Sunday, July 30, 2006

My week was...

... Not all that bad, actually!

Monday and Tuesday went along without much of a hitch. Went to work, did my work, and went home knowing I had managed to help 99% of the people that was sent to my extention. The remaining had to get an error report created, so there was really nothing I could have done for them. Not for lack of trying, though, but there comes a time in any conversation with a customer where you have to throw the towel in and admit defeat!

Wednesday was much the same, but this day, I got to do a whole lot more wheeling and dealing as I was famous for on retailers. It started when I decided to order myself a new cellphone from our online store. I've been drooling over this model since the producers (SonyEricsson) presented it last winter. It wasn't available until recently, though. I've been looking, drooling and counting my money. Then, on Wednesday, I caved in and ordered it! Talked with one of my TeamLeaders, and he asked me to find stuff out for him. Prices etc. Yep, he be wanting that model himself! At the end of the day, I had secured a deal for him too, he'll be getting their demo model at a lower cost, when the guy currently playing with it, was done. No saying when that would be, but TL didn't care, He was happy!

In true form to myself, I emailed one of my contacts at the webshop, telling him that I had ordered said model, and that he was free to mail it out ASAP. His reply was something like this... 'Hey you! No order in yet, slow systems today. But it's you, and I will do!' He mailed it out the same day! Friday I held the phone in my hands! I did check one minute before going home, though. And at that time my order was in the system. My contact had sent the phone out for mailing three hours before that!

Thursday, my brain continued on it's path to total meltdown. I swear, my brain is melting and coming out of my ears! Good thing I didn't have any plans for that day, other than sitting on my ass bugging Kiri on AIM. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!

Friday, I had planned on taking my mother out shopping for groceries. We had to put it off for Saturday, when my best friend called and needed someone to keep her company. She was high on morphine after surgery, her boyfriend was at work and she didn't want to be alone, just in case something happened and she needed help. SURGERY????? I never heard of any surgery?

Turns out, this is something she had decided a year ago. And also decided not to tell me about, as she was afraid I'd spend the entire year trying to talk her out of it. She went and got herself a boob-job! Okay, I knew she was unhappy with her lack of boobs. She actually had quite nice boobs up until she was 25, then she dropped in weight rapidly and lost her boobs, they never came back. So, on the one hand I understand her and only wish she had gone with saline implants, on the other hand... She could have gotten mine for free! She haven't gone overboard, though. She went for a sensible size, as she wasn't looking to get BIG-UN'S, just to firm up what little was left from the jailbreak her boobs had made some 15 years ago.

She's my best friend, and I love her dearly. So I will not berate her, not any more than I already did when I was screeching at her on the phone, 'you did what?????'

And yesterday, Thunder! was heard overhead! And I don't mean in the sense that AC/DC suddenly showed up to hold an impromptu concert just for me (one can only wish), kinda thunder, but the rumblings of our good ol' pal TOR!. It was a mostly dry thunder, though. As we got all of three raindrops. But the noise was kept up for about three hours. The lack of rain, however, made it a little anti-climactic for me. The air didn't clear up as much as it should have. It's cooler today, but not by much. Me thinks there will be more thunder, but there's no knowing when. It's less humid, but it's still humidness enough to make your brain melt... Or in my case, keep on melting!

I stopped by Kiri's blog, she haven't posted the entire week, well, neither have I, but she usually post several times a week, sometimes, a couple of times a day. Guess she's been swamped since her 'Partner in Crime' JGA quit over at Swirling Toilet Productions. I really loved the name he came up with to describe their workplace.

Also I stopped by my friend Icey's blog. At least she's updated with a couple of musings. Interesting reading material, so I commented on the last one. Especially since it was something that I, too, have an interest in.

Hmmm, that was quite a bit of name-dropping, wasn't it? I'll get you one more! If you haven't seen this (no, not mine!) blog before, and you'd really like a good snicker... Go to check out 'Go Fug Yourself'! It's not here on blogspot, but it's a funny place to visit when you're in a funk. I sent Kiri there, she spent the rest of her day going back in to get some more snickering in...

That's it for me, for now. Peace out!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Mmmm... Silence!... Or the joys of replacement ADSL modems!

I didn't mention this, my last post here. But I have been having some trouble with my ADSL modem. An old Thomson thing. It started whistling to me a couple of weeks ago, for no reason whatsoever, or so I thought.

I spoke to the lady in charge of sending out replacement modems at work, on Monday, and she told me that she was sending out more replacements, than new subscriber-modems, lately. Turns out, the old modems have a weakness that will show up after a couple of years. 'It's not really whistling', she said. 'You're actually hearing the electrical current going through it!' Oh, okay... Am I supposed to hear this? 'Nope! Come over to my desk later and I'll get you a new one!'

She then told me a funny story of one error message she'd received from ADSL customer service (she doesn't talk to the customers, she's only sending out the modems). A man had called in and told the guy at customer service that his modem was whistling, a very high pitch whistling that he could barely hear. Seeing as he could barely hear it, it was no big deal for him... But his dog was going apeshit!

That's the pitch of the sound, almost un-hearable (if that's a word) to the human ear... But boy, can the dogs ever hear it?

We have a rule when logging error messages both at Mobile/Cell and at ADSL. We take down what the customers say, word for word! You should see how some of those error messages look, or maybe not. *Sheesh* Some of the guys even take down the swearing, word for word. Others, like me just adds a little < Insert string of profanities here > thingie. Error messages usually makes for some funny reading too, especially when it's the customer who's not really understanding the most basic elements of their cell-phones or computers/modems/routers. It's entertainment, is what it is. That's why we have the (un-official) rule to take everything down, word for word!

So now, my new ADSL modem being in place (I had it replaced early Tuesday morning), and it's blissfully silent in the hallway, again. So much so, that when I came home from work on Tuesday, my mother was waiting for me. She had a pretty worried look on her face, and went; 'The whistling noise stopped! Is something wrong? I didn't touch anything, I swear!' Naw mom, I replaced the modem before I went to work, didn't you notice the size difference? 'Nope, I never paid much attention to what was there in the first place!' Oh well. I'm pleased, and she's happy it's quiet again.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Aaahhh, Sweet Relief... Almost!

So, did we get any rain this weekend? Yeahsureyoubetcha! No thunder, unfortunately, but we got some heavy rain. It started early Sunday morning, just as I was borderline awake. Needless to say, I fell right back to sleep. I always go into a deeper sleep when the weather is bad. Don't know why, even if I'm already asleep when it starts, I just go into a coma-like state. Waking me, is almost impossible!

When I finally managed to crack my eyes open (two or three hours later), I donned a big tee and shorts, and ran straight out onto the balcony. Yes, I danced! Said I would, didn't I? Hard, heavy rain. The rain itself felt cool, but the air was still hot and humid. This was nothing more than a momentary relief, lasted for as long as I could stay outside in it.

Today, the sun is back, the air is still humid as heck... And I'm still eagerly anticipating rain. More rain, that is. Thunder is a must! Without a good thunderstorm, the air will stay humid and my brain will keep on melting! Hardly anything left in there as it is, still, I've got to save what little remains of it!

I can only hope that Kiri's weekend was less humid than mine.

I'll be working three full days this week. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Not today, due to having had a doctor's appointment. My Dr is doubtful that I should stay in this job, she's not the only one! But I do need to remain employed if I'm to get my starters loan so I can get an apartment. We'll just have to wait and see.

The new shift plan is a joke. No one that I have spoken to at work, are happy with them. They do not allow for a life outside of work, and that, my friends, is just plain wrong. They don't pay us nearly enough to expect us to embrace this newfangled plan of theirs. 'It works wonderfully in Sweden!' Is what they tell us, it's a flexi-time type of workplan. Flexible? Where? There is no room for flexibility! There is no room for a life outside of work, at all! If you're unfortunate enough to have a significant other and/or kids, you'll bankrupt yourself paying for babysitters, as kindergarten closes at a set time... Trouble is, you're still at work and have to stay there for another few hours. Your significant other, will see even less of you than usual, might put a strain on relationships, is my opinion. I do not live, breathe and bleed my workplace. Not really. As I said, they don't pay us enough to demand that sort of commitment. I am committed to do the best job that I can, however, but that's within reasonable workhours. I still haven't received mine, as I'm not working 100% yet. My teamleader needs to do a little math on the hours, to make sure I'm not there longer than I'm allowed. When I do get it, I'll post it here, so you can see for yourself!

Friday, July 07, 2006

Eagerly Awaiting Rain...

... And preferably, thunder!

It's too damned hot to form a coherent thought, not to mention saying it or even typing it.

It's been hot and humid for the last couple of weeks, now. It was so bad, Sunday night, I couldn't sleep at all. Needless to say, I was anything but coherent at work on Monday. Monday night, my mother fed me one of her sleeping pills...

... I don't remember getting out of bed to start the coffee machine, I don't remember turning my alarm clock off and I sure as Hades doesn't remember turning my cellphone alarm off. Yep, I overslept! I got in to work an hour late, my Teamleader took one look at me, and said; 'No phones for you today!'

I spent all day Tuesday in a daze. Oversleeping is bad enough, throws me completely off track. Add to that, the lingering effects of the sleeping pill... I'm not much for medicated sleep. Non-prescription painkillers are enough to make me drowsy. A trip to the dentist, with work done... I'll sleep for a couple of hours due to the tranqs. I don't do well with medications, I usually opt to stay away from them. But there is no way my dentist gets anywhere close to me with the drill without a shot of novocain!

Weather has been a little easier today, windy, even. I'm not complaining, though. I like it! Might see some rain during the night or tomorrow, one can only hope! I plan to get out on the balcony and dance in it, if I'm awake for it! Too much wind for thunder, though. I'd love a good, loud thunderstorm about now. Makes the air all clean and fresh and smelling really good.

Yes. I have been wearing my new sneakers, and let me tell ya, they're even nicer to wear, than what they look. And they do look good, Kiri said so! She'll be hunting for a pair like them, herself. I'm not buying them for her, here... Postage to send them to her would be too painful on my wallet!

Four weeks to go, until vacation time again... Three weeks, this time. I can hardly wait! Should probably try to plan something, but the heat and humidity has melted most of my brain!

Later 'Gator!