Closets, Cubicles and Wine!

Hi!

Well. Sunday evening finds us wishing for one more day to the weekend. But never mind – there’re groovy jazz tunes on the radio (ABC), got mah glass of wine, the sun has set (crows have chased away all the lovely, chatty lorikeets, the big bullies), I still have someplace to be tomorrow – life is good!

So. Work. Yeah. Still there. Still not sure for how much longer. Have asked a Gal In Charge and she said she’d get back to me. See, there’re two other gals in my same shoes all helping on the same little project, and one gal’s due to leave at the beginning of July and the other at the middle of July. So I’m guessing I’ll be out around then too……? Dunno. I like to hope that with those 2 gals leaving, they’ll just have to keep someone……….? Will continue to smile pretty and dazzle them with my Mad Proof-Reading SkillZ!

Meanwhile, in other job news, have been applying for regular real jobs too…. Even went to an interview last week – that went three days. Sheesh. You’d think they were hiring a brain surgeon and not some lowly little publications monkey. First interview was normal, went well. Second, they wanted me to come in and meet the CEO (why they didn’t just go around the corner and tell him to come in at that same interview, I don’t know, he was probably out golfing, or at the movies). Third interview, they didn’t believe that I had any Mad SkillZ in InDesign or, well, anything really, so they wanted me to come in and ‘dance monkey, dance’! They set me up to do a “simple test in InDesign” in the former gal’s office, a’la “this will be your office if you’re the successful candidate’. I had to be still my beating heart, for it was a closet, no window, just a big horrible florescent light, a desk and two tough and angry-looking filing cabinets, and yeah, it was a closet, very depressing; yet the outer office section was fulla cubicles with no one in them, including some near windows. So all I could think was ‘if I’m the successful candidate, I’m moving to a cell near a window’. Anyways, I did the test but not as well as I would’ve liked, as I think I didn’t have all the information required to do the “task”. So they’ll call me on Monday to let me know. Meh. Am not holding my breath over this one, I didn’t really want it after they told me ‘they didn’t have confidence in my design skills’. Let me give a little background to that bit of the story – first interview they sat me down and explained very clearly that the job was by no means a design job, never mind the fact that the job ad clearly stated “Graphic Design & Production Assistant”. Oooook. “Most of the work is in PowerPoint and Word, with a teeny bit in InDesign”. Ok. So I happily tell them hooray, am not Graphic Designer, am Desktop Publisher. Everyone seemed happy. Until they thought they’d test me in InDesign. WTF? Now, I love InDesign, why you would use Word for publishing I have no idea, you must like the punishment. Ahhhhhhh anyways, after leaving there for the 3^rd time (5.15pm on a Friday evening), knowing the closet I’d have to work in and the level of mistrust regarding their staff’s skills levels, I decided I don’t want their stinky job if they were to offer it to me. That, and the niggling fact that I don’t think the pay’s gonna be so great – and yeah, after 3 interviews including one with the CEO, money still hasn’t been mentioned!? Huh? So yeah, forget it. So that’s the latest in As The Job Interviews Turn……… Sigh. I love the stoooooopid money am earning in this current gig for the little work I actually have to do. In fact, I haven’t had to answer my phone in at least a month! Bonus! But the bummer is the uncertainty as to expiration date. Hmmm. Fingers crossed they keep me for a wee while longer until I get a better gig! Until the next episode, will keep you posted!

And then the weekend(s). By the way, am sorry for not checking in last weekend. I sat here and thought and thought about it but nothing would come to me that was interesting…… But I did get out last weekend – went up to Kim’s and we drove to Redcliffe for a good long walk along the water, the weather was just lovely and perfect, and later we stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants there. This is like the 3^rd time we’ve eaten at this same place, can’t remember the name, no big deal tho, the food was terrible and the service even worse. Shame. Oh well, we’ll find another, better place! Lots of them around there.

And then this weekend started off quiet but last night was good – went over to Dom’s for a good catch-up with him and a few of his friends including one friend I haven’t caught up with in aaaaaages. So it was a really nice evening. We meant to continue on into town to see what was happening in the Big City but we never made it out of his apartment until it was time to go home at 1.30am! Ahhhhh was a good night!

And today, as a result of the late night, was very quiet indeed, just the laundry…... Meant to do all the real chores but couldn’t be bothered. I mean really, how messy can the place be if it’s just me and my 15 pound roommate? So yes, next weekend will bust the place out. Maybe even have a bit of a spring clean in honor of renewing the lease on this little shitbox for another 6 months. I only signed on again because it’s still the cheapest thing in the ‘hood, even if it is this close to being condemned, or just falling over on it’s own. And because the place is so little and awkward, it’s pretty tough to collect stuff, so a good spring clean and tossing out any crap would be good… Not that I have much in the first place…..

So there you have it! Hope you’re all well up there! Come on down for a visit before summer starts up again (well, you have like another 5 months until the weather turns to sauna season)! Hooray!

BYE!

J!

Bonding with the Queen...!

Hi!

Well. Late again as usual. Sorry for missing last weekend. It was a quiet week followed by an even quieter weekend, nothing worth mentioning..... And am checking in today as opposed to yesterday (Sunday) because I kind of forgot, again. We've had another 3-day weekend - Happy Birthday Queen of England! Do you know, the Brits don't even get the day off for their own Queen's Birthday? That would be like US Samoa having Obama's birthday off but not the Mainland. Funny. But that's why am checking in today, Monday..... Hooray for the Queen! And after this 3-day weekend, that's it for long weekend's until the middle of August.... Bummer dude. But here we are! No twittering lorikeets tho..... they must fly, uhhhh, north for the winter!?

So work. Yep. Still have the gig, tho every week I wonder if it'll be my last...... Last week I barely had anything to do, except scatter a lot of papers around my desk to keep looking busy...... And am sort of dreading tomorrow with the worry that someone has to find out by now that I have nothing to be doing........ Not that I'm complaining, there's nothing better than bringing in a good paycheck for doing nothing all day, but that's only bitchin' if I wasn't a temporary chair warmer! But have put a few job applications into the wider world.... Fingers crossed.... again!

And then the weekend. Started off nicely with meeting my friend Denise for dinner Friday evening. I used to work with Denise when I first moved here, at my first job. We haven't caught up for a couple years. Can't believe it'd been that long. So we had a very nice catch up! So much to cover! Hopefully this time two years won't go past before our next catch up!

And then Saturday. Was very nice. Kim and I went on another of our good long-ish walks (after a decent train ride from town), along the esplanade from Lota to Manly, (which was really a wander along the shoreline of mudflats and mangrove trees......) where we were stopped by lunch and wine at the Manly Deck Restaurant (which, even tho is attached to their backpackers (we had the gal show us around in the backpackers section, ehhhhhhh, pretty basic, I wouldn't stay there.....) but the food was fantastic!) and we didn't get to continue on to Wynnum like we'd planned because Bruce (I used to work with him at the last good gig) and his wife and their 2 friends meet up with us! That was a nice end to our day. We had wine, sunset, laughs... I must say I rather like Manly (remember I went there a couple Halloween's ago for their Halloween Parade?), but the everyday commute into town would kill me, it'd be at least 2 hours a day on the train. No way Jose. It can stay as a nice place to visit!

And then Sunday was chores and errands...... Nothing to shout (or write) about....

And today, Queen's Birthday Monday, was even quieter! Yawn indeed. I actually woke up with the grand plan in mind to sit around and watch James Bond movies all day (I thought the Queen would approve), but then the thought of watching such cool movies on my wee little laptop rather than on a big get outta town TV, well, I decided to put the little laptop to better use and applied for a good handful of jobs. How productive and pro-active of me! Fingers crossed I get one of the damn things once and for all! Then I'll be able to get that huge get outta town TV! Hooray!

So there you have it. Bit dull I'm afraid. Oh well, never mind, it's the thought that counts. Which means I hope you're all well up there!? Remember, Qantas still has cheap flights going and the dollar is only getting stronger! So c'mon down! Hooray!

BYE!
J!