Wednesday, January 31, 2007
11 days to go (oh and 4 weeks too!)
Well what a day - one that I'll certainly never forget!!
Having woken up this morning at 4:45am, I travelled down to Watford on what turned out to be a wild goose chase. I spent less time in the office than it took me to get down there!! Anyway, one confrontation later and I felt I was left with no alternative than to submit my resignation. So I wrote my letter, came home and printed it out, and handed it to my boss! So that's it. My 4 weeks notice, then it's good night Vienna!
Not that I'd recommend such drastic measures to a minor work related problem, but apart from a small headache, I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! If only I could get rid of this damned cold though - I can't stop drinking today! I feel like I'm keeping Lucozade in business! It's nice to help British industry (ok, some bright spark is going to tell me that Lucozade isn't a British company!).
So, what do I do now?? Well, first of all I'm going to have a good nights sleep. After that I'm going to start updating my CV, then look for a job. I guess I need to properly consider if I'm in the right career. I hope its just that I've got stuck in a rut and have fallen into the wrong job for me. Just a change of scenary should help. Well in 4 weeks time, I'll find out.......
Having woken up this morning at 4:45am, I travelled down to Watford on what turned out to be a wild goose chase. I spent less time in the office than it took me to get down there!! Anyway, one confrontation later and I felt I was left with no alternative than to submit my resignation. So I wrote my letter, came home and printed it out, and handed it to my boss! So that's it. My 4 weeks notice, then it's good night Vienna!
Not that I'd recommend such drastic measures to a minor work related problem, but apart from a small headache, I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! If only I could get rid of this damned cold though - I can't stop drinking today! I feel like I'm keeping Lucozade in business! It's nice to help British industry (ok, some bright spark is going to tell me that Lucozade isn't a British company!).
So, what do I do now?? Well, first of all I'm going to have a good nights sleep. After that I'm going to start updating my CV, then look for a job. I guess I need to properly consider if I'm in the right career. I hope its just that I've got stuck in a rut and have fallen into the wrong job for me. Just a change of scenary should help. Well in 4 weeks time, I'll find out.......
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
12 days to go!
Oh no -12 days to go until I'm 30! It's the end of the world!! I don't want to be 30. That's middle-aged. People talk about 40 being the big age to hit, over-the-hill and all that, but 30 is worse. I'll no longer be young. No longer able to go on an 18-30's holiday (not that I've ever had an urge to before). Being in your 20's sounds young, being in your 30's makes you sound like you should be married with a couple of kids. I'm still a kid myself!! And who'd be mad enough to marry me??
Mind you, I'm starting to feel the effects of getting older. The body isn't how it used to be. Ok, so that's probably down to being so unfit and overweight. It's a vicious circle! I don’t seem to have time to do anything other than eat. And I find myself snacking in between meals, as much out of boredom than anything. I need to do something about it, and find the motivation as well. Just finding the time is not enough.
Which leads on to work..............
Another popular theme in my blogs, and it’s going to rear its head again in today’s! I’ve never had a job where I love it so much one minute, then hate it the next. In all honesty I’d say its around 15% love, 80% hate, with a 5% in there for toilet and drink breaks! I don’t like how when things go wrong, it seems to be my fault all the time, but when things go well it seems to be down to my boss’s intervention. I’m still sick of being pulled in two directions and not knowing where my loyalties are supposed to be. I long for a new challenge – and preferably one in Mansfield. This job was meant to be everything I was dreaming of, but it’s turned out to be worse than what I’ve had before. More crap to deal with. More mind-numbingly boring reconciliations to do. Nothing exciting. And I never get the feeling I am achieving anything. I get watched over 9 hours a day, 5 days a week – my every move scrutinised and criticised. Today I even said that such close supervision was counter-productive because it makes me nervous and start to make mistakes, which defeats the objects – the supervision is supposed to be to make sure I’m not making mistakes. Another vicious circle!!
So, with a new opportunity coming up on the horizon, I guess I should take it with both hands. In fact, with each day that passes, it seems like a no-brainer. I’ve got to prove to the world, and more importantly to myself, that I can move up to the next level. It’s not going to be easy, but just think of the rewards! Still, in the back of my mind will be a niggling thought that I’m being somewhat disloyal. I seem to get driven further away with each passing day at work, but once I go, I will feel upset that I’ve walked away from a job before I’ve finished – and that’s not something I’ll look back on with a feeling of satisfaction – far from it.
Nige's "Final Thought"........
At the end of the day though, in 12 days time I’m going to be 30, like it or not. I’ve got to do what is best for me and me alone. I’m sure I’ll make the right choices in life. If there is one thing I have learnt it’s that you can’t live your life trying not to upset people, because at the end of the day you can’t please all of the people all of the time!
Mind you, I'm starting to feel the effects of getting older. The body isn't how it used to be. Ok, so that's probably down to being so unfit and overweight. It's a vicious circle! I don’t seem to have time to do anything other than eat. And I find myself snacking in between meals, as much out of boredom than anything. I need to do something about it, and find the motivation as well. Just finding the time is not enough.
Which leads on to work..............
Another popular theme in my blogs, and it’s going to rear its head again in today’s! I’ve never had a job where I love it so much one minute, then hate it the next. In all honesty I’d say its around 15% love, 80% hate, with a 5% in there for toilet and drink breaks! I don’t like how when things go wrong, it seems to be my fault all the time, but when things go well it seems to be down to my boss’s intervention. I’m still sick of being pulled in two directions and not knowing where my loyalties are supposed to be. I long for a new challenge – and preferably one in Mansfield. This job was meant to be everything I was dreaming of, but it’s turned out to be worse than what I’ve had before. More crap to deal with. More mind-numbingly boring reconciliations to do. Nothing exciting. And I never get the feeling I am achieving anything. I get watched over 9 hours a day, 5 days a week – my every move scrutinised and criticised. Today I even said that such close supervision was counter-productive because it makes me nervous and start to make mistakes, which defeats the objects – the supervision is supposed to be to make sure I’m not making mistakes. Another vicious circle!!
So, with a new opportunity coming up on the horizon, I guess I should take it with both hands. In fact, with each day that passes, it seems like a no-brainer. I’ve got to prove to the world, and more importantly to myself, that I can move up to the next level. It’s not going to be easy, but just think of the rewards! Still, in the back of my mind will be a niggling thought that I’m being somewhat disloyal. I seem to get driven further away with each passing day at work, but once I go, I will feel upset that I’ve walked away from a job before I’ve finished – and that’s not something I’ll look back on with a feeling of satisfaction – far from it.
Nige's "Final Thought"........
At the end of the day though, in 12 days time I’m going to be 30, like it or not. I’ve got to do what is best for me and me alone. I’m sure I’ll make the right choices in life. If there is one thing I have learnt it’s that you can’t live your life trying not to upset people, because at the end of the day you can’t please all of the people all of the time!
Monday, January 22, 2007
It's been a while, but I'm back!!
Well, it’s been a long time since my last blog. What can I say – I’ve been busy!!
So, you’d think I’d have lots to tell you. Well no actually – I’ve forgotten most of it!! But I’ll have a little think:
Christmas – It came and went! Had a few presents, eat too much, beat the family in the annual board game battle (except at Monopoly, but I suspect a serious amount of collusion was occurring!)
New Year – I kind of missed that, as I stayed at home watching an old episode of Inspector Morse. You can’t beat the classics! I really am not a big fan of New Year. Ok, I’ll rephrase that – I’m not a big fan of going out on New Year’s Eve and having to queue everywhere, pay twice as much for drinks, pay to get in the dirtiest pubs which you wouldn’t be seen dead in any other time, not to mention that it is so damned busy!! So it’s not my favourite time of year!
Work – Got better, but now getting worse again. I was really starting to enjoy it, but since Christmas it’s gone down hill. My first week back was a nightmare, and I actually told a colleague that had it have been a five day week, I would have quit on the Friday, it was that bad!
I really don’t need all this stress and the crap I seem to put up with. Without speaking ill of anyone, I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place! I’m getting pulled in two directions and neither side are relenting! They don’t realise it’s driving me away! If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m a couple of months away from being in a cash-positive position (ie no debt!), then I’d quit and have some time off. I’ll wait for the summer for that – that way I’ll have more time to get fit and to play golf too! Anyway, in the mean time, fingers crossed it gets better, or I’ll be getting an ulcer!!
Prague – A typical weekend of drunken debauchery, even from yours truly it would seem! Why do such sweet and innocent young people (like me), end up coming back from Prague as drunken louts!! Ok, so I’ve maybe not come back as a lout, but still, there were moments!
I’ve not drunk alcohol in years – combination of reasons – I can’t stand the taste for one, it makes me ill (just as important) and I couldn’t face the hangovers either!!
However, on Friday night I succumbed to the lure of a glass of wine!! I managed half, felt a bit dicky and had an upset stomach the rest of the weekend. That’s not the worst of it. On the Saturday night, I decided to switch from the usual orange juice, to Red Bull. Big mistake. After five of those, I was as high as a kite. I remember dancing in the streets at 5am, laughing uncontrollably at a stripper trying to do her “act” and generally acting like a typical drunk Brit abroad (I was even telling people to shush when we got back to the hostel at 5am!!). I think I’m still high now.
Still, overall, it was a fantastic weekend with some great friends. I really enjoyed myself and forgot about all my “troubles” at home. We must do it again soon!!
But for now it’s back to the grind of work. Perhaps drinking Red Bull during the day is the answer??
Until the next time…..
So, you’d think I’d have lots to tell you. Well no actually – I’ve forgotten most of it!! But I’ll have a little think:
Christmas – It came and went! Had a few presents, eat too much, beat the family in the annual board game battle (except at Monopoly, but I suspect a serious amount of collusion was occurring!)
New Year – I kind of missed that, as I stayed at home watching an old episode of Inspector Morse. You can’t beat the classics! I really am not a big fan of New Year. Ok, I’ll rephrase that – I’m not a big fan of going out on New Year’s Eve and having to queue everywhere, pay twice as much for drinks, pay to get in the dirtiest pubs which you wouldn’t be seen dead in any other time, not to mention that it is so damned busy!! So it’s not my favourite time of year!
Work – Got better, but now getting worse again. I was really starting to enjoy it, but since Christmas it’s gone down hill. My first week back was a nightmare, and I actually told a colleague that had it have been a five day week, I would have quit on the Friday, it was that bad!
I really don’t need all this stress and the crap I seem to put up with. Without speaking ill of anyone, I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place! I’m getting pulled in two directions and neither side are relenting! They don’t realise it’s driving me away! If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m a couple of months away from being in a cash-positive position (ie no debt!), then I’d quit and have some time off. I’ll wait for the summer for that – that way I’ll have more time to get fit and to play golf too! Anyway, in the mean time, fingers crossed it gets better, or I’ll be getting an ulcer!!
Prague – A typical weekend of drunken debauchery, even from yours truly it would seem! Why do such sweet and innocent young people (like me), end up coming back from Prague as drunken louts!! Ok, so I’ve maybe not come back as a lout, but still, there were moments!
I’ve not drunk alcohol in years – combination of reasons – I can’t stand the taste for one, it makes me ill (just as important) and I couldn’t face the hangovers either!!
However, on Friday night I succumbed to the lure of a glass of wine!! I managed half, felt a bit dicky and had an upset stomach the rest of the weekend. That’s not the worst of it. On the Saturday night, I decided to switch from the usual orange juice, to Red Bull. Big mistake. After five of those, I was as high as a kite. I remember dancing in the streets at 5am, laughing uncontrollably at a stripper trying to do her “act” and generally acting like a typical drunk Brit abroad (I was even telling people to shush when we got back to the hostel at 5am!!). I think I’m still high now.
Still, overall, it was a fantastic weekend with some great friends. I really enjoyed myself and forgot about all my “troubles” at home. We must do it again soon!!
But for now it’s back to the grind of work. Perhaps drinking Red Bull during the day is the answer??
Until the next time…..
