Archive for the ‘work’ Category
Friday, January 27th, 2012 |
Last Friday, just before leaving work, I was told to be prepared for a meeting with our Director and some other colleagues on Monday morning. As usual I tried to get as much information as I could by asking who else would be in attendance and what was on the agenda.
No one could or would tell me anything.
Monday morning I still tried to figure what the meeting was about by finding out who else would be there. But the mystery was soon solved when we sat down for our meeting and were told that some changed were about to take place in our job descriptions.
From 1 February my main job task would include IT support, information systems and online media!! Not that I wasn’t doing all that before. I was.
But there were other tasks that I had been doing for many years and was bored to tears. This was now tasked to someone else.
If I would have been asked what my dream job was, this would be it! I’ve been blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting and studying IT all towards getting this, my dream job!
Not everyone is as delighted as I am with my new job.
I should be flattered that my colleagues I worked with don’t want to see me leave my previous post, but at the same time I was a bit disappointed that they were not excited for me.
That’s life though…we have to move forward at some point. And I was languishing in that job for far too long.
So the year has started off with some excitement and new challenges.
Just today I was tasked with presenting information in our staff meeting. Something I have never been good at, but I relaxed and shared what was asked of me as best I could.
Of course now I have to deliver…
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Monday, May 23rd, 2011 |
It might be due to my vitamin B stress complex (or whatever its called), morning meditation or just out of control hormones, but tonight I feel truly thankful.
Here’s the reason…
A while ago I decided to not have long conversations with people I don’t particularly care for. The reasons have been documented to death in many, many blog posts.
That release of pressure to be nice all the time alone could account for the whole thankful energy. But that’s not the whole story.
I walked away from a conversation a few days ago. And felt kind of bad about it, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do…
Btw. I try to do it as gently as possible – in case you think too badly of me 
Hindsight is usually a bitch…but not this time. This time, with hindsight, ignorance turned out to be bliss.
Anyway, this morning I walked out of the door to be greeted by a huge rainbow over Table Mountain. (Yeah, I know it wasn’t just there for my life lesson, but I noticed and that must count for something.)
I smiled. Because people are supposed to smile when they see rainbows right? Frowning would be just wrong.
Plus I enjoy seeing rainbows and lady birds, even when I’m not hormonal.
Whatever the right reaction is, I had an almost tranquil day at work. Felt half medicated. But could also be attributed to hormones (at my age everything is due to hormones).
The day flew by and before I knew it, someone said something that under normal circumstances would’ve upset me. But since I had no idea of the context, I ended the conversation as I normally would. Quickly.
Truth be told, I think half of the office thought I knew what was going on. Because I got some meaningful glances, which I couldn’t quite put my finger on. But in hindsight…
In reality I had no idea!
The context hit me fast enough though.
I was horrified, but it was nearly time to head home. Less than half an hour and I still had things to do before leaving.
Once I got home it took me a few minutes to piece the puzzle together.
To recap:
I walked away from a conversation I did not want to be part of…twice
realising that if I knew then what I know now, today would have been pure and simple hell!
but I turned out to be blissfully unaware of upsetting news, until I was able to get home and put it into context
Actually it goes back even further back to the events which led to having shorter conversations with people I don’t particularly care for…
Culminating in this blog post which further made me happy!
Posted in Life, work | No Comments »
Friday, April 8th, 2011 |
I’m sitting on my couch with cup of coffee nearby, contemplating life’s mysteries.
A thought just crossed my mind. In a minute or two it might not seem that interesting, but it was at the time, I remind you.
Oh no, another thought just occurred to me.
I wonder what human beings did before blogging was invented?
How did we exist not sharing our every thought?
But I digress (again).
Do you also wonder what men and women did in the morning before someone discovered the effects of coffee beans.
Can you even imagine?
Were our fore-fathers and mothers cranky and lethargic when they woke each morning, until their first sip of…water?
I shudder at the thought.
I ask this because recently I forgot my little tupperware container of Nescafe coffee at home.
(My brother a real coffee drinker, considers me an amateur!)
Now let me just mention that I never leave home without drinking at least one cup of coffee. So my body wasn’t entirely deprived of caffeine when the incident below occurred.
The very thought!
I arrived at the office, greeted those I saw. Settled behind my desk, switched on my computer as usual and…
Nothing!
I usually make more coffee while my pc starts up.
Now let me just explain something else…we have coffee at work. Ricoffy! Just shoot me now!
…I jumped up from my desk and asked the receptionist to cover for me, as I had to get coffee at the cafe.
“But they only have Ricoffy,” she reminded me.
“I know someone who also brings coffee from home.” She promised to let me know as soon as colleague two arrived.
I nevertheless looked out the window until I saw her enter the parking lot.
And 10 minutes later I had a cup of warm Jacobs coffee in hand.
She showed me where she hides her stash in case of future emergencies.
Not that I will forget my coffee for a while.
Posted in Life, work | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 |
I was nearly at work this morning when I realised that I had forgotten my cellphone at home! With no choice but to continue onto work, I tried to use positive thinking.
“It’s just one of those lessons in mindfullness.” I tried to convince myself.
“I’m too attached to my phone and that’s not a healthy way to live,” was another justification I tried to use.
“Try thinking positive thoughts,” I kept reminding myself. “Or meditation techniques.”
So I got to my desk and tried watching my breath. But my colleagues were in the mood to chat! Non-stop!
I tried ignoring them by breathing in and out, in and out. To no avail. I felt a rising in panic in my chest.
“I need my freaking phone!!!!!” my unordered mind kept telling me. No hint of peacefulness anywhere to be found.
And then my computer refused to print, because guess what, I have a so-called virus on my computer. WTF…when I have my phone nothing like this happens.
My colleagues kept chattering on…
I started to realise how a junky feels when they need a fix!!!!
I ran the virus scan, got up to make tea, went to visit a few colleagues for a chat. Came back to my desk, checked Facebook on the computer. Checked Google Analytics.
Visited more colleagues for work related chats. Worked on a work related questionnaire. Did some other tasks – but everything took three times longer than usual.
But still in the back of my mind I wanted my cellphone. That extention of myself. I just had to hold it in my hands.
Without my phone time is actually standing freaking still. After what feels like an entire day of work it is only 11.30am!
I came here to blog. Another 10 minutes gone….
This is going to be a long day!
Posted in Life, work | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 |
I’m not a fan of meetings of any kind.
Whoever invented those things…I hope they’re having a boat load of meetings in the after life. Hopefully there is an after life for inventors of crappy things – and meetings. 
At previous companies I worked for meetings were a very rare occurance, but at my current place of employment a meeting can get called at any time for whatever reason.
Case in point…
On Monday I was busy completing a task for a colleague. I got up to take the completed document to her and found a few other people standing in the common area close to her desk.
Next thing, when they see me approaching, I hear “…and don’t forget Abby…”.
With no idea what the conversation was about I looked suspiciously from one to other – wondering what new task awaited me.
After a while I figured they were discussing an embroidery/patchwork project we were planning. I knew about that project and even volunteered my basic needlework skills a few weeks earlier.
So I walked back to my office.
Two minutes later someone walked up to my desk asking “Why did you just walk out of the meeting?”. “It isn’t finished yet”
“What?” I laughed, “That was a meeting?”
Another two minutes later another colleague walked in and asked why I wasn’t in the meeting.
“What meeting?”
Because it was NOT a meeting. It was a group of colleagues standing around discussing an embroidery project!
Next thing I know they disperse and gather again at the same spot with their diaries.
“See,” colleague number said, “the meeting is not over. We haven’t yet decided on a date for the project.”
After a few minutes arranging and rearranging of diaries, a date was decided upon.
**Sigh**
Sometimes I think I’ve entered the Twilight Zone.
Posted in office, work | 2 Comments »
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