Update

[emony]

Things have been rather sporadic recently, for what I hope are understandable reasons, but I've got some time today, so I'm going to write a bit of an update offline and then I'll upload it later today, if I get a chance, which .. actually I might not, but I should. My life isn't really that busy or anything, it's just dictated by what times of day are cheaper for going online, since it now costs per minute. Have I mentioned that dial-up sucks? Because it does. Big time.

Anyway, let's update. I'll try and break it up into chunks so you can read just the bits you want to know about, and discard the boring stuff *g* Firstly, I'd better explain the job, or So I quit. It was probably a decision motivated 50% by my not being happy in Newbury and 50% by hormones, but having given it some consideration, I am sure it was the right thing to do. After four weeks, I was still living in one room in a bed and breakfast, and was no closer to finding anywhere of my own to live. I was getting maybe two decent, hot meals a week, and I spent what felt like my entire weekend travelling home, and then travelling back again. Combine with that a sense of total and ever-increasing isolation, as first my broadband was taken away, and then my work internet use was curtailed. In short, it was draining, physically and emotionally, and after a month of it I just couldn't do it anymore. So I made the decision, a week ago from Boxing Day, that I was going to quit. Since I was still within my probationary three months, I only had to give a week's notice, which I am actually working out as we speak. It just so happens that that week comprises of two bank holidays and three days I took as leave, so I don't have to go in. Heh.

Around Wednesday, I had a few second thoughts about it. It was quite nice there the last week, with decorations around the office and people bringing in food and things (and also I got paid - £££!), but on Thursday I decided that I was going to do it anyway and damn the consequences, so I stayed on for half an hour and knocked out a quick resignation letter. I got in early on Friday morning, printed it off, and when my boss (who, I can't remember if I mentioned it before or not, but I will again anyway - looks a bit like a grown-up version of Oz) arrived, I handed it to him. "Thanks," he said. "You won't thank me when you've read it," I said. Then paused, and added, "Well, maybe you will." They were all very nice about it though. Oz-boss phoned it through to HR or whatever - faxed it maybe? I don't know. - and they phoned me up for my exit interview, which was mostly, "but *why* are you leaving? Do we suck? How can we improve?" and lots of me going, "no, no, it's not you, it's me. You're great, but we're just in different places in our lives. I'm sure we'll both find other people who can make us happy, but right now it's not each other," etc.

The team of assessors I was working with bought me some flowers too, which was lovely of them considering they had about an hours notice *g* We also got to finish at 1pm, since it was Christmas Eve and everything, so that was nice. We had the admin team secret Santa thing too, which I didn't partake in since I think they're daft, and also I don't want to go out and spend £5 buying something really nice for someone I don't like very much, and then in turn to get some stupid joke present that I will just throw out when I get home. Anyway, we did that, and one of the girls in the office - C, who is 18, but should still know better - had drawn Oz-boss' name out of the hat (I happened to know, and could totally tell from her "omg what do I buy?!?" whining). She bought him a calendar of "Women in Uniform". Now for one thing, what an inappropriate thing to buy for your boss! Especially a boss you've only worked with for a couple of weeks, and who you really don't know well enough for that kind of gift. Also - well, let's just say I am firmly of the opinion that a *women* in uniform calendar was just about the most inappropriate thing ever. Cringing abounded. Anyway, that firmly shored up my belief that secret santas are not a good idea, but it does make for an amusing story which I have now told everyone I know.

And that was work. And now, I am unemployed again. I rather like it :)

I do have tomorrow though. Oh lord, tomorrow! It's rather crept up on me. I got an email from the Westminster place I had an interview at a couple of weeks ago, asking me to come in on the 21st to "meet the team", which we are interpreting as a second interview of sorts. I was at work on the 21st and couldn't really take any more time off, so I rearranged it for tomorrow, the 30th, at 11am. Either they're going to offer me the job and they're just being circuitous about it, or, more likely, they've narrowed it down to three or four people and want to see how we interact with the rest of the team at the place. I'm in two minds about this one. It's a great job, but it's a big responsibility and I don't know if I'm really ready for that yet. Right now, I'm dreaming of just going back to working the checkouts at Tesco. Nice and uncomplicated. But then, the pay is rather shite at Tesco (compared to a "real" job), and this job does sound amazing. I don't know, I'll have to just see how it goes really. So that's tomorrow morning. Wish me luck :)

I also went out and bought an iPod on Monday morning *g* I'd been thinking of getting one for a while. I was taking my old discman into work every day, and it's heavy and a bit cranky, it eats batteries for breakfast, and I could only have one CD with me. So an iPod seemed like a good solution. Then I saw my cousin, BoyChild, over Christmas and he had his iPod with him, so I stole it and had a little play to see how they work. I turned into a drooling heap of technonerdgirl ("omgmusthaveonesocool!!"), and since BoyChild had mentioned that they sold them in the Virgin Megastore, I went in there the very next morning and got the last 20Gig iPod in stock. Hahah! I love it so much :) Fantastic. I am in the process of uploading every CD I own onto it. <3

There's more stuff, like Christmas and family and I've been watching my new CSI DVDs and I <3 season 1. So cute! And I've got the second half of season 1 of I-Man, which is also tres good. I had my Firefly DVDs, which I'd lent to my aunt C, back for about a minute before cousin L asked if she could borrow them, so they're gone again. But it's all in a good cause, as I convert the entire country, person by person. I bought my Serenity ticket too, which I'm sure I've already mentioned, but here it is again, just in case. TMO has also been compensating for something, not sure what, by buying me lots of "extra Christmas presents", like clothes, and two pairs of trainers today. Whatever. It's nice, but slightly weird, but I shan't complain.

I want to write some more of the Andrew-Normal-Again-verse (which needs a proper name), but while TMO is hovering .. well, we'll see. She's back to work on Tuesday anyway. In 2005. Omg how can it be 2005?! That's so weird. But yes, hopefully if I'm not employed, which I don't think I will be until early February at the earliest, I'll have some time to write. Hurrah for writing! :) Hope everyone's well. I haven't had a chance to catch up on my flist, and I doubt I ever will, but thank you to Anna, Airawyn, Cee and AK who sent me Christmas cards :) And if there's anything, like fic or anything, that I need to catch up on, please do let me know. Thanks <3

Right, off to spend some quality time with the iPod. I'll post this tonight, hopefully :)

ETA: Didn't get a chance to post this last night, but my "interview" was this morning and I've been offered the job. So .. yay :) It's in Sunningdale, just to the west of London, in Berkshire. I went along this morning, met a few of the team, and they offered me the job subject to references, so it's all good :) Now, I just have to find somewhere to live. But I'm going to do it properly this time. Find somewhere permanent and *then* start work.

EATA: iPod broken. Bollocks. :(

Comments

[moonie]

Welcome to the club. Did it my any chance happen when you disconnected it from the computer? If so, how did you disconnect it?

[emony.livejournal.com]

Hah, thank you. No, it was just sitting here on the table. I was listening to it, then I had to go away to make a phone call, so I put it on pause, went off for ten minutes or so, came back and it was off. "Oh," I thought, "how clever. It switches itself off when it's not been used for a few minutes." Turns out it had just switched itself off, and it won't switch back on again.

[moonie]

It does do that, the switching off thing, but it's odd that it won't turn on again. I know the iPod breaks easily, but without anyone even touching it? *blinks* Is the battery fully charged? Or maybe you put the switch on, the one on top, so the wheel doesn't work? I don't know what it's called, but I forgot about it once or twice myself, and nearly died for fear it'd broken each time, before I noticed the switch and felt very, very stupid. ;)

Congrats about the job, by the by!

[emony.livejournal.com]

It's very odd. Nothing I try seems to work. The switch on the top definitely isn't on, but it's acting as if it is. None of the buttons work, plugging it in to the computer doesn't work, plugging it in to the charger doesn't work. It's just keeled over and died :( I'll have to take it back to the shop tomorrow and either get it repaired or get a new one, I guess. Damned shame, as I've loaded a tonne of music onto it already and now I'll have to reload it all. But then, at least it is still within its warranty and all that. *sigh*

Thank you :)

[moonie]

Advice: don't have it repaired. Only Apple can do that, so you'll have to send it in, and God knows how long that'll take. I've heard reports where people got it back with a note that they couldn't find anything wrong, or that it had been repaired even, and the moment they turned it on it died again, only by then (due to the repairs) they were outside the two-week return policy, and so they couldn't switch it for a new one anymore or ask for their money back. So better ask for a new one right away.

[emony.livejournal.com]

Right, okay. Thanks. I got it from an ordinary shop, so I think I should just be able to get it replaced under their returns policy. Or, failing that, I can get my money back and buy a new one somewhere else. I'll try to get it sorted tomorrow, and I'll keep you all updated I'm sure :)

[moonie]

I'd advice looking into other directions as well if the iPod thing doesn't work out. There are many good 20GB mp3 players out there, some cheaper than an iPod. I wish I had, as it is, I'm almost too scared to use the Pod properly in fear in may break again. (Although, that may just be me. I tend to worry a lot. ;)

Good luck! ^_^

[emony.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know I should, but I can't really face doing research into anything different. It was working fine until it just .. stopped.

Thanks :)

[niennah.livejournal.com]

Make sure your place is 2-bedroom. ;) I am so pleased you got the job! I knew you would.

Phase 1, as I said is complete. I hope Phase 2 works out. Well, even if it doesn't, there's still the scones + jam plan. *g*

[odycee.livejournal.com]

That post was an emotional rollercoaster. First - I was going to say good luck for the interview. Then yay for the ipod. Then congrats on the job offer so disregard the good luck. And finally - noooooooo for the ipod breaking. :(

[rach74.livejournal.com]

WOO congrats on job :)
*hugs*

[caitlen.livejournal.com]

I also went out and bought an iPod on Monday morning *g* I'd been thinking of getting one for a while. I was taking my old discman into work every day, and it's heavy and a bit cranky, it eats batteries for breakfast, and I could only have one CD with me. So an iPod seemed like a good solution. Then I saw my cousin, BoyChild, over Christmas and he had his iPod with him, so I stole it and had a little play to see how they work. I turned into a drooling heap of technonerdgirl ("omgmusthaveonesocool!!"), and since BoyChild had mentioned that they sold them in the Virgin Megastore, I went in there the very next morning and got the last 20Gig iPod in stock. Hahah! I love it so much :) Fantastic. I am in the process of uploading every CD I own onto it. <3

BWHA!!!

Aren't they BRILLIANT!!! Mine has every CD I own (plus some I don't) and I STILL have space! I only have a iPod mini, which is all I wanted, and I've finally after four, no, five months, finally broached the final GB barrier!!

Marvellous!! Have a brilliant time with it!!

[emony.livejournal.com]

It may not even be one-bedroomed, you know. I am going to be quite poor, and living in a relatively expensive area. But I'm sure there'll at least be enough floor space for visitors. And me, hopefully. Thank you :)

I'm sure Phase 2 will go very well. I have a feeling, you know.

Also, as I mentioned yesterday, I <3 that icon so very much. Buffy/Warren Wishverse 4 evah!

[emony.livejournal.com]

Hah, sorry about that :) Just imagine how it was for me, having a rollercoaster couple of days! But thank you all around anyway.

[emony.livejournal.com]

Thanks :D *hugs*

[emony.livejournal.com]

They are brilliant until they break down and have to go back to the shop. Then they pretty much suck. But it was good while it lasted, and when I find a replacement it'll be good again :)

[cedara]

Good luck on room hunting. *hugs*

[emony.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) *hugs*