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Finally!!! (Happy updating times!)
16 years ago
General
My work project application finally got approved!
I've been unemployed since about september/november last year, and just about managing to scrape by. To be fair, the Icelandic unemployment benefits are REALLY good, and don't let anyone anywhere tell you differently. You get around $900 US (roughly) a month, to cover everything. Food, rent, bills, whatever. Now, compared to what I got when I was unemployed in the UK that's a HUGE difference. It was a long time ago and my memory's not all that great, but it was no more than about $100 US a week at the time.
So, I've been talking to various folks, and liaising with the unemployment office and I've worked out a sweet little deal. The forest I used to work for are VERY short on cash since they're funded by government subsidies, and currently only employ 2 people other than the manager. It was 3 people, but due to some serious medical issues my 6-month contract was never renewed - it's not a good idea to play with chainsaws when you're taking ridiculous amounts of codeine and suffering from acute memory loss. The company could barely afford the three of us anyway, since the level of forestry work available in Iceland in winter is very little - most forests are on the sides of mountains where the ground is fertile enough to grow stuff, but too rugged to successfully grow crops, so they plant trees instead. Over the winter months (november - april/may) there's a LOT of snow in the forests, so managing them is virtually impossible.
Because of all this, here's what we've suggested. The unemployment office here in town will pay my benefits to the company, who use them to pay my wages, with a little extra (about 30%-40% more) on top, which is easily possible thanks to the money they'll make from having me working for them again, especially now that I've seriously lowered the dosages of my meds right to the pain threshold so I am more able to work. Memory loss is still an issue, but as long as I'm able to remember how to start a chainsaw, I'll be fine!
I'll also be building a lot of 'rustic' furniture out of logs and trees and things. Mostly for the summer/autumn for people to have BBQ's on their back lawn, with their cool new bench made out of half a tree. Some of the stuff I make will no doubt end up going out into the trails in the forest too, places for walkers to sit and take a rest, or in the play areas or BBQ areas for people to chill out, and to generally make the place more accessible to the townsfolk.
So YAY! I finally get to start doing something with my life again! And I'll have loads of money to spend at AnthroCon2010!!!!
TL:DR - I got a job, I'm very happy, go me.
I've been unemployed since about september/november last year, and just about managing to scrape by. To be fair, the Icelandic unemployment benefits are REALLY good, and don't let anyone anywhere tell you differently. You get around $900 US (roughly) a month, to cover everything. Food, rent, bills, whatever. Now, compared to what I got when I was unemployed in the UK that's a HUGE difference. It was a long time ago and my memory's not all that great, but it was no more than about $100 US a week at the time.
So, I've been talking to various folks, and liaising with the unemployment office and I've worked out a sweet little deal. The forest I used to work for are VERY short on cash since they're funded by government subsidies, and currently only employ 2 people other than the manager. It was 3 people, but due to some serious medical issues my 6-month contract was never renewed - it's not a good idea to play with chainsaws when you're taking ridiculous amounts of codeine and suffering from acute memory loss. The company could barely afford the three of us anyway, since the level of forestry work available in Iceland in winter is very little - most forests are on the sides of mountains where the ground is fertile enough to grow stuff, but too rugged to successfully grow crops, so they plant trees instead. Over the winter months (november - april/may) there's a LOT of snow in the forests, so managing them is virtually impossible.
Because of all this, here's what we've suggested. The unemployment office here in town will pay my benefits to the company, who use them to pay my wages, with a little extra (about 30%-40% more) on top, which is easily possible thanks to the money they'll make from having me working for them again, especially now that I've seriously lowered the dosages of my meds right to the pain threshold so I am more able to work. Memory loss is still an issue, but as long as I'm able to remember how to start a chainsaw, I'll be fine!
I'll also be building a lot of 'rustic' furniture out of logs and trees and things. Mostly for the summer/autumn for people to have BBQ's on their back lawn, with their cool new bench made out of half a tree. Some of the stuff I make will no doubt end up going out into the trails in the forest too, places for walkers to sit and take a rest, or in the play areas or BBQ areas for people to chill out, and to generally make the place more accessible to the townsfolk.
So YAY! I finally get to start doing something with my life again! And I'll have loads of money to spend at AnthroCon2010!!!!
TL:DR - I got a job, I'm very happy, go me.
Welp, it's great to hear your back in the swing of things. ^^
Now lemme just step back abit, while you start the chainsaw. ~_^
*revs his chainsaw and swings it around whilst laughing a little too much*