Sunday, September 28, 2008

Friday.

I went to the dentist, and all seems to be fairly ok in the mouth region. My wisdom teeth now cause me no trouble/pain at all, which I took to mean that I would never have to have them removed, but ALAS! I have to go back to the dentist in a couple of weeks to discuss having them removed, because apparently they're all squished in there and will cause decay on the other teeth. Or something.

Hooray for extractions. Me and my stupid teeth which don't fit.

Went home and arsed about. Watched random crap on Youtube, and received a couple of Congrats-type texts from work people, which I assume means that they made an announcement about the job, and sent around an e-mail, or something. I then went into the city to meet up with these work people, for the farewell drinks.

All went well, everyone drank and made merry, etc. It was all terribly fun, but how things are going to be on Monday when I have to face the co-worker who made a serious pass at me, I DON'T KNOW. And it wasn't even a drunken "maybe she'll shag me" effort, it was a very full on, look deep into my eyes and let me tell you how much you mean to me type of effort.

Flattering as I am hardly ever hit on hardly hardly ever never, but WOAH.

Also, the drunkest of the bunch decided to use me to stabilise his poor attempt at walking, fell over as he was trying to cross the dance floor and took me down with him, in front of a few hundred people. And everyone thought that I was the pisshead when for once in my life, I wasn't.

And Saturday.

Lazy, lazy day. We went out for dinner/drinks but it turns out that I am not 19, and am completely unable to drink on two consecutive nights. Fortunately I didn't puke or fall asleep in the corner, but a very poor effort nonetheless.

Sunday. Lovely Sunday. Much sitting out the back and enjoying warmth. I may as well enjoy it now before it becomes Queensland Extreme and starts to piss me off.

And back to work on Monday. Sigh. And seeing what comes of the stuff that happened on Friday night. Not the falling over. The other thing. I am sort of hoping for the Let's Pretend It Never Happened approach, for everyone's sake.

Hmm.

Friday, September 26, 2008

So. Turns out I got the job. And now I earn lots o' cash. For doing something which I'm kinda scared of doing. I have really mixed feelings about it, because on the one hand I feel like I've been picked because of the major candidate shortage (yes, I'm sort of a last resort. Awesome!), and that it isn't where I want my career to go, and then on the other hand I am blinded by the cash.

I have never applied for a promotion when I wasn't sure if I actually wanted it, until now. I will just see what happens. Time will tell, I guess.

I think I have the potential to do well. But I just need to grow some balls.

Today is my DAY OFF! And I am going to the dentist for a lovely check-up. Where my mouth will be prodded with hooks and scraped with spiky things and then I will be asked to pay for it. Crazy world, etc.

I am also going to farewell drinks for a co-worker, which means I will be mingling with work people, on a day where I could have potentially steered clear of them altogether. But they are an alright bunch, etc.

At some point I should probably clear up the clothes which are scattered everywhere. Worn clothes which have been thrown on the floor, and clean clothes which are sitting around in various clothes baskets, waiting to be put away. We are messy indeed.

I bet that your days off aren't as exciting as mine.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Bullet points, etc.
  • So I was supposed to find out about the job, but didn't, and have now been told that I probably won't find out until early next week. So. Whatever. Pffffft.
  • I apparently annoyed several people on the bus today when I turned my iPod up to a Very Loud volume. I did it because of the impossibly pretty but highly annoying group of girls who sat next to me and started chatting about crap. After a day at work, I don't want to overhear crap. So I cranked up Air, which should have really had a soothing effect on everyone, but instead brought me nasty looks and caused whispered conversations amongst the boho chic girls. Bah!
  • We watched Heroes last night, and I don't normally blog TV, but OH MY! So very much happened! And I just had to get that out of my system.
  • While I am doing this Team Leader gig, I am starting work a bit later than I was previously. This means that I am now getting a different bus, at a different time. And this means that I no longer get to see the following passengers:
    • Mr. Never Sit Down. The man who will get onto an almost completely empty bus, but still stand in the aisle. This is the cause of much pondering on my part. Is he too much of a gentleman? Is he just annoying?
    • Possible crackwhore. The woman who is dressed impeccably, has very perfect hair, but looks like she is on crack. Yes, I suppose it is possible that she's just unwell in some way, and I will feel very bad if that turns out to be true, but at the moment I prefer to go with the crackwhore theory.
  • On my new bus I have:
    • The unloving couple. Yes, cruel of me to pass judgment, but I have seen them walking to the bus stop on opposite sides of the road. When they get to the bus stop, they don't speak a word, and then he barges onto the bus in front of her. So they get this name, mmkay.
    • The sickening couple. On the opposite side of the couple radar is the couple who spend the entire bus trip nuzzled up together, looking into eachothers eyes lovingly, kissing repeatedly, giggling and making me BARF.
  • And it's just not quite the same.

  • Meanwhile, I have had a weak wrist for quite a while, and was never sure why, but I have since discovered that I have some kind of freaky ganglion thing on there, and I feel like a bit of a mutant. I am going to the doctor on Saturday and I fully expect him to make me normal again. I can only conclude that it has come about as the result of too much Computering. That'll teach me.
Lovely.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

So yesterday, I was massively pissed off. At everything and everyone.

It started out with my interview. And God knows how that went. For once in my life spent sitting quietly and not saying much at all, I didn't have enough time to say everything I wanted to say. I think that I made it obvious that I know where I work pretty bloody well, but if I did it from the right perspective, and used enough wankwords, I don't know.

I won't have to wait long, as they have already decided and will be announcing their decision on Monday or Tuesday.

The middle part of the day was hugely rushed for a Friday, and our Superfun Awesome Pizza Lunch turned into a massive hassle, and in the end I just put it all on my credit card and let everyone pay me whatever they wanted, because it was too big a pain in the arse.

And then came the team meeting, and I wanted to punch everyone in the face. As usual, I turned bright red (verging on purple) because talking to groups Isn't My Thing, and I understand that on a Friday afternoon everyone wants to just chill and starts slacking off, but if One. More. Person had started quietly chatting with the person next to them while I was talking, I would've bust some heads.

So, right, people suck, but I recognise that if I am going to be running meetings (three a fortnight, SPEW), I need to a) be more forgiving, b) not want to kill everyone quite so much c) stop turning purple every time I have to address a group.

This is assuming I get the job, I guess. But even if I don't, I'll be relieving in this job for a little while longer. And they're good skills to try and develop. I guess. Even if it is agonising.

The rest of the night was good, as Beardie met me at Southbank and we wandered around the huge art sale at the Convention Centre (like one of those discount sales where the guy on the ad says "bras, Bras, BRAAAAAASSS!!!" but they're dodgy paintings instead of bras), then stumbled upon the poshest school formal (apparently Brisbane Grammar is the new 90210, who knew?) and stood there watching them get out of limos and stretch hummers (yes, really) until I insisted we leave in fear of being politely escorted from the premises. We had dinner out and went home, and after a couple of hours I went to sleep, still thinking about work.

And I woke up thinking about work. I can only conclude that I thought about work all night, while I was asleep.

And I've been thinking about work for most of today. And it's Saturday.

This has turned into a work blog. I would like to apologise to myself for this.

Sorry, me.

Thursday, September 18, 2008


I bought a pretty flowy dress and I am unsure if I will ever wear it. But it was 30% off! And you can't argue with that logic.

*

I had a meeting with the most childish man on earth today. It was supposed to be me, my manager, and twatface, but my manager cancelled at the last minute. Man, I was pissed. An hour stuck in a room with a total git, without somebody else to fill the gaps in the conversation where I was silently seething with fury? That is not cool.

So I thought about it, and took a different tack, and decided to try and be the non-existent magnanimous and peaceable version of myself. I politely laughed at crap jokes and steered the conversation away from "I hate you" and "well I hate you more". And I think he wants to marry me now. So GO ME and my developing people skills, but eww.

Work is quiet this week, which is tops, but crap, all at the same time. Tops in that I'm not tearing my hair out or grinding my teeth down to stumps, and crap in that I keep checking my e-mail, and sticking my nose into other peoples work, and walking around reading the Workplace Health and Safety signs.

Also on the work front, SURPRISE, the head honcho types are all desperate to finalise all of the vacant positions, so SURPRISE, I was told today that I have an interview tomorrow, at 8:15am. SURPRISE. And the worst thing of all is that I work closely with everyone on the panel, so I can't fluff any of my answers. And I feel embarrassed about saying that I can give "valuable insight into the call centre industry" on my resume, which is total and utter fluff.

This blog post actually takes place over two days. Tricksy!

Time to try and sleep for a few hours before the stress kicks in.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

It is a good time for Stuff That I Like:

Caution: NERD ALERT. Despite being a geek, I normally have a touch of the girliness about me. Until Gears of War II comes out, that is. As of November, I will be locked in the house, marvelling at the wonderful invention of a gun with a chainsaw attached, as I cackle maniacally and slaughter THE LOCUST HORDE.

At the end of this month, Ben Folds new album will be out, which is ACE. As everyone should know, Ben Folds is my husband. It looks like it will be right up my alley, hoorah!

The new season of Heroes is starting in two weeks. I get to watch it and vicariously pretend that I have super powers! Squeal!

The second season of Secret Diary of a Call Girl (the TV series based on Belle de Jour) has started, which is also very squeal-worthy. I get to watch it and vicariously pretend that I am a glamorous prostitute, without any of the moral implications. Yay!

And The Other Stuff:

I mentioned in passing that I would soon have to put in a formal application for the job that I'm doing at the moment. Lo and behold, surprise-fricking-surprise, it was sprung on me late last week for submission by 9am tomorrow morning. Completely redoing your resume, when you haven't bothered to keep it up to date since you applied for a totally different position a year ago, is a freaking mammoth task. Which is why I have spent a fair chunk of today doing it. But at least this is the easy part. If I score an interview, then I can properly start shitting myself.

I met up with the friend on Friday night. It was a work drinks night, and I had successfully managed to knock back the offers of Super Cheap booze numerous times. We went to the quietest pub we could find and managed to have a bit of a chat, before EVERYONE from my work miraculously turned up at the pub. Way to spoil things, guys! Turns out that someone had thrown a bottle off the roof, or something crazy, and everyone had been kicked out. And then decided to make their way to the exact pub where we happened to be, and formed a gigantic circle right next to us. So methinks that maybe another meetup is in order.

Instead of the heart-to-heart it was supposed to be, I: ended up in an emo bar (an experience that I would like to never repeat, thanks), danced like a stripper for my work friends in a taxi, couldn't get over the fact that a man had Jackson for a first name instead of surname, and then proceeded to sing "Sorry Miss Jackson, I am for reee-eaaal!" at him (along with five others) until he moved away in annoyance.

I am very poor! We went to get our groceries today and decided to check out some outdoor furniture. And then bought some. A five-piece setting and a sunlounge, plus a gigantic umbrella. And then we bought the groceries, came home, and booked our break for November to the Whitsundays. Only flights and accommodation at the moment, but yes, I am as poor as poor gets. Beardie is poorer, as on top of all of this he also bought the Guitar Hero pack, with two guitars.

And that, I think, is about it.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Following on from my previous book whinge, I finished a book this morning that was actually Not Too Bad. Eve Green by Susan Fletcher, which I mainly picked for the Welsh connection, and also because I am still susceptible to the term "modern classic", even though it is bandied around so much that it seems to have become the herpes of literature.

1 in 8 books is a Modern Classic. Have yours checked today.

So not all that bad, though it was a bit wishy-washy, and it was only in the last tenth of the book that anything actually happened. Just lots of hints of things happening throughout.

And now I get to pick which book I will read next, which is of course the best fun a girl can have.

Work is stressing me out, and why I am currently leading a team of 17 when I much prefer to sit in a corner by myself is completely beyond me. I don't know how to support and motivate people, I just generally want them to go away. And this attitude does not a good team leader make. Over the next month or two I will have the opportunity to apply for this job on a permanent basis, instead of The Acting which is currently going on at the moment. And the lovely cash is too much to pass up, so I will go for it, regardless. Yet I am sort of hoping that they find somebody more suitable than me, so that I can stop worrying that people refer to me as The Crap Team Leader. That whole fat pants desk job I mentioned before would be sweet right about now.

And I've totally broken the work rule, again. Pffffffft.

I am onto Book Two in the piano playing saga! I have graduated from The Entertainer and Amazing Grace onto other things! When Beardie's parents were visiting, I actually played for an audience for the first time, so therefore completely shat myself and made a bazillion mistakes, as expected. Wow!

As Beardie is still asleep, and I'm hungry, the odds of me eating jelly beans for breakfast have increased dramatically.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I said that I wouldn't blog work, but I'm at the end of my flippin' tether*.

I will blog it, but I will be all vague and annoying.

I had a meeting with the most infuriating man on earth today. He had Spoilt Little Boy syndrome. Obviously used to getting his own way and being cleverer than everyone for his entire life, this man wasted 1 hour and 30 minutes of my time by arguing every point I made, drifting off on a tangent every five minutes, and annoying the shit out of me.

Can I also say right here that he had long girl nails and soft dainty hands like a woman.

Some people who work in IT are quirky and funny, and some are absolute bastards.

Quirky and funny:


Absolute BASTARD:


No, I didn't know that Hitler worked in IT either, until today.

If I could please get a job where I get to wear fat pants, drink hot chocolate, live like a hermit and not have to talk to twats, that would be tops. Please. Pretty please.

*Season Two is out on DVD, whoo!