one day weekend. It was one of the major problems of my tenure at Truro School, among many others, but thankfully the usual Evensongs feel less rushed (and I also don't feel like falling asleep at the end of the Nunc) due to only having to whip round the corner rather than throw myself down the hill.
Speaking of Evensong... It's easy to forget sometimes just how lucky I am really to be here at Truro. I found out, almost by accident in fact, that there was plenty of effort behind trying to block my appointment as a Lay Vicar. I'm still here. I evidently have a lot to be thankful to my Boss for. Even elementary things like the breadth of the music scheme and the nature of the repetition we have, the power of the back row in all departments (especially mine [haha]), and how smoothly services actually go here. I take this for granted now, having been spoiled by being part of actually very decent choirs; I've always sang Byrd 4 wherever I've gone, and was totally shocked to find out that isn't the case across the country. The complaints that I have about choir are borderline groundless, mere grumbles in the face of being so close to perfection rather than legitimate concerns that things aren't working out. It is very early in the year; we haven't reached the first midterm break yet. There's plenty of things that will work themselves out given time and more importantly, hard work.
There's much to celebrate here at the end of the line, even if all I can do is find problems some days... There's no point in leaving when everything's so good though.
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