Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Junk man

Haven't spilled the beans yet, but T and I have vastly different opinions on the issue he raised on his blog yesterday - see here to read more.

Here is the scenario. Once a year our local council has a 'hard garbage collection'. This is basically where you can leave junk too big for the garbage bin on your nature strip and the council truck turns up (eventually) to pick it up and take it to the tip for you. Good for people like us who don't have access to a trailer, nor a tip.

Now, having just had the front yard cleared and cleaned up, we hired some big skips and dumped all the garbage we could find. So we had nothing on our nature strip on Sunday night.

But the neighbours did. And people drive by, see something they think might be good or useful, pick it up and off they go. Now, just so you know, this is illegal. You aren't allowed to take the stuff from the nature strip - once it's put out there, it becomes the Council's property, so by taking it, you are taking Council property (stealing).

The discussion then leads to: The person who takes the stuff - is he merely breaking the law, or is he recycling useful things? What do you think? I'd be interested to hear!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

How do you do it?

I like my job, enough to keep returning on a daily basis, enough to say thanks when the pay packet comes in. I like it enough.

I like my direct boss. It's just me and him in this office. I like that. He's pretty good as far as bosses go. Flexible, friendly, down to earth. I like the boss.

He has 5 Managers. I adore 2. Can't stand the other 3. Just can not stand them. When they ring, I wonder how I can get out of speaking with them. I don't - I always answer and I always answer nice and friendly like. But I still wonder how I can get away with avoiding their call.

There are several departments I would like to avoid. And would if I could. Yes, if I could buy that item without dealing with Purchasing I would. Yes, if I could do the mail without seeing certain people along the way, I would.

I have a time in the office that I now detest. It's generally between 8.30 and 9am, and it's when the security guard sticks his head in for a (I'm not kidding) 15 minute chat. Don't get me wrong, I like chatting with the best of them, but I'd really rather avoid these... confrontations. Today I set up the coffee machine while he hung around and watched.

How do you get by, avoiding certain people, without upsetting the order? I like being seen as a nice person, but I can't take this for much longer. I have said this in the past and I'm putting it here: these people are going to be the reason I leave my job.

And yes, I'm quite aware that it could be much worse somewhere else, but seriously, I won't have a predisposed opinion of people in a new workplace. So many years in one workplace are definitely a no-no. Time to move on.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Nicknames

Aussies. We're a funny lot.

I have a friend who is shorter than me, by I guess at least a foot. She calls me Munchkin.

I have another friend who is only 2 years older than me. He calls me Kiddo.

I love it.

If it were anywhere else, I'd be known as Tall Old person.

Not so much there to love.