make you better
Well, I think today was my penance for yesterday.
Not that it was a nightmare. Both the hearings I did today were quite easy in terms of sound although I did want to gently slap one of the lawyers for being a quibbling jerk to the witness. 's the difference between being a monitor and a transcriber, see? As a monitor, you don't listen to the words, you listen to the sound. So you can quite happily ignore all the psychological shenanigans that may go on. More than once when we've broken for lunch, a lawyer/barrister/solicitor has remarked to me about what just happened and I've said blithely back, "Oh really? Oh, I wasn't listening. Why would I listen to you guys?" As a transcriber, you can't escape it. And I haven't yet gotten to the point where I can just roll my eyes and laugh my derision. I'm at the stage where I mutter "I'm going to slap you" more than once during the day.
But no, I feel like I let down the team today. Cos even though I stayed back a whole extra hour, I still didn't finish the transcript I wanted to finish. And I wanted to finish it because it's due on Monday and there was no fucking way I was coming in on Monday and I knew my supervisor girl already had a heap of things to check and send out on Monday. And urgh! Feels like a fucking black mark on a record I was steadily building up into a thing of pride. Getting transcripts done way before they're due. Grrr. *clenches fists*
What struck me though was just how wonderfully it was handled. Cos I was sitting there, thinking "I'm going to have to stay back. I bet everyone else is going to finish by five and I'm going to be the only loser staying back to finish and everybody's going to wonder how bad a transcriber I am. God, I suck!" But then at about four, the guy supervisor came into the middle of the office and said in his usual charming way that the office was going to stay open til six and if we feel like staying back to finish the stuff that's due on Monday, that would be very appreciated.
And immediately I felt better. Because it wasn't like we were expected to stay back. My own supervisor girl even told me not to worry about it, to leave whenever I wanted to. Such a difference to other places, I swear. Other places where you were made to feel like a heinous criminal for walking out the door while there's still work, where your boss actually glowered at you for daring to have a life outside of the office. Here you're treated like a human being and I know that's entirely because of our boss, because she is so human herself. She gives herself time off, she doesn't want you to be miserable at work, she never ever holds it against you if you want time off. She doesn't make you feel bad for saying no. And you know what, that's why half the office stayed back til a quarter to six tonight. Because she earns that loyalty. Because you genuinely don't want your supervisor to bear the brunt of the work. It's such a thing of wonder to me how that kindness of my boss filters down through all of us. See, there is such a thing as a good workplace. I always wanted to believe. :p
So to make myself feel better, I got a pizza and a heap more DVDs from the Awesome Video Store even though I still haven't returned last week's lot. And I got to tell the shyly attractive young Pink Floyd fan that our (rather embarrassing for me) conversation months ago spurred me into revisiting the first two Floyd albums. He was quite happy, I think. Even though I tapped him on the elbow with an extremely cold hand and probably scared him a fair bit. *snort*
Deep dish Italian sausage pizza which oh my freaking god, I didn't realise deep dish pizzas are pretty much like a cross between a quiche and a pie. I mean, that's fucking deep! With a crust that stands up high! But happily, quite full of toppings rather than dough although I would have been just as content with dough, winter having set in as harshly as it has.
And haha, when I picked it up and continued to the corner of the traffic lights, I glanced up from my phone and coming right towards me from the side was Cute Guy From Red Eye Records. My face must have lit up in startled delight because he kinda gave me a similar look of half-startled recognition and almost smiled at me before he realised he didn't know me.
*sigh* I nearly followed him home.
I forgot how he pings every one of my lust buttons, so totally my type. And he had these big silver headphones clamped to his ears. It was only when he had disappeared into the darkness and I turned into my own street that I realised rather belatedly and lamely that we were pretty much dressed the same way. Black skinny jeans, black soft sneakers, black slim jacket zipped up to the throat, possible scarf inside, and our hair almost the same length now.
Heh. That was an odd mirror moment. Only I am never ever going back to headphones that muck up my hair, thanks very much, you can keep your music elitism that way. One of the many reasons I was very glad to see the end of the Eighties. One of the many reasons I look cock-eyed at the young people on the bus these days who have those piddly small cushioned headphones that look like they should be hooked up to a Walkman. I always look at them and think, "Yeah, you didn't grow up in the Eighties, did you? Jeez." All the options they have now and they choose the most unflattering impractical kind. I really hope the sound is fucking brilliantly improved on those piddly models cos they were fucking shite when I was growing up. Crappy sound, flimsy structure and they mucked my hair up! *lol*
I think I'll write over the weekend rather than wait til Monday. Because the big set piece might take a while and the faster I get a jump on it the better. Plus it might help with this niggling sense of failure. *grits teeth*
Oh! I forgot to say yesterday that I did in fact use up my entire 12G quota with vividwireless yesterday and so switched to the 15G. Anyway, I was on 15G with Unwired so no wonder I was used to that limit. Hopefully I won't blow that before the next changeover. *rolls eyes at self* Too much YouTubing and game downloads, yo. I'll see how the $55 a month works out. Fingers crossed it'll factor in all right.
But yes, so far vividwireless haven't put a single foot wrong and I'm so happy with them. There was a spot of alarm this morning when I received an Unwired email invoice telling me I'll be automatically charged on Monday. After a few moments choking with indignation, I actually looked at my invoice and ha, I have a credit! So the email was purely automatic and they are not in fact going to charge me on Monday for a service I'm not using.
I did officially throw my Unwired modem out yesterday with the garbage. Still feels slightly surreal. These days if I'm extremely tired to the point of delirium when I close my laptop, I find myself automatically reaching for the bedside table where the Unwired modem used to sit. And every time I catch myself with a little laugh and this renewed sense of wonder. Wireless, zomg. We are so lucky to be living in this here and now, man.
Lester Bangs continues to alternate between pure delight, pure exasperation and pure mystifying. He's also got me remembering my latent lust for the Who, remembering my always delayed intention to one day properly investigate them. Rawk. I fucking love my rawk.
Which is why I found myself smiling fondly at this: Rock is basically an adolescent music, reflecting the rhythms, concerns and aspirations of a very specialized age group. It can't grow up --- when it does, it turns into something else which may be just as valid but is still very different from the original.
Something every music fan has always known on an inherent inarticulate level but it's so gratifying to see it in print and not in a condescending way, isn't it? Rock on, my darlings.
Full tummy, warm socks, bottle of water and I am about to turn my radio alarm off which means a most delicious sleep-in tomorrow. I am soooooo happy that this weekend I have to go nowhere and see nobody and do nothing and have nothing but pure freedom to do what I want.
Bliss.
God, I forgot how much I adore this album. *sighs, floats, dreams, loves*
Not that it was a nightmare. Both the hearings I did today were quite easy in terms of sound although I did want to gently slap one of the lawyers for being a quibbling jerk to the witness. 's the difference between being a monitor and a transcriber, see? As a monitor, you don't listen to the words, you listen to the sound. So you can quite happily ignore all the psychological shenanigans that may go on. More than once when we've broken for lunch, a lawyer/barrister/solicitor has remarked to me about what just happened and I've said blithely back, "Oh really? Oh, I wasn't listening. Why would I listen to you guys?" As a transcriber, you can't escape it. And I haven't yet gotten to the point where I can just roll my eyes and laugh my derision. I'm at the stage where I mutter "I'm going to slap you" more than once during the day.
But no, I feel like I let down the team today. Cos even though I stayed back a whole extra hour, I still didn't finish the transcript I wanted to finish. And I wanted to finish it because it's due on Monday and there was no fucking way I was coming in on Monday and I knew my supervisor girl already had a heap of things to check and send out on Monday. And urgh! Feels like a fucking black mark on a record I was steadily building up into a thing of pride. Getting transcripts done way before they're due. Grrr. *clenches fists*
What struck me though was just how wonderfully it was handled. Cos I was sitting there, thinking "I'm going to have to stay back. I bet everyone else is going to finish by five and I'm going to be the only loser staying back to finish and everybody's going to wonder how bad a transcriber I am. God, I suck!" But then at about four, the guy supervisor came into the middle of the office and said in his usual charming way that the office was going to stay open til six and if we feel like staying back to finish the stuff that's due on Monday, that would be very appreciated.
And immediately I felt better. Because it wasn't like we were expected to stay back. My own supervisor girl even told me not to worry about it, to leave whenever I wanted to. Such a difference to other places, I swear. Other places where you were made to feel like a heinous criminal for walking out the door while there's still work, where your boss actually glowered at you for daring to have a life outside of the office. Here you're treated like a human being and I know that's entirely because of our boss, because she is so human herself. She gives herself time off, she doesn't want you to be miserable at work, she never ever holds it against you if you want time off. She doesn't make you feel bad for saying no. And you know what, that's why half the office stayed back til a quarter to six tonight. Because she earns that loyalty. Because you genuinely don't want your supervisor to bear the brunt of the work. It's such a thing of wonder to me how that kindness of my boss filters down through all of us. See, there is such a thing as a good workplace. I always wanted to believe. :p
So to make myself feel better, I got a pizza and a heap more DVDs from the Awesome Video Store even though I still haven't returned last week's lot. And I got to tell the shyly attractive young Pink Floyd fan that our (rather embarrassing for me) conversation months ago spurred me into revisiting the first two Floyd albums. He was quite happy, I think. Even though I tapped him on the elbow with an extremely cold hand and probably scared him a fair bit. *snort*
Deep dish Italian sausage pizza which oh my freaking god, I didn't realise deep dish pizzas are pretty much like a cross between a quiche and a pie. I mean, that's fucking deep! With a crust that stands up high! But happily, quite full of toppings rather than dough although I would have been just as content with dough, winter having set in as harshly as it has.
And haha, when I picked it up and continued to the corner of the traffic lights, I glanced up from my phone and coming right towards me from the side was Cute Guy From Red Eye Records. My face must have lit up in startled delight because he kinda gave me a similar look of half-startled recognition and almost smiled at me before he realised he didn't know me.
*sigh* I nearly followed him home.
I forgot how he pings every one of my lust buttons, so totally my type. And he had these big silver headphones clamped to his ears. It was only when he had disappeared into the darkness and I turned into my own street that I realised rather belatedly and lamely that we were pretty much dressed the same way. Black skinny jeans, black soft sneakers, black slim jacket zipped up to the throat, possible scarf inside, and our hair almost the same length now.
Heh. That was an odd mirror moment. Only I am never ever going back to headphones that muck up my hair, thanks very much, you can keep your music elitism that way. One of the many reasons I was very glad to see the end of the Eighties. One of the many reasons I look cock-eyed at the young people on the bus these days who have those piddly small cushioned headphones that look like they should be hooked up to a Walkman. I always look at them and think, "Yeah, you didn't grow up in the Eighties, did you? Jeez." All the options they have now and they choose the most unflattering impractical kind. I really hope the sound is fucking brilliantly improved on those piddly models cos they were fucking shite when I was growing up. Crappy sound, flimsy structure and they mucked my hair up! *lol*
I think I'll write over the weekend rather than wait til Monday. Because the big set piece might take a while and the faster I get a jump on it the better. Plus it might help with this niggling sense of failure. *grits teeth*
Oh! I forgot to say yesterday that I did in fact use up my entire 12G quota with vividwireless yesterday and so switched to the 15G. Anyway, I was on 15G with Unwired so no wonder I was used to that limit. Hopefully I won't blow that before the next changeover. *rolls eyes at self* Too much YouTubing and game downloads, yo. I'll see how the $55 a month works out. Fingers crossed it'll factor in all right.
But yes, so far vividwireless haven't put a single foot wrong and I'm so happy with them. There was a spot of alarm this morning when I received an Unwired email invoice telling me I'll be automatically charged on Monday. After a few moments choking with indignation, I actually looked at my invoice and ha, I have a credit! So the email was purely automatic and they are not in fact going to charge me on Monday for a service I'm not using.
I did officially throw my Unwired modem out yesterday with the garbage. Still feels slightly surreal. These days if I'm extremely tired to the point of delirium when I close my laptop, I find myself automatically reaching for the bedside table where the Unwired modem used to sit. And every time I catch myself with a little laugh and this renewed sense of wonder. Wireless, zomg. We are so lucky to be living in this here and now, man.
Lester Bangs continues to alternate between pure delight, pure exasperation and pure mystifying. He's also got me remembering my latent lust for the Who, remembering my always delayed intention to one day properly investigate them. Rawk. I fucking love my rawk.
Which is why I found myself smiling fondly at this: Rock is basically an adolescent music, reflecting the rhythms, concerns and aspirations of a very specialized age group. It can't grow up --- when it does, it turns into something else which may be just as valid but is still very different from the original.
Something every music fan has always known on an inherent inarticulate level but it's so gratifying to see it in print and not in a condescending way, isn't it? Rock on, my darlings.
Full tummy, warm socks, bottle of water and I am about to turn my radio alarm off which means a most delicious sleep-in tomorrow. I am soooooo happy that this weekend I have to go nowhere and see nobody and do nothing and have nothing but pure freedom to do what I want.
Bliss.
God, I forgot how much I adore this album. *sighs, floats, dreams, loves*