Tell me something I don't know...

Just in case you missed it, the title above holds a link to a story which was posted on a local newspaper website today and it pretty much sums up my thoughts.

Productivity

My Weekend...

Friday night : No, we won't purchase any kitchen appliances because we can't afford it and it's too annoying to bother looking.

Saturday afternoon : Maybe we should look at some stores and see what we can get when we do have enough money?

Saturday night : Let's go out tomorrow and purchase just the oven package and leave the dishwasher to another time.

Sunday afternoon : Totally demoralised at Hardly Normal and Goofy Guys, we rock up to Retrovision assuming they'll give us the same story - "Sorry, but that package isn't that cheap anymore".

Sunday evening : Feeling smug as Retrovision beats original package price by $120. Deposit has been paid, oven package arrives in about a week. YAY! It feels a bit more real.

Monday morning : Absolutely no work was done on the kitchen. Slackness.

Oven, gas cooktop and rangehood have been linkified here.

Dishwasher will be procured upon receiving next pay packet.

Revelation...

I've been riding my scooter for almost three years. In that time, I have always worn the same full face helmet.

Tonight was a breakthrough for me.

I realised that I could lick the inside of my helmet whilst I was wearing it.

Very revealing, I know.

All good things must come to an end...

Glen had to work overtime today, so I made the most of the day by cleaning the house, re-arranging the loungeroom and driving to my favourite dress shop to find some clothes.

On the way to the shops, my heart broke. On the other side of the road laid a cat, obviously been hit by a car. I couldn't stop thinking about him and did a big u-turn to go look at him. For whatever reason, I couldn't make myself get out of the car to pick him up and take him to the side of the road. I noticed some blood coming from his nose and knew that was a pretty good indication that he was dead and I couldn't help him. So, I chickened out and drove to the shops.

I am ashamed.

I made a promise to myself that on the way back from the shops, which was less than an hour round trip for me, that I would pick him up and give him his dignity, rather than run the risk of being run over by a car's tyres. When I was driving back, I was half hoping not to see him. As I came up the hill I was desperately trying to locate him, but it seemed that someone else, with more guts than me, had given him his dignity and taken him away - whether it was his owner or just someone who cared. Either way, he wasn't on the side of the road either.

I came home and was reminded why I copped shit from people about keeping my cats inside, rather than letting them be free in 'their natural state'. My cats are happy and healthy, loved and warm. They have a good life and I want to continue that for them.

So, think twice before you criticise a cat owner who keeps their cats indoors and remember that next time you see a poor cat lying dead on the side of the road - their owner should have cared more and should have taken care of them better.

And let it be known, I am not criticising those who have their cats outside, but at the same time, don't criticise those of us who have made a different choice. It's a basic parenting principle - we all do things differently.

Not Dead...

No, I am not dead.

Glen's away this week and I guess I am laying low. Between working back late some nights and having to dose the cats up with their drugs, I'm just a bit tired of reality right now.

Anyway, I'm around just quiet.

We Didn't Start The Fire...

I was reading some material this week which might help me do my job. I came across this cool document which discusses the differences in today’s workforces. Basically the document wrote that HR departments need to treat their workforces; not as one, but as four because of the different generations – one being Generation Y. And although my age states I am in fact a Generation Xer, I can totally relate to some of the things they discussed, and the following.

I can totally relate to the “Work to Live” philosophy. I grew up as a child of divorce, although not witnessing it, I was the product of the uncertainty surrounding it and the instability in our household income etc. I have no affiliation or loyalty to any workplace. However, I have loyalty to my immediate team, if in fact, I get along with them!

This was part of the document I Was reading:

“The Vietnam War is as old as WW1 and WW11. Black Monday, 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up. Tienanmen Square means nothing to them. Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic. Atari predates them as do vinyl albums. The expression ‘you sound like a broken record’ means nothing to them. Most have never seen a TV set with only four channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV. Roller skating has always meant inline for them. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. They can’t imagine what hard contact lenses are. They don’t know who Mork was or where he was from. The Titanic was found? They thought we always knew where it was. Michael Jackson has always been white. McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers.”

You know, some of this applies to me, even though I was born near the end of the Generation Xer. I would say that I was almost meant to be a Generation Yer, but I guess like most things similar, I am on the cusp of both.

It kinda reminds me of Billy Joel’s very insightful song back in the nineties, ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’.

Reading this stuff made me realise how different I am to my colleagues and to others who come to Australia from other countries where the work ethic can be drastically different. I often wonder whether my commitment to my job is there compared to others who refuse to slack of and relax and who are constantly looking for something to do. But then, I’m a product of my environment and my life choices reflect that.

I have chosen to have children late, or not at all. I spend my money rather than save a lot of it. I don’t tend to stay in my jobs that long. I buy expensive toilet tissue rather than skimp to save cost! It just all makes sense.

While I'm at it...

Just a few things to keep you going:

• It's so awesome to relive a past which is both pleasant and not so pleasant. It seems someone has revived UNEMush. This was the mush client I lived on during uni! It's probably the reason why I didn't get HDs or Ds, but shit happens :) It was great catching up with my friends Sonnet, Laura and Pete. I feel I might while-away the weekends by logging on there again.
• Yay for FOCs! Aka Fridge Over Cabinets! Don't know why it's called that! Anyway, we've finally got that part of the kitchen installed, and the fridge is now sparkling clean inside and sitting under the FOC! Photos to arrive tomorrow night.
• Yay for more photos of Aella - see flickr page to the right. She was rather snuggly tonight and decided it was toasty warm and cosy to sleep inside my polar fleece vest :)
• Not so yay that Glen is leaving me next MOnday for the week to attend a week-long conference in Coolum on the Gold Coast. Grrr! But I do get the bed to myself and I get to eat whatever I like!
• Yay for taking Clio to dog training yesterday. She was so well behaved and happy. Very content dog yesterday!
• Yay for Glen finally giving in and letting me cut his hair! It looks good, although there are bits which need fixing. But overall, he looks a lot better than his normal haircuts.

Time to go to bed.