June 29, 2007 | Category: Life, Work | 3 Comments »

Wonderful illustrations done by the amazing illustrator at www.tasteofrain.com

I’ve started my new job and have been working there for almost two months now. At my last job I didn’t need to pack a lunch as I could pop home to eat. Not so anymore. I must take a pack lunch.

Since I’ve started I’ve been on a steady diet of French cheese, crisps, chocolate and hot chocolate. Yeh lots of chocolate and I think my waist line is paying for it >_<

I’m trying to make amends, iterative amends, don’t want to go crazy you know.

I spend an hour traveling to work too in the morning due to the traffic. I didn’t have to before, although when I was doing jury service I didn’t mind traveling on the train. It meant I could read the newspaper and listen to music and I’d also get to run through part of town. That was kinda fun. But waiting for the train to turn up was very stressful.

I upgraded the sound in my car too. I thought I may as well enjoy the ride. I upgraded to a snazzy cd mp3 one. With line outs, means I can add some very big speakers in the boot if I wanted to later on.

I found some speakers I liked then checked on google to see if I could buy them cheaper and I did, lots cheaper. Very worth doing so, with google product search. I did fit them in myself, I did have some issues such as not being able to get the rear left speaker out due to insufficient access to the screws. Also the front left speaker terminals started touching the metal of the door on two occasions which just stopped all speakers from working. I taped the terminals up and its working.

All the speakers are JBL GTO series. I bought a huge amp too. But when I installed the new speakers and heard them. They were very freaking loud. The thought of installing the amp instilled fear into me. I don’t want them any louder!

The speakers give nice bass tones and I clicked the switch to make the tweeters +3dB. Which means they give a lot of tingly snare noise too. It sounds very hip. Having so many mp3s on a disk is very kewl too. I can also plug in my iPod, but I have not tried this yet. It does keep me entertained when I’m driving at 5mph stuck in traffic I feel quite relaxed : )

May 12, 2007 | Category: Life | 4 Comments »

I’m struggling to write on this blog. Probably the lack of writing anything for so long hasn’t helped. But it isn’t because nothing has been happening. Quite the contrary but its not something I feel comfortable sharing.

I’d like to take you back to December, I’d just come back off Jury service which was super long 6 weeks, normally its only 2 weeks and is mandatory by law. My boss was very unhappy at me for going for the two weeks and when it turned out it would be longer I could feel things weren’t going to be the same. From my employees this was very wrong, as they are required legally to give me the time off. Even though I was on jury service I was still required to check my emails and come into work whenever I could.

I had been trying to leave from this company for quite some time. The work politics could be compared to those of a corrupt third world country, they sucked bad. The final straw was when I was given two weeks off at Christmas unpaid, due to the ‘lack’ of work. I started to apply straight away. Around Jan 15th one job I had applied for asked for a reference. My boss asked me if I had applied and why I wanted to leave. At that time he implied that he wouldn’t be sending any reference to the company (whether this was a joke or not I cannot be sure, it wouldn’t be out of character either way). It didn’t matter if he did or didn’t I had already found out I had not got that job, they weren’t smart enough and definitely wasn’t setting any markets on fire. Nevertheless it felt like a kick in the guts. Regardless ethically and I believe legally it was wrong of my employee not to provide a reference. Specially since I had been of service for so many years.

Anyway after I arrived back from Jury service my job role had changed. My office job was no longer and it was a kind of demotion in some respects. But I was paid the same and the stress was half the amount. I was put in charge of stock. Now the funny thing is anyone who has been in charge of stock has never lasted in this company. Its like the job one is given which you can’t win at and its almost a defamer role. I can handle these type of roles pretty easily as long as I’m learning something from it. Soon as I had mastered this role I wouldn’t stand to stay for one more minute.

As time went on and I was struggling to find other work. The boss at first appeared to be supportive. That I could stay as long as I wanted, I’d done good work for the company and he’d be supportive of my move. Slowly more pressure started to be applied giving me an ultimatum either quit or stay with us. Thing is a company can survive with the loss of a person, but for an individual although he would survive, I would learn that it would be a most horrid of time. It was also put to me the company had invested x amount of years in me and I owed something back. Even though the company may have invested in me, it was nothing compared to the time and dedication I had given back.

So when the ultimatum was put forward I tried to buy as much time as I could, and decided I would leave at the end of March whether I had work or not. End of March was significant for me, I had always promised myself I wouldn’t be doing this job come this time.

As time went on the only thing I had to do was look after the stock. And if one doesn’t have anything to do during free hours they don’t need to be in the company and thus saving the company a little dough. So one had to spend time picking over details and ensuring everything is ok. Its just how the mentally of the organization is.

The few months of work I had put in until I left would eventually give the company its best ever stock take result of 99.99% accuracy since they started doing stock takes there. Although I wouldn’t be around to witness the result. Congratulations would be sent out by management of the good work done and also well wishes from the director of our parent company.

After I had overly learned everything I could from every detail, carrying out this task and when the monotonous aspect of the job started to set in, with no chance of doing anything else. I decided to set a date and make my departure.

Shortly after this time I was approached by management from our parent company to come and work for them.

March 28, 2007 | Category: Life | 4 Comments »

Picture by neh. Thanks so much : )

Yeh so umm its my birthday. And I err rock a lot harder than I did last year. But umm there’s no cake. I ate it all. Cos I like cake, specially chocolate cake. And the weather is awesome. Its nice and sunny. Probably cos its my birthday you see.

I told you I like chocolate cake. Thats why I got two. But if I ate one, then there is another one somewhere. Its around here…

I love cake.

I like candles too. Those magically ones. Which when you blow them out they light back up. First time around I was all o_O but I figured it. I’m smart too. Or I was when I was younger.

Did you miss me? cos I missed you. I didn’t go anywhere honest, I was still here. I had a few issues. Nothing health related. but it shot my confidence. And with that any artistic skill I may claim is the first to leave my side.

It sux I know, but it affects me, more than I’ve ever admitted before.

Summer is on its way. This means the tree’s will get their leaves back. Don’t you find something inherently strong about naked trees in the winter. They persevere through the cold. And so must we no matter how difficult it may seem.