Giveaway for my followers who follow via email or Google Friend Connect - Names drawn

It is time to announce names, where I can for this giveaway I am doing of followers of my blog via email or Google Friend Connect. (Who are visible.) For rules and details of the giveaway, then please see the original post which you will find here.

I have drawn 6 names, which I have now contacted. As you know from original post, and also email or via Google Friend Connect, which ever way I contacted you, that you have 5 days to email me back, or via Google Friend Connect, of where you'd like the prize posting.

If I don't hear within those 5 days, I will draw out more names out of the bag till there are 6 people who have claimed their prize. So please see this post again later, which I will edit accordingly, as to whether I can officially announce winners, or whether I have to draw more names out of the bag.

Ok. Hoped you followed that alright.

The 6 names (where I can give a name) I have drawn, and have contacted them about their prize. So I am currently waiting to hear from them with details needed, so I know they have claimed their prize, and to post their giveaway to them where requested, before I can say they are officially winners. Unless I have stated different below. Names drawn, are:

1. CDM - waiting to hear from them. (This name was drawn 10.22pm after one I emailed, email failed to deliver.
   
2. Susana King - waiting to hear from them.
3. Xpressive Handz - waiting to hear from them.
4. Vicky Kimber - waiting to hear from them.
5. Brian - waiting to hear from them.
6. AJW Smith - waiting to hear from them.

These names drawn will have till 23rd May 2013, midnight, UK time to claim, otherwise more names will be drawn.

I will replace waiting to hear to officially won. Giveaway claimed when claimed. 

SPEAK UP LIBRARIAN: Resource on Hearing Loss and Work

This is a post on my friend, Speak Up Librarian blog that you will find useful. Please see her blog for further details.

SPEAK UP LIBRARIAN: Resource on Hearing Loss and Work: If you have a hearing loss and are employed, I have found an excellent resource for you to use when you need to advocate for yourself, reque...

A couple of polls added to the right of my blog!

This post has been bought forward again as I found that the poll was not working right with the service provider I was using and so using a different provider now. 

If you voted before, or found you were having problems registering your vote, please vote again.
 
Poll 1 regarding would you like to read and follow a blog from  the eyes of a cat again?
I know you all enjoyed reading a blog I used to write from viewpoint of a cat, which was Lady's. I was wondering if I was successful in adopting, which by impressions of centre where she will come from, I will have no problems with home visit tomorrow, would you like to read and follow a blog again from the eyes of a cat, like I used to with Lady?

This poll will close on 29th June 2013 9am, UK time.

I am writing the poll choices below as they appear on the right, as I have noticed the polls look different in different browsers.

Poll choices:

• Yes
• No

Poll 2 where did you hear about Liz's Deaf Blog?
Also while you are doing the above poll, please answer the other one which is also on the right of where you discovered Liz's Deaf Blog.

This poll will close 9th September at 8.30am UK time.

Poll choices :

• Word of mouth
• Google search
• Another search engine
• From another deaf blog
• Other

Thank you for taking the time to answer these polls.

Post update!!
As from 6th May after house check went ok. I was able to pick up my cat, Miley the same day. 

Things starting to look up

Work
I am in a new area from Tuesday. Part of what I did before along with new. I have to accept that I am to be working with someone too. But all of this should not be a problem once I get used to the new routine. End of day, I am where I prefer to be.

Communication side of things should hopefully now improve from all that was done since my Occupational Health appointment, and seeing the doctor there for assessment this week I have. Things were already changed before I seen him. So hopefully over the next year I will see those other changes in action. This should make work much better. If it does not happen, I shall be straight back to boss first before Union, as I want to make sure communication with my boss is good, after the feeling of support and understanding I felt I received when I had to see her that time after I was off with stress. Especially the understanding of my personal issues.

Home
I am still battling with the odd low mood when I think about my personal issues going on in my head. But fine when I block it. Don't know if this is good or not to block it. I may decide to seek counseling that my work place provide.

After some other recent thoughts and discussions over the past two weeks, I feel this may make things better, and that is to adopt a cat from Cats Protection League. I feel I have come to that time that I can allow another cat in my heart again. Those who have known me long enough will know how upset I was when Lady had to be put to sleep and how much I have missed her.

I have seeked permission from my landlord to see if it is ok to have a cat, and I have been given permission. I have contacted Cats Protection League nearest to me in regards to a cat that I know will be suitable for me, and went there yesterday to see her. I spent an hour with her, and it was great. Getting her to trust me. She is a quiet cat who has not been treated well in life. I loved her, and put in a request to adopt her.

For my situation, I can only have a cat that is an indoor cat, because I live near a main road, and so she fits the bill. I get a home check visit Monday, and hopefully not long after I find I can have her.

My garden
Here is latest photo taken this month of my garden. I will take another later when in full bloom again. I am doing nothing much with it this year, other than maintain. Plans I had I won't be doing until possibly next year or two. Depending on things. But I may move a few plants around, and add plants from a pot to the garden. But that's about it. Just going  to enjoy what I have.

Taking a break after giveaway winners announced
This will be last post, accept for when I announce winners of giveaway, which is to be drawn 18th May 10pm UK time, and announced later in a post when I have list of winners to announce who have claimed their prize . So if you want to be in chance with that, then see this post for further details.

When I come back later in the year after having a few months break, I will show a photo or two of my garden in bloom hopefully, and hopefully I will have news and photos of the cat who will share my life.

Till then. Take care and bye for now.

Post update!!
As from 6th May after house check went ok. I was able to pick up my cat, Miley the same day. 

Interviewing disabled job applicants - guidance for managers/manageress

You will remember something that turned positive at a job interview a bit back, turned out not to be so positive as made out to be, and in my eyes another employer that did not want to take me on because I was deaf, because I definitely was given the job, but only after checks had been done first. (Checks they never bothered chasing up for.) If you don't you will find the first post here where I talked about my job interview, and then next post I wrote after, which I discovered job turned out not to be positive as made out to be.

I was given a website link that was thought to be beneficial in some way to me a bit back by MM who writes a blog called At The Rim. I wish to share that here because it has some very good information for those who are interviewing disabled applicants. So for any employers reading this. I do hope you take note, and please read this useful guide there, at this website.

It can be damaging for someone, like how I was treated, for example, I had gone from feeling great, to feeling confused. Feeling low in confidence. Having doubts, which people tried to reassure me that this company would reply back. But my gut instinct was proven right. They did not bother contacting the people who were giving me references, even though they were going to write to them that day I had the interview.

They did not reply back to my email when I queried the latest over a month later. They did not want to take on a deaf person I think. (They did not know I was deaf till I got there.) I never reveal before, because that way, I get the chance to answer any questions they may have. And I can show what I can do. So much for all that show at time at of interview that they would love to take me on, to show they are an equal opportunities employer. They failed on that. And that show, that was good at the time, ended up being fake And that makes me sick and angry once again.

Deaf people and anyone regardless of what ever disability they may have, deserve to be treated much better than that.

Please think of your actions next time, and take note of the website above, with the information it contains.

Hello BT

Well I have been with BT since 25th April now after giving my notice weeks before to O2 when I found they were selling there home phone and home broadband to Sky. (I wasn't going to Sky as you know.)

The change over to BT went smoothly, but I did have to make a phone call to O2 to make sure they had cancelled everything, because one email received did not give me the impression of that. I was dreading making the phone call, because although I have an amplified phone, I find if I don't know someone it is still a struggle to understand what that person is saying. But the chap I spoke to seemed to have the right tone of voice and so the call wasn't too difficult this time. He reassured me after paying my final bill that my account was now closed as requested, along with a few other bits of information I needed.

So hello BT.

This may help your back if you suffer with tension in muscles

I mentioned how I had a back back recently after my neck pulled. And how after being checked over at A & E that my back went into a muscle spasm after pulling my neck which upset it all. Back at Pilates this week, I had to take it easy with moves given. I certainly was in no predicament to do same exercises as others were doing, as they would have aggravated the condition. So I had to adapt or do a different move.

When it was suggested I take a break, I was given a Spikey Ball. I had to stand with my back near a wall then place this ball between my back and wall, then just bend my knees a bit and go back to standing so basically this ball was rolling up and down my back. The Spikey Ball you allow it to go on soft tissue either side of your spine. Don't use the ball directly on your spine itself.

It massages your back by doing this, helping your muscles relieve tension. I have never used one before, but after using one in glass and finding releif. I ended up buying one myself. The one pictured I bought from here at Amazon.co.uk. They have them in two sizes.