| End of an era |
[Jan. 21st, 2003|01:37 am] |
Well, I just e-mailed Julz at T21 and asked him to delete my user ID. It's sad, but I know it's the right thing to do. It must be three and a half years since I first found the Stakehouse at the late, lamented, BuffyUK.org. Maybe two and a half -I can't remember if it was the summer of 1999 or 2000. I'll check sometime.
Nothing lasts forever. When it stops being worth it, you have to let go. |
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| "The Navy's here" |
[Jan. 21st, 2003|10:16 am] |
Jeez but I'm a sentimental bastard at times... I was walking up Moorgate this morning and sirens started blaring. It was a police car going at a sedate pace, escorting a Green Goddess fire engine straining to go as fast as it could and behind it was a small open-backed lorry with a flashing blue light stuck on the top and the Royal Navy logo on the side. And I almost burst into tears at the sight of the Navy. It was all I could do to stop myself from cheering them on.
Now, I totally support the firefighters' strike (even though I'd forgotten today was strike day). But I'm a sucker for the Navy. It was my childhood dream to be a submarine officer, and the dream made it most of the way to adulthood before it died due to lack of self confidence (and truthfully, it's just as well it did as I'd make an awful serviceman, I'm terrible at following orders). Later, I tried to join the Royal Naval Reserve as a press officer, but somehow it never happened. So, yes, the Navy means a lot to me.
But that reaction was way excessive. And it's not the first time recently - other things have nearly set me off. What's wrong with me at the moment? |
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| Headache |
[Jan. 21st, 2003|11:36 am] |
I got a letter from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority yesterday, telling me they were disallowing my claim for compensation for the injuries I suffered when I was attacked three years ago.
That's fine by me.
Three years ago I was attacked on a train and left with 17 stitches (and five scars) in my head. Some time later, two of the gang were jailed. The only loose end was the compensation I was entitled to - a minimum of ?1,500, possibly more.
I had two years from the date of the attack to get the claim forms in. I couldn't do it. At first I delayed on the pretence of letting the court case finish. That ate up a lot of the time. After that, I couldn't think of an excuse so I just ignored them. Finally, a day or two before the deadline, I sent them in. I figured it was a shame to waste free money. (Or, if not exactly 'free' money, money I'd already paid for in blood.)
They wrote back saying they needed photos of the scars, taken and signed on the back by an independent photographer, and I went back into denial mode. I've lost count of how many reminder letters they sent me, they really worked hard to give me that money but I ignored them all. Just before Christmas a workmate at the Royal Mail who's a keen amateur photographer happened to bring a camera in and I thought 'what the hell' and asked him to take some pictures, but there wasn't enough light. He lent me the camera so I could do the job myself, he said he'd develop them and sign them, thus meeting the independent witness rule.
I put the camera in the corner of my room and ignored it. I returned it today, with my genuine and grateful thanks. Part of me regrets missing the money, but I have money (at the moment). What I now also have, now that the CICA has finally given up on me, is closure.
That's worth more than cash. |
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| You took the words right out of my mouth |
[Jan. 21st, 2003|10:16 pm] |
I was going to post with some thoughts about why I've left T21, but I found White Hart had already put it better than I ever could in her journal so I'll simply recommend people read hers... |
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