- Two days before Christmas is a shitty time to announce staff changes, even if it means I can finally apply for my own job and maybe actually get a permanent job again.
- In any scenario where people should be considering the comfort and wellbeing of others it won't happen either at all or to the level that it should.
- The forecast for Christmas Day is 40°C. If it gets to 40.1°C it will be the hottest Christmas in Adelaide since 1945.
- Christmas is at my house this year (more on that later).
- Adulting is no fun.
And I'll be honest, more than a few of those fucked up factors revolve around the fact that at the beginning of the week we were headed squarely into heatwave territory. For the record, here in Adelaide a heatwave is "5 consecutive days at or above 35°C (95°F), or 3 consecutive days at or over 40°C (104°F)". At this point it doesn't really look like we're going to get to that... today is only supposed to be 35, not 40, and Monday the cool change is supposed to come in during the wee small hours and knock the temperature down to 28. But Christmas Day is going to be all the hot.
That wouldn't be quite as much of a trauma if Ma was in possession of a full set of working arms. But now we're going to ditch the trip to La Cousina's, I'm going to go pick her up as early as I can get my shit organised in the morning, we're going to come back here, cook everything in my giant oven and enjoy the air-conditioning. Then, depending on whether or not the change comes through at a reasonable time Christmas night or not, I'll either drive her home that night, or I'm now the owner of an inflatable mattress that is larger than my actual mattress, and I'll sleep on that in the lounge while she takes my bed.
It also means that my fridge is literally crammed full of not only my own stuff, but stuff for tomorrow.
Having to give a shit is hard. I see why people often don't.
And so that I could avoid going to any stores on Christmas Eve, and since the shops were open until midnight on Thursday and Friday, I went off to Kmart on Thursday night to get the blow up mattress. Just being at the shops after they should have been closed (if only by about 15 minutes) was weird... but the fact that it was mostly deserted was also strange... and the fact that the people that were there were exactly the kinds of people you would expect to see at Kmart, after hours, just before Christmas. And we won't even talk about the fact that seemingly all the staff were about 12 years old. But it was a "successful" trip.
Also, as I mentioned, the big boss announced the changes to the way The Nut House is structured this week... well, the final edition of the changes... we've been trying to fight the initial proposed changes, which were done by a thundering (external to the organisation) moron at a point when we had no more fucks left to give. In the back of my mind I kind of always knew that they wouldn't back down from that plan, if only because they got someone external to do it and, I'm guessing, paid way more money than it was worth to have it done. So to not use it would be acknowledging that they wasted not only everyone's time, but the money as well.
The one positive is that my position, which I essentially created from the ground up, is going to be advertised, at the level I wanted it to be set at. The main downside from my perspective is that I've never seen the job and person spec and I have no idea what the hell it says... even though I'm the only one who has ever done that job. But I guess I'll see it in January some time when it gets advertised. So by this time next month I could actually have a grown-up big-boy job that is mine.
Granted that comes with it's own set of headfucks, but hopefully it's more in the plus than minus column.
The other fucked up thing about it, and the main reason we've been fighting it as much as we have, is that they've given La Ninj the flick... to some degree I actually understand it, but on the other it seems like a really stupid thing to do after she's just shepherded us through 2 and a half major projects which have been widely acclaimed by the powers that be... yes, that's exactly the person you should be getting rid of, you thundering morons.
Otherwise work was about average to be honest... we had one day where one of our systems just packed up on us for no reason anybody has been able to explain, and while I wasn't directly involved in getting it back on it's feet, it did mean that I did some ancillary running around and couldn't do anything with that system the whole day.
I'm so glad that I'm having the next 10 days off to be honest... I'm just exhausted... mentally, emotionally, physically... and I just need to recharge my batteries and attempt to not think about work at all if I can help it.
On the up side though, H-San and I did do duelling Christmas music a couple of times this week... of course his idea of Christmas music is always something heavy metal inspired, but it was fun while it lasted anyway.
Oh, I just remembered... last Sunday was The Nut House Christmas Party (that's how long this week has seemed to be, I forgot that was only last Sunday)... it was a good time, my Rocky Roads (one milk chocolate, one dark chocolate) were greatly appreciated, especially as I made people take some home with them so that I didn't have to deal with the leftovers. I also think I may just make it in those disposable foil trays from now on. Easy to get out and makes a good thick product.
I spent a good portion of the time talking to Owlgirl... we haven't caught up like that properly for ages, and most of the other people I see on a daily basis, so I can talk to them any time. As always we massively over-catered... given that there were a number of full sized salads, plus about 4 or 5 different types of meat, plus a potato bake and a noodle dish, plus breads... and then there were four different kinds of dessert... nobody went hungry and we left H-San and Mrs San with a LOT of leftovers. Also, as a tip to myself for next time, just wear shorts ya idjit!
Now, if you'll excuse me for a little bit, I need to go over to the shops and grab some lunch and a couple of things I forgot to get this morning.
Okay, it hasn't gotten any less crazed out there... and it's quite a bit hotter.
Now where was I...
To be honest, I think that brings us around to this morning... which is actually kind of a short story...
The supermarket was opening at 7am rather than 7:30, so I was determined to get there for 7... and I did... but after going across to Bakers Delight and then coming back, it seemed like there were about 100 people that just materialised out of the walls, especially at the deli counter.
And while I understand wanting to shop early when it's going to be hot... and I understand food shopping is probably the last thing on a very long list of things that some of these people had to do... what I don't understand is how, what I assume are, relatively competent people on a day to day basis, can completely and totally forget how to supermarket just because it's Christmas tomorrow. It's like every time there's a public holiday Monday and everyone ceases to function as a person at the supermarket. I just don't get it.
Anyway, I braved the insanity very calmly all things considered, especially how over it I am with a great many other things, and was finished before 8am, which is only a record from the time on the clock perspective, not from the length of time I was in the store.
Of course I forgot some things... which always happens... but I got them all when I went to get my lunch earlier.
Then when I got back here I had to completely clear out the freezer and the fridge just so that I could get everything that I'd bought put away (I have too many fucking jars in the fridge though to be honest... which is just annoying). From there I tidied up, and was intending to vacuum the floor, which I'll probably do later on because I just can't be arsed right now.
I have also completely thrown the idea of having a Christmas haircut in the 'too hard' basket this year... Tink is still away (although given the text message I got yesterday, now back in the country) and the place I went last time was just a bit m'eh... plus it's mostly passable, and I'm not seeing anyone other than Ma, so who really gives a fuck.
Oh, and I got both of the parcels I was waiting for this week too... the one that caused all the drama last Saturday, and I picked up the neon rainbow light on Friday after work (I'm going to leave it and open it tomorrow though, because it makes more sense that way).
And then I need to wrap Ma's presents some time this afternoon... but that can wait until later as well.
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