So, second day, new job.
Pros: half the commuting time as my old job, shiney new building, queers!!!, convenient places to get lunch, interesting new work, no more hearing about colleagues children/marriage plans/family holidays.
Cons: Crowded summer trains and no going against the flow, earlier starts, new job is dealing with money, expensive places to get lunch, bad coffee!!?!, so much to learn and no formal training, hearing about new colleagues’ pets.
I’m not exactly thrilled with the new job. It’s a little daunting. Reports from the parra office were that the sydney office was a bit more hard-core, a bit more old guard, and it’s true, so it’s more pressure, and no more of the goofing off I’ve consistantly been doing since may last year. And while the sydney office is actually new, it is sparsely populated compared to parra. It feels like I’m working in a library. No mucking around here, although a lot more swearing. My new teams leaders read like a bad sitcom from a queer cable tv network. He’s a cat-loving poof, she’s a dog-loving dyke, it’s a classic mis-match comedy tonight on bravo. But real actual true to life queers, rather than the suburban gays at my old workplace. Although they did spend twenty minutes on my first day telling us how much they talk about thier pets. Not actually telling us about thier pets, but telling us about telling us about their pets.
And I’ve tried four coffee places so far, and each one has been offensively insipid. I’m thinking of taking instant in so I don’t have to go through the truama of buying bad espresso each day. Isn’t the city supposed to have good coffee? maybe it’s only the money end of town that does, like between the quay and the park, cuz south of the park is trashy as. I feel like I should be dressing in neon to fit in with the shops.
ahh, the new job is okay, I’m sure I’ll get used to it all once I’ve settled in. And I don’t miss parra at all, just the peeps I was hanging out with. I’m hoping it gets better though.
So much fuss and stuff and nonsense, the times, they are a’changin’, a rolling stone gathers no moss, ain’t nobody gonna break my stride, ain’t nobody gonna slow me down.
I guess, what I’m trying to say is; stop the world I want to get off. At least just for a little bit. January has been extrordinarily busy. First wave after wave of birthday parties and events to go to, then a new place to live is looked for and found, a new job is offered, accepted and signed off on by all concerned, not to mention all the farewell morning teas and afterwork drinks for other people leaving, then suddenly its my last day in the current job, which happens to coincide with the last day of two other people, and I get home, check the mail, and there’s a letter from the university saying that I can continue in that course I thought I’d dropped out of last year. Turns out through some fluke of paper work I’d dropped out of the subject, but not quite fully dropped out of the degree program, so I can go back if I want. Cra-zay-zy.
So now the question is this; Do I, on top of the new living arrangements, and the new job, restart that law degree? I do have an hour and a half each day extra to play with now that I’ve significantly cut my commute. Maybe I could actually do a law degree…
The other night, while out, I got asked what my plans for my birthday were. To which I replied, "It’s eight months away!" To which they replied "Yeah, but it’s your thirtieth, you’e got to start planning now." To which I replied "Bah!"
The implication, of course, was that since I’m turning thirty this year, I’ve got to do something big. And so we got to talking about birthdays and presents and thing like that, and I said that I’ll probably want the same thing this year as I want every year, to go dancing with friends. And they said, "You’ve got to do better than that, what do you want, it’s your thirtieth, you can ask for something big and people with have to get it for you." And after further discussion we settled on an idea.
My friends, for my birthday, I want you all to chip in and get me a tattoo of some kind. A big expensive tattoo. I’m thinking full shoulder and upper arm, or chest, or something. I’ll need help with a design, so miss J, that’s where you’ll come in. Something steampunky, with stars. I reckon it’ll look great.
Omigod, work is so unbelievably boring. So very very boring. So tediously, stupidly boring. I can’t believe how boring it is. I’m a case officer at the moment, which involves reading a case, doing a smidge of research into similar cases, writing a report, writing a letter, and sending it off for quality assurance. We are required to complete an average of one to two cases a day. A standard work day is 7 hours and 21 minutes. A standard case takes me all of an hour to complete, on a bad day. So, somehow, I’m supposed to find something to do with the other 5 hours and 21 minutes of my day, and that’s if I don’t want to build up flex. Today, on my first day back at work, I completed 4 cases, and built up 4 minutes flex.
So much boredom.
Meanwhile, walking home from newtown today in the evening sunlight with delightful.
’tis the 5th of January, and I’ve nary had a blog post for the new year yet. Mostly this has been cuz I’ve been in lismore, where its been hella raining for two weeks now, and since getting back I’ve been playing with my new nintendo ds, which is totes cool. Trip to lismore was weird this year. Beautiful special moments interspered with feeling horribly lonely and distant from previous years travelling companions (them on farm, me in caravan park, and they never visited). And having to deal with household bills while on holiday put me in a bad mood for a long time (ah, if only things had been organised before holidays!). But thems the breaks. The worst was the rain, the endless sodden rain.
But still, beautiful special moments maketh the memories. Hanging with miss J miss Y was awesome, and getting to know miss E better was way cool too. And spending 12 hours in a car with miss L was delightful. Filling the local water hole with queers as miss A and miss J and I promised ourselves we would two years ago is definately up there. And meeting mr J, upon whom I developed a dreadful crush, was great and unexpected and frustrating all at the same time. And the parties were beautiful love-ins. And having the caravan park inundated with tiny green tree frogs was wonderful (having them find thier way inside the cabin slightly less wonderful).
But the rain was horrible, and left me feeling cut off from everyone. I hated it. and the universe providing me with the perfect size umbrella for my new bag on goes only part way to making up for it. I learned today that the caravan park I was staying at has since been evacuated because of flooding. If this had happened while I was there it would have at least made being stuck in the rain interesting. But no, it just sucked. If this is the best climate change can give me, I want off at the next stop.
So anyway, I was reading miss Y’s blog, and saw she had this list of questions to sum up 2007, so I’m totally copying.
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Constructed my own fetish gear/party wear.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Nope, no souffle for me, and nothing occured to me on the night so no resolutions for 08.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yep! I’m an uncle. and my best friend from highschool now has spawn too.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Not very close, but my cousin did, but it was kind of expected.
5. What countries did you visit? None.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? (I’m stealling this one from Miss Y) - Bravery
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? June, cuz it was horrible, for the rain and the moving house and people dying, but bookended by Mr J.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting out of the call centre at work! staying of ADs for a whole year (there were some shakey moments there).
9. What was your biggest failure? droping out of my law degree.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yep. hurt my wrist, and my feet.
11. What was the best thing you bought? dunno, 07 wasn’t big on the aquisition of material goods.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Miss J for coming back.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? The bears of sydney, damn cliquey bunch. That crazy woman who punched me on the street.
14. Where did most of your money go? I’d say an even split between life (food, going out, friends etc), and work (ie, non-life).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Holiday to Brisbane, new house, Mr J,Mr C, Mr B, and other Mr J.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Boys of Melody by the hidden cameras, and Ice cream by Muscles.
17.a) happier or sadder? Happier overall, but sadder right now.
b) thinner or fatter? ’bout the same
c) richer or poorer? technically richer, since I’m getting paid more.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Meeting boys, dancing, getting out of the house.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Nights in, worrying about work.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Did it with the family as usual.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? A few times, but nothing caught.
22. How many one-night stands? more tham some but less than a lot.
23. What was your favorite TV program? the librarians
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No, I actually hate less people.
25. What was the best book you read? I’m gonna go with Nightwatch by Sergei Lucyenenko, not really the best, but one of my favourite ones this year.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Fbi radio!!!!
27. What did you want and get? New job!!!
28. What did you want and not get? more tatts.
29. What was your favourite film of this year? Will have to say the simpsons movie cuz its the only one I remember going to see at the movies.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? turned 29, went out dancing with friends, which is pretty much all I ever want.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? more connections with amazing people.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Refusing to be less casual, and badges!
33. What kept you sane? downtime at home, dancing with friends.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I think I had a thing for Tom Lenk earlier in the year. But nerdy gay boys who produce music always get me.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Those elections thingys, public transport.
36. Who did you miss? I miss miss A a lot.
37. Who was the best new person you met? there’s a few, but I reckon Mr C scrapes ahead by an inch, with honourable mentions to Mr J, Miss E, Miss N, other Mr J, Mr D.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007: sometimes you can win the struggle.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: can I do two?
and i dont know how to react
or if i should fight back
(ice cream is gonna save the day)
i dont need a number
i just wanna dance with my shirt off
and i dont want no other
i just wanna dance Icecream by Muslces
Out on the coast
we’ll sit and boast
that "it’s all we need"
Wade through the sand
and find the romance
that we know we need
Boys of melody
And they’ll follow me
And I’ll sing harmony
And it’s all we need
The boys are here with me
We’re happy Boys of Melody by the hidden cameras
