Sunday 29 July 2012

Getting in touch with my inner criminal

Well, not really, but about the only exciting thing lately is what we did to day.  But I'll get to that shortly.

Boss left for overseas on Friday, so last Friday he presented me with an anniversary gift (I have been with the company for 5 years in August).  He recently updated his coffee maker and it came with a free milk frothed.  Before I figured how to use Fluffy's new coffee machine to make hot chocolate, I had asked boss what he was going to do with his.  So anyway, he gave me his.  I haven't needed to use it yet, but it was a lovely gesture.

Earlier this year he updated his laptop.  He also bought a second hand one from our geek for his wife to use.  Cost him $900.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago he updated again.  Then he gave his "old" one to Jane, and gave the ex-geek one to me.  There had been talk among the new people of buying me a laptop to solve my issues of sickness, days off, or leave etc.  So he organised with the geek to replicate my desktop onto the laptop.  The only thing being that I own it, not the company.

That's great.  Except while someone is in my chair (as they will be when Wally visits) I will have to leave it at work for them to use.  Ouch.  Lucky, I still have the old home Mac to use!

So, apart from that, not much has happened.  Yesterday I had to duck off to the shops, then came home, picked up Fluffy and we went up to the docs.  Apparently my iron levels are low again, and I am supposed to see the specialist about my achillies tendon.  Seems it needs a steriod injection.  Nice.  Down to Castle Plaza for a coffee together then I had a visit with the optometrist.  I have him my crap glasses I got from OPSM (don't EVER go to OPSM at Castle Plaza) and when they do the whole "is this better or worse thing" he actually showed me what my previous pair were like.  Absolutely crap.  No wonder I couldn't wear them.

Anyway, after that it was race down to Morphette Vale to pick up Dobby, back home for dinner.

Today I went for a quick visit to Marion for Dobby.  She wanted a particular jumper from Big W that they didn't have any more of.  But I was lucky enough to find a similar one in Best and Less (plus some new undies for me, about time).  Then race home and scoff a pie, pick up Dobby and off for a walk around the Old Adelaide Gaol.  That was fun.  A couple of weeks ago we did the historic walk around Adelaide, you may remember.  This tour was done by one of the ladies who did the walk.  It was good, I think I wouldn't mind doing it at night.  Wasn't scary like everyone said.  Although at one point Dobby said she felt something touch the back of her neck.  But then, she was a but jumpy.  But she was disappointed we didn't' get any ghost photographs too!

I did get some, and tried to put them up.  But after waiting an hour or more for them to upload, the screen wouldn't close and it wouldn't let me insert them.

So, if you want to see them, try this link:

PHOTOS

Other than that, quiet here.  I'm in a nice bit of pain but trying to cut down on the amount of baths I have a week.  Mind you, if ever there was a good day for one it's today.  Perhaps I'll just have one tonight.... with a hot chocolate and good book.

Sunday 15 July 2012

It's been a while

Since I've been on here.  Just because no one really reads this, and the gossip that I have I share with SOL every day anyway.

But, out of a sense of duty,  here I find myself again.

So, what can I waffle on about?  Oh, I know.  Things are on the move at work.  You may know that the business was up for sale.  A portion of that has been sold, and my new "boss" in Sydney has some great ideas for moving forward.

One of my biggest bug bears has been my lack of back up.  If I am sick or have to go away the pressure is really on me, as there is no one to really do my job in my absence.  The Boss's wife comes in when I am on leave to do invoicing, but even that is difficult for her (she is not a young lady anymore) and it's a lot to expect her to do.

So I try to limit the time I actually take off.

The new people have had two sets of visitors in the office recently, with the view of one of them, being single and flexible, can just jump on a plane and fill in for me.  She was in my office for a week, is also visiting again for two days  next week.  The other, the "other" boss himself, was over for three days.  We had some lovely chats (he is young and forward thinking) and when my friend Wally comes to visit, this fellow aims to spend the first three days of the week learning the basics of my job, so I can take the Thursday and Friday off and he'll "drive" my chair.  So long as I am contactable, it should work...

A few other suggestions that have been bandied about have been a laptop (so that if I am home sick I can still action the emails and other issues that arise, or if I have to stay home for personal reasons), and relieving me of some of my work load.

I am a bit reluctant to do that, because although there are days when I am pushed to the limit, there are others when I find myself slowing down.  If too much gets taken off I would find it necessary to drop a few hours (although I doubt it would ever come to that) so we'll play that one by ear.

But on the whole, their main focus has been on support for me.  It's all positive.

In other news, the frogs are doing well.  Now and then I am lucky enough to hear them croak.  Yesterday, while veging out here in the office, I heard them loud and clear.  Usually they are very quiet.  Dobby has been home on school holidays for two weeks (she goes back to school tomorrow, lucky her) and she said she has heard them croak quite a bit.  Nice.  They are fat frogs now, so I am trying to cut back on what I feed them.  But it's so much fun watching them it would be very easy to over feed them.  As it is, I have changed to feeding them every 3 days instead of 2.  There are still 3 distinct sizes, Tub-O-Lard being the biggest, Niggs being next and Petite the smallest.  However, Petite has grown a lot through hand feeding her (she only eats one cricket to Tubb's 3!).  Some times when you look at all three spread across the tank, it's hard to pick who is who.

The caravan club has it's AGM the weekend Wally comes to visit, so being the good friends we are, we are dragging her along with is.  I have to go to the meeting and I don't want to miss out on spending time, so it makes sense.  Plus, Fluffy is taking Dobby up Friday night, and Wally and I are going up Saturday, so we get some girlie time to sit and watch telly and eat take away.  Heaven! lol!

Well, it's almost eleven.  I am still sitting here in my jammies.  It's getting quite cold, and I have to pop out to buy crickets and Raspberry Fruchocs plus if I can find one, a cheap fan heater to put under my desk.  It's always cold in there even with the heater on.  Brrr!

So, catch you later.  Perhaps next week I'll have some more gossip to pass on.  Don't hold your breath though... :-)