The New Job

My promotion took effect from Thursday this week. On Wednesday my team mates of CVC organised a morning team for my leaving. There were sausage rolls, pies, spring rolls and cakes galore, not to mention speeches from my Team Leader (Priscilla) and colleague, Barry. I even got presents and a card signed by most of the staff in the office.

As Barry said in his speech they wanted to find me a present that represented my hobbies and likes, and that only meant one thing - wine! I got 6 bottles of mixed white and red wine, plus an engraved pen (To Rosie from the Hot Shots Team - an in house joke) and a book called The Queen Bitch. The presents were perfect! I even got given a lift home as the wine was too heavy to carry on the bus, plus I feared I would be mugged for my wine.

Reality checked in on Thursday morning as I made way to the Northbridge Office (I was working on St Georges Tce before). I didn't know anything about my new job or have any experience with income tax and large corporate businesses, plus I didn't know one person in my new team.

I made sure I started later than normal so that my team leader would be there. I was introduced to most of the team and then the wheels felt like they were falling off. I couldn't remember any of the names of the people I had just met, my boxes of my desk stuff had not arrived (as expected), I could login to the system, but had no access to the data bases I needed.

But one of the guys took me for a coffee at 9am to talk to me about the work he does and how the team worked. His name was Mark (I think), but everyone calls him Nip ???? He has only been back 3 weeks after being on long leave to work overseas. I felt better after talking to him, but not totally settled.

By lunch time my eyes were popping out from reading info about the new business line I work for on line, so I emailed a friend who works in the building and begged them to have lunch with me, which he did. Thanks Dan!

Back to the grind and I was told that one of my team members needed a court document photocopied. The team leader reluctantly agreed and I was designated my first task, but wouldn't be able to do it until Friday as the colleague was using the document. I tried to look busy all afternoon and struggled and headed off to catch a new bus home (#220).

Today (Friday) I caught my new bus to work. Got the stop way too early - I will have to check this out and see if I can catch an earlier bus. This bus was brand new (like yesterday arvo) and almost empty. Got to work at 7.30am after grabbing a paper and milk on the way from the bus station to the office. I started checking out some induction information and got bored quickly, so decided to start the photocopy job.

OMG!!! This document was huge and bound. I could not take the binding apart as the pages weren't numbered and if an accident happened I would not be able to put it back together in the right order. So I copied each page by page. This job took me the best part of the day. I ended up copying 450 pages. How do I know - I had to count them as the office has this stupid thing where they are monitoring what people are photocopying! I also had to label the sections (all 64) as done by my colleague with post it tags. What a mundane job and my team leader could not apologise enough.

I had intermittent emails from my old team mates telling me they missed me - sob sob! I was told that they felt like some one had died. I can't believe they miss me that much, considering some of the grief I gave them over their reports. At least I get to catch up with some of them on Tuesday as my new boss has said it is ok to go to a lunch with them for as long as I like! I could really get to like this!

Sorry for the delay in my post. I have been busy with trying to wind up at the old job and stressing about the new one. Plus I have the added burden of a new house mate. Lets just say he is not even close to Antonia, however I had a big chat with him about it and he has pulled his finger out. He has also replaced my tim tams and wine, plus he has stocked his pantry shelf and bought some fridge stuff. I think he has a good heart, just been mothered too much! He aint gonna get looked after here!!!

A Local Pub Experience

Last night I went out with my sister to her local pub... Hmmmmm.... that was different. She was going there as some of her work mates were going as one of them was singing in a band there. Where to start......

I got to Bianca's house and still had to straighten my hair and put on my make-up. Then a couple of Attila's work friends showed up as they were going too. Attila took the kids to his mum's and we went with Attila's work mates, who are a couple of 20 year old girls. The ride to the pub was interesting to say the least, with me feeling like a nanna in a "P" plated car and the stereo blasting (I recalled memories of doing this), but found the whole experience too loud, feeling scared of the driver's driving and basically feeling like a complete twat.

The pub is literally a local - quite a dive and full of unsavoury types. There were bikies with lots of tatts, 18 year olds off their faces, sleazy old men and the occasional smell of pot in the beer garden. We even arrived while the skimpies were still on. Nothing quite like ordering a drink from a girl dressed in a piece of dental floss. It was all class!!!!

The band was not bad, consisting of 3 guys, being a drummer, and 2 guitarists. They played easy listening music and Bianca's work mate (nicknamed Princess) sang quite well. I must admit that he will not live it down at work after singing Brittany Spear's Hit me One More Time. That was a crack up!

It was an ok night and best of all Bianca made me cheese on toast when we got home! However I prefer my locals to hers - Sorry Bianca!

New House Mate

I am losing my housemate Antonia - sob sob! Antonia has purchased a 3x1 house in Forrestfield (Congratulations!!) which she is going to lease. She is moving in with her fiance Boyd as she can't afford to live with me any more.

Antonia moved in about 18 months ago and has been the bestest house mate ever. She is very clean, considerate and friendly. She is a pharmacist and has brought home many a goody for me from the chemist, mostly perfume and make-up. I will miss her a lot, however we have agreed to stay in contact and will catch up for dinners.

I met my new housemate yesterday. His name is Neil, he is a 27 year old plasterer and is Irish. He will be moving in next weekend (6 July). The poor bugger was living with a girl who told him she was moving out of their place to go back to England and only gave him 4 days to find a new place. He is going to have to stay at a friend's place from Tuesday until he moves in here.

I will give more updates once he moves in, but he seems like a really nice and fun guy and I reckon he may join us out on the piss sometimes.