People at work

Exercise – Choose a picture of people at work. Write a story about the person or people in the picture (sorry I couldn't insert the picture but hopefully you will get the idea).

 

This meeting is going on forever. We have gone over the budget figures time and again and they still don’t add up.  I’ll just take a moment to look through this file again while the others talk amongst themselves.  I’m sure we have included all costs for the yearly forecast but perhaps there is something we have missed.

John, my boss, has come in to lend a fresh pair of eyes, so he says. He has had nothing to do with collating this information and only gave us very broad guidelines on what he wanted to be included. We have all had to use our contacts in other parts of the business to gather information.

It’s been a very stressful few weeks with all of us working lots of late nights. So much for our work life balance the company goes on about.

The others are continuing to chip in with answers as he questions each part of the budget. They are also certain there is nothing missing.

Mmmm, I can see staffing costs have stayed about the same which doesn’t seem quite right as I'm sure there is an additional cost that should have been included this year. 

Well would you look at that, there is no allowance for the reward and recognition program. It’s new in the costs and it seems every one of us has missed it had not been included.

I could sit her for a while and watch them chase their tails, they earn much more than I do. I could see if they can really earn that money. No that would be nasty and not good team work.

“Wow” I exclaim I think I have found it. Everyone looks eagerly at me for the answer which I point out without any hesitation, as I know I am right. Everyone checks the figures again and sure enough the missing amount has been found.  When we look at it again it's as plain as the nose on your face but isn't that always the way.

At last the meeting come to a relieved close and we can all go to lunch. Yay!!

Another go

It's been a long time between posts and it also could be long time before the next one. It will depend on my motivation levels and my urge to write.

I have been considering how I could practice my writing where others could perhaps get some enjoyment or laughs from my efforts and thought renewing my blog would be a good place to start. So I suppose this renewal is my way of putting silly stories, be they fact or fiction out there and I hope some people will get some enjoyment out of them and hopefully give some feedback using the comments option.

Here's the first effort inspired by something I saw on my way to work one morning.

The Crows

The sentry stood atop the ledge overlooking the box lying on the grass below. It was important the others could be warned if there was a threat in the area.

The box was clear and the contents could seen easily by the group however the problem was how to open the box so the contents could be shared. After an initial inspection and a little prodding from at least two of them they could not work out how to open the box. 

The first combatant approached again, picked up the box threw it so it landed upside down in the hope the bottom of the box may be am easier way to open it. Still no solution the box stayed firmly shut.

The second party had a go, working away at the sides of the box in the hope of levering it open. After three or four goes they all moved back realising another approach was needed.

The third party who had been watching these attempts stepped up and as the others took a step back he flipped the box back over, perched on top of it then started poking and prodding at the top with all his might.

The top of the box slowly started to crack. The poking and  prodding increased in speed and intensity. Finally he made it through. Just a small hole to begin with but with more poking the hole grew larger until finally he was able to reach the contents.  

The others in the group stood back to let him enjoy the spoils first. The one that had been keeping watch flew down to join the others. After the first one had finished the others took their turn in eating the sushi roll. A just reward for their efforts.

Following their feast the crows gathered and flew off to find more spoils.

I was just looking at one of those 'prove you're not a robot' passwordy things and it struck me there are some weird things we do that could make people wonder what we were all about back at the turn of the century. 

Not sure about anyone else but with those password things I try to make words out of them.  Some combinations can be very funny and I wonder what someone in the future might think about their use. 

amfrght - am a fright
drsienmv - dress in mauve

Another thing to think about is watching a video of someone playing a Wii with no sound and not being able to see what they are following. It would look like they were challenged in some way.

Mmm food for thought.

The question

As I have said before I am happily single and divorced for almost ten years now.  My gorgeous daughter calls the day her Father and I separated 'Independence Day'.  She tells me it's the day I really started to come into my own and have grown significantly since then. 

Being separated and divorced certainly has some challenges but that's no different to anyone else. My husband and I parted on reasonably amicable terms although it was a decision that was taken out of my hands a long time ago. I will not go into all the details but lets say I chose to never do anything I would not be proud of in the future. But just sometimes something comes out of left field that can be a challenge I did not expect.

There have been family celebrations that have posed some problems but my children are very supportive and we manage to work around most things.  However on the weekend I was posed the question from my lovely granddaughter "Where's your husband Nana?" I replied "I don't have a husband Soph".  Then only as a four year old with a very enquiring mind (and who is also a wedding-a-holic)asked "Why" 

Now she as is four and I am definitely not going to go into a lot of detail. I can't really remember what either her Mum or I said but we fudged over it a bit with a little bit of an explanation that Nana used to be married to Poppy. I am not going to denigrate her much loved Poppy or get into any discussion about his partner.  I know as she gets older the question will come again and I want to be ready and the older she gets the more details she will want.  But I don't know what to say. 

Could it be something like: Sometimes when people get married they don't quite fit together right and so they decide it's better to just be friends and not live together.  

It's one I will have to dwell on for a while. It was such an innocent question however on reflection has upset and hurt me much more than I thought.

It's a bit like a game of chess

Some could consider watching politicians and their antics to be a little on the weird side but over the last few weeks with Federal and State politics in overdrive it's worth keeping an eye on.

Over the last few weeks the argy bargy of Federal politics with Julia and Kevin and the will he won't he looks like a smoke screen to me. 

From my point of view the Labor party are hanging Julia out to dry until after the next election and then she will have to fall on her sword and low and behold one of the faceless (or not so faceless) men will be there to take over the reins and rally the support of the numerous factions in the party.  My bet is Bill Shorten and Simon Crean have their eye on the job but both had better watch out for Greg Combay in the wings. 

As long as the Liberals say as little as possible at the next election they will walk into power. The public will like for a little bit then the pendulum will swing the other way and the public will dislike them, there will be more leadership battles (this time on the other side of politics). The public will vote and off we go again.

Very tactical; the whole thing just like a game of chess.

Please explain?

I'm sure you have noticed my posts are becoming a bit spasmodic. It's that work thing that keeps wearing me out and by the time I get home and prepare some dinner etc. etc. etc. I'm a tad tired. Keep tuning in from time to time as I'll be sure to put some more rantings out into the blogosphere.

Today I have been driven to distraction with crappy driving syndrome.  I am sure this is a beef for many people but today it was driving me crazy.  I'm not a hoon but I like to travel on the speed limit where possible.  Can some one please explain why the driver you get stuck behind on a stretch of 80km per hour road can only manage to travel at 60 - 70 kms but when they get to a 50 or 60 zone they all of a sudden think it's ok to travel 10km over the speed limit?  Perhaps their foot is stuck on a 70km speed setting.

Why does the crappy 70km driver always sit steadfastly in the right hand lane just keeping pace with the twit travelling at the same speed in the left lane. ARRRGH!!!

Also please explain why drivers with red P plates seem to figure as a disproportionately higher number of drivers practising creative driving on our roads.  Like the driver today that turned right from a left turn only lane.

And the two second gap which I try to keep between me and the car in front is just enough for 'Mr I've got to get there faster than you' to cut in front of me.  Oh to have a car with a big foam bumper like the traffic response utes.

As you can probably tell I was a bit over it today and I'm sure you can tell driving is not my favourite thing. Some days I have flights of fancy that everyone will be nice on the drive to the bus stop.  Mmmm I could catch the bus all the way in but the trip is so long my bum would be numb and by the time I arrived and I'd could be stuck on the bus. Not a pleasant thought.  So if you feel the need to drive slowly in the right lane or cut into that two second gap, think twice because I might be in that car behind you and just have taken possession of my new car with the big foam bumper.

It's a great day

Yes I'm full of 'positive' today.

There was no alarm to wake me and I'm looking forward to spending the day with friends and family celebrating Australia Day sharing roast lamb with all the trimmings, pavlova and chocolate ripple log.  Not a day to think about the diet.

I'm unashamedly a proud Aussie and to me today is a real holiday. One to kick back and relax, create new memories and enjoy the lovely country we live in and share it with the people I love the most. I look around me and am grateful for all I have and the opportunities I have been given and worked hard to achieve.

I think this is part of the revive I am looking for. Now I'm off to celebrate.

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE. OI, OI, OI.