turps | (no subject)

We had excellent news over the weekend. Mam has won her PIP appeal and doesn't have to go to the tribunal!

She did the same process James has just gone through last June, and her disability benefits were drastically cut and she lost her car. We've been fighting that decision ever since, going through an appeal, a tribunal, and she was due to go to another in a fortnight. But then on Saturday she got a letter saying they'd looked at all her evidence again, and had changed their decision, so no tribunal, and she'll get the car back and hopefully a big chunk of backdated money. I'm so thrilled for her, this last year has sucked so hard as she's fought this, and it's drastically affected both her mental and physical health.

We were supposed to go to the tribunal on the 13th of June, and I've told her she needs to do something good on that day instead. Change what was a day she was dreading to something that becomes a good memory.

James has two days at work and then he's off for a fortnight for his annual leave. It's our first wedding anniversary on Thursday so we're going to Lumley Castle for the night. Not one of the staterooms like we did last year, but just as nice. Then we're hoping to get away to York for a couple of days. We've seen a good hotel deal, which includes a visit to a falconry place, which is very tempting because I want to hold an owl.

Despite wanting to see the new Pirates movie I have no cinema visits to mention this time as James was coming off night shifts and the chance of him falling asleep was at 100%. The plans to see that are Wednesday, and also Baywatch \o/ I used to love Baywatch so much, I taped it every week and had such a huge crush on Parker Stevenson who played Craig. Why I'm not sure as he's not my usual type looks wise, but there was just something about him, and something about that ridiculous show. I know they're playing the movie for laughs, but even so. Baywatch. Be still my heart.

Not long ago

dine mentioned fic spirals at A03. You know, when you read all an author's works and then check out their bookmarks and then end up reading all their works and so on and so on. Well, I'm well used to those, and the last time it led me to a 200k plus Musketeer story that I've been reading every night for the last week. The problem is, it's so OOC it makes me want to throw my Kindle on the floor as I'm reading, but at the same time, contains so many things I like, and pushes so many buttons that I couldn't stop reading. The crying, oh my god, the crying. Why so much crying!? And endless conversations and misunderstandings and people so ooc it makes me cringe, but even so. I couldn't quit it. I finally finished it last night, and the author had responded to every comment except someone who'd said it was a good story, well written but not a favourite and they'd found it ooc a lot, and I was sitting there nodding and thinking, yeah. I totally get that.

There's a second part in the series just as long. I'll be starting that tonight.

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Good news for your mam, indeed! Losing benefits is hard. Both my Mom and my Aunt lost some of their benefits when their husband died- quite a bit actually, which is ridiculous. The cost of housing and electricity doesn't go down by half just because you are now one instead of two.

I keep debating going to see the Pirates movie in the afternoons when I am done in for the day from cleaning. Maybe I'll do that today.

It was excellent news, and such a relief. Apparently she got the letter first thing, but as she was sure it would contain bad news she didn't open it until late evening.

That is ridiculous. It makes you wonder how things like that are worked out. And it's frustrating that the cuts tend to hit when people need them the most.

You should! Then you can tell me what it's like. Plus, you deserve some down time.

That's fantastic news about the appeal! I hope your mother will get to relax from all that strain some now. And happy anniversary!

Thank you!

I'm so relieved for her. It's been a hard year of fighting, and it's still hard to think it's over.

good news about your mam's appeal - what a relief!

those fic spirals are fatal; and I keep wandering into them with my eyes wide open, knowing better but unable to resist. it's good that you've another looooong OOC fic to embrace. what else could one want? *g*

It was a huge relief.

it's good that you've another looooong OOC fic to embrace. what else could one want? *g*

You get it! *g*

Thankfully the crying hasn't been bad so far, but it's coming. I just know it!

What wonderful news for your mam! She should definitely do something really fun on the 13th in celebration.

I hope you'll have a lovely time at Lumley this year too. And that you do get to go to York. I've always wanted to visit a falconry one day when I'm in the UK. Keeping birds of prey in captivity is illegal here unless you have special dispensation and that's only given for very special circumstances.

Sounds like you're having a fun time with your fanfic reading. There can indeed be a very fine line between a story that's entertaining enough you're willing to overlook its deficiencies and one that's just too horrid to bother with :-)

It was brilliant news! I really hope she does celebrate on the 13th, it would make a lot of sense to do so.

I'm looking forward to our Lumley stay, and York. I hope you do get to go to a falconry one time. It's something I've wanted to do for a while. The birds are majestic.

There can indeed be a very fine line between a story that's entertaining enough you're willing to overlook its deficiencies and one that's just too horrid to bother with :-)

That's very true. You know I'll embrace the badfic on occasions, but this isn't badfic. The author can write well, is great at world building and expressing emotion, it's just they go so OTT with those emotions that it reads horribly ooc. If I had a drink for every time one of the characters cry I'd have needed multiple bottles and be comatose on the floor.

Brilliant news about your Mum! What a waste of worry and money all round - wouldn't it be so much better if they just did a correct evaluation in the first place?!

Hope you enjoy your visit away and that you get to hold an owl. I have held several and various birds of prey at various outdoor events over the years, and I love it. Never been to an actual falconry place though!

It's great news!

wouldn't it be so much better if they just did a correct evaluation in the first place?!

That's what frustrates me so much. I completely agree that people need to be assessed to get the benefits, but the percentage of evaluations that are overturned after the appeal process is huge, which suggests something is going badly wrong at those initial appeals.

Plus, it makes you wonder how many other people have just had to accept the decision because they couldn't face an appeal?

I really do want to hold an owl and am quite jealous of your bird of prey experiences. They're so majestic, and I'd love to see them up close.

Hope you and your family are doing well ♥

Hurray for the god news for your mum. The way the system is set up is *so wrong*.

The good news was so welcome.

It is wrong. I was just saying to madame_beetroot above how a big percentage of evaluations are overturned after an appeal. I was shocked when I found out just how high that figure was, and suspect it could be higher, just a lot of people don't have the strength to enter into a long battle.

That's fantastic news for your mam!

Happy anniversary, hope the trip to York works out.

That sounds like the best kind of a fic spiral. :D

I'm thrilled to hear she won her appeal! That's fantastic news! :D

God, I so know that fic thing. Sometimes I'll have to read something SO melodramatic and I'll enjoy the hell out of it but all the while I can tell it's not really good as such.

Her winning was amazing news!

That fic graphic just made me laugh a lot. It's so true.