XII - WORKMATES AND KINDLY NEIGHBOURS

There is a joke about a man that is having his breakfast, reading the paper and he looks up at his wife and asks her to pass the sauce, but what actually comes out of his mouth is “I hate you, you bitch, you ruined my life”

The other day, my boss comes into my office and shuts the door behind her. She says, have you got a minute. I dropped the 15 things I was working on and looked up expectantly (read Paranoid). She said “we need to talk about the Monday morning meetings”. I nodded and she said “you need to contribute more to the meetings”. I opened my mouth to say, “sure, what would you like me to do”, but what came out was “I don’t think I want to work here anymore, it isn’t the job for me”.

Well, I don’t know who was more surprised. But once it was out, it was out. Luckily, I had been in top secret negotiations with my old work (they wern’t really top secret but it sounds good) and I return to one of my old positions on the 17th of February (lucky black cat, hey Tracey R). I will be joining the customer service department for a year contract.
I worked in customer service between 1993-1996 and was trained by Peter Hurst (the Peter that will only come to mums xmas BBQ’s if there are wierdo’s there) It will be fantastic to be among my friends again.

When I turned up at reception, Maureen the receptionist said “Oh no, look what the cats dragged in. What are you doing here? You better not be here for a job”. I told her that I was there for her job. She rang HR and said “there is someone awful here at reception for you, you better not be letting her back in”.

When I worked there, Maureen often used to catch me as I walked past and give me little jobs to do for her, like carry parcels or deliver messages, so I decided not to talk to her for a whole year, that way she couldn’t ask me to do anything. I made it through a whole year without speaking to her, I would speak to a third person if I needed to tell her anything or if I rang reception and she answered the phone, I would just hang up even though she could see who was calling by the extension id. Even after I left, if I ever rang the switch board, so I wouldn’t have to talk to her I would say, “Maureen, it's Julie, my mobile phone is about to run out of batteries, can you quickly put me through to ……”

One day when we were speaking again she was being mean to me, so I went in whining and dobbing to her boss and got him to tell her off. He is generally a serious kind of guy, but agreed to the practical joke. So I said to her last night, “Shut up or I will tell your boss again”.

Reading back through this, I realise I sound very pathetic and I think I owe Maureen an apology. I will include her on this weeks newsletter, so Welcome Maureen.

The other week I was leaving for work and I saw a neighbour Jim. Jim is probably in his 60’s and I think he is of Polish descent. He brings my rubbish and bottle bins in off the street (cos I leave them there all week and there is a chance that vandals will put them on the train line) and I give him flathead that Mark catches on the bay. Jim was made redundant a few years ago and was unable to get another job so was forced into early retirement. He walks to get the paper every day and he knows almost every person that he passes. He also fills his day walking to the boat ramp and back.

Jim was standing with a middle aged lady who lives a couple of streets away, she was dressed in her Christmas best ready for a day in the city. Jim asked me how work was going and I was telling them that I didn’t like my job much and there might be a chance that I could go back to an old job where I had worked for 15 years.

The lady said a lovely thing to me in a broad English accent that has really stuck in my mind “Yeah, works all about ya mates, luv” and I think she is right where I am concerned. I can't wait to get back with the people that I haven't seen since I left and it is fantastic to be given the opportunity to return.

Claire is staying with Anthony’s mum this week and I am missing her, I have next week off so we have lots of things planned. The highlight of which is seeing Emimem’s movie 8 Mile. Claire and I absolutely love Eminem, much to Mark and other peoples disgust and we have been waiting for the movie to come out.

Mark is playing Claire’s playstation that she got for Christmas. He keeps interrupting me saying, watch this, look at me! He said are you writing your newsletter (he hasn’t read any and rolls his eyes whenever they are mentioned). I said yes and he asked was I going to write about him. I said, do you want me to write about you and he said "yes, write that I am still cute".
To paint a really good picture, he is sitting in his grey jocks with the black trim and I am sitting at the computer wearing my full length satin leopard print nighty. (which I wear in the street to put out the rubbish bins).

I think I will leave you with this mental picture.

This weeks profile is away overseas in the U.K, but I will profile her anyway

Name : Janet D
Met : During the mid 80’s at work after her husband was transferred from Qld Army
Marital status : Divorced from her husband who turned out to be a very dirty rat and she has two grown sons, Andrew and John
Pets : None?
Current position : Secretary to the CEO, Bob (it's good to have friends in high places). But I was Bob's secretary before She was! (said in a spiteful, childish tone)
Little known fact : Has lived all over the world in war torn countries, can speak a couple of languages including German. Bob is of German descent and she speaks to him in German and I cant understand and it really pisses me off.
Claim to fame : At different times has had dinner with Prince Charles and Sir Edward Dunlop through her Army connections. I believe one of her sons was fathered by Prince Charles as there is an uncanny resemblance to the royal family.
Loves : She has a flair for classic style and loves beautiful things. Spirituality, meditation and new age
Hates : Not much as she is a very kind and generous person and finds the good in everything, even the dirty rat ex husband
Quote : (She is going to kill me for this!) “Those lucky undies you gave me for my Birthday did not work”. (I had written on the tags, Lucky undies, guaranteed to get a root within 30 days)