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Your Local Circle of Hell
Jun. 30th, 2008
11:54 am
Posting from Winnipeg Canada. For those of you who have followed this journal for some time you may recall my friend Mel who I visited in Russia in 2003. Well Mel is actually Canadian and was studying in Russia at the time. She obviously is back home now and I am staying at her place in Winnipeg. This town is.... hmm how to describe it? Forgettable? Dull? Depressing hehe... its not somewhere one would choose to come to unless they had a specific reason to. My reason being an old friend offering free accomodation! I've been here a few days now - the other day i ventured out on the bus to have a look around the city. When i arrived in the city I was concerned that perhaps half the city's population had sucumbed to some awful virus, so deserted was it! It never ceases to creep me out being in a sizable city in the middle of the day only to find it deserted! Anyhow, not much to see in the city of Winnipeg I am afraid to say hehe. Yesterday we went to a local baseball game to see the Winnipeg Goldeyes vs Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks or something hehe... The Goldeyes were getting pounded when we left. Afterwards we stopped in at Mel's aunt's house for a lovely dinner, i tell you these guys do bbq well!! So in actuality it was a good day :o) All that said though, i'm looking forward to leaving in a couple days. I will be staying in LA for a day or so - then home. I'm looking forward to coming home - can't believe how fast this trip has gone! Seems like a long time ago i was in San Francisco!
Jun. 10th, 2008
04:57 pm - San Fran
I don't think they've heard of internet cafe's here in San Francisco - for such a large tourist destination they sure don't seem to have many around - like none!
I think its .. Tuesday? Its a bit hard to keep track of. Certainly feels like I have been here longer than two and a half days now! The hotel is pretty good for the price, its in a reasonable part of town and the room is small but has everything you need. Its a bit noisy, i guess thats drawback. I managed to stay up til 8 pm the night i arrived which was a fair effort seeing i got no sleep on the plane. On my first evening I bumped into some homeless guy with a cracker of a story about how he was a billionaire or something who used to give money away to people on a spur of a moment. Apparently according to him there had been a major studio made about him that had just wrapped in town. Funny how i couldn't find any mention of it online huh? Anyhow mr homeless billionaire needed $18 to get his car out of a garage (his rolls royce no less!) I've always been of the opinion that if a panhandler can come up with an entertaining story then its worth a dollar or two, but he insisted he wasn't panhandling and that if i gave him the $18 he'd write me a cheque for who knows how much. Seems i missed an opportunity with that one!
Yesterday i just wandered around before my Alcatraz tour, ended up wandering in the wrong direction for an hour twice thruout the day! First time round ended up in bumsville!! There are an incredible amount of homeless people on the streets here! And they keep to certain parts of town, you walk two blocks and you go from exclusive boutiques to strip clubs and panhandlers... its a little scary normally i don't look like i have anything worth bothering me over, but my camera kinda puts a bullseye on me that says TOURIST please hassle for money! Anyhow i made it for my "night tour" of Alcatraz, though it doesn't get dark here til like 9 o clock so it didn't feel like night. The tour was incredible i enjoyed it immensely. Got heaps of photos!
Today i went on the San Francisco movie tour and as you may imagine i really enjoyed it! Not only was it a good way to see the city, they ran heaps of clips from movies and then you'd look out the window at the actual location in the clip! I got to see the house they used for the opening titles of Full House! Kick ASS! Again heaps of photos there. After that tour ended they dropped us at Fishermans wharf where i thought what the hell and jumped on a harbour cruise. It was a bit half arsed and only went for an hour but it was still a pretty cool way to get a look at the Golden Gate bridge from a few cool angles.
Not sure what I am gonna get up to tomorrow and Thursday - Amber is picking me up Thursday afternoon... though i am considering a wine tour tomorrow! It goes all day so it'll keep me busy!
And the good news is i have not forgotten my camera anywhere yet! *touch wood*
Jun. 3rd, 2008
11:32 am
Well i am off this Sunday to the states. Excited and nervous, i always get nervous before i travel as i spent alot of time worrying about all the shit that could go wrong. Its a tad worse this time as i organised all my travel myself and that means its a higher chance of fuckups!
The plan is pretty much finalised! I fly into LA, but that afternoon I am flying straight to San Francisco as theres not a whole lot i want to see and do in LA. I will be in San Fran for 4 days or so. I'm doing a few things there, I'm doing the night tour of Alcatraz which i am seriously looking forward to! I'm also doing a movie tour hehe to see all the famous movie locations in San Fran, INCLUDING the house from the TV show Full House! Exciting huh? hehe.. and i was considering doing a wine tour to some of wineries just outside of town, but not sure about that - as i am travelling alone I dunno how cool that'll be.
On the 12th Amber is coming down from Sacramento to pick me up and we'll hike it back to Sacramento. We have a few things on - on the 14th I'm going to Amber's graduation which will be very cool! We're going to see a local baseball game (Go Rivercats!) we're going to a tattoo convention, and we're also going to Walmart!
On the 19th I fly out at like midnight to New York - arriving at like 11am. I'm gonna get settled into my hotel that afternoon, have a snooze maybe then that night I am off to Madison Square garden to see REM! Cool huh? New York will have so much shit to do its not funny, but I have booked the Seinfeld tour hehe. On Saturday the 21st I am going to see Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine's final performance in New York.
On the 23rd i get on a bus to Clearfield Pennsylvannia - home of America's biggest burgers! Heh I am meeting some friends there who will then take me back to their hometown of Ridgway Pennsylvannia for a day. On the 25th they will very kindly give me a ride to Pittsburgh.
I'll spend one night in a hotel near Pittsburgh airport, the next morning I will fly out to Winnipeg where i will be staying with my friend Melanie who I visited in Russia in 2004. It'll be very cool to see her again! I'll be staying with Mel until July 2nd when I fly back to LA.
I fly out of LA at 11.20 or so on the 3rd of July. That day I am going on the dearly departed LA death tour! Kick ASS! Thats all i really wanted to do there. It runs at 1 pm for 3 hours or something so I can go do something constructive with the day rather than just hang around the airport!
Thats the plan... lets see if it holds!
May. 24th, 2008
04:22 pm
My trip to the US is now imminent. Just a couple of weeks til I leave and I am slowly getting things together. Today i found my new camera i want to buy.... i want to get it on hire purchase so i can pay for it with my tax return (heres hoping for a good one!)... anyhow here is a link to the one i am getting.... a Cannon EOS 400D I have to verify my income before i get my new toy! I want to take proper photography classes when i come back - I've always enjoyed photography.. it'd be fun to learn how to do it properly. Also the cool thing is I may well be able to claim this camera on tax for work as I have to do some photography for work!
I am downloading heaps of audio books onto my ipod for the trip over... if you listen to an audio book does that mean i can then say I have read that book??? hmmm! Anyhow I always take the worst books with me when I travel. Its always something like Dostoyevsky and i think ooh I'll look like the cool intellectual, then I end up never touching the book as you don't want anything that heavy when you are on a plane, theres a reason ppl read shyte like Dan Brown, Stephen King etc on planes!
Trudi is having a b/day party for her friend Chey next weekend. I'm not all that keen about it but have successfully remained polite about the whole thing so far hehe.. Today they went to antique stores looking for stuff - damn I could have spent a shitload of cash in there!!
Did i mention when I am in New York next month I am going to see REM at Madison Square Garden, supported by Modest Mouse, who I have heard of but have zero interest in. I am also going to try and get tickets to see Richard Cheese and Lounge against the machine play!
May. 2nd, 2008
11:29 pm
Been a while since i updated last... i do still love you LJ... its just I've met someone else. Their name? er... well its Facebook.. yes i admit it, Facebook has so much less depth but its truly a tremendous time waster!
Whats been happening?
Well i am off the the US in a little over a month now, so I am finalised plans and arrangements at the same time as stressing about not having enought money hehe.. so as far as travelling plans go, its same old same old for me!
Work has picked up, we had a long dry patch where I didn't have a whole lot to do, but we've had training running for a few weeks now. They are a pretty good bunch, 4 are for our retention team and 2 are for our Redemption team. One of my redemption newies is a DJ, screenwriter/filmmaker and he happens to be a bit slow heh.. he's been a problem child and is probably lucky to still be employed. The other Redemption newie is a fucking Doctor! No shit he's from India where he worked as a Doctor! Talk about overqualified! I could train a chimp to do his job! The four Retention guys are stars, I'm enjoying working with them. Every group is so different to the last so they are all a different challenge.
Trudi is planning a b/day party for her friend Chey. Its apparently going to be a Carnival theme. I respect the fact that she wants to make it big and fantastic.... but really.. it think its an apallingly bad idea. If you had alot of money and time to put it together I am sure a Carnival theme would kick ass... Trudi never has any cash and Chey is fucking worse! So its gonna look so fucking low rent! I have washed my hands of it as nicely as I can.. i don't want my name on this party when its going down like the Titanic. Oh ye of little faith you say! hehe.. I should have more faith! Trudi and Chey seriously expect me to wear a costume.. fuck that shit! I really hate costume parties.
Truds and I saw Foo Fighters last weekend.. whoa! They sucked! I admit we must have been the only people in the room who felt that way, but really I was bored shitless halfway through. That band has lost any sense of spontaneity, any spark of life. It was dreary, prepacked FM rock for 30 somethings who don't like surprises. Yeah Dave's a funny guy, and I'd love to get pissed with him... but damn it his band have gone the way of the Chilli Peppers and U2 - they have stopped making music that matters and are making music that they can play on MTV instead.
The week before we went and saw Henry Rollins do his spoken word thing, and you saw there the opposite of the Foo's. Henry refuses to do whats popular and does what he wants to do, which is generally what he feels is right and important. In the 7 years since i first saw Hank, he certainly has become less cynical, which is a shame as Hank dissing every popular musican on the planet was certainly amusing, but the man can still command all your attention for 3 hours whilst sitting on some of the most uncomfortable seats in Melbourne!
I have tickets to the corporate box at the Hawks game tomorrow! Looking forward to it even if i am going with my boss :oP
Mar. 22nd, 2008
10:53 am - Blackmailed!
Its been a Very unusual and trying week in some ways.
Trudi's mother arrived last Friday for a two week visit. I wasn't particuarly looking forward to it as the one time i met Trudi's mum a couple yrs ago we didn't really hit it off - just different people from you know different worlds. But its Trudi's mum i know she misses her all the way up there in Cairns so you can't complain about one visit in two years. Headed out to the airport to pick her up. And from there is just been freaking wierd! I've been on my absolutely best behaviour the whole time - which is really hard when you can't relax at home!
We went out shopping last Saturday... whereupon Trudi's mum decided she wanted to buy her not only a portable airconditioner but also a new fridge and freezer. I always feel guilty when someone is so conspicuously generous, but i was certainly appreciative. The portable air con was probably un necessary - i mean it helped a little bit on those last few hot nights, but only a little and well we probably won't use it again til next summer. But still most appreciative of the generosity.
She also spent the first few days of last week cleaning and rearranging the house... hehe which i can't complain about despite still struggling where to find some stuff. Trudi has been home sick all week with her so i suppose she was a tad bored.
All this time i was trying hard to be polite etc... but it sure wasn't easy as again we really are from different worlds. She has no interests that I can discern.... no music, no films, no politics (doesn't even vote!), no books, no sport... i really don't know what to talk about with someone like that. On those occasions where i did attempt conversation, i either got nothing or one word answers in reply. I also spent much time up here on the PC as i wasn't really able to watch the kind of TV i wanted for instance.. she apparently hates - despises cartoons! So no Simpsons/Family Guy/Futurama! Aggh hehe.
Anyhow so the other night Trudi started hassling me to drive them to Mt Eliza or something to see her Aunt tomorrow. Now i have done much driving for them so far, and theres no way i was driving all the way down there! Trudi was very insistent! Now she's never mentioned that aunt before in 3.5 years.. so quite obviously she was asking for her mother. Saying no musta pissed her off big time cuz she's been in a shit since! Yesterday we went down to Geelong for Good Friday and well barely got a word out of her all day! Then when we got home, she basically had a mini hissy fit when during a commercial i changed to Family Guy... I'm sorry, she may be very generous, but manners where i come from say you don't tell people whats what in their own house. I've been subjected to Friends more this week than in years - but i haven't complained to be polite! Anyhow she grumbled and went to bed at like 7pm!
Yesterday she was saying she wants to go to some Garage sales.. which i enjoy doing too.. but it usually means out of bed early, not something i enjoy doing on the weekend. But this morning i was out of bed at 20 to nine... and here i find her stuffing shit into her suitcase, Virgin blue website on the PC. Trudi tells me she's leaving at 5 today, and is quite upset because her mum won't tell her why she's upset or why she's leaving early.
I was more than a little shocked i can tell you, and hasn't it made the house nice and tense! And well i can't say I'll be unhappy to see the back of her, she's quite dull, and at times unpleasant! I'm fairly certain she dislikes me intensely! Thats okay though, nothing new there, most mums and dads dislike me historically. I dated a girl once whose Dad was a corporate bigwig - didn't he freak when he met his daughter's green haired boyfriend! Apart from my personal opinon of this unreconstructed bogan - Its terribly childish to just up and leave your daughter without explaining why or at least attempting to resolve whatever the problem is! A truly incidious form of emotional blackmail.
Whatever happens, I'd be surprised if somehow this didn't end up in my lap getting me trouble! Fuck it though - I'm only being myself.
Mar. 14th, 2008
03:27 pm
Been sick this week. Started last week the day of the party, so it was prolly a poor idea to get a bit trashed at the party, but it had been so long. Anyhow we were pretty hung over Sunday which reminds me why i don't drink so much any more. Anyhow, Monday was a public holiday but the cold just stuck around and wouldn't leave so i only managed to get back to work today.
The weather is just awful at the moment. Its going to be over 30 every day until this time next week. I hate the hot weather and i thought i may well get out of this summer somewhat unscathed but now we get to March and get the worst heatwave so far!! Poor old Adelaideans... 16 days or so over 35 in a row! Thats just ridiculous!
Trudi's mum arrives tonight from Cairns. Not looking forward to it. I only med Truds mum once 2 yrs ago or so, longer prolly. We had only just started seeing each other and we didn't really get along, prolly cuz she didn't think I'd be around too long. That said we are from very different worlds, shes very much the Queenslander and i just can't see that we could have very much in common to speak about. And thats fine really, but shes not the type to have the good sense then to leave me alone hehe. Trud has had to put up with my mum on a much more regular basis i realise.... so i guess its my turn. Trudi has been trying to convince me to go to Cairns to visit, not something I am too keen on. I hate the hot weather, i hate Queensland. Also after my US trip in June i don't see myself doing any travelling for a while!!
Thats about all thats fit to print! All that comes to mind, I'm so goddam tired i can hardly think straight.
Mar. 7th, 2008
05:49 pm
Had an RDO today though i have hardly been sitting at home relaxing. Trudi is planning a party for her friend Petria tomorrow night and wanted me to be a dogs body around the house to help her all day, but i have some stuff i have to do in the afternoon so i can't be of service as much as she would like. Hence i took today off to be of service to her. Trudi's main thrust was to get ahold of a portable gazebo from Bunnings she saw a few weeks back. I found one out at Sunshine, they said they'd put it aside for me. I drove out there and what do you know someone bought it before they could put it aside! Fuckers. Anyhow so i went across the road to Super Cheap Auto and lo and behold what did i find there, same thing $50 cheaper! I don't care if its a piece of shit its not for me, quite frankly i think its a unnecessary extravagence, but eh!
Then i had to go shopping for Trudi's partay.... and man i just came home and have no energy.. just crashed on the couch and watched some rubbish movie i taped on IQ. But i had to watch it because it was about Ted Bundy - love my serial killers!
Working on my trip plans.... NY is an awfully expensive city to visit! The hotel rooms are shyte and you pay a premium for them all the same! But i can't wait to get over there, should be a blast!
Feb. 15th, 2008
01:07 pm
Okay I am more than a little bit confused right now.
I am not at work today (RDO) and i just got back from the post office where i picked up a parcel that had been sitting there for some time now (bad memory just forgot it was there!) and i get home and inside the big envelope is what looks like a brand new house phone.... little GE cordless one. Now... i haven't bought anything like that recently - why would i we have a perfectly good house phone as it is. I checked my ebay history in case i bid on one somehow and forgot.. that was an unlikely scenario and as expected nope, no home phones recently.... Maybe Trudi bought it and didn't tell me... again i don't know why she'd do that - and it was addressed to me!
Wierd huh? Some random person buying me a phone and mailing it to me?
Feb. 8th, 2008
01:53 pm - A to the Z
First entry in a while!
So all the news that’s fit to print in a public forum. I finally got around to booking my ticket to the States later this year. I have booked using my frequent flier points to fly out June 8th and return July 3rd. It’s a bit longer than I had hoped but there were not too many return dates available (it was the 3rd or the 27th!!) Anyhow it just gives me more time to do stuff – and Amber has kindly allowed me to come stay with her for a bit to save me some money on a hotel, and at the same time my friend Mel in Canada is going to let me stay on her couch for a bit too which will also make life easier :o) I am starting in LA and working my way West. Starting to try and plan ahead on this one, which is unusual for me. Confirmed stops so far apart from LA are San Francisco – just gotta go there – Sacramento to stay with Ambeer. New York – it’d be criminal not to go there – Ridgway PA to visit my friend Marla who I have been promising to visit for ten years. Winnepeg to visit Mel :o) I think I can squeeze some other stuff in around that. Closely studying the Lonely Planet to give me some ideas.
Other news – I have been going to the Physio for my ankles - I think I posted that I have discover I have small tears in both my Achilles tendons! Hence I have been in regular pain for a long time with this issue. My physio suspects it could be the way I walk that has caused this injury as I really don’t engage in the high impact physical activities that would be the normal cause. He’s a bit expensive but my feet are feeling slightly better after only a couple of visits. Its been painful, he taped my feet up on Monday, I had to take the tape off last night and it took half my leg hair off with it. That really hurt! Hehe and when I visit he gives whats called friction massages of my Achilles, oh my god that hurts! But I am just glad I am doing something about it finally.
February is going to be a busy month for Trudi and I. Next Thursday we are going out to Ruby’s to see the Living End. Then Friday I am going to see Shihad with a friend from work at the Corner Hotel. On the 20th Truds and I are seeing Jeff Martin at the Corner, then on the 23rd we are seeing Something For Kate at the corner. Then I am going to see Santana at the end of the month with my Dad – yay. He got the Santana tix for free and I guess no one else wanted to go so it was gifted to me. Santana should be shot for collaborations with tools like Rob Thomas and the Nickelback bitch.
Oh I went to the Big Day Out a couple weeks ago. It was actually pretty good overall, I went with my friend Petria and we got a fair taste of what was on at the festival. Rage closed the night and were freakin incredible. It was like those songs were written yesterday, I hope they stay together and record some new stuff. I was disappointed I didn’t get to go see em at the Festival Hall gig, but I am glad I saw them at all really. It was very convenient being able to walk home after the festival :o)
Jan. 10th, 2008
04:44 pm
Not long til the Big Day Out now. A couple weeks. Made me reflect on some of the gigs I've been to over the years - good decisions to go to one over the other, bad decisions to miss this one or that one. For example in 2001 I wasn't overly enamoured with the BDO lineup so i decided instead to go to a side show. I wanted to see PJ Harvey and Rammstein. Unfortunately both shows were on the same night, next door to each other at the Palais and the Palace respectively. I was really 50/50 about it, but eventually came down on the side of Rammstein. It was a kick ass gig, one of the best I have ever seen. It was an especially good decision as PJ has been back numerous times since 01 - i ended up seeing her in 2004 at Splendour in the Grass - but Rammstein is yet to return to our shores, i wonder if they ever will - i hope so as they are incredible live.
I think I've done this before, but ahhh fuck it.
My top ten all time gigs i've been to.
1. Nine Inch Nails - The Metro May 2007 - Trent may be a twat, but he's a fucking talented twat.
2. David Bowie - Rod Laver Feb 2003 - The man is incredible.
3. Greenday - Telstra Dome 2005 - Indescribably brilliant!
4. Rammstein - The Palace Jan 2001 - like i said, unbelievable live!
5. Garbage - The Palace Sep 1999 - Top of their game - it was awesome.
6. Queens of the Stone Age - The Palace 2002 - Loudest gig EVER!
7. A Perfect Cirle - The Palace 2001 - Maynard on top of his game.
8. Shihad - The Hifi Bar 2003 - Home from the US and just blew our fucking minds.
9. Sonic Youth - The Forum 1998 - 2 hours of static powered genius
10. Brian Wilson - Hamer Hall - A genius still til this day.
I'll spend the evening now remembering others i should have included i am sure!
Dec. 24th, 2007
01:50 pm - All Lusty Gentlemen.
Uneventful weekend really. We had out Foxtel installed last Thursday and in the grand tradition of cable guys, they turned up 2 hours early when i wasn't home and so woke Trudi up. They are lucky she was working nights last week or no one would have been home. I had gone out to get an ultrasound done on my ankle/foot, then headed to Highpoint to get Trudi's gift, 9.30 am is the time to get out there this time of year, it was pleasantly quiet, until about 10 am at least when it started getting crazy! Anyhow, Friday night i got the results of my ultrasound - it appears i have tears in both achilles tendons and i have to go see a physio to get em sorted, that is going to cost me a fortune. Ironic, that having private health cover may have covered some of the cost - i'm no fan of private health as it provides such poor value for money. Anyway, I'm glad the problem is identified and i can now start moving towards getting it fixed. Surprisingly no one has told me it was caused by being a fat bastard - perhaps they are leaving it to the physio to do that!
I am taking leave between xmas and new years which will be a nice little rest, as i have been in constant training for almost 2 months now. It really does get tiring as my initial enthusiasm for doing it has worn off! Not planning on doing a whole lot on leave - do some reading! I have so many books i am looking forward to reading - i just have to finish my current book called the Lords of the Horizon about the Ottoman empire. I love non fiction, its so rare for me to find a novel i actually enjoy.
NYE looks sorted for once! We've been invited to a party by our friend Jess, its her brother's party. Could be crap because we don't know anyone. Also crap that its in Doncaster and I'll have to drive as usual. I really really wanted to go to the Espy NYE gig as it looks kick ass this yr again. But alas, Trudi hates crowds, and is not much of a fan of live music, and i doubt i could get anyone else to come with me so - its a party of strangers in Doncaster. NYE is fucking over rated anyhow.
Dec. 11th, 2007
01:14 pm
Finished my first full four week training group last week - released them to their team leader on Friday and they hit the floor, taking calls solo. To someone who has never worked a call centre that prolly sounds pretty pissweak, but trust me taking calls for the first time in a role which is fairly complex is a nerve wracking thing. I havn't taken a call from a customer since May 2006 - and i don't think i ever want to again! Ugh i do not miss that! Anyhow, last week they all seemed a tad burnt out and restless and i was concerned that despite trying very hard, I was going to churn out a problematic and unsuccessful group of trainees. This fear has proven unfounded as once they got out they really have done wonderfully well. They need plenty of support, every trainee does, but from all accounts they are more confident and accomplished than the last group who went thru training last August. They also seem to have really appreciated my efforts with them, as they actually off their own bat went out and bought me a bottle of very nice Cognac :o) I was most surprised and pleased. My boss has been very pleased with how the training has gone has been effusive in her praise. So all in all a pretty damned good effort even if i do say so myself.
Today I signed up for Foxtel - i'm such a TV whore i know it, but i've wanted it for soooo long. And with the garbage that's on TV at the moment - its just an extra motivation to get it. I mean what do they think ppl cease watching TV this time of yr - i think not.
I am trying to get an RDO tomorrow, as my next group of trainees do not start until Thursday and i really need to see a doctor about a problem - I've been putting off seeing a doctor for a while on this one. I have an almost constant pain/discomfort in the back of feet - sorta on the achilles tendon, and I've just not got around to seeing someone - i hate doctors, everything is about my weight - which i totally acknowledge is an issue, but its everything, oh you have a headache, thats because you are fat - feel guilty about that u'll get better. Anyhow, better get it taken care of.
Got my Big Day out tickets this week - how excitement. I see the V festival as something i am likely to go to as well, i mean the Pumpkins aren't what they once were, but the rest of the lineup is solid. And its at the showgrounds just down the road. Three large festivals this summer, BDO, Soundwave headlined by the Offspring and a bunch of other bands i've never heard of - and the V festival. One of them has to collapse into a pathetic heap, and my bet is Soundwave. Never heard of it before, BDO is sold out everywhere so its safe, V festival has Virgin behind it and they are huge, and they are also marketing to an older crowd, can't see too many 16 yo's heading out to see The Jesus and Mary Chain!
Nov. 28th, 2007
03:40 pm - I am Spartacus
And I am also 30 now. Yes it was my birthday on the weekend - Sunday to be exact. It was as one may expect a very busy weekend as a result of this event, sometimes i feel like I am making an effort to have a big birthday to satisfy everyone else around me who thinks my birthday is a big deal! Anyhow, went down to Geelong Friday night for dinner with the family, which went well except they chose to take me to an Indian place and guess where I was going out to for dinner on SAt night? Indian! hehe It was nice all the same, lucky i loooove indian food. Got some decent enough gifts - my mum found me an old book from 1778 about manners and deportment, which is v cool! Saturday night I caught up with a bunch of friends and went to my fave Indian place on Lygon st. Little did i know that they were diggin up the damn road and replacing the tram tracks! Made getting there difficult for everyone and we had the lovely atmospher that only bulldozers and jackhammers can produce!
What else happened on the weekend? Oh yeah we fucked off Johnny Howard! Thnk god for that! So pleased to see the back of that little turd! Australia, your days of wallowing in your own selfish, racist crapulence are over! You will be dragged kicking and screaming into a modern way of thinking.
Work is going pretty well i think. I am in the third week of my first full training group - the last group i had got training lite. These guys get the full supersized 4 weeks! And for the most part they are doing well - getting there slowly. We did lose one this week when the boss and I decided she wasn't going to make it. It was the first time I have ever decided whether or not to have someone sacked essentially. I felt mildly bad afterwards as she was a really nice girl, who tried really hard - she said this was a dream job for her - however she had alot of trouble using a PC, typed as slow as a wet week, needed things explained to her three times and even then didn't necessarily get it (though she would swear she did!). It was for the best, she woulda sucked had i let her out onto the floor, best she starts looking for that next job now.
The new place is going well in Ascot Vale - it is starting to really feel like home. That said we are not home that much, we do much more socialising now than we ever did before, which is one of the reasons we wanted to move. Oh and interesting point! You may recall, my agent refused to fix my aerial saying we didn't have one? I got a call at work last week from a contractor engaged by my agent to fix my aerial? Ummm... okay? hehe He came round, and fixed it in no time flat - turned out it wasn't the aerial but the connection in the house! So now we have perfect reception. Thing is though, i never got around to sending the form to them, to insist they do it? They just did it out of the blue? Wierd huh? Now i have existential dilemma - how is it possible to fix something that doesn't exist?
Nov. 8th, 2007
03:53 pm - The captain won't be happy with that...
Posting from the training room at work. I have big bunch of newies in today doing compliance training in readiness for a start for full training next week. There are about six of them in today. With maybe another two coming in on Monday who couldn't be here today. Not a bad bunch, not as sharp as the guys who i trained over the past couple weeks - you can already see the cliques forming even in a group of six - how very interesting. Theres a rather annoying older woman in the group who thinks she knows it all - she's gonna get my goat i can tell!! hehe... but its all fun and games - this is the stuff i pushed for years to get a shot at. Compliance training is incredibly dull - necessary but dull, i feel sorry for them - i hate doing this stuff. Back when i started we watched a heap of instructional videos (the sexual harassment one had Alex Papps in it!!) now days its all done online and u have to do read stuff, do a quiz... blah blah blah.
In other news my left big toe hurts like a motherfucker. I think i may have an ingrown toenail - going to the dodgy Footscray docs tonight about it as they are the only ones around the area open late. I really hope i don't have to go to hospital or anything, that would take way too long. And it'd be scary - yes. I am a wuss.
We are considering getting Foxtel at home. I am still gonna shake the agents tree re the aerial, don't worry about that. But the fact that if i have to go to war against them to get shit done, its gonna be months before i can get an order for them to fix it - i miss the ABC. And I've always wanted Foxtel - i just never needed it. I hardly miss the net at all at home to be honest - Trudi does though - she loves her online games. Me i could take them or leave them. I just miss internet banking - and downloading podcasts. Its so interesting that when we were in Surrey Hills the pc goe used so much more even after the net was turned off - where as now its in an upstairs room i only use it as a glorified jukebox when i feel like some music. I guess i only got so heavy on the net cuz it was there.
I turn 30 on the 25th of this month. Does that mean i have to start acting responsibly?
Oct. 31st, 2007
01:55 pm
The big move is done. The 19th came and went. Thankfully everything actually went like clockwork really. Well there was one problem – Truds and I purchased a new bedroom suite and they said they would deliver on the 20th – however they would only deliver in the morning, when Truds and I needed to be at the old house letting the cleaners and carpet dudes in. Problem was overcome by having our friend Chey housesit for us. She did a remarkable job, the delivery guys were gonna leave everything downstairs, but she did the vunerable yet attractive female living alone act and convinced them to take everything upstairs, including a chest of drawers that weighed 80 kilos!!!!! Our movers cost us $280 for like 4.5 hours work, and they were soooo worth it, saved us so much time and frustration.
The new house has sooo much more space - which is tremendous! That said it hasn’t been without issues, it looks like I am gonna have to get into a shitfight with the agent and landlord already. The cord which connects the aerial to the house is cut, and the cord which runs into the house, has been sticky taped to a cord which is connected to a freakin coat hanger on the roof. At no point was this advertised, nor is it on the condition report. I asked if we could have it fixed – my douche bag agent replies by telling me the property doesn’t have an aerial and we’ll just have to use rabbit ears. Umm what the fuck? Whats that big metal aerial-ly thing on the roof? Sure as fuck looks like an aerial to me! So anyhow, I suspected they were gonna be tightarses so I already had the info I needed from the tenants union and I’ll be sending them an official form off in the mail shortly. They also left a bunch of old furniture in the shed from tenants past, again douche agent says she asked him to remove it before, and she’ll ask again, but if he doesn’t just put it out as hard rubbish …. Ah yeah nah! Its been out there for ages, and I’m not touching it. Considering filing a breach of duty notice as the property was not delivered to us in a clean and empty state. They also said no to pets which is a joke as the place is most definitely well lived in and a cat couldn’t do much damage!
But I focus on the negative, for the most part we’re quite happy with the move. We have a dedicated guest room, we will have a dedicated computer room – and all the storage space we could ever want! Its about 10 mins to Ascot Vale train station by foot, its about 5 minutes to a tram stop on Union road, 10 mins to all sorts of shops and places to eat on Union road. For an area with a bad reputation in some quarters its pretty quiet at night, theres a cool community centre and community garden down the road. It doesn’t feel like home just yet, but in time I am sure it will. Its also nice not to have to worry about Steve coming home or staying up late blasting loud computer games etc… RACV tried to jack up my insurance by $20 with the move, but I told em to fuck off and changed to CGU who are way cheaper.
The new gig goes well, training solo now which is fun and scary! Life is good.
Oct. 17th, 2007
04:06 pm - An Update
Been a while between updates as we had the net disconnected at home on the 8th. Steve moved 80% of his shit out the next day. Trudi has been having withdrawal symptoms as she can’t play City of Heroes! We’re moving out on Friday, and I have it planned to a military level of precision which only really means I need one lot of incompetent people and it will screw my plans royally.
Worst case scenario the power isn’t connected and we have none over the weekend. I signed up for Tru energy on the internet this week and to ease my paranoia I decided to call and ask some questions – very fortunate I did as they couldn’t find me on their computers (weird side note, I ended up talking to the son of a guy I used to work with in the call centre!) so they slightly put my mind at ease – but I know when we moved into Surrey Hills it took them two trips to turn the power on for some reason. My concern this time is that I don’t know whether my fuse box is accessible or not? Been there twice and failed to notice.
But I’ll be at the new place first thing this Friday after signing the lease etc so I’ll be able to make sure all is in readiness. Then back to Surrey Hills, wait for the movers to come pick everything up – follow or most likely, lead them back to Ascot Vale, help/watch them unload the truck – they are not getting their hands on anything remotely fragile, well nothing fragile I particularly give a shit about. Ahhh then Saturday back to Surrey Hills, let the cleaners into the house, let them do their thing, I hired professionals this time to ensure Steve actually contributes in some way to cleaning, he wouldn’t do much cleaning or what cleaning he did would be half arsed as per usual. This way it gets done well and he has to at least pay a third. Then in the afternoon the steam cleaning guy will be doing his thing, then we drop the keys off at the agent, then we should be done! Had a gardener come in last weekend to tidy the “garden” a bit, in other words sweep the friggin dirt – seriously lousy backyard!
New job has gone okay since I started a couple weeks ago – only another week til I am flying solo. I go between being quietly confident I’ll pull it off to be rather nervous. I have managed to get back in the swing of credit cards to a large extent there’s much in the training that I have never been trained in nor ever heard of, prior to a couple weeks ago. So that’ll be a challenge!! I’ve run a couple of small training sessions over the past week, and they have had varying levels of success. Sometimes I have trouble because everything I know about a topic flows into my head at the one time and its like 5 people trying to push through a doorway at once, nothing gets through hehe. Its yet another occasion where other people have more faith in me than I do! This seems to happen an awful lot!
I bought tickets to the Big Day Out – yes I think overall it’s a damned lousy line up. Any major festival that has Grinspoon as third headliner on the bill, means it’s a slow year. That said I must see Rage, I love Rage Against the Machine and I used to be quite a fan of Bjork’s, not so much these days, but by all accounts she puts on a great show, so I’ll go for those two. I wouldn’t mind seeing Billy Bragg, I have the records he recorded with Wilco and one solo EP which is pretty good. Paul Kelly is playing and I enjoy his work quite a bit, but he’s just not someone I’d want to see at a festival surrounded by excited teenagers. All the same its just down the road from home now, so that’s a nice benefit. We dropped by the new house while the show was on and the guys there were letting ppl park in their front yard for $5 hehe as were a number of their neighbours! This is because all the streets around there are permit zones while stuff is on at the showgrounds and the racecourse next door. So yeah I reckon we could fit 4 cars in the driveway and yard – we could make $20 heh.
Sep. 28th, 2007
01:46 pm
Comment on this post. I will choose seven interests from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so that others can play along
dostoyevsky
I list Fydor Dostoyevsky as an interest desipite only having completed one of his novels (The Devils) and i did get halfway through Crime and Punishment, which i enjoyed immensely, can't remember why i gave up? So i guess my interest is more in his writing than him. But despite being a challenging read his books are dark and political - a good combination for me. To be honest the number one reason this is listed as an interest is to make me sound more interesting.
serial killers
I am genuinely fascinated by serial and spree killers. I had a very interesting chat once with a girl i met online about why people are so interested in serial killers and their exploits? Is it a morbid curiosity or perhaps something deeper along the lines of serial killers acting in a manner so truly free or societial restrictions that unconciously we admire (the freeness, not the violence). I'm certainly not intelligent enough to answer the question, but its an interesting one to think about! Charles Manson is my favourite, can't get enough information about them! I've listened to Helter Skelter so many times just trying to understand what he heard.
red wine
I love red wine, a good red yum! I started drinking red wine while i was a povo student and a 5 litre cask of wine was a much cheaper way to get drunk than almost anything else i could stomach. After drinking that shit, almost anything fancy enough to come in a bottle tastes like heaven hehehe
canada
I visited Canada in 2001 and what a brilliant country it is. Its alot like Australia but with funny American accents and root beer. I have at least one extremely good friend who lives in Canada and I look forward to catching up with her next yr when i go to North America. They drink clam juice in Canada...eww
gnome tossing
Apparently is actully known as Dwarf tossing, but believe it or not its a real activity! Who could not be interested in such a hilarious sport!
tostoy
I tried to read war and peace once. This interest is to make me more interesting hehe.
acitone
Acetone as apparently it should be spelt - is used in nailpolish remover and apparently is very effective in removing cleaning marker off solid surfaces. Acetone is also used to make plastic, fibers, drugs, and other chemicals.
I was really just trying to think of anything remotely alcoholic that people drink. You really shouldn't drink acetone or nail polish remover mmmkay?
Sep. 27th, 2007
11:08 am
I am having a relatively poor start to the day today :o)
I was here at work at 10 to 9 and on the ticketmaster website at 9 and somehow i still managed to miss out on Rage Against the Machine tickets. They literally sold out in like 2 minutes. Not very happy about that, but what can you do? I always miss out on the gigs i want to see it seems!! Guess I'll just have to go to the Big Day out to see them.
Then while i was attempting to buy tickets I noticed one of my credit cards was missing from my wallet. I have an account that has two cards for it, a mastercard and an Amex. The mastercard was missing. V strange as i almost never use it. Anyhow called the bank and someone yesterday and today has used it to pay for a cab fare yesterday and today. Strange, unusual for a scammer to have my card for a couple days and thats all they did? Odd.... anyhow its cancelled now and I am dealing with the fraud department. Not too stressed as i am confident anything thats not mine i will get back. But again not a great start to a day is it?
I start my new 6 month secondment at my old department of Credit Cards on Monday. I will be filling in for a trainer who is going on maternity leave for six months. Until she goes on leave in November i will be shadowing her and learning what it is that she does that i will need to do! Its alot less nerve wracking when you have a pretty good idea of the job you will be going into as opposed to something entirely foreign. This is a good thing as i sure do hate that feeling when u start a new job, of being useless and needing help to do everything! The extra money will sure come in handy i rekkon!
Sep. 26th, 2007
02:48 pm - Quote of the year
"Manson fans think they're black sheep, when really they're just sheep in black" Peaches
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