I am not sure if it is one of you clever computer boffins who is playing games with my secular work systems – I don’t know what to say…
…except I ought to say that this does not seem like much fun any more.
Short Circuit
Tag Archives: work
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Did I say that I wished to have an easy transition back to the pace of the big choky smoke? They do say you should be careful what you wish for – don’t they?
In case it was someone who read my post and took me literally, I should say that I hope you did not deliberately cause havoc on my behalf. That would be very bad.
It turns out there are some advantages of a heatwave!
Nobody’s Doing The Loco Motion
I was looking for a Pexels image of a train…and I found this one – and although this is not at all a true portrayal of the typical commuter’s journey to the office – I just thought it was a gorgeous picture.
Why am I talking about trains? If you live in the UK, you probably know why. But I am not really talking about trains…more about what this week means for all those who really find it frustrating that senior managers want their staff back in the office. A wonderful excuse to work from home – whoop whoop!!
Basically…it seems pretty obvious that there are many people who want to work from home (and I know that is not everyone). I want to work from home. My colleagues clearly want to work from home. A day in the office is a day of misery – that is clear. Yet senior managers want to keep their staff miserable.
During a time when people are worried about the cost of living – having to lose time and money to travelling to work….when everyone now knows how easy it is to work from home….well, it is just frustrating.
There are some noggins who will say we need people to commute to help the economy – especially the micro economies that revolve around office complexes. But…well…I am one of those annoying commuters who makes their own lunch, makes their own coffee at home and is perfectly capable of looking after all of her own laundry.
Not to mention pollution – working from home – seems sensible in view of what all this travelling around is doing to the air.
Anyway…I still have to go into the office…because I can…because I do not need to catch the train – there are other routes in. But I am envious of my colleagues who have no options except the train (or a catching around seven buses which would take half the day!) and are able to work from home this week.
Working Girl Footwear
When I was a kiddo, I remember my Dad liking a film with Melanie Griffiths and Harrison Ford called “Working Girl“. One of the memories of that film that has stuck with me for many years is the footwear of the women on their commute to work, which of course they change when they reach the office.
The first ten years of my paid employment was in offices, and back then I was too vain or self-conscious to wear comfy shoes on the half-hour walk to work. No, for some crazy reason, I wore my uncomfortable office shoes – silly hey!!!
Nowadays, I am much practical and sensible (well, I like to think so!) and so I wear my comfy trainers on the way to work, and then change into something smarter when I reach the office.
But this whole footwear aspect of my day has brought back to my mind the memory of the film “Working Girl“, and I think that is why so often on my way to work a song floods my mind and I start singing…
Monday Musts
I have a list of tasks that I MUST do before next weekend. I am gong to be out of the house for long hours Tuesday – Friday, which means I only have Monday – today! – to squeeze them in.
I am working from home on Monday, but if I start early, and have a longer lunch break, it should be enough time to run into town and sort out my errands.
Do you ever have the feeling on a Monday morning of “why can’t I just stay in bed and rest and read those books I bought two years ago and have not had time to look at?”
Ring-A-Ding-Ding
Very quiet alarm bells are ringing. A slightly concerning situation may be on the verge of developing. I cannot worry…I sort of expected that it may occur at some point, and really up to now I have escaped lightly.
After over three months in my current job, one of my colleagues finally commented on my engagement ring last week. I don’t really mind that nobody else has enquired. For reasons that many of you will know and understand a lot better than my new colleagues would, it is an advantage to my peace and security to keep a low profile and remain discreet about my personal life.
I answered some of the questions that the colleague who noticed my ring asked me. I am careful about what I will share and what I won’t share. But then another colleague who I work more closely with overheard and very kindly wished me congratulations.
I sort of wanted to put a lid on the situation. I explained I had been engaged for over eighteen months, and it is old news really. I understand that there are normal politely curious questions, and I need to answer them in a way I am comfortable with.
I just hope that the lid stays on. I am not ready to talk to just anyone in the office about my personal life. There is one young man who sniggers every time he asks me about my “charity” work. I have already decided I don’t want to share a single iota of my life outside work with him because he is undeserving. There are others who seem genuinely friendly, and perhaps in time I will feel comfortable enough with them to share a little more of my life.
One thing that frightens me, other than one lady who like me has a very basic non-smart phone, everyone else seems to have electronic devices at their finger tips and they seem to use these social media platforms I am so wary of. So…I will be very very cautious about what I share.
On Your Marks…Get Set…Go!!!
Jack came down last night…I am blessed. We have a lot to pack in this weekend…and he is insisting that the priority for him is actioning what my GP recommended yesterday. Yes, Jack is taking me to hospital.
It is downright inconvenient…and both of us have prepared work we can take along with us because it is very likely a trip to hospital will cost most of the day.
It is going to be a long old weekend…and there is so much to do. On your marks…get set…go!!!
Could I Have That In Writing Please?
Is it just me – or is it becoming more difficult to communicate through written means? I don’t have any issues with writing….but I seem to find others having difficulty understanding.
There could be so many reasons for that, and I appreciate that if somebody finds reading challenging, then a lengthy email might dismay them.
But recently, I have found repeated occasions when somebody has either misread, misunderstood or reacted badly. I sent a very polite and warm email to somebody who worked for a different company asking them to provide some information we needed. The reaction I received was slightly frightening. Maybe that person was just having a bad day.
Hmm…
I guess the challenge for me is that the reading and writing are my preferred method of communicating. I find it easier to make sure the information I convey is accurate. Likewise, I find it much easier to read as a means to learning. Sometimes, when people say something to me, it does not make any sense. If I can read it…I can compensate for any language difficulties.
Hmm…
Times have changed. Half of internal communications seem to be made up of emojis and gifs. I think there is a lot less effort put into written forms of communication – and although there may be some valid reasons for that change – I am actually finding it quite challenging.
I Don’t Want To Be A Pie…I Don’t Like Gravy
Can I tell you something? OK….so when I started this job, the contract was a little odd. They gave me a contract with an end date of just six weeks after I started. But that six weeks came and went and nobody said anything.
But today, during the course of conversation, it was mentioned that my first three months are up next week. That was never something mentioned in my written contract, but I understand that at the three months point. technically, they could say to me “thanks, but no thanks”…or I could say to them “thanks, but no thanks”.
And here is the thing…when I heard that today…my heart leapt. How worrying is that? I know, it’s not great.
But recently I have been feeling like a chicken in a battery farm, being told to lay a 100 eggs a day or else!
And if you are wondering about the title of this post – go and watch “Chicken Run”. It will explain a lot about how I have been feeling.
But Where Am I Really?
I might be chained to a desk, staring at a screen, number-crunching, pen-pushing…you know the drill…but what would they think if they had any idea where I really was….where I really am…where I really will be tomorrow!
There is no situation, no matter how dire, that can take me away from where I really am, and where I intend to be forever!
Caramel 