Vitamin C

You know, no one told me that with a wisdom tooth operation, or anything to do with gums, you must dose yourself up with vitamin C, as your body craves it to heal. Funny that! I've been suffering a bit recently with fatigue and a very sore back (apparently a big sign). For something so common sense, it was beyond me.

Anyway, close to finishing up at my current job. I have to say, I'm please as my manager is really pressing my buttons. Maybe this is just because I'm starting to lose my ability to suffer fools. Today she was in town and apparently I was ignoring her? Although she did not approach me about it, I discovered through my colleague that this was her feeling. Now, you see, it's kinda hard to sit and chat whilst you are doing all the friggin' jobs she lined up for me from her blackberry on her way from the airport! Honestly, someone's a bit paranoid. This is beside the fact that I've been nursing a migraine and sore back, so I was a bit fatigued and not interested in making small talk with someone, who I admit, I have come to not like too much. Perhaps lack of respect has something to do with it.

Only a couple of days until we move out of the house and let the floor sander in to do his thing. Will be back online probably Friday - if I can be stuffed. I'll upload some photos incase anyone cares.

Have uploaded some more photos to my flickr page, just retarded renovation pics. Nothing special.

I'll leave you with that, because I'm a boring snot and I have nothing interesting to say.

Weekend in Review...

This will be brief, so shall bullet point things for easy reading:

• We pulled the kitchen out. Or, should I say, Glen pulled it on and I smashed the shit out of everything - it was faster!
• We found a geriatric tap underneath the kitchen bench island section - just sitting there, minding its own business except for one very crucial details - it was still connected to our main water service! Yay for us! Off to Bunnings to tie it off and 'dig a hole' through the lovely pine boards to push it underneath the house.
• Ripped out the pantry. Lots of nails and icky bits. Glen got up in the roof to have another look at where things landed etc. Joys.
• Now we have a very large hole in our roof covered over with a very large flattened carboard packing box! Ingenius.
• The loungeroom, hallways and our bedroom are now devoid of carpet. It's very minimalist indeed!
• The garage, very full of furniture, carpet and building materials!
• The dog very tired after two days in a row of 'friends' over, as our friend came over to nail three rooms full of floorboard nails into the floor! Hrm!
• Two very stressed out cats - Zeus is more stressed. Hopefully he's week-retreat will help. I dunno.

Left to do:

• One said computer room! Argh!
• Removal of furniture from the house
• Lifting the lovely brown linoleum from the kitchen and then remove the nails
• Pulling the carpet up and removing staples and hammering more nails!
• Sweeping and vaccuuming the entire house! Argh!
• Sleep
• Eat
• Relax
• Relax
• Don't panic
• Don't stress
• And oh yeh, take the dog and two cats to thei animal retreat for the week. Grr. Am hoping Zeus doesn't have another attack. Poor little man. The change is too much for him, so I'm panicking about him being in a foreign environment with different smells and potentially other cats.

Anyway, time to hit the road so I can get to work. Haven't been to work in almost a week - it was such a bloody struggle to get out of bed this morning.

Aella Bella

Aella Bella, originally uploaded by Sams76.

I met this little girl tonight.

SO. IN. LOVE!

I also met her litter sister, who is the runt of the litter and is struggling to live. She's so tiny and has enlarged kidneys. :( So tiny and sweet. The breeder is hoping she pulls through, but won't be letting go of her, keeping her until August to make sure she lives. Poor little mite.

Little Aella snuggled and cuddled all over me tonight. She was so content and gooey! I can't believe how tiny she was!

Anyway, enough gooey stuff. Off to bed with me!

Lips like the Sahara...

What gives? I've got the worst chapped lips ever since having this op! I've been applying the lip balm religiously, but I am still suffering! Whhhhy?

In other news, this man has lived a life of controversy. I guess he comes from a long line of controversial clan members.

Did I mention how dry my hands have become? Hrmph!

My bottom jaw has swollen up more since last night. I think my top jaw is quite fine. Momentous moment today - I craved real food! So, I made myself a ham sandwich and although it took me 30 minutes to consume, it was fabulous! Hopefully tomorrow when I see the specialist, he'll tell me I am tracking along fine. More than anything, I just want these dumb stitches to go away. They feel so weird and at times, it feels like they are tickling the back of my throat. Paranoia, probably.

Anyone got any stories to tell me now about this stage of wisdom tooth extraction? Hrm??

Everyone's got a story...

Since news broke of my wisdom teeth extraction, everyone has told me their stories. Whether they were bad or good, someone else's story or their own, I seem to have heard it!

This has extended from my manager and her manager, my colleagues and future colleagues. This has even extended to the nurse at the theatre yesterday morning and to the man whom I have been conversing with on email to book our cottage next weekend (another story to come). Apparently his son has recently undergone the surgery and because of that, he's happy for us to give him the money when we get there! *laugh*

I guess my point is that when you tell people about your woes, they cut you some slack and often, it brings out the nicest in people! I'm not complaining and I guess I could milk it for all it's worth, but what if I wasn't suffering from wisdom teeth separation anxiety and I was lying? People are so trusting when you share a mutual thing in common, I guess that's how you describe it?

Anyway, so we've booked a cottage next weekend out in Cockatoo, just outside of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges. We've decided that even though we're staying with a friend whilst the floorboards in our house are being sanded, we'll take the weekend to relax and get away. This also means boarding the animals etc. No mean feat and not a small cost! I'm just looking forward to getting away with Glen - as we haven't had a 'holiday' together for over a year, I think? Hrm. So much has happened.

In other news, Glen's family sent me some money today for my birthday. What was a bit shocking was they sent it through the post. Now, the gesture itself wasn't shocking, but the mere fact that the national mail/postage authority isn't known for its ability to leave mail untouched if money is in it! Its employees aren't known for their honesty - well, that's my experience! I'd be curious to hear about others' experience in this area.

Tonight, my gums and mouth are swollen and I'm revelling in it. NOT!

I had scrambled eggs tonight, with some ham. It was tasty, but took me so long to get through it. It sucks when you can't chew things! So, I was basically tasting it and swallowing it whole - probably not the best thing to do. Go Metamucil!! Anyway, my diet has significantly reduced since this saga and to be honest, I'm curious about whether that means I've lost some weight? I'm curious...

The nights seem to hit me hardest with my mouth. Ok, so tonight is the second night and last night, I was probably still dribbling - when I woke up this morning, I had been dribbling in my sleep! *laugh* Very attractive. Anyway, tonight I was surveying the surgeon's work and realised I had some packing in the molar beside the bottom left wisdom tooth (now removed) and I was curious as to why there was packing in the molar next to it? Plus, most of my teeth beside where the wisdom teeth were, now feel like they are encrusted with cement. It's rough and I hate it. I'm fastidious about clean, smooth teeth! I can't help myself!! Plus, i can feel the stitches poking out and there's like huge gaps between the sides of my mouth and where my molars now start. It's such a strange feeling, like there's too many teeth missing and how will I possibly be able to masticate my food with that little amount of teeth? Honestly.

Finally, today my manager spoke to me, but via email, as I cannot talk still. However, my manager has been told of my resignation and although disappointed, she said she didn't blame me for my decision. The mere fact that our initial presence in the organisation is no longer a focus, lead me to make my decision to get out. This is coupled with her ability to micro manage everything (but I didn't tell her that!). Anyway, so I have made my peace with all of that and as of 10 June, I shall be unemployed for a sum total of 3 days - it coincides with the June long weekend and then I begin my new job! Woooot!

Although very happy to be leaving, I feel sorry for my colleague who I have learnt, is being loaded up with my work, plus additional work based on new projects being developed. They aren't long term projects, but when she is hired as something more than admin, it's a bit rough when she's being asked to do all the crud admin work. Not that I am saying that there's anything wrong with admin, because that's my core role currently. But if she's being paid to do something else and has absolutely NO experience in admin, you'd think that you've asked the wrong person, right? I feel for her. What's more stunning is my manager doesn't seem to realise that my colleague is equally unhappy in her role, as I was.

Yes, I know. I've been updating more in the last two days, than I have in the last two weeks - I blame too much time on my hands and too much time to think, navel gaze and ponder! And I'm wondering where the hell this mouth pain is meant to be? So far, it's just a need to teethe and an avoiding of chewing! Irony.

I now go log off to feel sorry for myself. Hrumph!

Not Happy Jan...

Hurty, originally uploaded by Sams76.

Ok, so here I am in all my glory.

My work colleague has already had a laugh at my expense, so why not the greater blogger community? come on! I dare ya!

You are allowed to laugh, because I don't feel too bad. Apart from a little 'teething' sensation, I feel pretty good. It just looks worse than it is. The bunny rabbit ears are holding my saviour - my ice pack! It has helped keep the swelling down.

I am due to see the surgeon on Friday for a post-surgery appointment. I'm hoping that before then, I can eat some chewy stuff! Right now, I am afraid to chew on them as I don't want to get food caught up in the gums and stitches. Plus, I'm to scared to hurt myself for food!

Operation: Wisdom Teeth Removal...

Coincidently, this is my 200th post.

I said I would write about my teeth removal on Tuesday, so here I am. I barely slept a wink on Monday night and I think poor Glen was starting to get a bit edgy too. I felt terrible for him, because I guess I had made my peace with the entire procedure, whereas he was left waiting for me.

I woke up at 6am on Tuesday morning, hopped into the shower and brushed my teeth. I could feel myself already dehydrating because I wasn't allowed to have any water or food from midnight the night before. We drove to the hospital and arrived too early, so sat in the car before heading inside. The foyer was completely empty, in fact, the receptionist hadn't even arrived for the day. We eventually signed in and wandered over to the day surgery rooms. The nurses were all very nice and Glen was made to leave (I nearly cried!) so that I could get changed and wait for the anaethesiologist. I sat out in the foyer in my blue gown, white robe and lovely blue slippers. I felt the picture of loveliness!!

I met the anaesthetist who was friendly, but abrupt and going through the motions. He informed me of the chances of a reaction etc, but in fact, there are no real threats to your body or person. I mean, not once did anyone say that there'd be cause for death or whatever. This was my fear. Anyway, I sat back in the waiting room before a nurse came in and asked me the same set of questions that everyone else had asked me! However, the kicker for me was that she had had her wisdom teeth out last year with the same surgeon I was seeing and she had nothing but good things to say about him. I felt more relieved. Again, I sat in the waiting room before she came to get me and we walked through to a very draughty, cold room where the surgeon, anaesthetist and a bunch of nurses were standing around joking. But the crux was, I wasn't expected! So, I was sent back to the waiting room to wait. AGAIN.

When they finally brought me in, I was nervous, but just keen to get it over with. I saw it as my opportunity to face something hard, something that I could have easily chickened out of and walked out on. But I am glad I faced that fear.

So, I jumped up onto the operating table and they fluffed around with the arm holds on the side of the table. Then I had the anaesthetist fluffing around with my bung in my left hand, trying to get a vein to pop. He was whinging about how difficult it was to get a vein and how odd it was to see veins going across the hand, rather than up and down. Hrm. Ok, so I have odd veins! Anyway, they got the bung in, they introduced me to the oxygen, which smelt funny and then he was administering the general and before I knew it, I was off to sleep.

The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery, numb mouth, itchy throat and I felt like my lips and tongue had been bashed til I was black and blue, though I couldn't see anything. The nurse came over and poured me a cup of apple juice and asked me how I was. I said I was fine because I was and drank some apple juice. Ten minutes later, she came over to pull out my bung, but I was trying to signal to her that I was feeling queasy and although she knew something was wrong, couldn't help me fast enough and I promptly threw up on the blankets and possibly her! *laugh* She gave me a vomit cup to continue the process and she changed my sheets and helped me get my shirt on. I was given a litre of fluids intravenously before I regained my colour and dignity! I was sent out into the main area again on the recliner chairs and before I sat down, Glen was coming in to get me.

Let me tell you, ice cream from hospital is awesome!! :)

It was good to get home and I spent most of yesterday sleeping and resting. I'm missing real food, basically living on Sustagen, jelly, ice cream and soup. The good thing is, there's no blood in my mouth, so that means that my gums are healing nicely and I've hardly felt any pain. I've taken some mersyndol forte for bed and a 1/4 of one today to take the edge off. But it's my neck and shoulder which feels like I've been ripped and reefed around on the table! I swear, they must have hurt me pretty good yesterday!

Anyway, for anyone who needs to have an operation to remove their teeth, or a general operation of any kind, I'm telling you, it's ok! It's a bit scary and I guess you can't stop that, but it's just so easy to get through. Maybe I'm an exception to the rule, but there's hardly any pain.

Soon, I shall post a couple of photos of me yesterday. Not a pretty picture, but it's me!

Aella

Aella, originally uploaded by Sams76.

Instead of whinging about my face and how I feel like a sumo wrestler, here is a photo of Aella - pronounced Ella. Aella is Greek for Whirlwind and I dare say her name will fit her nicely!

The breeder called me today and we'll be visiting the little girl on Friday night.

I'm stoked. Will update later about the surgery, too tired right now. Suffice to say I am alive.

I've resigned myself to this life...

I came into work extra early this morning. This is on top of the fact that I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 4am to heat my wheat pillow and make a cup of tea, plus gulp down more nurofens for my migraine. It helped slightly, but it was raging again by the time I woke up at 7am.

Anyway, I went to work early to get some privacy and call my manager to let her know I was resigning. I left her a message on her desk phone and I waited. People started arriving into the office, so I called her mobile. I left a message. Finally, 20 minutes later, I get a phone call from her colleague to let me know she had called in sick. Great. So, I organised to speak with her manager, who is also my day-to-day manager and I broke the news to him. It went fine and in fact, he apologised to me because the nature of the role had changed significantly and he felt very guilty about it. After assuring him that I didn't blame him, he wished me well and said he'd speak to my manager about organising a time for me to leave.

I stumbled through work today, and decided to leave at 1pm, since my head was still pounding. I came home and slept for a little while and then had to yell at my freakin' dog as she was barking at our neighbours who were obviously getting their hot water system replaced. She WOULD NOT STOP! So, I stumbled outside, bashed her on the head - because that's what happens when you go to smack you dog and she bounced up to meet you halfway and then dragged her inside and made her sleep at the foot of my bed while I passed out again.

So, here I am, not ready for tomorrow, but the moment is coming closer. I hope tomorrow is quick, I hope I come home, I hope I make it through and wake up. These are all my fears and I know they are irrational, but there is a small element to them that makes them very real. I am bearing my soul to you here, telling you that I am afraid of dying and it's a very shitty thing to be faced with. In the end, I guess you just have to have faith and trust that the doctors and nurses know what they are doing. I know I am dramatic, but I guess that's just how much I don't want to die.

Anyway, one of the big hiccups is over. Also, we have organised to have our floorboards polished on the 27th May - that's less than 2 weeks! So, we'll be moving out of the house and boarding the animals for this to be done. I'll be fairly quiet those days, except for being at work, but there'll be no updates to blogger.

Take care everyone and I'll be back a bit later in the week, maybe with some not-so-stunning photos of my bugs bunny impersonation!

A new world of opportunity...

Yesterday, I partook in some retail therapy. We walked past some shops that I wouldn't normally look at, but my friend being of a smaller size, stopped to look. Anyway, she was picking out some track suit pants which were on special and I noticed my size on the rack. This is odd for me because only 'big girls' stores stock my size - well, other normal stores do, but their sizes are infinitely smaller than what they say they are, so I never pay them any attention. Anyway, I looked at the track pants, pulling them off the rack and realised they were very close to looking my size. I bit the bullet and for $15 each, I purchased two pairs. I got home and OMG, they fit nicely!

It was my first shop at a 'normal' store since I was a kid. Pretty pathetic, right? That I actually bought clothes at a store other than my usual haunts - the sum total of 2-3 stores - that's my usual option of clothing stores.

Anyway, D-Day tomorrow, or should I say R-Day (R is for Resign which won't be music to my manager's ears). Experiencing all sorts of panic attacks about it, plus the day after with my operation. I hate losing control, and it's all so apparent I will be losing that control. Scrooge humbug. I think I'll have an early night.

Also, we have pulled up the carpet in the spare room and have exposed the floor boards. Photos have been taken, but I'm too tired to bother uploading. I'll have plenty of spare time this week.

Retail Therapy...

I bought this today (click on link above). A bit of retail therapy never hurt anyone, especially since I am going into surgery on Tuesday.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who sent their advice about the surgery and resignation. I have organised my time off from work and will tell my manager on Monday morning that I have decided to leave. It's the best I can do and it's what I feel more comfortable doing.

In other news, got a phone call from my old manager from a previous job. The conversation went a little something like this: "Hey Bill!", Bill says, "Hi Sam, it's your boss calling..." Wooooot!! He got the manager job, so we're getting the band back together. I'm stoked!

I dropped my forms at the hospital today and spoke to the admitting nurse who calmed my nerves a bit by explaining what will happen. She has even said I can get a calmative before the procedure, so I am not panicking before I go under. Thank god for drugs!! I'm basically going to wake up with a mouth packed full of shit, an ice pack on either side of my mouth, all wrapped up with a bandage around my head - you know, just like on TV!! You know of course, if I am up for it, I'll get Glen to take a photo just for everyone's amusement. I may not be amused, but you know, you can't pleased everyone!

Anyhow, I am suffering a serious case of hives right now - possibly brought on by the antibiotics I had been taking! So, I'm off to take some sleepy drugs and go to bed shortly. Right now I'm just existing with everything happening, so I am hoping that after the operation next week, I'll be more alive.

Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

Argh. Today hasn't been the best of days.

I saw the oral surgeon this afternoon, having prepared myself for the reality of having my top wisdom teeth out in the chair at a later stage. However, it's not to be and I have been promptly booked in for full dental surgery on Tuesday morning. Apparently all my wisdom teeth must come out, even though the bottom ones haven't given me any cause for concern.

I've never had surgery before, never had a general anaesthetic before. It's all rather scary for me. And then he tells me to be prepared for taking a week off work. Argh!!!

Capitalising on my misfortune, my new work has finally got the contracts organised, so they should be sent out to me tomorrow and they shall be emailed to me also. So, what am I supposed to do? Ask for sick leave next week and then drop the bomb? That's not fair, is it? I mean, I have sick leave oweing to me, but doesn't that kinda look like I am taking advantage of her/the company? I feel very dreadful about it and I know that if I ask for sick leave tomorrow and I get given it, I'll need to give notice on Monday - the day before my operation! How does that look?

I could use some sound advice here guys. Please?

In Your Eyes...

I woke up to this song this morning. Very disconcerting to wake up and not hear the radio voices you usually hear. But I figured they were playing a pretty damn good song and laid back to enjoy it. When it finished, it started again and that's when I really woke up :)

You see, someone knows that this song is my favourite song and it comes from a romantic moment in the movie, Say Anything with John Cusack.

What did I do to deserve this lovely romantic moment?

It's our 5th anniversary today.

Happy Anniversary Sweetness. I'm still madly in love with you. :)

Happy Birthday to meeeee!

Unfotunately, I had to work today, but you know, that's how it pans out. I was woken this morning by Glen and arrived in the kitchen to receive this. Yay for me :) We made brilliant chocolate malt milkshakes tonight, which was grouse :)

Anyway, it was the big 30 for me. At least now, I might remember how old I am when people ask. That has been a problem for me for the last 2-3 years. I am told that 30 is a good year. It makes me wonder what this year will bring if it is to stand out as a good year?

Still no contracts for the new job. Apparently my contracts are circumnavigating the pipeline of red tape throughout the organisation. I am told that this is normal and that something will arrive tomorrow or Friday. Regardless, they are fully aware that until I get my hands on those contracts, I aint offering my resignation. This has made the HR girl push harder, as well as the manager dude that I am partly replacing - he wants to take extended leave to New Zealand to go bike riding!

In other news, I am certain that my manager has bipolar. Yesterday, she was the epitomy of vicious, vile and snotty. Today, she was sweet, caring and giving - so giving, she told me to finish off my task and go home from work early! Argh. This was after I initially had a dental appointment scheduled for this afternoon and when I asked he about taking the time off last week, she made me tell her when I would be making this time up - suddenly, today I get to go home early without making it up! Hot and cold, dammit.

Our house renos are progressing. The floor is all up (photos yet to be uploaded), and this weekend, we have the flooring sanding dude coming to quote and arrange a time. Once that is organised, we will rip the kitchen out, the pantry must go (we will need to remove the false ceiling from the pantry and reposition it level with the real ceiling!) and then rip up the carpet, pack the house up and make sure we've got somewhere to stay. No mean feat.

Alright. Time to sign off.

Irony

A famous journalist died in Australia yesterday - see link above for the story.

The irony is, as he collapsed on the ground outside a story he was covering, his fellow journalist buddies grabbed a blanket (how convenient) and shielded him with it, asking others to give him his dignity.

How many other non-journalist, non-public figures get given that opportunity to retain their dignity as they are dying in front of strangers?

Not many, right?

I'm sad he has died, sad that he died so far from home. However, if they see their own as human enough to afford the right of dignity, how come when they are scrambling for the shot of the century, do they forget other people's dignity?

Ironic.

No wonder I got out.

Dilemmas...

I'm suffering from post-job shock. So many things are whirling around inside my head, preventing me from enjoying the experience of getting a new job.

First there's the whole situation where this was unexpected in so many ways. This afternoon's phone call was meant to be a phone call to organise a time to catch up for the presentation; an exhibition of my oral/creative thinking skills and my ability to present ideas. That never happened and I don't know whether that was because this guy thought I was hot-shit, so didn't need to subject myself to it, or because it was just never meant to happen.

Regardless, I wasn't expecting this outcome at this point. Today wasn't meant to result in a job offer, that was not part of the expectation, so I have been left completely off guard. I know, boo-hoo me, I should just shut up and deal with it, but it makes it hard.

The other thing is the whole, "You've only been in this job for 9 months and the previous job for 9 months!" I know. It sucks. The last job was hellish and in a strange twist, this new job was on the cards then, but I chose to take myself out of the equation and decline the offer. Funny how things work out. I'm hoping that means it is meant to be. Anyway, I'm having nerves about it. Performance anxiety, so to speak.

I think my self-confidence has been sapped in my current role. My manager finished insinuating today that I was incompetent and came out and told me that I was responsible for my own learning. God knows what that really means, but I guess she was trying to tell me that I wasn't taking initiative to learn more. That's hard to do when you are always so busy and drowning in your own work. She's sapped my ability to believe in myself by relegating me to the role of admin (which IS my PD). It was made clear at my interview that although I was fulfilling admin, I wasn't going to necessarily be doing much admin stuff, that I would be doing so much more than that. Turns out my manager realised I wasn't happy with admin and has decided to push me more into that. Very nice of her.

I find it demoralising. I mean, I have more education than her, probably a hell of a lot more experience than she does and yet, she's my manager. I think I have lost any respect I had for her. She's a micro manager who wants to proof everything we do and it's very humiliating. She wants to control everything and that means pushing us in the direction she wants to head - our teams initial purpose has been null and voided because of circumstances which occurred shortly after we arrived, so she has decided to take the team in a completely new direction - a direction that neither me or my colleague really want to head and away from our core skills. So, of course we're floundering.

I guess my rant over that really isn't valid anymore, because as soon as I get my contracts from this new job, I can tell my current manager to fuck off and get someone else to do her shit work.

I think it would be just nice to move into a job where I stayed for more than 9 months, where I could get comfortable and know the job so well that I was reliable and respected. I want to have some responsibility and not have someone thinking they need to pick up after me, undermine my confidence and take over. I'd like to be respected for the knowledge I have and the input I can provide.

So, I suppose that's why this whole job offer is really surreal and hard to fathom. I've lost confidence in myself and I guess my manager is right on half a level - I do need to take responsibility for myself, but not for my learning; for my confidence. I have to learn not to let others undermine my confidence in my abilities and to trust my instincts. When people trust me, I perform well. That's how I am. My old manager (also up for a role with this company) trusted me and my instincts and talents. He never questioned my logic, he supported me. I hope I can work with someone like him again. That's when I flourish.

Sorry for the blathering, but writing helps to make things clearer in my mind. I know that even though my current manager does not truly value my experience and skills, my new work does. I mean, that's why they chose me, without asking for recent work I've written, without speaking to two referees (they spoke to one). That was enough for them. That speaks volumes. They didn't need to tick all their boxes to know that they wanted me.

That feels pretty fucking awesome :) I just have to process that.

This shits me...

This just shits me. This poor little girl has been through so much.

I just can't believe it. People outside of Australia won't know this story, but I imagine the rest of us will.

People like her just aren't meant to endure this sort of crap twice.

It's fucked.

The verdict...

Apparently I'm good enough, I pass the grade.

I got the job.

I got the phone call this afternoon, after thinking that I would have to put together a whitepaper and then present on a topic for verbal presentation. However, the National Manager had seen enough, he was impressed enough not to care about having two references, instead taking one reference from my old manager, who is also being considered for a role with the company!

So, I'm pretty happy because I am almost at that stage where my name precedes me, where I am sought after and where my writing talents are sought after. I am wanted!! I am talented!!

This comes after having a bit of a run in with my manager today. I told her that despite what she thought, I was not incompetent and that she needed to understand that it's hard being new into the role. Anyway, I am fairly certain that nothing I said made a lick of difference to her. She thinks what she wants to think and I don't think she heard a word I said really. Stuff her. Early next week, I'm telling her to stick it.

Yay! We're going to celebrate!

Mental Dental...

So, I went to the dentist today. She was a nice dentist, she poked around in my mouth and prodded the sore spot on my gums which nearly sent me flying into next week. She then proceeded to pull all the weapons of mass pain out of my mouth, rip off her gloves and tell me that she wanted me to have an xray and suspected that I would need to see a specialist and discuss getting said painful teeth removed. Oh joy. Although, I'm kinda pleased because these bastard teeth will give me continual grief the entire time they push their way out.

Anyway, I got my xray done and whipped back to the dental surgery. Caught the dentist just before she was leaving and she was able to review my xrays very quickly and ascertain that my wisdom teeth are impacted? and will just push on my other teeth, creating more problems. So, I am being referred to a specialist who will discuss removing said teeth.

I have been given antibiotics for the pain and now, I guess I just wait to contact the specialist and beg him not to put me into hospital to go under a general - I'd much prefer a local, it's faster and I'd rather be awake for it. I've never had a general, so it makes me wonder how i would handle it.

Ok. I'm feeling really crap and I guess it's been a busy afternoon of driving around like a madwoman from surgery to surgery and back again. I would say that in the next couple of weeks I shall be getting thine teeth removed. yay and argh!!!

Clio in 50 years time

Clio in 50 years time, originally uploaded by Sams76.

Oh dear! We were angle grinding the tiles in the kitchen and as a result, a lot of dust was coming up. Coupled with a very strong fan pushing the dust out of the house into the carport area and into the pathway of one very inquisitive doggy!

Hrm. It looks so much worse than what it was. I guess the flash bought out the 'white' bits. Hrm.

Please don't email me to tell me how dangerous this is for her, I understand that, but trying to keep her away from the dust was just impossible.

Anyway, it's quite amusing to view now, don't you think? I mean, this dog is pitch black normally!

I'll be on your side forever more...

...that's what friends are for...

After the last post where I poured my heart out to the blogland about my rear-end problems, I got to thinking how potentially embarassing the whole saga can be and then, as the emails came in, I realised just how many people read! Woohoo, I think! Hrm. Anyway, what's a little pile between friends?

Btw, thanks for the advice and a special thank you to Sonnet for the home remedy of witchhazel. I'm going to try it.

Meanwhile, let's just say 4 glasses of Metamucil since Saturday and my bowels aint budging! I would say they have performance anxiety now, as nothing is moving, so to speak! I think the bigger issue here is what's going to happen when the pipes do clear? Am I going to be in a safe place? Will I be prepared? Am I going to regret all this fibre?

Suffice to say people, I won't be blogging about that experience.

In other news. Had interview number two this evening (not related to other number twos!). It went well, in fact, it went great! I really enjoyed it, which is completely unusual for interviews. The man was Irish and knew how to talk! I added my bits in every now and again and I think that did me justice. It was an interesting chat and I think I would very much like to work for this organisation. My colleague and I also discovered that there are two positions going, not the one, so we're a bit more positive about the idea that maybe they will take both of us? I know it might be wishful thinking, but it's a possibility, given we're both strong candidates. Wish me luck. I will apparently hear back Friday for the next round. Yes, a third round. It's like pulling teeth! The next round involves a presentation based on a topic they give us. Kinda sounds interesting really.

And thank god, Wednesday I get to see the dentist, because right now, my mouth is so sore, stiff and achy!! Bloody wisdom teeth, I don't remember having this much pain with the last infected wisdom tooth I had, but you know, I feel a bit de ja vu'ish! Hrm. Suffice to say, I'm sweating on Wednesday coming - I get to take half the day off and I get antibiotics for this mess in my mouth. The other positive, although you might disagree is I might be able to get my top wisdom teeth out. That would put an end to pain forever, me thinks.

Alright, time to relax and watch some ER from last week. :)