Workweek

This week is nearly over.  I've racked up 41 hours.

There are 99 days left until we fly.

That's just over 3 months...

That's crazy.

Our stuff's probably going to be shipped out (or at least removed) at the end of December... which leaves us with a month+ 'camping out'.  On the one hand it'll be nice to live lightly, as we're hopefully going to slot in as extra members of the household at G's parents' place... but on the other hand, it's going to be weird living out of suitcases for that long.

We're going to have to think very carefully about what all we'll need in that month+, with extra consideration given to the fact that whatever we keep with us will also need to travel with us as luggage.  Our limit is 25kg of checked-in luggage, and most of that will probably be things like chargers/cords, etc for stuff like phones/camera/etc and clothes - don't know what else will be staying with us.  I just hope our stuff will be alright, both in the container (it'll be a shared container) and in the hold... and of course in our hand-luggage too...

I'm starting to feel anxious already!!

Thankfully this week is just about done and I'll be able to launch into sorting and culling again.

Sadly, a few things have had to be 'damaged' in order to quarantine-proof them:  we have a beaded parrot-on-swing ornament which had a twig as the perch.  I had to dispose of that, as well as a y-twig which was the 'frame' of a suncatcher.  It had a bughole in the bark which I picked at and uncovered the fact that a large portion of the twig's mass was simply powder.  Quarantine would not like that, so I'll have to find a y-shaped twig in Aus and use it in the original's place.

I think I'll wrap up this blogpost and leave it as is: just a short pop-in to say WHAZuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!

Work tomorrow

Friday afternoon, Hbbm phoned me to ask whether I could work on Monday + Tuesday as well, except as receptionist.

So I have work tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday.  And, despite the fact that I'll be getting very much needed 'pocketmoney', I feel so turned off about it.

I think, generally, I am experiencing a difficult time.  I don't care if I seem emo in writing that, but I feel pretty down at times, and for a mishmash multitude of reasons.  This whole move thing is WELLWHADDYAKNOW... a first. Uncovering all of my stuff has been enjoyable, but at the same time I feel emotional about it.  Irritated.  Maybe I have PMS... I don't know.  I don't think I care.

I'm just so tired. Things tick me off, despite being trivial.  For example, the bloody supermarket we buy groceries from OFTEN bloodywell has a lack of bagpackers, so *I* have to pack the damn shopping bags...
Ok, maybe in other countries, they don't employ bagpackers, or the cashier has to pack the bags, or whatever, but here, in SA, there are (usually/supposed to be) bag packers. 

Now, taking it IMpersonally (not getting butt-hurt about it, like WOE-IS-ME, I'm better than to pack my OWN bags), it is negative from a CUSTOMER-EXPERIENCE point of view:  if  some days you have your bags packed for you, and then you arrive at the shop with the (positive/happy) expectation of this service on other days, the fact that not only is there no bagpacker but YOU have to pack the bag, causes unfulfilled expectation which leads to frustration and a negative conclusion to the otherwise positive or neutral impression of the shop.

BAHFUCKIT... pointless blogpost, whatever.

I'm just completely tired and lethargic now.  I think I need happy pills.

I still hate the bitch neighbour next door.

My car collection

This is my collection of dinky and other metal cars.  Quite a few, I reckon.  And no, none are for sale!!

I just hope the moving company packs them all carefully - some have bits and bobs which are supposed to be attached but have either broken off or come loose from use.

This pre-move packing and sorting is rather therapeutic!!

Blahpdate

Supposed to be 'blah-update'... but.. blah... nvm!

I've been progressing with the sorting/culling/consolidation of my stuff, but it's very slow.  It's surprising how intertwined this stuff is - how mixed up together it is, so part of the process involves categorising stuff.  Only once that's done is it possible to decide what to keep.

I only wish that we had a spare room (the study is full of books, etc), to stash these 'prepared' boxes in the interim.  At present they're parked around the lounge.  I have a feeling that all my goodies (except for books and clothes, etc) are going to be brought down to the lounge to be sorted/consolidated/culled.  Boy are we going to have a full lounge!  Maybe once I'm done (and my boxes are parked in the lounge), G will do his lot, and we can then repack the stuff into the study, ready for the movers.  It's weird how empty and sterile the place becomes when ornaments and decorations (dreamcatcher, for example) are removed.

Our washmachine was fetched on 1 Oct, and (praise the lawdylawd!) it's being delivered tomorrow, 14 Oct.  That's a long time to go without a washmachine.  We did do *some* laundry - G took a batch to his parents to wash and bring home damp so that it could be hung on our clothes-horses - but there's quite a backlog.  We're (or at least *I* am) reaching the bottom of the proverbial barrel, so I'm really looking forward to having a pick of clothing again.  The downside is that it's going to take a number of days to do all the backlogged washing as it's all gotta be clothes-horsed, which takes a day/2 days to dry.  Ah well at least I'm home so I can do it in the mornings and forget about it for the rest of the day!

I got a missed-call from HBBM earlier, so I called him back.  I remembered that the co. uses a cell-phone routing company to save them $ on cellphone calls, which includes a service where employees' cellphone numbers are recorded and when they call in to the office from their cellphones, the router calls them back, saving them the cost of the call (the co. pays for the call).  So I 'phoned him back' LOL.  Anyway, long story short, he just wanted to 'warn me in advance' that he's going to need me to come in on Wednesday & Thursday next week.  The pay rate isn't MUCH better than what I was getting, but I really think that if I were to try and barter, they'd say 'forget it' and hand the work on to the typist.  I WOULD actually like the extra pocket money... maybe if he needs me again at a later stage I can say 'actually, I'm wanting a better rate, plskthx'.

Friday evening, Sis & M and I are going out for a girls night.  Going to eat out and then might hit the town and have a coupla drinks.  I'm going to be staying over with Sis at the house she's housesitting, G will fetch me the next morning from Sis's work... then on to the next event:

Saturday is G's cousin's 'amazing race' style birthday party.  G & I are going to be the roving camera car, to record bits and pieces of the day.  Sounds like it's going to be fun!

Sunday will probably be a day of relaxation.  If the weather's nice, we might braai...

But for now, it's time to sleeeeeeeeeeeep!

Junk sorting/cleaning/culling...

This is a pic of our lounge, as it is right now.  This is already partially sorted.  At the left, where the pink packet is situated, is stuff to be given away/donated/rehomed.  At the top of the pic are a couple of shoeboxes of trinkets/ornaments which I have cleaned and have decided to keep.  On the couch, to the right, are ornaments still to be cleaned.  On the couch in the foreground are boxes of things which have been 'sorted' but not gone through and weeded.  Mostly papers and things, as opposed to ornaments. 

The only ornament-y things left are my Breyer and Julip horses, 3 suncatchers and 3 wooden handcrafted things (a mini chest of drawers, the compartment house and a picture frame)... so I'm on a roll here! 

Apart from this whole batch of 'trinkets' there are also:  box of toy cars, box of toy animals (farm animals/horses/etc - never been sorted, so...), teddies, cross-stitch stuff, stationery, cards & letters, coins/notes/stamps collection... oh and of course, clothes/makeup/hair accessories, not forgetting books and CDs etc.

Sheesh!!

That's pretty much all my stuff though.  I'm certain that once I've selected stuff, I'll go through it all again and refine the selection a few times.  We have time, but I'm glad I've made a start.  Plus it's been nice to 'rediscover' things.  Not forgotten things, just things put into the background of my life.

To be continued...

Smog Log

The weather's been exceptionally warm and hazy lately, here's a pic of the smog log visible from our upstairs windows...

First up:

I'm not completely "happy" with my blog as yet - the layout, colours, etc.  It looks a bit unsophisticated.  Well, how about that! Someone who uses the f-word a lot in her blog, wanting a sophisticated blog-look?  ROFLMAO etc X-D

I suspect (hope?) that my R-rating will drop now that work is over, and my irritation-button will be less frequently utilised... it still currently feels as if I am on leave though.  I think what is helping is the fact that summer is definitely on its way, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the extra light in the day.  Not simply day-light hours-wise but also the brightness of the light.  It's FULL-ON!  Yippee!!

Eish, this blog composer thing is buggy.  Not too impressed with it (still), but *shrug*, will deal.

We bought a Weber yesterday.  Spur of the moment thing, in a sense.  We've been aware of serious lack of braai (barbecue) in our lives, and on Saturday when we went grocery shopping, I saw the shop's ad-pamphlet with a Weber for R900.  Thought it might be good to check out price comparisons between SA and Aus, and so yesterday morning I Googled.  The R900 one (as super-cheaply priced versions often are) is a 'lesser' model, so I searched for pricing for a mid-range one.  Cheaper, at the currently on-special price than in Aus, by quite a bit.  So we raced out to the shops and picked up a braai!  Bought some briquets and fire-lighters, need to assemble the braai and then voila!  We shall have a braai. 

Apparently we will have to clean this thing insanely thoroughly, and make it look as if it's older than 1 year, but I'm sure we'll manage.  Our stuff generally is clean (we aren't rough with our stuff by any means), so if customs wants to judge our stuff and bill us for everything, eish we won't be pleased!

On that front, I have yet to start with everything I've been meaning to do.  OK OK OK!  Give me a break here, it's my 1st day off from work!  Friday doesn't count because it was Freedom Day (Kit's Day).  I need to clean the fishtank first, then I can sit down and take stock of what to do.  First up, I think, is scanning the odds and ends Mom has lent me - papers from Dad's keepsakes:  letters and notes and notices and circulars regarding his parade duty during WW2.  I've asked her to keep looking, as there are (somewhere!) school reports and things, including a parking fine of R1 apparently!  I'm keen to scan them.  I couldn't take them with us to Aus, but at least I'd have a record of them.

There are under 120 days until we fly.  We went to Singapore Airlines to 'show' them G's credit card (it expires before we fly), and managed to get an extra 5kg each, due to our flights being one way because of our emigration.  Yippee!!

I think I'm going to wash my hair now (long hair takes long to dry and it's SUNNY!  Yay!), then I'm going to dig out the scanner and start!  Or should I clean the fishtank first...

Watch this space!

Today is The Day!!

This morning first thing G and I went to the shops to buy cake...

People at the co generally, lately, haven't been bringing cake/eats on their last day, but on the other hand, there haven't been any 'collections' going around to give the person leaving a gift (this is according to the typist).  I thought I may as well leave on a good note so brought cake.

I am wearing 'civvies' too... to make a change from the USUAL boring dull work clothes I wear (or WORE).

Today feels festive, in a 'long weekend' or 'school holidays' way... not in a THIS IS MY LAST DAY HERE (OFFICIALLY) EVARRRRRRRRRR way.  'Officially' is the important word here, because one of the directors came to say 'good morning for the last time', and said I must please leave my details because they might call on me if there's a crisis (read: receptionist goes awol), they'd offer an hourly rate etc... so I may well be here a coupla days outside of the time HBBM needs me (it's looking like it'll be a week or 2).  I think it'll feel different, and I won't feel as captive and confined as I have always felt here.  And, it's extra POCKET MONEY woot!!!!!!

We've been attempting to get quotes from moving companies for our stuff, and it's like pulling hen's teeth... no one seems that interested in getting our custom (read: take our $).

It's a beautiful day outside today.  I hope tomorrow will be as beautiful.  Really.

There are 121 days left for us!  Let the adventure begin... after 17:00 today, at least!

Hmm

I need a make-over, seriously.

Alright

Ok, weird one, blogger, for offering me the use of the 'new editor' and giving a link to find out more about what's different between the new one and the old one and for having a "the information you requested cannot be found" page for me.  Thanks, guys, but YOU OFFERED me the link, so... yah, thanks.

Not sure I'm crazy about this new editor.  Anyway, that's not important I guess.

We have 128 days left.  Tomorrow we're going to visit Mom+Sis, and then go with Sis to a play in the evening.  Saturday Sis, G and I are going to an airshow - too exciting, never been to one before!!

Right now I'm very tired.  It's *only* 23:00, which is HARDLY late considering it's a Thursday/Friday night (tomorrow - Friday - is a public holiday), but I'm so moeg you'd swear I'd been studying for exams or something.  I think I should get (and TAKE!) a batch of multivitamins.

I officially have 4 working days left.  The past few days at work I've been busier than I have been probably the entire month so far.  And, because of that, there is a possibility they might ask me to come in for a few days extra to help out with something.

The typist came to me first thing this morning and asked what I'd say if the bosses asked me to work a bit longer, and I basically just scoffed at the idea... she then said that she'd "overheard" HBBM talking to one of the directors about it but she emphasised that hadn't HEARD heard anything, she was just repeating what she 'didn't hear'.  Then later on, she mentioned it again, saying she thinks they're seriously considering it... fast forward an hour or two and HBBM mentions it vaguely to me when I ask him when some work I've got (his stuff) is due. 

I've been typing up a storm the past few days helping the typist with her pile of 8 contract documents.  They're pretty urgent, as these things always (stupidly) are:  they were due last week or something... so HBBM says his stuff isn't urgent - it's only for the end of October.  It's basically inputting information and printing out valuation reports for 26 buildings, which he said is only 'rushed' because of the fact that I've only got 4 days left.  Plus, a new job has come along, with 15 buildings to do valuations for... so that makes 40 buildings needing reports.

This report is done on Lotus (yes, goddamned Lotus 95!), and if I am not there to do them, the accountant (who is busy), who is a Lotus 95 guru (and who I learnt the stuff from), would have to show the typist (who is also busy) how to do them, which is basically too much effort/a big waste and the bosses probably feel it's more worthwhile paying me to come in and do the reports.  All I'm thinking of doing at this moment is waiting to be asked OFFICIALLY (HBBM mentioned it in passing - I suppose it depends on how soon the contract documents are finished in my last 4 days), and also it would depend on what they offer.

On the one hand, it's extra moolah, which is OBVIOUSLY most useful right now, what with our whole move and new life coming up.  On the other hand, my freedom would be delayed for however long they need me, and also our pre-pack preparation time would be eaten into.  Ok, granted, it's probably not going to be a WHOLE MONTH that they'd need me... but still.

I shall wait and see, will keep a watch on how this unfolds.

For now though, it is sleep time.

Emus...

known to be curious animals, and are known to approach humans if they see movement of a limb or a piece of clothing. They are also known to follow and observe humans in the wild. Sometimes they also poke other animals and then run away after drawing a reaction, as though they are playing a game.

* quoted directly from Wikipedia's page on the Emu.

Reflection

We have exactly 131 days.  I have 7 working days left... 2 weeks, and September is finished.  Leaving us with exactly 4 months before we fly. 

Last weekend we emailed for quotes on moving our stuff, so far we haven't had anyone over to give a quote.  HULLO CHAPS.

Four months... 120+ days... and we're gone.  Everything has to be done well in time before we go. 

I'm probably going to be moving my fish in December.  Sis has agreed to look after them for me - it'll be better having them in the family (so I can keep up to date with their news) and it hopefully won't be a big burden as they shouldn't have YEARS AND YEARS ahead of them, or should I say, MOST of them shouldn't:  the kuhli loaches have maybe 10 more years!  But regardless, I'm looking to move them (back!) in December so that there is a little time for me to help out before I go (time for me to give Sis a crashcourrse in fishkeeping). 

2 months for us to do all our preparations because December is The month.  Action month where we get everything going.  2 months for everything... will we have enough time?

G's borrowed his dad's electric sander, so we'll probably start tackling our wooden furniture soon.  I can't wait to sit, quietly and peacefully, at home and go through my stuff.  I think it will be therapeutic.  A shedding of old 'skin'.

7 more days of work.  GOD DAMN BUT I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT to be out of this place.

No. No, no. Please.

YOU WON!

Damnit I want to sleep, I don't care.  Leave me alone, gayking, I don't want to click anymore.

Go away and stop holding your cards out in front of my face.

I don't want to click!

Damn you, gayking.

You made me click.

Is it possible to be MORE BORED THAN THIS?

I've been bringing the Living&Working book with me to work every day, and tagging info with slivers of post-it notes.  I will upload a pic of the book sometime, so you can see exactly how many tags there are.

It's a very interesting book, it's not OVERLY factually boring because it's written in a fresh tone and it's well divided into relevant chapters.

Work is... more and more and more dull, every moment that goes past worse than the previous.  I have approximately 316 hours until I am free (those are total hours, not working hours), 8 working days only.  I AM SO EYE-GOUGINGLY BORED I don't actually know what to do anymore.  I can't surf the net for Aus information, which would be really handy about now, so all I do is play solitaire/freecell/spider solitaire.  I have gchat open (but it's quiet there) and I play music through the ipod earphones which at least is SOME form of companionship.  Oh and I check FB/Twitter on my phone now and then.

I am SO BORED.

I don't know what I'm actually going to do at home, every day, but at least I won't have to fake being interested.  Unlike when I am at work, if I'm not interested in something I can scowl and stamp my feet and 'indulge' in being unwilling, which is all I ever FEEL like doing now that it's so excrutiatingly dull at work.

I think we're going to have an easier time sorting our stuff out.  We're waiting for proper arrangements with moving companies to come and give quotes, but at least in the meantime we did a walkthrough of the house with the inventory form one of the companies gave us, filling it in.  We don't really have that much stuff.  I think we had better look for a lounge suite hehe.

Our ornaments and things shouldn't be too much hassle.  They will undoubtably be scrutinised by customs/quarantine, but hopefully none of the things will need treatment.  I think of all my stuff (that I can think of, for now), that would possibly need treatment (because of customs/quarantine department's paranoia) would be the Tibetan compartment house, the chicken-bone sailing boat and the 3 'spiritual guide' wooden birds.  Everything else should be ok... hopefully.  We're going to double-check though and varnish/oil things anyway just to be on the safe side.

I just wish we could get started and unpack our stuff and look through everything.

I haven't stitched in ages.  I just don't feel like it these days.  Every evening I am just exhausted after a day at work spent fretting and frustrated at being bored.  Which means I cannot accomplish anything useful in the home-time after work.  Things seem so drawn out and un-FIXED now... waiting for appointments and waiting for this and that oh and waiting for payday to get the washmachine fixed and waiting to buy clothes etc.

Dullness... how well I know you.  I think if I were at home and THIS EXTREMELY BORED I would sleep the day away.  This is so painful.  I wonder if it's possible for someone's brain's chemical composition to be altered permanently by being SO FUCKING BORED.

I'm going to try attach a pic to this blogpost to show you how bored I am.  We call him Gayking.  It's become a sort of altered word, as in "I'm gayking a cake".  (it's not meant to offend anyone, it's just an indication of just how bored I get at work).

Pondering and Planning

I have 12 working days left today... and it's so boring!!

 

This weekend was rather fun, Saturday we went for a nice long, leisurely sunny drive down the Peninsula, with video camera and tripod in hand!  The weather was perfect, and we stopped at Tibet for lunch as well so we could enjoy lunch with a good view.  We stopped at various spots to take videos, and on the whole the day was very relaxing :D

 

Sunday we did chores and popped to the shops to buy groceries, but apart from that we pretty much just chilled.  I tackled the wildly overgrown grass in the garden:  the people who re-did the roof and the people who installed the doors/windows just lazily/inconsiderately tossed a whole stack of junk (10cm long nails, screws, cement chunks, roof-sealant peels, etc) into the grass, so it would be suicide to try to mow the grass.  This means tackling it with parrotnose cutters.  It took ages, it exhausted my back, I'm stiff today and I have a 1cm diameter blister on my thumb, and I've only done 1/4.  To be continued.  I did manage to prick my finger with a crazily sharp piece of metal in the grass (yay thank you assholes for tossing THAT!), but hopefully I won't die.  Oh and there are also tiny little metal shavings in the grass too - they give me the utter creeps (horror visions of barefeet and splinters), so I've been trying to dig them out of the grass/sand as thoroughly as I can.

 

Ok that's entirely too much minutae about gardening isn't it.

 

We sent off some quote requests from moving companies last night.  That's our next big mission: junk culling, assessing our stuff and deciding on steps forward.

 

One major concern will be what to do with our wooden stuff.  Ornaments, furniture, etc, will each have to be looked at and we'll need to decide with each thing whether to keep it and take it with us or not, and if we are taking it, what to do to it to ensure it doesn't cause hassles at customs/quarantine/inspection in Aus.

 

It's going to be quite fun going through our stuff, itemising it all and making an inventory, but one thing I'm not looking so forward to is numbering and listing all our CDs, DVDs and books.  I think it'll take ages, but in light of stuff getting 'lost' or stolen, knowing exactly what is missing would help a lot.

 

138 days til we fly... sounds far too little time!

Ke Nako!!

Fil it, it is hieh!

I have 14 working days left. 3 weeks until I am free. It feels
disturbingly short, and yet at the same time, if I imagine another
month tagged onto the end, it feels depressing even though it'd only
be 4 weeks extra. So, now is the time, this is the month. I still
haven't told everyone at work, in fact only the 3 bosses, the typist,
the accountant and 1 other colleague know (that I know of). I don't
really know how to go about telling everyone... as it is, I don't
exactly CHAT CHAT CHAT with them a lot, so my all of a sudden out of
the blue striking up a 'GUESS WHAT' conversation would feel weird.

We have 142 days until we leave. I have started going through my copy
of the book "Living and Working in Australia - David Hampshire" (link
to be added when I'm at home), sticking in lots of little post-it
notes to mark off stuff relevant to our move. Some sections aren't
relevant anymore (Visas), and some aren't relevant yet (Education,
Sports, Entertainment), but others (Finding A Job) are really
important!

This month we are going to get movers in to give quotes on our stuff.
There are a few other things still to do, unrelated to the move (get
the washmachine fixed, buy new clothes), which must be done soon too.
One of the things to do is buy an external hard drive, to back up/copy
all our stuff so we can access it while waiting for our container to
arrive. I'm sure we'd both go a bit crazy if we went without our
music for 2 months+.

Another exciting thing to do before we go is visit family! I
desperately want to go on a drive to George/Knysna, to see my
cousins+aunt, and would love to go to Jhb and Durban to see G's family
and W+D in Pta. We have to go through our budget and see if it can be
fitted in. We also still have a number of things on our list of 'to
see/do/catch on video', so hopefully the next 4+ months won't be all
work and no play. At least I can do 1 or 2 of them with Mom/Sis, so G
won't be pressured to do everything every weekend.

EEEEEEEEEEK!! Our seats are selected already (yay Singapore Airlines,
you rock!), we'll probably have to hire a car too for when we arrive,
but would probably do that only once we're in Aus (as a resident I
believe the rates are cheaper), but EEEK YAYYYYYYYY! Min dae,
YIPPEEE!

Omg man, ONE WAY TICKETS!!

Welcome to

MY RANT!!!!!

I know that it's mean and nasty and hateful and character-muddying to
actually rant and wish harm to people on blogs and whatever, but I
SERIOUSLY WISH THIS FUCKING RECEPTIONIST WOULD DIE!!!!!!!

Seriously what the fuck is with humming and singing at fucking WORK?!?!??!

This morning I nearly went across and hit her with my phone-book,
because she spent the ENTIRE 1.5hrs after work started YACKING ON THE
GODDAMN PHONE TO HER FRIENDS!! For absolute sweet FUCK SAKE you
moron, THIS IS WORK!!! Not PHONE A FRIEND!!

Now, she's humming, singing, chanting, moaning, like african people
do. Hymnal shit. Warbly hummy mumbly shit.

SHUT UP SHUT UP FOR FUCK SAKE!!! Sweet jesus please can I die now...
or at least fall into a coma until 17:00?!?!?

JESUS!! Nothing on my ipod/computer WITH EARPHONES IN MY EARS cuts
out the fucking sound!!!!!!!! Nothing IS LOUD ENOUGH!!!!!!

FUCKING 17 MORE DAYS OF THIS. Please.... please... coma... please... please...

Chip Review Episode 3: Smiths Salt & Vinegar vs Simba Salt & Vinegar

Contestants: Smiths Salt & Vinegar (45g) and Simba Salt & Vinegar (30g)





The above photos are of the front and back of the packets. Below is a picture of the chips, Smiths Salt & Vinegar on the left, Simba Salt & Vinegar on the right.



Observations:

The main visible difference between the two are the size of crinkle-cut (corrugations). Smiths has large grooves (like corrugated iron), Simba has tiny grooves which are miniature corrugations in comparison. Simba's smaller corrugations make the chips seem thicker, which gives a more satisfying crunch when you bite into the chip. As you can also see in the picture, Simba's chips are also a bit more golden than Smiths (this effect is greatly exaggerated by the photograph though).

The flavours are very similar. The main difference is the flavour's focus: Smiths Salt & Vinegar is more salty, Simba Salt & Vinegar is more vinegar. Smiths is more 'dry' tasting (not saturated with vinegar), Simba is more tang and 'oily' with vinegar. I think the Smiths Salt & Vinegar flavour is more balanced, similar to the Simba Salt & Vinegar flavour when I was growing up, and Willards Salt & Vinegar now.

Conclusion:

Smiths Salt & Vinegar is more edible. I say this because, although the flavours aren't vastly different, you are able to eat to the bottom of the (larger) packet and still enjoy the taste, whereas Simba Salt & Vinegar, you end up screwing your face up because the sourness of the vinegar just overwhelms your tastebuds and it's actually a little 'difficult' to get through the last bit/crumbs. Oh and you also get more in the packet - GO SMITHS!! I'm sure I'll miss the tang of Simba Salt & Vinegar, but Smiths' isn't a bad substitute.

* all images/logos/copyright materials belong to their respective owners, I am merely using pictures to make my blog interesting.

It's done

It is done. I handed in my resignation yesterday.

It wasn't exactly anticlimactical, it was simply climaxless.

I phoned the typist in the morning to ask her to check in the 2
bosses' Outlook diaries to see when/if/how long they'd be available,
because I wanted to see them for a minute. Straight away she asked
'are you resigning??' so I mumbled 'maybe'. She said they're both out
until +-10:00, so I should email them to ask, and asked again if I'm
leaving (I replied 'not yet'), and she said 'every time I've just
trained someone to replace me then they leave and I have to start
again!'. Yay guilt-trip, LOL!! I emailed the bosses and then felt
anxious the entire morning.

At +-11:15 the 1 boss phoned me and said I can come up to the other
boss's office, they'll see me then. I went up. I felt so anxious.
Fumbled my words, probably didn't speak coherently at all, but
basically handed over my envelope. The 1 boss said I should hand it
to the other boss 'he's better at English', and so that boss read it.
He asked whether I had a job lined up, I said no, then they asked what
the reason is for leaving, the one said 'is it in the letter?', the
other checked, said no and so asked 'ok, may we ask, off the record?',
so I replied 'we're emigrating next year, to Australia, in January'.
They spoke a little, and the 1 mentioned my having worked here for so
long, 'practically gone through the ranks, starting as receptionist,
then secretary and PA'... then they thanked me for my contribution to
the company, and I thanked them for having me, and that was it.

I am so (bitterly is too strong a word) amused that they actually,
really believe that I 'was promoted' like that. No, guys, YOU are the
only people who have the power to promote anyone here, and YOU most
certainly did not promote me apart from to 'admin assistant', after
telling me I'd be HBBM's PA... which wasn't great but anyway. But
yah, well done on being so in-touch with staff issues.

After I came back to my desk, I dreaded having to tell HBBM the news.
It took almost all day to 'get round' to it. I was actually pretty
busy most of the day though, so it wasn't simply me wussing out.

When I did go to tell HBBM, I said 'I don't know whether (boss's name)
has said anything or talked to you about it, but we're leaving for
Australia next year.....'. So he smiles and says 'Ok, but first, I
must ask, who is this 'we'?'. Guh. What a boob. Yah, sure, me and
the boss are moving to Aus. Guh. Anyway, we had a chat about Aus,
and what it entails moving there, visa, etc, reasons to go, etc. It
was far more pleasant than talking to the bosses!

Anyway, now I'm just left with breaking the news to everyone else. I
haven't told the typist yet... will probably do that today.

This morning first thing I found a 16-box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates
on my desk. I thought it was the typist, her being the 'usual
suspect' when anyone finds any nice surprises on their desks! I
thought maybe it was because she'd found out that I was leaving, or
maybe because it was Bosses' Day and she guessed I would have
forgotten and she was 'bailing me out' or something, but I intended
asking her when I saw her what it was about. A little while later,
the 1 boss comes in from a meeting and says 'Happy Secretary's Day!
Did you enjoy your gift?'... eish, how awkward, so I stammered 'OHH, I
thought it was Moira!... I didn't realise...! Thank you!' so he said
'it's not just secretaries, it's all the ladies'... apparently all us
ladies got a box! How yum. Then an hour or so later the other boss
got in and said 'happy secretary's day, for the last time'... Eeek.

So, as of today, we have 150 days until we leave. I am feeling
pretty... odd. Not normal. Depressed? Exhausted?
Post-traumatic-stress-disorder? Dunno. I just feel blah.

D-day

Tuesday is D-day.

I am going to give the bosses my resignation letter...

I'm pretty anxious about it. After 6.5 years (will be, to the day) I'm RESIGNING. I don't know what their responses will be as I'm not quite a member of staff like one of the QSes are, I'm 'admin', office support, one of the 'background' people. As I was explaining to S (in the US), I don't really interact with the 2 directors* at all - nothing much more than "hi, good morning" each morning. The typist summed it up nicely when she said "they never tell you when you've done something right, but you will KNOW if you've done something wrong!" So, evidently I haven't been too unsatisfactory to them. Hbbm will probably be upset though (he's such a baby and needs his hand held for EVERYTHING)... but he'll just have to grab his big boy handbag and deal with it!

I won't speculate much what they will do once I've left - whether they'll get someone to replace me or give all my work to the typist - but I get the feeling they'll just make the typist do my job, as before.

I don't violently hate the place like I did a short while ago, I now just feel a constant resentment, I despise the fact that I'm still there. Everything about being there makes me so irritable and gets on my nerves badly.

Examples being:

* the receptionist has some sort of burp-disease: every 5 minutes or so (maybe even less!?), she burps. It just drives me nuts.

* the receptionist has some 'problem' where she ... I don't know if it's burps/sneezes/coughs/vomits, but she makes this sound that you'd make when laughing derisively at something someone's said. Like: "Joe bought a Lamborghini! And he's going to buy a private jet too, with a swimming pool in it!" "PFFHHHHHHHHHH (raspberry sound, but dry), sure sure, pull the other leg, it's got bells on it!". Now THAT sound is what she does, every OTHER 5 minutes. And it drives me nuts.

* the receptionist seems to think that her periods/bowel movements/digestion problems are OF INTEREST to me or are somehow relevant to my life. So, on an all too regular basis, she says, for example, "I'm going to loo, I've got a running stomach". Yay, I really need to know this, WHY?? Guhh! Do I even need to say that it drives me nuts?

* the receptionist, in every other way, is SO IRRITATING! Everything about her is just so irritating! Her high-heel shoes, the way she walks in her high-heel shoes (her feet/ankles kinda go \ \ wtf?), the way she yaks on the phone all day, the way she pronounces things, the way she gets 'he/she/her/his' mixed up, the way she says she's going to the bathroom, but then goes and makes her lunch while away from her desk (and I'm standing in for her)... etc etc etc etc etc. I'm tired of this woman now. And she's started humming/singing. Do I even need to...?

Hbbm... just by being my boss, sadly, is annoying. In a non-boss way he's harmless really, an old fuddy-duddy with quirks like the best of them. But, as a boss:

* he sits on the edge of my desk when he wants to dictate stuff at my computer, and I get the EEKS every time because I have visions of the desk breaking and me ending up with both legs broken... being rushed to hospital.

* when he dictates stuff at my desk, either he leans (see above) or he pulls up a chair to sit next to me at my computer (on either side of me) and he leans across my personal space. Don't get me wrong and think it's invading my space as in a sexual-harrassment type thing, it's just, plain old 'too close'. You know that trapezoidal shape area in front of you at the computer: your left hand has access to your mug/book/notepad/pencil/whatever, your right hand has access to the mouse/telephone. He comes and plonks himself down, and shifts things... unconsciously just pushes the phone out of *his* way so he can lean better... or he leans across between my mouse and me. Or he leans over and I feel paranoid and grossed out that he's breathing over my mug of tea. JESUSFUC....... It just DRIVES ME FUCKING BONKERS I JUST WISH I COULD STAND UP AND YELL AT HIM. Seriously, DON'T MOVE SHIT ON OTHER PEOPLE'S DESKS!!! Specially not IN THEIR PERSONAL SPACE!

* when he's dictating stuff and I'm sitting at his computer, he leans across to look at the screen to see what I've typed/what he's dictated... and he breathes. Ok it's not like, breathing all over me, but his face is maybe 1 foot away from my head and I get whiffs of tea-breath/toothpaste-breath/JUST BREATH, not stinky, but just breath... and he ums and ahs and dictates/edits... I just ... I just cannot wait until I don't have to deal with it anymore. "Um... ahh... um... no take that out... *points at screen* just put in there 'xyz blahdiblahdibla'..." fuss fuss fuss gahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

There are other things about that place which I'm tired of (such as being at a constant 4C all day, every day, regardless of season/weather/building-being-on-fire/etc), but I can at least console myself with the knowledge that in just over a month's time (I have to give a month's notice), IT WON'T MATTER ANYMORE IN THE SLIGHTEST!

On that happy note, I shall sign off this blogpost, and go sleep and dream happy dreams. Happy dreams. Happy, tickets-booked dreams!

* Hbbm is my 'boss', the 2 directors are the Bosses. I am employed by them, and I work for Hbbm.