Amazing Adventures in Week 33 2009

[Philip Ayres]

More of the same

[Dave]

I've been in a much better mood of late, probably because I've been managing to get stuff done. Quite tired at the moment but feeling fine.

[The Doctor]

I have scored a small victory. Already had the coming Friday and Monday booked off for AA, but I have managed to snag the Thursday and Tuesday off too. This leaves Thursday morning now free for job searching/apps as I was conceerned about being away from computer for job sites for 4 days and my work schedule is very busy Monday-Wed, and Tuesday to recover from AA as I won't get home until around 11pm on the Monday!

-Ralph

[blueshift]

I am getting stupidly excited about Auto Assembly, I've not been to any sort of TF con since 2002 (Christ, I feel old!)

So far I will be taking the Beast Wars card game, and some MAGICAL SURPRISE PRIZES for Toy Fu. Yes Ralph, he wanted them! :v

[The Doctor]

I weep for him!

-Ralph

[Dezzeh]

Off to Sweden on Thursday, last day of work today, ah the release a nice relaxing holiday will hopefully bring.
If it makes you feel better, I havent been to anything TF related since about '02 either

[Dave]

Had a message from my ex this morning wishing me a "Happy Dump Day!" which, however you interpret, is a strange thing to be celebrating. But then we're odd like that.

Having a bit of a tidy up today. The shredding pile has become a mountain!

[The Doctor]

That's another couple of job apps done.

As some of you will know, working in a temp contract becomes rather stressful near the end. Now imagine if your temp job involves specifically engaging with unemployed people. When you yourself will be unemployed very soon. And possibly sitting beside them at sign-on times at the local Job Centre. I find it impossible to switch off from my imminent situation and just get on with the working day when everything I do reminds me I'm a few weeks away from the dole. It's exhausting.

Very much looking forward to weekend away at AA to blow off steam and pack my worries in a box for a few days.

-Ralph

[blueshift]

I hated temp working so much.

And then I had two firm job offers in the space of a few weeks. You'll sort yourself out Ralph. You have something at the moment at least, thats more than a lot of people!

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I hope the experience / references / c.v. enhancement / goodwill generated by this temp job will leave you in a better position than you were before you took it, Ralph.

Martin

[The Doctor]

I'm not hopeful. The 100+ unsuccessful applications over the preceeding 11 months unemployment haunt me greatly.

Bring on the weekend and endless talk of robots!

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Aug 11, 2009 16:54:39 GMT The Doctor said:

...imagine if your temp job involves specifically engaging with unemployed people. When you yourself will be unemployed very soon. And possibly sitting beside them at sign-on times at the local Job Centre. I find it impossible to switch off from my imminent situation and just get on with the working day when everything I do reminds me I'm a few weeks away from the dole.... -Ralph

I think that's what they call a 'Mind Fcuk'....

[Shockprowl]

Aug 11, 2009 10:26:20 GMT Dave said:

Had a message from my ex this morning wishing me a "Happy Dump Day!"

How strange! Do you stay in touch with your ex? If it was a message out of the blue- very odd! She doesn't carry a torch still for you does she? She doesn't ache for Dave's Love Well doese she?

[Shockprowl]

Hello Sports Fans! Just finished a run of shifts, verked last nightum. Very dull shift (but s'pose that's good in a way!). Slept this AM, then took Piglets for a walk where she built a 'house for a rabit' out of sticks and cut grass. Then, my new arrival, Movie Voyager Blackout, apparently got stuck in a hole/mud and Bod the Builder's Bisheans had to rescue him! The rescue partic' involved Travis, Muck and a length of 'rope' (string). Blackout wasn't impressed, he wasn't allowed to transform or owt!

[Andy Turnbull]

Been for a run, been a slow week, finger is still severely hampering the drawing though. Right pain in the arse and no mistake.

Andy

[legios]

My week appears to have been improving as it goes at the moment. I actually feel like I have been achieving a few things, and I have managed to get the reorganisation of my living room bedded in a bit.

Discovered that I appear to have lost broadcast television at some point though. I suspect it is to do with the cables, which will mean pulling it all apart and testing them. That can wait though - I have enough stuff for the watching of in the way of DVD' that I'm not going to worry too much for a few days.

Yeah, temporary contracts are not nice when they are coming to an end. I remember being on a weekly contract where I never knew whether I was going to be employed the next week until the Friday beforehand. Not great for the frame of mind. But, Ralph, in a few days there will be japery, banter and much super-robot-lifeform nonsense to be enjoyed.
(I'm looking forward to it immensely myself).

Karl

[Shockprowl]

Weekly contract? WEEKLY CONTRACT?!?! Now that's a Mind Fcuk.

[Hero]

Back in town and stuff RULES.

===KEN

[legios]

It is fairly common in temp jobs. They just engage you for a week at a time so that if the situation changes and they no longer require your services, or you aren't working out to well they can be rid of you fairly easily.

Heck, my first temp job consisted of six days at one or two days a week randomly over five weeks. Usually at about seventeen hours notice.

Karl

[Dave]

Didn't get much sleep last night and woke up about 5:30 this morning but I'm curiously wide awake.

Aug 11, 2009 18:50:26 GMT Shockprowl said:

How strange! Do you stay in touch with your ex? If it was a message out of the blue- very odd! She doesn't carry a torch still for you does she? She doesn't ache for Dave's Love Well doese she?

We stay in touch and even meet up now and again but it's all very friendy. She seems more than happy with my replacement.

In other news, yesterdays tidying up extended to the roof where among the boxes of crap I found my old brick Game Boy. Hurrah! Much as I love my SP101 you can't beat playing the original games in green and black. Like nature intended... or something.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Tomorrow 12.30pm on Radio 4, repeated on Sunday at 21.00:

Face the facts: Jobcentre Plus - Not Working

At a time of record unemployment, more and more people are visiting the Jobcentre Plus. There are now over one and a half million people claiming Jobseekers Allowance, and nearly twice as many people sign on at one of 747 jobcentres across the UK than since the start of the recession.

This where the new jobless meet their Personal Advisor, who is there to help them find a job and assess whether or not they are entitled to benefits. It is a key service in helping tackle unemployment. But there is concern that advisors are not able to deliver the personalised and professional service promised by the government because they are so badly stretched.

John Waite asks whether the tough targets imposed on Personal Advisors mean they don't have time to help jobseekers look for work, only administer benefits. This is despite assurances from the Jobcentre Plus that there are jobs out there - it boasts that an average of 10,000 new vacancies are advertised in its offices every day.

John examines claims that Personal Advisors are under-resourced, under-trained, under pressure and unprepared for the demands of this growing unemployment crisis, and asks how they can provide the personal and professional service that is promised, and so desperately needed, during the recession.

There was a 3-and-a-half-minute item on it on the Today programme this morning at 7.16am, which you can listen to here.

Sounds like they are supposed to be recruiting more staff.

Martin

[chrisl]

This week really sucks - had to have Doobie-Mo (one of our hamsters) put down last night

[The Doctor]

"it boasts that an average of 10,000 new vacancies are advertised in its offices every day"

Utter bollocks, and that's my professional opinion.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Aug 12, 2009 9:20:58 GMT chrisl said:

This week really sucks - had to have Doobie-Mo (one of our hamsters) put down last night

That's a damn shame. Sorry to hear that.

-Ralph

[karla]

Aug 12, 2009 9:20:58 GMT chrisl said:

This week really sucks - had to have Doobie-Mo (one of our hamsters) put down last night

oh no hamsters are great, I had one with giant biceps when I was younger. They also eat spiders.

Well my hand is getting there, though the operation yesterday was the most painful thing i've ever experienced.
And I got my money from the insurance company for my written off car too ^^ it's going straight to my "onedayi'lldoadegree" fund

[blueshift]

Thats good to hear Karla! Did you decide if you were going to Auto Assembly in the end?


Also at work I realised why I quit the field of HR. Recruitment is horrid, but since everyone else is off / ill I have to deal with it.

[The Doctor]

Nightmare day at work. Glad it is over. Now on my first paid leave for over 2 years. Tomorrow morning I shall do the 2 outstanding job apps I haven't done yet, then go for a wonder in the afternoon. In the evening I shall pack for AA.

Tonight, some Doctor Who watching I think.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Sorry 'bout your hamster, Chris.

Glad hand is getting there, K.

Just been to Karate. We've (Me, my brother, my chumb and my ma and pa) have started doing a sesh on a wednessday, which I can usually get to (normal training night is friday, when I'm almost always verking). Freakin' knackered- but feelin' grovy!

Off to fight Movie voyager Megatron against Movie voyager Prime. They are nice, those people at Science Fiction Collectables, arent' they? Got my Megs to me the next day. 'Tis was the first one I'd found available in this country for less than the cost of Piglet! Oh happy days!

[kayevcee]

I'm so tired.

Since I've had the audacity to actually take a holiday during my holiday entitlement I've been at work with only one day off since last Monday (which I spent running around grabbing Toy-fu things). The past three days have been a marathon of work, preparation and box-humphing. Got five hours sleep last night. So tired.

Two permanent staff on holiday at TRU this week and a third off sick. All in my department. So I'm frequently left to cover the entire shop floor on my own. Could have done without it.

My dad is a lovely man, he really is, but sometimes when he gets down in the dumps all he seems to want to do is make everyone around him as miserable as he is. He had a horrendous day at work today so when he got home he started having a go at me, about how Toy-fu was a stupid idea and I don't know what I'm doing and his mate who's a haulier has never heard of the mob I've hired to move my stock down and they're not going to show up and since I've got no other option he'll gladly take my stock out the back and set it on fire if the van doesn't show tomorrow. Yes. Tomorrow. He chooses THE NIGHT BEFORE to come out with all this. Well thank you very fucking much for the fucking support, dad.

I've got 400 price tags to write out and illustrations to finish and right now I can't bear to look at the bloody things.

I'm so tired.

-Nick

[Andy Turnbull]

Poor show from your Dad there Nick. I am sure he'll regret what he said later, but it doesn't excuse it.

Chin up lad. It should all be done soon!

Andy