Who's On-Line Now?

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Bingham Cup Here I Come

Sorry for the lack of postings recently but things have been busy here. I've been working nights, had an interview for a reception position within my company (Monday - Friday days only, yay), and a telephone interview today for a company who replied to my Gumtree advert. I have the option of a second interview on the latter and have already arranged a second interview for the former (they called before I even got home).
I have also been busy preparing for my trip to Manchester for the Bingham Cup. I leave tomorrow afternoon and I really think it is going to be a fantastic long weekend, even if I don't get laid.
I've been asked to help manage the second team, meaning that I will be chasing them up to get them to the coaches on time etc. I should help me get to know the members of the team better, so it's all good. What I am NOT looking forward to is that I have to, as some point, perform a 1 minute "thing." I hate this sort of thing, and it took me ages to think of anything that I can do, but, in the end, I've decided to do this speech:

It's from the original British Queer as Folk which was, of course, based in Manchester (so topical). Wish me luck.
I'll give you all the gossip (well some of it, "what goes on tour stays on tour" and all).

Monday 21 May 2012

Another Good Day

I've managed to have yet another good day today, who'da thunk it eh?
I started by getting up early (for a day off) and went into the West End for some retail therapy.
I purchased myself a lovely new top in Zara, a pair of jeans in Blue Inc and got some comics in Forbidden Planet.
I've had a few more Friends Requests accepted on Facebook (122 now, was on 75 before Christmas! And I actually know them all [well almost]), including 2 women (severely under-represented on my friends list).
I went to the gym in the afternoon and managed to beat my personal best for a 3km run on the treadmill, beating it by 26 seconds. This was followed by a good arms workout.
Grocery shopping after the gym, meant buying myself some yogurty-moussey treats that I love.
This evening I went to Fleet Street to hand over some Lotto money to a former work colleague (and friend) and chatted with two others that I also used to work with.
On the way back I popped into the 2 Brewers and provisionally reserved an area in there for my birthday celebration on the 22nd June (the day after my actual birthday, but it's a Friday so more likely to get people there), though I may change it to the Saturday, depending on feedback I get from friends. Some more groceries on the way home, from a different shop to earlier.

When I got in I had a good think about a job that I had been made aware of this morning. Following on from the conversation I had with the trainer at my course on Saturday, I emailed the recruitment manager she had told me about and asked about positions. She emailed back with details of a Front of House Reception job almost immediately. I've had a good think all day about it and, after speaking / messaging a couple of people, decided to go for it. Here is what I had to weight up:

Positives:
Monday - Friday, 9 hours a day with no night shifts.
No further to travel, just in a slightly different direction.
It is Soho adjacent.
It is a similar job to that of a team I worked closely with at my previous job.
It is customer service orientated, which is what I have always done.

Negatives:
It is slightly less money that I am meant to be earning on the shifts they promised me when I started at my current site (and considerably less than I am actually earning with all the extra shifts I'm having to do).
It is still working for the same employer, who do not seem to care for their employees, just contracted to a different site.

So not really that much to think about when you look at it. I will get my weekends; not have my sleep pattern mucked up by nights shifts, still have enough money to get by, and be close to Soho for an improved social life. It still isn't the ideal job in itself, but then again how many people get to do their ideal job?

All in all a good (borderline great) day, and, to top it off, I have worked out that there are only 10 more sleeps until BINGHAM!!!!

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Gym Arsehole

I went to the gym this afternoon. Was hoping to take my mind off things, as I usually manage to do while I am there. After my run, just 2km today, I went to the cable machine and started crucifix curls and dumbbell curls in a split set. As I was doing my first set of dumbbell curls a guy came along and started using one side of the cables that I was using. When he finished his first set I asked if he minded alternating. Unfortunately he did. Apparently his work out was more important than mine. I gave up and told him not to bother I'd finish my set when he'd finished, I carried on with the next set I was going to do.
He then started to have a go at me: "This is what I really hate, guys like you hogging all the equipment." I explained that I wasn't hogging it, I had asked to share and I was only using 1 machine and a set of dumbbells and that it wasn't my fault that there wasn't enough equipment in the gym for him. He wasn't having any of it and carried on.
It totally ruined my mood for the rest of my work out, which I cut short. As I left I got a message from Humberto telling me he was too sick to go out for a drink tonight after all. So, another night in for me, just for a fucking change. What is the point of finally getting some days off if I don't have anyone to spend time with?
I tell you, I better have a fucking fantastic time at the Bingham Cup, because it is the only thing that I have to look forward to at the moment. I've even given up on thinking of things to do for my 40th birthday next month, as I can't see it being much of a success. I know I had about 15 people at my drinks last year, but I really wanted to do something different this year. Maybe I'll be surprised and someone will suggest something interesting, but at the moment no one had taken any interest or given me any suggestions for what I could do.
Am really thankful though to Thain, who seems to be the only person to regularly check up on me lately. And, to be honest, I don't even know him that well. Bless him.