A while coming

Ok - so for the past month I have kept thinking I should update my blog, but I always put it off for a couple of reasons. Apart from just being lazy, I couldn't get any photos off my camera (we've somehow deleted the software off the computer that allows it to recognise my camera as a drive - that's still not fixed either) plus I wanted to have good news to put up on it. I.e. I wanted to be able to say something like 'Yay, I signed the paperwork for a new job today". However yesterday made me realise that if I wait for that then I will never update my blog *sigh*.

So on my last day at IP I was sortof offered a new job. In Australia your word isn't law, so you don't legally have an offer until it is in writing. But Ange was all hopefully and happy with that job offer, until yesterday morning. I emailed my contact on Wednesday to follow up progress on getting the job offer signed off (State Govt so it takes a while). I got a call yesterday morning stating that the offer was stalled on the managing directors desk along with a bunch of other ones. Sounds like a lot of explaining is having to be done as they must be short of money *sigh*. So although I haven't been turned down yet, they have no idea when any progress will be made. So I could be waiting for ages really :-( This is not helped by the fact that the state elections were called about the time they said they wanted to hire me. Stink! So pretty much everything goes into holding pattern until after the elections.

So yesterday was a pretty bad day - I was fairly gutted as I'm sure you can understand. For the first time in my life I am unemployed (excluding the 3 weeks after I quit my job in NZ, moved to Aussie and got a job here). It's such an awful feeling! Fortunately Paul's income is enough to keep us above water else things would be pretty awful indeed. And it definitely does not help knowing that so many others are in either the same or worse positions. To me that just shows how much competition there is for jobs at the moment!

Actually my little grumble for this entry (it wouldn't be a blog entry without a grumble would it) is about employers who are taking advantage of the current climate of fear. Everyone is so worried about losing their jobs at the moment and so many companies are using that. I seriously don't understand how a company thinks that having terrified employees is going to benefit them. It's quite sick really! I don't know what it's like in NZ, but over here there are so many stories about CEO's and management getting big fat pay rises while at the same time sacking large numbers of employees. How on earth can they sleep at night! It really makes me sick! I guess that's why I'm a Labour voter and will never be a National voter (may John Key's term be a short one!!). I think the measure of a person is how they help those less fortunate than themselves!

Anyway - this has been a big long rant really. I bet you're all glad that I haven't updated my blog more now ;-) ha ha :-) I have too much time on my hands to think.

I got the following in an email from a work mate this morning. It is very cute :-)

In Victoria the temperature has been above 44 degrees all week and they are forecasting another week of 40+ temperatures. Power is failing, trains have stopped running because tracks are buckling under the heat. It’s just scorching. And it seems that the people are not the only ones suffering. Check out these photos of a little Koala which just walked onto a back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. The woman filled up a bucket for it and this is what happened!

Go the blackcaps!

Well well well! Wasn't it AWESOME how the blackcaps won the cricket yesterday :-) Wahoo! There is nothing better than beating the Aussies at, well ... anything really :-) I missed most of the game as I was filling out a selection criteria statement for a job application due today (they like you to fill out 3-4 page applications on top of your cv here - sigh). But I did get to watch the last 4 overs which were very exciting! I also watched bits and pieces throughout the day whenever I heard shouting coming from the lounge - Paul got a bit excited whenever (a) we got one of the Aussies out (b) the Aussies were cheating or (c) the Kiwis did something awesome

Well - better get back to it. Job applications won't write themselves unfortunately!

The ups and downs of it all

Well I've had a few people kindly tell me to update my blog recently, so here it is. Do you want to hear all my excuses for not updating it in ages? Go on, I know you all do ;-) te he. Nah, I won't put you through that as pretty much they are just excuses. Well, mostly anyway!

I often used to update my blog when I first got to work. I'd get in around 7:30am, eat breakfast, update my blog and read the news websites before I officially started work. Well this year I decided to turn over a new leaf and be more productive at work. So that started with starting work as soon as I got in each day. The great upside of all that was I got to go home heaps earlier each day! If I started work immediately and only take a 15 - 30 min lunch break, then I could catch the 3:54pm or 4:28pm train home! Yay, that's early as :-)

But as most of you should now know from facebook, I am soon to join the lines of the unemployed! Yes folks - the credit crunch has bitten me! Pretty much my work lost a major contract on Monday, and those of us who weren't on projects got made redundant! I finished a year long project just before Christmas, so me, my project manager and another developer were the first to go :-( But I'm staying positive and have decided that fate has stepped in to help me move onto bigger and better things :-)

I have my notice period to work out, which was 4 weeks, so I have 3 weeks of that left. IP was also good and have offered 4 weeks severance pay (minus the week I owe for the leave in advance I took for the wedding). So I'm sure I shall find something in that time. However a few prayers (for the religious amongst you) and good intentions (for the not so religious) won't go astray and would be very appreciated :-)

Ok - really gotta go and apply for a few more jobs now and do some work (if any comes up). I promise that I'll update this a bit more often from now on. If you're really lucky I may even post a photo or 2 of me with my "new" haircut. Yes Tanz, that's right, I chopped it all off again - YAY :-) Ha ha.

Right - going now, honestly!

Have a great day!!!

Missing Candle Cups from wedding - help please

Ok - this is a quick posting to ask you all a quick question.

We've just found out that amongst a few missing (assumed broken) beer & wine glasses at the wedding, apparently there was also 1 missing water jug and 15 missing candle cups! They were the little glass bowls that held the tealights on the tables

I thought that maybe some people thought that we'd bought these and therefore we wouldn't mind if a few went missing. The replacement cost is almost $200 so if anyone know where some of these are then we would really appreciate it if we could get them back. Any info on these then that would be really great.

Cheers guys :-)

More photos

I was chatting to my friend Ana on google talk tonight and she sent me a pic of me with her and and Carl from the wedding. So I thought I'd put it up on my blog so everyone can see it :-)

Paul and I are looking forward to a "lazy" weekend. Lazy meaning no guests and not going away anywhere. We do however have to get some last minute shopping done (well I do - Paul is all done). So we're off to Chermside shopping centre first thing tomorrow. Sunday might just be a day at home I think :-) *sigh* how nice!I'm looking forward to relaxing and reading my book on the deck!

Fly fly away home ...

Well tonight mum is back off home to London. It has been really great having her around for the past week or so. I'm really going to miss her! I think Paul will be glad to not have us gas bagging to each other 24/7 though :-)

We put up the Christmas tree last night. It looks so pretty :-) I took some pics so I'll try to put them up. But that won't happen until after mum goes :-)

I have some extra wedding pics that Mary Brown sent us too. I love wedding pictures - yay! Can't wait to we get the official ones and then I can put them on the walls, make thank you cards etc. Exciting :-)

Right - gotta do some work. Between writing this and chatting to Gina on skype I'm not getting a lot of work done. Te he :-)