Friday, August 19, 2005
Adventure 32: 19th August 2005
"Come back bailout, all is nearly forgiven....", lo all again, yup tiz I le cre8, well what a week that was, I'm frankly just glad it's the weekend and I can pretend for a couple of days that I don't have to work and that I'll just get paid....
This Weeks Stats:
No. Of Jobs Applied For: 684
No. Of Interviews: 0
No. Of Agencies trying to match me with a completely stupid job: 34
No. Of Times I nearly just resigned on the spot: 2
No. Of Stupid phone calls: 19
No. Of Stupid indecipherable emails from management: 19
Monday 15th August 2005:
08:30: Yup just made it in and whoopee do, Nunob Clueless the EMEA boss of Service Delivery isn't in Portuguese bank holiday...thank god for that, I don't think I could have got through the week still wanting to be appreciated for what I do and recognised for what I could do, if he was here.
I'm checking the backups, oh dear, oh dear oh dear, not good...you see when the backup solution was designed it was designed for about 20 servers and now there are 44 and surprise surprise the virtual library runs out of space, regular as clockwork, backups don't get done and the whole thing turns to complete shit....never mind, it'll give me something mind numbingly tedious to get through the day.
It's only Basra, Me and Quiet Rob, in today since Brentboy is off on holiday (lucky bugger!!)
I can safely say that nothing absolutely nothing happened today worth writing about, still there's always tomorrow.....
Tuesday 16th August 2005:
05:30: I'm awoken to the sound of my mobile buzzing on my bedside table...I've got a message but from who...my eyes haven't opened yet so I'm fumbling around trying a. to stop it before it wakes Mandy up (fat chance), b. to find my glasses so I can see what buttons to press to stop it before it wakes Mandy up (fat chance) and c. Read / Listen to the message since at that time of the morning it had better be important, before waking Mandy, oh she's awake....
In a daze she utters something like "wha ?, whats it doing, what's going on..." before drifting off back in to noddy land...I've found my glasses by now, my eyes like a new born puppy have just opened and I can see I have voice mail....so I dial...9....0....3..(nup that's not right...press lots of buttons..try again....9....0....1...right got it....message goes something like..."Victor !, it's me Karen, where are you...we need to talk...I can see you've been answerring ads....call me...." then she hangs up...hmmm...not amused, but still a little curious...I get my head down for a few more hours before it's time to submit my soul to purgatory once more....
09:00: Bugger, Portuguese bank holidays just aren't long enough, Nunob is in and being the life and soul of the bloody party. Normally I wouldn't mind but he's an arrogant tosspot and not a little rude, what makes it worse is he's the boss of my boss, so feels it necessary to order everyone about like a very bad seargant major.
10:00: I'm willing my phone to ring, so I can escape my boredom...lo and behold it does...I make an exit...."Hi...it's Nathan here from Betteryerself Recuritment", "hello" I inspirationally reply, "hi...just wanted to touch base with you to see what your situation is...." that's code "for are you looking for a job ?", "well ok I'm still looking for something better than what I have here...", "yah yah, I've got your CV here, and I've got a position that might interest you, it's for a Unix engineer...", "right, ok, well I don't actually have any Unix experience"...I reply cuttingly..."ok, ok, well we'll keep your details on our records and be in touch if something more appropriate comes up...", you gotta just love them haven't you...no where on my CV does it mention in the slightest , or give the smallest inference that I have any Unix experience, yet somehow this tosser, thinks I might be suitable for it....I despair I really do...
11:00: Nunob is really getting to me now, having fallen out with Brentboy last week, I think he feels it's my turn, I'm still looking at the backups wondering quite why we backup the crap that we actually do every day, and yes admittedly, I was sliding down my chair, drifting off into checking backups land, "Cre8 !?", comes the call from Nunob, "Yes, Nunob" my inspired reply, "Sit up in chair" he replies sternly, "I'm ok Nuno, just checking the back...", "SIT UP in your chair", he carries on, "Nuno, I'm fine I'm quite comfortable", "CRE8, SIT UP IN YOUR CHAIR", he just isn't going to stop is he, now then choice time, do I a. Comply, b. Tell him where he can shove his job or c. Comply a little, then storm out for a fag that I was going to have any way ? Decisions, decisions, c. it is then....
12:00: Today I'm at a very low ebb...I just about make it to lunchtime when I go over to Mandy's mum and dad's house..for a recharge and destress....
13:30: Back at work...it's not good...any point he wants to start on me again, I'll be out of the door I know it...strangely he's being very nice, but you don't just let something like that go now do you ?
14:00: Nothing more to write, I really am going to struggle to go in tomorrow.....
19:00: My phone hasn't stopped buzzing, this woman won't give up that's 6 missed calls (I never answer the phone at home because a. I've very little signal and can barely hear anyone and b. it might be work related !!)
20:00: 13 missed calls, the messages are something to behold, from what I can gather this guy Victor is being a naughty boy and looking up the swingers web sites, his girlfriend, is getting more and more desperate...in the end I can't take it anymore, so I answer the call pressed up against our bedroom window, as that's the only place in the house that has anything like a decent signal..."Hello" I say in my bestest stern voice, "Who's that?" comes here reply, "no no who's that ?", "it's Karen, who's that ?", "it's the owner of the phone you keep ringing, please stop phoning it", yeah like she's going to...
21:00: 16 missed calls, "Look, the guy who gave you this number is obviously giving you the run around, please stop phoning"....listnening to the messages she's getting more and more desperate...
21:30: I hand the phone to Mandy, who explains to the woman that she keeps dialing the wrong number...
22:00: 19 missed calls, she's not getting it is she, but curiously her messages are kind of fascinating...I drop an email to O2 with regard to the nuisance calls, as that's what they're becoming, they then reply to me with details of a 12 page essay, I have to write, just to get her to stop phoning...I could always turn the phone off...
23:00: Went to bed really fed up......
Wednesday 17th August 2005:
09:30: Back in work, the phone calls have stopped, which is fairly good news, though I've only had a couple of agencies phone, it's all far too quiet, Basra has gone to Horrorgraphics and Quiet Rob, is off, so It's just me on my own...Corvette and the Grand Wizard are sitting huddled by the new It's Being Mended laptop that we've (as a company) decided will be our new standard...Apparently you can stand on them, (well I tell you it's a relief as the number of times I've thought "wouldn't it be good if I could stand on my laptop", is well, frankly none....)
That's it for today nothing else to report...apart from saying that I could really do with something to do....
Thursday 18th August 2005:
08:30: Yup here again.....
09:00: Nup not a great deal to do today...though the backups are keeping me occupied for the time being.
09:30: A splurge of emails from Nunob put that right...basically he wants all the servers settings changed and I'm detailed to do all of this office and Portsmouth, lucky me...then he wants all the servers to be patched with the latest Microsoft screw up patch...so I begin...now how do we patch servers again...
11:00: A flurry of emails later I've asked anyone who might possibly know how I go about patching the servers....
11:30: Kerry Shark, has come to see me, panicking that I'm going to patch and reboot one of "her" servers, "it's got a lot of external users, and I'm a bit miffed that no one has spoken to me about it..." Well what can I say ? Was it me that decided her server needed patching ? Have I said I'd reboot the server ? No to all of those, so I direct her to her wannabe boyfriend (it's a sickening sight trust me, kisses european style everytime they meet), Nunob...
12:00: I've taken a gamble and started scanning some servers using a tool we used to use eon's ago, since I'd emailed Nunob to say "how do I do this ?" I figured it to be a good idea to mention to him that I knew what to do...apparently not, "Stop!", reads his email...hmmm, interesting communication style this guy has. One word emails are my absolute favourite, it turns out that Kerry has reminded him that some servers need to be patched in accordance with the system owners rather than just when he wants it done, I can't help getting the feeling, he's decided I can't do it...but I'd have to care what he thinks to let it bother me and since I don't, it doesn't.
13:30: Just got back after lunch, my heart sinks as I walk in through the door to see Nunob sat at his desk, could be a real fun afternoon, though I might be able to get away with not talking to him you never know....
Friday 19th August 2005:
08:30: Thank god for friday's, it's about the best day of the week, just like christmas eve is the best day of christmas, it's an anticipation thing I think....
09:00: Basra is in, so at least there's someone opposite me who has a sense of humour and doesn't think the world revolves around him, and he even speaks at a normal volume level which is a bonus...
09:30: Backups to check, poke and fix....
10:00: My visitor is here, a consultant who's going to install some software to make the fax machines send their faxes to their email accounts...The server was built out of sticky backed plastic I think so naturally the application won't install properly, so we install the software on my test server, just to get it working..
15:30: The guy has just gone, man it was painful, he knew his application well, but god, he knew nothing about the operating systems CD:\R:\workdamnyou, er, doesn't work....
16:00: Still it kept Nunob off my back....and only 1 hour to go...
16:30: The last our is taking forever.....my stomach, thinks my throats been cut, since it hasn't seen food since yesterday and is complaining bitterly...
17:00: Yipply doodah..time to go....
Saturday 20th August 2005:
08:30: Woken to the sound of my car alarm, in a blur I manage to find my keys and turn the bloody thing off....
09:30: My alarms going again and this accompanied by my next door neighbour knocking on the door.
09:35: "Sorry, but I think your car has been broken into...." oh great...oh triffic...things just can't get any better now can they.....
This Weeks Stats:
No. Of Jobs Applied For: 684
No. Of Interviews: 0
No. Of Agencies trying to match me with a completely stupid job: 34
No. Of Times I nearly just resigned on the spot: 2
No. Of Stupid phone calls: 19
No. Of Stupid indecipherable emails from management: 19
Monday 15th August 2005:
08:30: Yup just made it in and whoopee do, Nunob Clueless the EMEA boss of Service Delivery isn't in Portuguese bank holiday...thank god for that, I don't think I could have got through the week still wanting to be appreciated for what I do and recognised for what I could do, if he was here.
I'm checking the backups, oh dear, oh dear oh dear, not good...you see when the backup solution was designed it was designed for about 20 servers and now there are 44 and surprise surprise the virtual library runs out of space, regular as clockwork, backups don't get done and the whole thing turns to complete shit....never mind, it'll give me something mind numbingly tedious to get through the day.
It's only Basra, Me and Quiet Rob, in today since Brentboy is off on holiday (lucky bugger!!)
I can safely say that nothing absolutely nothing happened today worth writing about, still there's always tomorrow.....
Tuesday 16th August 2005:
05:30: I'm awoken to the sound of my mobile buzzing on my bedside table...I've got a message but from who...my eyes haven't opened yet so I'm fumbling around trying a. to stop it before it wakes Mandy up (fat chance), b. to find my glasses so I can see what buttons to press to stop it before it wakes Mandy up (fat chance) and c. Read / Listen to the message since at that time of the morning it had better be important, before waking Mandy, oh she's awake....
In a daze she utters something like "wha ?, whats it doing, what's going on..." before drifting off back in to noddy land...I've found my glasses by now, my eyes like a new born puppy have just opened and I can see I have voice mail....so I dial...9....0....3..(nup that's not right...press lots of buttons..try again....9....0....1...right got it....message goes something like..."Victor !, it's me Karen, where are you...we need to talk...I can see you've been answerring ads....call me...." then she hangs up...hmmm...not amused, but still a little curious...I get my head down for a few more hours before it's time to submit my soul to purgatory once more....
09:00: Bugger, Portuguese bank holidays just aren't long enough, Nunob is in and being the life and soul of the bloody party. Normally I wouldn't mind but he's an arrogant tosspot and not a little rude, what makes it worse is he's the boss of my boss, so feels it necessary to order everyone about like a very bad seargant major.
10:00: I'm willing my phone to ring, so I can escape my boredom...lo and behold it does...I make an exit...."Hi...it's Nathan here from Betteryerself Recuritment", "hello" I inspirationally reply, "hi...just wanted to touch base with you to see what your situation is...." that's code "for are you looking for a job ?", "well ok I'm still looking for something better than what I have here...", "yah yah, I've got your CV here, and I've got a position that might interest you, it's for a Unix engineer...", "right, ok, well I don't actually have any Unix experience"...I reply cuttingly..."ok, ok, well we'll keep your details on our records and be in touch if something more appropriate comes up...", you gotta just love them haven't you...no where on my CV does it mention in the slightest , or give the smallest inference that I have any Unix experience, yet somehow this tosser, thinks I might be suitable for it....I despair I really do...
11:00: Nunob is really getting to me now, having fallen out with Brentboy last week, I think he feels it's my turn, I'm still looking at the backups wondering quite why we backup the crap that we actually do every day, and yes admittedly, I was sliding down my chair, drifting off into checking backups land, "Cre8 !?", comes the call from Nunob, "Yes, Nunob" my inspired reply, "Sit up in chair" he replies sternly, "I'm ok Nuno, just checking the back...", "SIT UP in your chair", he carries on, "Nuno, I'm fine I'm quite comfortable", "CRE8, SIT UP IN YOUR CHAIR", he just isn't going to stop is he, now then choice time, do I a. Comply, b. Tell him where he can shove his job or c. Comply a little, then storm out for a fag that I was going to have any way ? Decisions, decisions, c. it is then....
12:00: Today I'm at a very low ebb...I just about make it to lunchtime when I go over to Mandy's mum and dad's house..for a recharge and destress....
13:30: Back at work...it's not good...any point he wants to start on me again, I'll be out of the door I know it...strangely he's being very nice, but you don't just let something like that go now do you ?
14:00: Nothing more to write, I really am going to struggle to go in tomorrow.....
19:00: My phone hasn't stopped buzzing, this woman won't give up that's 6 missed calls (I never answer the phone at home because a. I've very little signal and can barely hear anyone and b. it might be work related !!)
20:00: 13 missed calls, the messages are something to behold, from what I can gather this guy Victor is being a naughty boy and looking up the swingers web sites, his girlfriend, is getting more and more desperate...in the end I can't take it anymore, so I answer the call pressed up against our bedroom window, as that's the only place in the house that has anything like a decent signal..."Hello" I say in my bestest stern voice, "Who's that?" comes here reply, "no no who's that ?", "it's Karen, who's that ?", "it's the owner of the phone you keep ringing, please stop phoning it", yeah like she's going to...
21:00: 16 missed calls, "Look, the guy who gave you this number is obviously giving you the run around, please stop phoning"....listnening to the messages she's getting more and more desperate...
21:30: I hand the phone to Mandy, who explains to the woman that she keeps dialing the wrong number...
22:00: 19 missed calls, she's not getting it is she, but curiously her messages are kind of fascinating...I drop an email to O2 with regard to the nuisance calls, as that's what they're becoming, they then reply to me with details of a 12 page essay, I have to write, just to get her to stop phoning...I could always turn the phone off...
23:00: Went to bed really fed up......
Wednesday 17th August 2005:
09:30: Back in work, the phone calls have stopped, which is fairly good news, though I've only had a couple of agencies phone, it's all far too quiet, Basra has gone to Horrorgraphics and Quiet Rob, is off, so It's just me on my own...Corvette and the Grand Wizard are sitting huddled by the new It's Being Mended laptop that we've (as a company) decided will be our new standard...Apparently you can stand on them, (well I tell you it's a relief as the number of times I've thought "wouldn't it be good if I could stand on my laptop", is well, frankly none....)
That's it for today nothing else to report...apart from saying that I could really do with something to do....
Thursday 18th August 2005:
08:30: Yup here again.....
09:00: Nup not a great deal to do today...though the backups are keeping me occupied for the time being.
09:30: A splurge of emails from Nunob put that right...basically he wants all the servers settings changed and I'm detailed to do all of this office and Portsmouth, lucky me...then he wants all the servers to be patched with the latest Microsoft screw up patch...so I begin...now how do we patch servers again...
11:00: A flurry of emails later I've asked anyone who might possibly know how I go about patching the servers....
11:30: Kerry Shark, has come to see me, panicking that I'm going to patch and reboot one of "her" servers, "it's got a lot of external users, and I'm a bit miffed that no one has spoken to me about it..." Well what can I say ? Was it me that decided her server needed patching ? Have I said I'd reboot the server ? No to all of those, so I direct her to her wannabe boyfriend (it's a sickening sight trust me, kisses european style everytime they meet), Nunob...
12:00: I've taken a gamble and started scanning some servers using a tool we used to use eon's ago, since I'd emailed Nunob to say "how do I do this ?" I figured it to be a good idea to mention to him that I knew what to do...apparently not, "Stop!", reads his email...hmmm, interesting communication style this guy has. One word emails are my absolute favourite, it turns out that Kerry has reminded him that some servers need to be patched in accordance with the system owners rather than just when he wants it done, I can't help getting the feeling, he's decided I can't do it...but I'd have to care what he thinks to let it bother me and since I don't, it doesn't.
13:30: Just got back after lunch, my heart sinks as I walk in through the door to see Nunob sat at his desk, could be a real fun afternoon, though I might be able to get away with not talking to him you never know....
Friday 19th August 2005:
08:30: Thank god for friday's, it's about the best day of the week, just like christmas eve is the best day of christmas, it's an anticipation thing I think....
09:00: Basra is in, so at least there's someone opposite me who has a sense of humour and doesn't think the world revolves around him, and he even speaks at a normal volume level which is a bonus...
09:30: Backups to check, poke and fix....
10:00: My visitor is here, a consultant who's going to install some software to make the fax machines send their faxes to their email accounts...The server was built out of sticky backed plastic I think so naturally the application won't install properly, so we install the software on my test server, just to get it working..
15:30: The guy has just gone, man it was painful, he knew his application well, but god, he knew nothing about the operating systems CD:\R:\workdamnyou, er, doesn't work....
16:00: Still it kept Nunob off my back....and only 1 hour to go...
16:30: The last our is taking forever.....my stomach, thinks my throats been cut, since it hasn't seen food since yesterday and is complaining bitterly...
17:00: Yipply doodah..time to go....
Saturday 20th August 2005:
08:30: Woken to the sound of my car alarm, in a blur I manage to find my keys and turn the bloody thing off....
09:30: My alarms going again and this accompanied by my next door neighbour knocking on the door.
09:35: "Sorry, but I think your car has been broken into...." oh great...oh triffic...things just can't get any better now can they.....
# posted by cre8 @ 1:37 PM 
