Well Hello!
I thought I had better post something, as it has been a while and I notice that some of my Flist who post maybe, twice a year, have chipped-in and posted. Guilt.
Australia has been a lot of fun so far, I had been getting a touch frantic about work, but I joined two new agencies a couple of weeks ago and both immediately found me things to do. I was at the Ian Potter Fundation for a few weeks up until yesterday, a philanthropic organisation that churns out millions to arts and community projects. Very nice bunch of folk, I was building some Access databases for them. Last thing yesterday they cheerfully found another 500 people in unformatted spreadsheets for me to somehow integrate near-instantly. Funtimes, should have been easy, wasn't. Le sigh (the agencies were Slade Group and HR Partners btw).
Anyway the new post is 3-6 months at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, which I am sure will be fun and extremely taxing, as no job description has been forthcoming as yet, and only a slightly scary job title exists. "HR Consultant/Analyst". Yes I know Anal get it out of your system now. *snicker*.
The house astro_dust and invader_kitty share is great, large front room, two large bedrooms both with en-suite and a downstairs loo for guests, a large patio (now with added Roger Moore the Elephant, and Roger Moore the BBQ - don't ask) which has doors from fornt room that open up onto it, which will be nice in case the summer throws 47 degree heat at me....*blinkblink*. The place also has several Pools and Gyms. I know. Today I embark on a mammoth mission to gain access to said wonders, I truly believe the Body Corporate in charge of them has one process for Owners of property (easy - one phonecall, perhaps they arrive at our door with your key on a fluffy pillow and they do the washing up whilst they are at yours) and the second for rental tenants...arduous..involving 5 emails and three phone calls (thus far) with repeated attempts to make myself understood by several of their employees who seemed either A - deliberately unhelpful, or B - educationally sub-normal. I am plumping for the former because once they realised I was going to continue responding to their MO of answer one of three questions per email (hence I had to reply yet again, and again, asking about the other two unanswered questions - Grrr)the requisite forms and guidance miraculously appeared. Still, they have another opportunity today when I turn up with everything, to tell me I needed something else. I wouldn't mind, but it's $$140 deposit for a single key! Their ofice is also just that little bit far away that makes it a bit of trek to get to - trains, here I come. They don't want our money! Fiends.
Lots of people here have been wonderful and I am grateful for various people's unceasing brilliance. Also...yes there has been role playing, soon there will be a tabletop of demented genius, I am in two LARPS, one of which as a coldblooded killbot, and one as a horrifically poor accented True Blood derivative manwhore.
Speaking of which, if you have been under a rock, True Blood... watch it, it has its downs (Rachel Evan Wood, I am looking at you), but mostly it's ups *oooer* it is HBO so expect nudity. Lot's of nudity. Hmmm, Tara, hmmm Eric. You will have to suffer Soookie Stackhouse's limitless brainfails however.
We have awesome houseguests for a few days, so I may go to the Royal Melboure Show on Saturday whilst all the bogans et al are at the footie. Also pondering the Day In Pompeii thing and also tonight some kind of DnD based comedy gig. You roll 4d6 and drop the lowest to determine your entry ticket price :P
So in short, things were going well but stressy, and have perked up considerably in the last few weeks.
Hope all of you are well and groovy.
oh and my life has been stolen by ST:Birth of the Federation again, how I missed it.
Australia has been a lot of fun so far, I had been getting a touch frantic about work, but I joined two new agencies a couple of weeks ago and both immediately found me things to do. I was at the Ian Potter Fundation for a few weeks up until yesterday, a philanthropic organisation that churns out millions to arts and community projects. Very nice bunch of folk, I was building some Access databases for them. Last thing yesterday they cheerfully found another 500 people in unformatted spreadsheets for me to somehow integrate near-instantly. Funtimes, should have been easy, wasn't. Le sigh (the agencies were Slade Group and HR Partners btw).
Anyway the new post is 3-6 months at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, which I am sure will be fun and extremely taxing, as no job description has been forthcoming as yet, and only a slightly scary job title exists. "HR Consultant/Analyst". Yes I know Anal get it out of your system now. *snicker*.
The house astro_dust and invader_kitty share is great, large front room, two large bedrooms both with en-suite and a downstairs loo for guests, a large patio (now with added Roger Moore the Elephant, and Roger Moore the BBQ - don't ask) which has doors from fornt room that open up onto it, which will be nice in case the summer throws 47 degree heat at me....*blinkblink*. The place also has several Pools and Gyms. I know. Today I embark on a mammoth mission to gain access to said wonders, I truly believe the Body Corporate in charge of them has one process for Owners of property (easy - one phonecall, perhaps they arrive at our door with your key on a fluffy pillow and they do the washing up whilst they are at yours) and the second for rental tenants...arduous..involving 5 emails and three phone calls (thus far) with repeated attempts to make myself understood by several of their employees who seemed either A - deliberately unhelpful, or B - educationally sub-normal. I am plumping for the former because once they realised I was going to continue responding to their MO of answer one of three questions per email (hence I had to reply yet again, and again, asking about the other two unanswered questions - Grrr)the requisite forms and guidance miraculously appeared. Still, they have another opportunity today when I turn up with everything, to tell me I needed something else. I wouldn't mind, but it's $$140 deposit for a single key! Their ofice is also just that little bit far away that makes it a bit of trek to get to - trains, here I come. They don't want our money! Fiends.
Lots of people here have been wonderful and I am grateful for various people's unceasing brilliance. Also...yes there has been role playing, soon there will be a tabletop of demented genius, I am in two LARPS, one of which as a coldblooded killbot, and one as a horrifically poor accented True Blood derivative manwhore.
Speaking of which, if you have been under a rock, True Blood... watch it, it has its downs (Rachel Evan Wood, I am looking at you), but mostly it's ups *oooer* it is HBO so expect nudity. Lot's of nudity. Hmmm, Tara, hmmm Eric. You will have to suffer Soookie Stackhouse's limitless brainfails however.
We have awesome houseguests for a few days, so I may go to the Royal Melboure Show on Saturday whilst all the bogans et al are at the footie. Also pondering the Day In Pompeii thing and also tonight some kind of DnD based comedy gig. You roll 4d6 and drop the lowest to determine your entry ticket price :P
So in short, things were going well but stressy, and have perked up considerably in the last few weeks.
Hope all of you are well and groovy.
oh and my life has been stolen by ST:Birth of the Federation again, how I missed it.