Sunday, February 26, 2006

The Glass Shatters1

exhales [Note this is not a downer post. It's just a snapshot of my life in February. In the words of Team America, Everything is bon. I am happy'ish. This was added post publishing after seeing the first few comments received. :-) ]

It has been a hectic and horrible month, and thus setting the tone for this post. My contract ends2 this Tuesday, on the 28th February and of course, to finish up, I am working like crazy and late (8pm? 9pm?) almost every other night, and that's only because I have the kid over and racquetball on those other nights.
I'd added some new functionality into our system and then it suddenly all stopped working. Eeeek. Indeed. The customer was pretty pissed. Words like lawsuit kept popping up. 8 working days later with 2 of us on the case, it was some stupid obscure configuration problem. Bottom line, the system now works. Yayyyyy! More importantly, it WASNT my fault. What a frigging waste of my life. Almost 2 weeks, pissed down whereever, for nothing, and it was a very tense and stressful 2 weeks. One's self-belief takes a bit of a pounding. And all that hair.

Real to Virtual to Real

When I was a kid and my Dad was my age, I always got the impression he was so in control, confident and in charge of what he did at work. I wonder now if he was ever semi-hysterical, a blubbering mess and full of self-doubt, just another cog in the wheel of inconsequentiality. I sometimes wonder how I appear to my kid. She thinks I work in a paper clip factory. "Really?", I ask her. "Always have, dude", she says.

I got called in for an interview at a job agency, which is like a frigging waste of time anyway, cos they only want to see you so they can tell the client they actually met with you and that they're not just a resume forwarding service which is what they are anyway. I dont like the idea of them. They take like 20% off the top of what I get, which I think is way too much for the service they provide. Anyway, they asked me if I'd used XYZ before. There was a 2 second window there where I had to decide either to be surly and say things like 'Did you read my resume at all?'. I decided to be nice. It was touch and go there. Apparently, one becomes less patient with age.

I think I need a job like what this lady has. I reckon anyone can do a better job than her. Frigging waste of my tax dollars. How can a person with that attitude and that level of awareness, ever get a job like that? And Mr Costello too? Perhaps it's some clever ploy to distract everyone from the AWB conga dance. We get nothing from them, I feel. Nothing.

Funny how everyone wants something for nothing. My housemate, my employer. Details? Just the usual money thing.

And is it wrong to feel (very) slightly uncomfortable if I were to go see Brokeback Mountain with just a male friend, as opposed to a group of male friends. Maybe I have issues. I do want to go see the movie.

And thus ends this months blog of my life as a dog.

Postscript :
I still have to do my quarterly BAS which is due this Tuesday. Procrastination? I guess this is what this blog entry is all about. I'm off to vacuum now and then change the sheets and about a quarter to midnight, I'll start on the BAS.

1I have stepped from the virtual and into the real world and have met my first blogger. Feel weird? You betcha. In the sense the depth of the conversation was more than what I..., never mind. Humble apologies for the size of the pic (500kb).

2No need to worry, if you were. There seems to be a bit of work out there. Just a matter of $$$. I've actually got a job offer, 4 buildings down the street, at $X, but I said I wanted $X + $20. No harm in asking, I thought. Lunch money. They were supposed to ring me on Friday, but didnt. Ah well. Sometimes the train leaves without me too. But I'm happy to potter around for a while.

27 comments:

BEVIS said...

Whoa, sorry to hear things are like that at the moment for you, Chai. Hopefully once you're past Tuesday (and you've handed your BAS statement in - right?!!), things will improve.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but it's a better way to be than the opposite option!

Hang in there, mate.

Chai said...

Thanks Bevis. Things are pretty cool now. It's not bad at all.

ChickyBabe said...

Soubds like you've had trying times at the end of your contract! I know what you mean by the sharks taking 20% of your cut, sometimes as high as 25%-30% for contract roles.

And doing my BAS today. Ugh...

Steph said...

I hope things get easier for you soon. The universe can be a right bastard sometimes.

Chai said...

Thanks cb and steph. Everything is cool. Was not meant to be a whinge post. Was just a historical snapshot thing. Everything is good. Am happy and upbeat, for no known reason. And thank you for the reassuring words. Loves yews all.

Susanne said...

Hope it all works out ok Chai.

Do you know that until Bevis posted what he thought you looked like I always assumed you were a girl?

I'm sure you're very manly... as shown by your uncomfortable-ness about Brokeback Mountain. :)

I know what you mean about Danna Vale- Pauline Hanson mach 2!

sublime-ation said...

Susanne thought you were a girl. That's sweet.


Alessandro's comment was funnier though.

Chai said...

sussane : A girl? Does that mean you'll have to reread all those comments I left on your blog now cos they mean different things.

Bloody brazilian spammers.

subl : *sigh*

Husky Nutmeg said...

It's Tuesday night. Must be all breezy now. Good for you getting through it all and smiling despite it all.

Chai said...

hn : they extended me till Friday. I said why not, and then after that, on a week by week basis, depending how long I can draw it out. I've told the guys, "NO refunds on that farewell lunch" which we did on Monday. We're having another one on Friday. I think they just want an excuse to drink.

Husky Nutmeg said...

Maybe but it's more likely that you'll be missed.

sublime-ation said...

I know, I'm a bitch. Well, actually, I'm not, I could have said 'Susanne thought you were a girl, that's funny.'



But I didn't.

Jay said...

The good news is, February's over.
The bad news is, March is not.

Husky Nutmeg said...

I love the little juggler.

Chai said...

subl : We *all* know what you're like.

jay : Thanks for the words of wisdom. March should be interesting. It'll be a new job (with luck) and new jobs are always distracting. As usual, one needs to work out the dynamics of the place. Who likes whom, what questions to ask whom, who not to praise in front of whom etc....

hn : I hope they'll miss me (or at least the lollies I bring in which they help themselves to). They had a going away lunch, but didnt invite me. But I turned up anyway.
Regd the juggler, it was a depiction of my transition from real into virtual back to real (ie. my first meeting with a blogger IRL).

Husky Nutmeg said...

Very clever you are even if you're not good with compliments.

In a week or so by the way, the folk at work will be walking around in circles saying, 'Where are the sweets?'

BEVIS said...

I only just stopped laughing about Susanne thinking you were a girl!!

:)

Now aren't you happy I posted the pic of you that I did?? (You didn't seem too impressed at the time, but do you see the good it's done?!)

Susanne said...

Hehe, I don't know why I thought that Chai- it says 'male' clear as day on your profile.

Oh well, at least a couple of people got a laugh out of it. :)

Autumn Storm said...

Hey Chai - hope things look better real soon, x

Chai said...

hn : thank you for the kind compliment. I've been extended yet another week. They've still to figure out the antidote for the lollies I've been feeding them.

bev : pic was ok. Just with shorter hair, glasses, attitude and scowl.

suss : dont sweat it. happens all the time.

as: things are great, really. thanks for the greetings.

Everyday is better than the next.

Melba said...

chai, go to brokeback, but go alone perhaps. you could always end up next to a nana for company. and if you have a guy friend on the other side of you, that could just be way too uncomfortable. cut out the guy friend bit and just stick with the nana.

Chai said...

Thanks MG. You actually understand! I managed to find 1 (one) female to accompany me, that is if I paid for the movie and bought her dinner and dont narrate. Dont narrate? Forget it, I said. Man, those 1900 numbers are sure expensive.

Jay said...

Yes, March will be interesting. Life is interesting. It's the "challenges" that make it fun.

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Husky Nutmeg said...

A foot fettish spammer - that's very funny.

Not as funny as the paper clip thing.

Chai said...

hiya jay, sometimes, one doesnt want so many challenges, so often, with no respite.

hn, regd the fetish spammers, how *do* they know!

Chai said...

scarlett, I, ummm, couldnt make it either. I found the animated gif on the net and thought it'd was perfect for my meeting my first blogger. Good timing, eh?
Sorry to hear of homelessness and hope the home sickness has eased off a little.