Monday, May 16, 2005
Adventure 22: 16th May 2005
"how can you sell that, it's falling apart ?....", Lo all, another monday another £7 on offer...it's all a bit slow and boring, the "air conditioning" is obviously playing up since it's far too warm, making us all a little on the sleepy side.
The grand wizard and quiet rob are off on an in house inactive directory training session so it's all the fun of the farm here.
I finished (well I think I've finished) my 3rd attempt at the Overdone proposals and sent that on to the wizard and the skunkmaster so I'm hoping it doesn't come back to me. Trust me hope is all I have left now....
We'll begin I think with...
Friday 13th May 2005:
08:00: Ahhhh a day off, a highlight to the week, I still have to be up to prise Ryan away from his computer game which he hates (clearly since all the shouting he does at the "bloody stupid game"... would indicate this). I have to drop him off at school whilst Mandy takes POD.
08:30: Back and raring to go, checking my email, job ads, applying for the odd one here and there. The reason for the day off is a preselection interview with an employment agency, since it's in Reading, I'm not to bothered about going. Mandy is still umming and ahhing (that'll be coz she's got her finger stuck in the end of her hair dryer !!) as to whether to come or not. I offer the olive branch of Doesn'tMatalan, and now she's convinced. The preselection interview or complete waste of my time (as it's now become known) is at 10:30 so I've a little bit of time to kill before getting ready.
09:00: I've spotted a better paid job on the agency I'm going to see's web site so I contact the agent (0099) via email asking about it.
09:05: Get a reply, apparently that job has gone, and I should be advised that friday is "dress down" day for them. I responded saying I'd dress accordingly.
09:30: Time to go, 1 hour to get to reading, we could be a little early.
10:15: Traffic was heavier than expected, but we made it in plenty of time. I do my usual trick of parking somewhere really suspicious so that every one who passes us peers in at us. I couldn't be a terrorist could I ?
10:30: Parked up and reported to reception, dressed in my shirt tie and smart shoes (I did have some trousers on and they were quite smart too).
10:45: "Hi Paul", a voice comes out of the gloom, walking towards me hand held rigidly in the shaking position, "Terry Osser", "Hi Terry, how are you", I respond, working out what his inital+surname would be. He's dressed in the worst pair of work on your car jeans and a rugby shirt that looks like it's just been played in.
11:00: He takes me to his cafe!! for the interview, I'm feeling less impressed as the minutes pass.
11:30: Interview is over, having filled out a Q&A section on NT4 servers, TCP/IP and othe wonderful stuff, I'm convinced I've got a load of questions wrong, I just can't do tests, I just can't.
11:35: Mandy is sat in the car reading her copy of BLAH! weekly, 10 billion chances to win absolutely sod all, can't be bad. Off to Doesn'tMatalan
11:45: Arrive at said clothing outlet, but another outlet is on both our minds. We wander in to bedsons (curiously a bed shop), trying to look like we're interested in the beds but really trying to see if they have a loo.
11:50: No luck there as we quicken our step out of the deserted shop, salespeople like hawks watching our every move, just waiting for us to pause for just too long meaning they can pounce and say "can I help you with anything" only for one of us to say "No, we're just looking thanks", we make our way to Doesn'tmatalan, desperate by now, I'm seriously considering hiding away in a corner with a vase, when I spot a sales woman, I say sales woman, when I actually mean Missinglink woman. "You don't have toilet we could use by any chance do you ?", I politely ask, "No" she abrubtly replies, the ornament adjusting is obviously getting to her as I can see my interaction is visibly raising her stress levels, "are there any around this area?" I press her, I could interrogate for the gestapo I know it, "No." hmmm, not getting very far, "ok not to worry then", she slopes off as quick as she can naturally move, now the only thing on my mind is finding one, in fact I'm not too bothered which shop keeper I ask. We walk 50 yards to FallapartFurnitureland, and I more or less grab the sales guy by the throat, "do you have a toilet I can use", before he can say "well" the pause was enough, I sense weakness, I'm going for the kill, "just we're a bit desperate" I say eyeing up the cream leather sofa and yet more vases, "err ok, you could use the staff toilets" like I care whether they're staff toilets or not, I mean a toilet is a toilet right ? We're directed to a "STAFF ONLY" sign on a door and I'm shown the door to the Gents toilet, Mandy now desperate herself (she's been eyeing up slightly larger vases), asks where the ladies is, "just behind you he asks" and she goes in. I try the door of the gents to discover it's engaged, the sales man quips "hehe you might have to wait some time...", so I begin looking at cardboard boxes whistfully, he makes his excuses and leaves...about a minute goes by then the door opens, before the guy coming out can say "but these are only for staff..." I'm in an I've locked the door....
12:00: Once we're both done, we do the tour of doesn'tmatalan anyway, I get two DVD's, mandy gets a top and a couple of magnetic notice boards for the boys.
12:20: Back in the car, Mandy suggests we go to B&Q to look at their blinds, the excitement I can barely handle so I suggest we got to Pissy World instead. This works out ok as there's a blind and material shop just down from the mecca of computer geeks like me.
12:25: As soon as I'm through the door the vultures are circling, "can i help you with anythin sir", "No" I abrubtly reply, I wonder around by the gucci speakers and the cool kit, then just around the corner and "can I help you with anything sir?", he's back, "no I'm ok, I'm just browsing" which is code for "sod off git face, I know more about this kit than you'll ever know, and why would I pay your massively overinflated prices any way", I hold back on that but it's a hair trigger it really is.
12:30: Luckily for him Mandy walks in at that point, and I whisk her over to the lovely CD burner section, my one being 12 months old seems to be now toast, in fact if it made toast it'd be a sight more useful than it's being at the moment. £21.99 very nice oh and there's a Peter's one for £25, then the question comes, "wouldn't it be better to get the Peter's one", now then normally I'd just say "yes" or something clever like that but as I can't answer her question I'm stumbling a bit. We decide that the Peter's one is better so we whizz over and pay for it, some CDR pens and 50 CDR's that just happened to be by the side of the till.
12:45: In the blind shop, "I spotted this blind that'd be just right for Ryans room", "jolly good" I reply, getting wallet cramps already, £40 later (not as bad as it could be), we've managed to wedge the blind in to the sports car and are heading back home.
13:15: Back home, Mandy worked, I sodded about doing bits and pieces, then it was time to pick up Jack.
Saturday comes and goes, Dr Who, the main highlight, there's no football coz all the games are on Sunday since it's the last day of the season...Ryan's out on a sleep over with his mate, Jack's amusing himself (I say amusing, sacrificing a virgin or two probably).
Sunday, only one notable thing to report, namely, Southampton's relegation from the premier league. My team Liverpool won, (for a change), champions league final is a week wednesday, the day after Mandy's birthday.
Still another week to look forward too, another £7.00 to earn, I can't wait.
The grand wizard and quiet rob are off on an in house inactive directory training session so it's all the fun of the farm here.
I finished (well I think I've finished) my 3rd attempt at the Overdone proposals and sent that on to the wizard and the skunkmaster so I'm hoping it doesn't come back to me. Trust me hope is all I have left now....
We'll begin I think with...
Friday 13th May 2005:
08:00: Ahhhh a day off, a highlight to the week, I still have to be up to prise Ryan away from his computer game which he hates (clearly since all the shouting he does at the "bloody stupid game"... would indicate this). I have to drop him off at school whilst Mandy takes POD.
08:30: Back and raring to go, checking my email, job ads, applying for the odd one here and there. The reason for the day off is a preselection interview with an employment agency, since it's in Reading, I'm not to bothered about going. Mandy is still umming and ahhing (that'll be coz she's got her finger stuck in the end of her hair dryer !!) as to whether to come or not. I offer the olive branch of Doesn'tMatalan, and now she's convinced. The preselection interview or complete waste of my time (as it's now become known) is at 10:30 so I've a little bit of time to kill before getting ready.
09:00: I've spotted a better paid job on the agency I'm going to see's web site so I contact the agent (0099) via email asking about it.
09:05: Get a reply, apparently that job has gone, and I should be advised that friday is "dress down" day for them. I responded saying I'd dress accordingly.
09:30: Time to go, 1 hour to get to reading, we could be a little early.
10:15: Traffic was heavier than expected, but we made it in plenty of time. I do my usual trick of parking somewhere really suspicious so that every one who passes us peers in at us. I couldn't be a terrorist could I ?
10:30: Parked up and reported to reception, dressed in my shirt tie and smart shoes (I did have some trousers on and they were quite smart too).
10:45: "Hi Paul", a voice comes out of the gloom, walking towards me hand held rigidly in the shaking position, "Terry Osser", "Hi Terry, how are you", I respond, working out what his inital+surname would be. He's dressed in the worst pair of work on your car jeans and a rugby shirt that looks like it's just been played in.
11:00: He takes me to his cafe!! for the interview, I'm feeling less impressed as the minutes pass.
11:30: Interview is over, having filled out a Q&A section on NT4 servers, TCP/IP and othe wonderful stuff, I'm convinced I've got a load of questions wrong, I just can't do tests, I just can't.
11:35: Mandy is sat in the car reading her copy of BLAH! weekly, 10 billion chances to win absolutely sod all, can't be bad. Off to Doesn'tMatalan
11:45: Arrive at said clothing outlet, but another outlet is on both our minds. We wander in to bedsons (curiously a bed shop), trying to look like we're interested in the beds but really trying to see if they have a loo.
11:50: No luck there as we quicken our step out of the deserted shop, salespeople like hawks watching our every move, just waiting for us to pause for just too long meaning they can pounce and say "can I help you with anything" only for one of us to say "No, we're just looking thanks", we make our way to Doesn'tmatalan, desperate by now, I'm seriously considering hiding away in a corner with a vase, when I spot a sales woman, I say sales woman, when I actually mean Missinglink woman. "You don't have toilet we could use by any chance do you ?", I politely ask, "No" she abrubtly replies, the ornament adjusting is obviously getting to her as I can see my interaction is visibly raising her stress levels, "are there any around this area?" I press her, I could interrogate for the gestapo I know it, "No." hmmm, not getting very far, "ok not to worry then", she slopes off as quick as she can naturally move, now the only thing on my mind is finding one, in fact I'm not too bothered which shop keeper I ask. We walk 50 yards to FallapartFurnitureland, and I more or less grab the sales guy by the throat, "do you have a toilet I can use", before he can say "well" the pause was enough, I sense weakness, I'm going for the kill, "just we're a bit desperate" I say eyeing up the cream leather sofa and yet more vases, "err ok, you could use the staff toilets" like I care whether they're staff toilets or not, I mean a toilet is a toilet right ? We're directed to a "STAFF ONLY" sign on a door and I'm shown the door to the Gents toilet, Mandy now desperate herself (she's been eyeing up slightly larger vases), asks where the ladies is, "just behind you he asks" and she goes in. I try the door of the gents to discover it's engaged, the sales man quips "hehe you might have to wait some time...", so I begin looking at cardboard boxes whistfully, he makes his excuses and leaves...about a minute goes by then the door opens, before the guy coming out can say "but these are only for staff..." I'm in an I've locked the door....
12:00: Once we're both done, we do the tour of doesn'tmatalan anyway, I get two DVD's, mandy gets a top and a couple of magnetic notice boards for the boys.
12:20: Back in the car, Mandy suggests we go to B&Q to look at their blinds, the excitement I can barely handle so I suggest we got to Pissy World instead. This works out ok as there's a blind and material shop just down from the mecca of computer geeks like me.
12:25: As soon as I'm through the door the vultures are circling, "can i help you with anythin sir", "No" I abrubtly reply, I wonder around by the gucci speakers and the cool kit, then just around the corner and "can I help you with anything sir?", he's back, "no I'm ok, I'm just browsing" which is code for "sod off git face, I know more about this kit than you'll ever know, and why would I pay your massively overinflated prices any way", I hold back on that but it's a hair trigger it really is.
12:30: Luckily for him Mandy walks in at that point, and I whisk her over to the lovely CD burner section, my one being 12 months old seems to be now toast, in fact if it made toast it'd be a sight more useful than it's being at the moment. £21.99 very nice oh and there's a Peter's one for £25, then the question comes, "wouldn't it be better to get the Peter's one", now then normally I'd just say "yes" or something clever like that but as I can't answer her question I'm stumbling a bit. We decide that the Peter's one is better so we whizz over and pay for it, some CDR pens and 50 CDR's that just happened to be by the side of the till.
12:45: In the blind shop, "I spotted this blind that'd be just right for Ryans room", "jolly good" I reply, getting wallet cramps already, £40 later (not as bad as it could be), we've managed to wedge the blind in to the sports car and are heading back home.
13:15: Back home, Mandy worked, I sodded about doing bits and pieces, then it was time to pick up Jack.
Saturday comes and goes, Dr Who, the main highlight, there's no football coz all the games are on Sunday since it's the last day of the season...Ryan's out on a sleep over with his mate, Jack's amusing himself (I say amusing, sacrificing a virgin or two probably).
Sunday, only one notable thing to report, namely, Southampton's relegation from the premier league. My team Liverpool won, (for a change), champions league final is a week wednesday, the day after Mandy's birthday.
Still another week to look forward too, another £7.00 to earn, I can't wait.
# posted by cre8 @ 8:03 AM 
