(no subject)
Right... Probably about time I updated this bloody thing... I just never really feel inclined to I guess. But here it goes.
Quick update on my life as it stands.... Since the last time I wrote on here I've pretty much been working the same shitty job in the same way I have since I started in customer service. Though oddly I seem to be more efficient lately than I felt before. I say oddly because this is our low time. We have hardly any jobs coming in so end up spending some of our time doing nothing or watching movies while we wait for a new customer. I know what you're thinking "hard life", and I suppose you'd be right. At this time the job isn't bad. In actual fact I've always enjoyed the work. It's the atmosphere I hate. And the shitty pay. And the fact that we have so few staff that we can't get regular days off. And most especially the fact that I have to work weekends! But take away all those things and the work itself isn't too bad. I get to fix computers all day, interspersed with helping customers sort out their technical problems. Most of the people I work with are tolerable. And most of the customers are understanding enough not to yell at me for something that is absolutely nothing to do with me, so that's not so bad. Sure there are some people I have to work with that I really don't like very much, or that I don't like the way they work, but I can handle that. It's those other things that make me hunt for a new job so fervently.
Appart from that I've gone on holiday to Menorca for a week! Three weeks ago it was, and yet it seem so distant in my mind. But it was a really nice experience. Me, cymboline, my mum, step father and sister all went and stayed in two self catered appartments for a week. Lots of sun and sand! Not to mention the most gorgeous turquoise waters you can imagine! So clear you can see the bottom even in 20-40m depths. Swimming with my goggles and seeing the fish. Just makes me so happy being able to do that. And for a time, it was good.
But then I came back and the burdens of responsibility awaited me with loving arms.
In sad news, I had to return my laptop. The TV out on it was only in black and white, no driver updates cured it and I didn't feel like waiting a month while they tried to fix it at Compaq. So I returned it. Correspondingly my bank accounts are now back in the positive, but it means I have less fun and spend a lot less time on the net. It also sucks as I don't have it to play with when I'm bored at work. Why didn't I get another one? Well, finances in part, but more because they didn't have anything decent in stock. I'm keeping my eyes out, but I don't know how soon I'll buy my next one.
I did get a new car though. Sorta had to as the old one was steadily dying on me. I could have repaired it but it would have cost me about the same as getting a new one, so that's what I did. So out I went on the search, step father in tow (or was it the other way around?) and eventually settled on a white VW automatic. Nice car all around, but it's too bad I had to get an automatic. The driving factor behind that, of course, was the fact that it means I no longer have to pass my driving test here. I can now just exchange my Canadian license for a UK one (automatic only). I may yet take my full test, but we'll see how I feel about that later on in the year.
That's pretty much all the major stuff. Still hounded by loneliness to some degree, missing friends, wondering why I'm here sometimes. I love the travelling, but with my work making me work weekends and all, I don't get to do as much as I wanted. That's probably the most important reason I'm looking for new work I suppose. So Cymboline and I have hatched a tentative plan for relocation. We're gonna save up £2000 each by next august (or as much as we can toward that total anyway) and then fly accross to Vancouver, buy a decent car there, and then drive it accross to Montreal where we'll set up residence again. The reasons for the move back are primarily school related. IE Cymobline wants to go back to school and can't here due to costs involved (international students have to pay something like £9000 a year). So that's the grand plan for the moment. Saving the money might be hard unless I get a new job though... more reasons to get that new job... ;)
So that brings us to now.. today... Today was a good day actually. I had the day off (somewhat unexpectedly, which is always nice) and so went to the car boot sale (read Flea Market to those of you who know what that is, or giant garage sale to anyone else) I was actually specifically looking for something. Namely new car speakers for my car (the stereo sounded like shit, very tinny) so I hunted with a very specific mindset. It worked quite well as I found a set of good rear speakers for 5£ which I snapped up right away. They guy also had a pair of rather more battered front speakers for a measely £2 that I wasn't sure would fit my car, but I bought anyway. My main task completed, I then expanded my view to see if there was anything else I might want and came accross a booth selling tshirts for £2.99 each. Not shitty used ones, mind you, but new band shirts. I bought a nice new Staind shirt and marvelled at my luck (usually I got to this sale and find nothing of interest, and here I'd found two good items in one trip). But that wasn't to be the end of my good fortune for on further perrusal of the merchandise I came accross a Samsung DVD player for a mere £25! Now I've been stung before buying electrical items from this sale, last summer I bought a CD player and a mini stereo, neither of which worked properly. But since I'd not had any trouble returning the defective goods (I made sure to test them right away and went straight back to vendors when I found the defects), I figured I'd take a risk and bartered the guy down to £20! Loot in hand I made a quick trip home to test my spoils! First was the DVD player, but alas I only had some CDs to test it with, those worked well, and I figured if nothing else at least I have a working CD player that I can leave set up with my amp. So on I went to install the speakers in my car. Back ones went in great but sadly the front ones didn't fit (as I'd thought they might not I wasn't too disappointed). You can imagine how elated I was at how well I'd done for myself this morning! But I still wanted some good ones in the front as the old ones were making the whole thing still very tinny unless I faded the sterea almost all the way to the back speakers. I caved and went to the motor shop to buy some brand spanking new front speakers. Then off to my mums to present my step father with a card I made for him (Fathers day) and to head out for a walk by the ocean we'd planned for the afternoon. And that's what we did. So I was forced to wait until this evening to install the front speakers in my car. Not a problem though as I thoroughly enjoyed the outing. Nice and sunny, good company with my love by my side, and some fresh sea air to clear the mind.
So I'm quite happy now, the speakers are installed and sound great. We rented a movie and tested the DVD player, which works great (the reason it was so cheap must simply be the fact that it doesn't have a remote, but I'm not fussed about that!), and now it's time for bed. Can't complain about that I guess, though I have to work tomorrow, but that's life.
Only other thing to say is that I'm going in to hospital on Thursday for my second ear opperation. This time they're repairing the right eardrum, and the bad part is that I will be awake while they do it! The thought alone makes me queezy.....
G'night...
Quick update on my life as it stands.... Since the last time I wrote on here I've pretty much been working the same shitty job in the same way I have since I started in customer service. Though oddly I seem to be more efficient lately than I felt before. I say oddly because this is our low time. We have hardly any jobs coming in so end up spending some of our time doing nothing or watching movies while we wait for a new customer. I know what you're thinking "hard life", and I suppose you'd be right. At this time the job isn't bad. In actual fact I've always enjoyed the work. It's the atmosphere I hate. And the shitty pay. And the fact that we have so few staff that we can't get regular days off. And most especially the fact that I have to work weekends! But take away all those things and the work itself isn't too bad. I get to fix computers all day, interspersed with helping customers sort out their technical problems. Most of the people I work with are tolerable. And most of the customers are understanding enough not to yell at me for something that is absolutely nothing to do with me, so that's not so bad. Sure there are some people I have to work with that I really don't like very much, or that I don't like the way they work, but I can handle that. It's those other things that make me hunt for a new job so fervently.
Appart from that I've gone on holiday to Menorca for a week! Three weeks ago it was, and yet it seem so distant in my mind. But it was a really nice experience. Me, cymboline, my mum, step father and sister all went and stayed in two self catered appartments for a week. Lots of sun and sand! Not to mention the most gorgeous turquoise waters you can imagine! So clear you can see the bottom even in 20-40m depths. Swimming with my goggles and seeing the fish. Just makes me so happy being able to do that. And for a time, it was good.
But then I came back and the burdens of responsibility awaited me with loving arms.
In sad news, I had to return my laptop. The TV out on it was only in black and white, no driver updates cured it and I didn't feel like waiting a month while they tried to fix it at Compaq. So I returned it. Correspondingly my bank accounts are now back in the positive, but it means I have less fun and spend a lot less time on the net. It also sucks as I don't have it to play with when I'm bored at work. Why didn't I get another one? Well, finances in part, but more because they didn't have anything decent in stock. I'm keeping my eyes out, but I don't know how soon I'll buy my next one.
I did get a new car though. Sorta had to as the old one was steadily dying on me. I could have repaired it but it would have cost me about the same as getting a new one, so that's what I did. So out I went on the search, step father in tow (or was it the other way around?) and eventually settled on a white VW automatic. Nice car all around, but it's too bad I had to get an automatic. The driving factor behind that, of course, was the fact that it means I no longer have to pass my driving test here. I can now just exchange my Canadian license for a UK one (automatic only). I may yet take my full test, but we'll see how I feel about that later on in the year.
That's pretty much all the major stuff. Still hounded by loneliness to some degree, missing friends, wondering why I'm here sometimes. I love the travelling, but with my work making me work weekends and all, I don't get to do as much as I wanted. That's probably the most important reason I'm looking for new work I suppose. So Cymboline and I have hatched a tentative plan for relocation. We're gonna save up £2000 each by next august (or as much as we can toward that total anyway) and then fly accross to Vancouver, buy a decent car there, and then drive it accross to Montreal where we'll set up residence again. The reasons for the move back are primarily school related. IE Cymobline wants to go back to school and can't here due to costs involved (international students have to pay something like £9000 a year). So that's the grand plan for the moment. Saving the money might be hard unless I get a new job though... more reasons to get that new job... ;)
So that brings us to now.. today... Today was a good day actually. I had the day off (somewhat unexpectedly, which is always nice) and so went to the car boot sale (read Flea Market to those of you who know what that is, or giant garage sale to anyone else) I was actually specifically looking for something. Namely new car speakers for my car (the stereo sounded like shit, very tinny) so I hunted with a very specific mindset. It worked quite well as I found a set of good rear speakers for 5£ which I snapped up right away. They guy also had a pair of rather more battered front speakers for a measely £2 that I wasn't sure would fit my car, but I bought anyway. My main task completed, I then expanded my view to see if there was anything else I might want and came accross a booth selling tshirts for £2.99 each. Not shitty used ones, mind you, but new band shirts. I bought a nice new Staind shirt and marvelled at my luck (usually I got to this sale and find nothing of interest, and here I'd found two good items in one trip). But that wasn't to be the end of my good fortune for on further perrusal of the merchandise I came accross a Samsung DVD player for a mere £25! Now I've been stung before buying electrical items from this sale, last summer I bought a CD player and a mini stereo, neither of which worked properly. But since I'd not had any trouble returning the defective goods (I made sure to test them right away and went straight back to vendors when I found the defects), I figured I'd take a risk and bartered the guy down to £20! Loot in hand I made a quick trip home to test my spoils! First was the DVD player, but alas I only had some CDs to test it with, those worked well, and I figured if nothing else at least I have a working CD player that I can leave set up with my amp. So on I went to install the speakers in my car. Back ones went in great but sadly the front ones didn't fit (as I'd thought they might not I wasn't too disappointed). You can imagine how elated I was at how well I'd done for myself this morning! But I still wanted some good ones in the front as the old ones were making the whole thing still very tinny unless I faded the sterea almost all the way to the back speakers. I caved and went to the motor shop to buy some brand spanking new front speakers. Then off to my mums to present my step father with a card I made for him (Fathers day) and to head out for a walk by the ocean we'd planned for the afternoon. And that's what we did. So I was forced to wait until this evening to install the front speakers in my car. Not a problem though as I thoroughly enjoyed the outing. Nice and sunny, good company with my love by my side, and some fresh sea air to clear the mind.
So I'm quite happy now, the speakers are installed and sound great. We rented a movie and tested the DVD player, which works great (the reason it was so cheap must simply be the fact that it doesn't have a remote, but I'm not fussed about that!), and now it's time for bed. Can't complain about that I guess, though I have to work tomorrow, but that's life.
Only other thing to say is that I'm going in to hospital on Thursday for my second ear opperation. This time they're repairing the right eardrum, and the bad part is that I will be awake while they do it! The thought alone makes me queezy.....
G'night...