(no subject)
I still live at home in Redcliffe. I've got no problems with this and tire of the insinuated and implied negatives. I shoot through the peninsula for my shopping and spend a max of 1hr doing so. I have a quiet, tranquil abode and it's my space to do what I want, when I want and as I've started referring to it as my Fortress of Solitude, it's providing me with just that. Inspite of what it costs me monthly to travel back/forth to work, I save a metric fucktonne of money during that time compared to others who are willing to pay the difference for convenience and proximity. However, when I have to cover the early shift, I spend the week living in Toowong with my ex-Uni mate Greg. So if you want to get away from the city, I'm in a very prime location to do just that. I'm only realistically 1/2hr from Brisbane. I actually quite like the area of Toowong. Moreso than St Lucia or Indooroopilly. It's just nicely distanced from town. Toowong and Indooroopilly are close by and the city itself is only 1/2hr by train away.
That rolls onto the next topic - work. I'm relieving as an AO4 and have been since February. I'm currently a permanent AO3 with OSR, but am on secondment to Treasury IT as an AO4. Part of this role includes 2hrs of phone coverage - which I was promoted from when I started. So when my rostered shifts come around, I spend the week in Toowong - which happens to be this coming week. I finish work at 4pm daily. Otherwise 4:30.
On work related topics, as part of IT, they're sending me to Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton for 3 days from 22-24 Apr for visits. I'm currently in the team that supports OSR and these are their regional offices.
The commute at the times I do has its merits. I'm up at 5:30 daily, on the train at 6:47, at Central by 7:20 and at my desk around 7:30 to start at 8. I finish at 4:30 daily unless I need to provide support until 5, which is mostly when my supervisor takes a day off. I'm usually on the 4:53 Shorncliffe and arrive by 5:20 at Sandgate to be home by 6pm to have dinner and try to chill until 8:30/9pm when I aim for bed. This is my daily ritual which pretty much leaves me with fuckall time to do much else during the week. When you consider the kind of company I have the displeasure of being exposed to at any other time (anyone who catches public transport will understand this), you can understand that I try to avoid them because I cannot be bothered to deal with that shit.
I'm not really sure what else to say otherwise - not unless you ask. I am keeping myself relatively fit, I'm trying to maintain a very positive outlook on life, count my blessings in life and also to choose my activities carefully. I want to attend many of the activities I've been invited to, but sometimes I'm just too tired, or just need to stay home and have some quiet time. I have been burned by some activities that I've chosen to discontinue, and others are just not viable options for my health. While I can say and have said numerous times over the past 22 months that I still miss many of you, I still have to say that I'm doing what I need to in order to achieve what I need/want. While this means I've missed many activities and outings, it's only because I've been very tired and just trying to do what I can to keep myself operating at my best. Also, just because I'm earning my own money, it doesn't mean I'm going to spend any of it frivolously. This has served me well over the past 22 months I can happily say and what I've achieved during that time is testament to the decisions I've made. Frankly, if I've missed your birthday party or something special, I'm far more inclined to arrange a dinner or something where we can catch up. So if you have my number, call or SMS me. If not, please don't rely on LJ to contact me. Honestly, I'm somewhat past the pissup idea too. I prefer to drive where I go because I know I can get home without relying on this ridiculous excuse for a public transport system. Having said that - I'm sick of seeing the fuel prices rise continually with idiotic excuses. I know. I sound like a hermit. Yes, I have made a lot of changes in my life. My parents say it's because I've matured and have taken the path in life for me. I'd like to believe so. I suspect some may just consider it to be annoying, or even arrogant.
There is no one in my life, and perhaps that's a good thing as I can focus on my career. I know that sets me up to be a very lonely single middle-aged financially stable guy, but it's letting me do some things that many can only wish for. I've already achieved a lot in 22 months. Far more than many achieve in a lifetime. I have my parents to thank for a lot and don't apologise for giving them the credit they deserve. I cannot speak ill of them in general and I won't. They have their moments of annoying the living shit out of me, but that's normal. Grandad passed away before Christmas last year and all I can say is that I can't thank him enough for being the man he was and giving me the opportunity to be who I am today. It is difficult to stop mourning, as you do in those early moments of consciousness in the morning the emotions bring around a painful sense of appreciation and loss.
I am currently considering making a trip to Canada in ~September next year to visit one of dad's old friends before he gets too old to host us. Looks like a trip to far Eastern Europe is on hold for that. The thing that sucks about travelling when you're single, is that you're single. Going to amazingly romantic places overseas while you're single brings about that very painful emotion of loneliness and sucks when your parents are doing the couple thing. But hell, if there's one thing I can say I've done in my life is that I cannot regret not spending any such time with my parents.
Well...not sure what else to talk about...so like I said, if you want to contact me, email, call or SMS me. If you've changed your number, tell me who you are. Also, I hate private numbers. You could be a telemarketer as much as an acquaintance, so don't be surprised if I reject the call.