Today, Sunday, 3rd of December, 2006, is my last day at EDS, the company that has employed me for the last 5 years, 3 months. It is fair to say that this is far from being a sad occassion, indeed it probably one of the best days in not only my recent history, but probably that of my family.
I kind of got into this job originally through default. After screwing my back up in the Army, they paid for me to study something, as long as it didn't take longer than a year and as long as it was something that wouldn't put any stress on my back. IT was the answer it appeared (this was in 2000, when IT was still an industry with apparent massive growth potential and what not.). Once I finished, I sent out some applications and pretty quickly got a bite from these folks, which at first was a good thing...pretty quickly afterward, I realised I hated IT and everything about it. Fast forward 5 years and I am still here, all be it part time now, and the attitude hasn't changed...but today is an exception...today, is like my rebirth!
I've got a new job, which means I will study part time next year (and probably the year after at least). My new employer is Musashi, which is an Australian based sport supplement/nutrition company (www.musashi.com.au). I'm pretty stoked as it relates to what I have been studying and is in a field I have an actual interest in....plus I get a a company car. JACKPOT!!
Other than this news, not much to report...am still the same cantankerous misery guts as usual, just a little less so today!
Last couple of weeks have been reasonably eventful and frustrating just enough to make sure that any post I made would have been full of gloom just enough that it could actually push my devoted 2 readers into self harm, so I decided not to put you all through it.
Had my one exam for the semester on the 15th of November. Was a 2 hour exam in which I was finished inside an hour, which is standard for me. I figure that by an hour, I will have either spewed out all I know and answered everything, or I will realise I know nothing, either the second hour is a waste of time in a quiet room. This time around, I did ok I think, so happy days.
It also marked roughly a year since the last time I drank. I was tempted to go out in celebration of this and drink my bodyweight in bourbon, but then I remembered that my own self hatred, which should fuel my desire to write myself off, also fuels my need to go to the gym and punish myself like I owe myself money. Therefore the rational 16th of my brain makes me reason that by drinking, all I am doing is making myself less healthy than I should be, therefore increasing my self hate...which I have at a reasonably manageable level right now I think.
It was my Mothers 60th last monday, so I ventured down the coast to Sleepy Hollow to see her and the old man. I made the mistake of taking themn to lunch at a local pub, which should have been ok, except they are at the point where they don't realise how loud they are speaking to each other when they are arguing over whether Dad should have the steak and peppercorn pie or not as it gave him gas last time and there is no way Mum is watching TV with him filling the lounge with that filth later on. Mum also has an addiction to poker machines, which is pretty sad, especially as we have to monitor how much money she has on herself at any given time. What is worse is that she won some money that day, which means she would have gone back every day since, trying to emulate her efforts, only to know be worse off than when she started.
Had a job interview on tuesday which went well. Apparently the job is mine once the paperwork is completed and the offer can be made officially, which is pretty sweet. With any luck it will mean no more 12 hour weekend shifts, which can only be a good thing...but also means I will be at home more often, which makes me realise I need a hobby...something that will keep me out of the house for 12 hours on a saturday and sunday should do...
Other than the events reported, not much going on. Have spent a lot of time by myself again, which does my head no good, although I did make some banana muffins the other day which were delightful...I really need to get out more often
I posted this on my long lost Canadian brothers blog (http://ttothejtotheo.blogspot.com/) and figured it would make for a worthwile entry on my own steaming pile of blogshit...
When I was around 12, I wanted a set of golf clubs so I could play with my Grandfather, who although was a crap golfer, was the only relative I had that I liked at the time and hence I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible (thinking he was old and likely to die at any moment. He lasted another 10 years). Things didn't look good when my continual hints and subtle suggestions appeared to fall on deaf ears...only to be followed by my mother saying things like "Things are pretty tight this year. Xmas may be postponed till July." I resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't happening this year and perhaps I should start saving my own money. Then one afternoon, as I got home from school to an empty house it happened. As I was in the old mans wardrobe, going through his stack of girly mags, a glint of shiny metal caught my eye, upon further investigation, it was a 9 iron...which was accompanied by a handful of other clubs and a bag! Abandoning my porn hunt and ignoring my raging 12 year old libido, I grabbed the 2 wood out of the bag and went into the empty reserve next door with a few balls and went nuts for an hour. When I came back in, I carefully cleaned the club and put it back in the bag, and stashed it back behind the well worn stick mags. To this day, I was never caught out and mum was none the wiser...I think telling her would probably make her sad in a strange way and as I am a good son, I won't do it...for now
So Rove McManus' wife died of cancer age 32. (If you are not Australian, you will be wondering 'What is a Rove McManus and how was it married? He is a TV host here of an incredibly over rated show that has some high profile guests on it that he manages to interview poorly.)
Her cancer battle has been well documented and has gained a massive amount of public interest in cancer related issues, which is a good thing. Cancer is pretty much a bad thing and although I am a firm believer in natural selection, I can see why millions aren't.
But the thing that came to mind when I first read about her dying this morning was this...
Rove's show was struggling ratings wise last year, so under advisement, they had a massive reshuffle of the show and made some changes. What if this year, ratings were not so great still and they figured to do something more dramatic???
The sympathy angle could get him another gold logie...
The last week has consisted of me hanging around the house putting together a 6000 word assignment and studying for an exam that I have this wednesday coming up. Its weird, but for 5 days, I spoke to 2 other people in the flesh, a handful on the phone and various by email. It would seem I have become one of those people who can converse great when they don't have to see the other person, but put them in an old fashioned both people in the room type conversation and they stutter and stammer and look at the floor...
Things never use to be this way...but it all fits.
1. I have grown an amazing dislike for people. If I am at the shops or something, I expect people to annoy me, so when they do, I don't get as pissed about it. Even people I know, I have low expectations of.
2. Given a choice between going to a party/get together or staying at home and watching Robocop, I'll take Robocop every time (and I did this last night!).
3. Large gatherings of people make me get kind of paranoid. I use to joke about it a bit as it use to occur every now and then. now it is all the time. I am dangerously close to becoming a hermit.
Some other things I have worked out recently include...
1. Everything I bitch about is my own doing. 2. I am highly unlikely to change any of those things as a. it smacks of effort and b. better the devil you know. 3. I can't recall the last time I listened to music. I don't lilsten to any radio or cd's. My mp3 player has episodes of Beatdown radio on it (from sherdog.com) and if I am listening to anything, it is that. I don't miss it and I had a thought yesterday that if the Government decided to ban all music, I wouldn't kick up a stink. Would not effect in any way at all. Keep in mind I use to have some music on in the background all the time, even when I slept. 4. As much as I dislike people in general, I have recently voiced interest in 2 new jobs with sport supplement companies, selling stuff to gyms and health food stores. The irony kills me. Here's a guy who self admittedly hates speaking to people, applying for a job where half the battle is relationship building and talking...sweet Jesus why? 5. I have managed to alienate nearly all my old friends. I currently have 2 people I email that aren't work or uni related. I get no phone calls or text messages from anyone, and make none myself. Does this worry me? Not particularly, but it is kind of strange to think that outside of my girlfriend, I have spoken to perhaps one friend in the last 2 weeks in person.
Thing is, life is a lot easier when it doesn't involve a tonne of people making demands on your time. When I had friends, I was always hearing them go on about stuff and dealiong with their crap, now I speak to no one, my mind is way clearer, so I can think up stuff like this post.
Could I get new friends?? Possibly, but I don't know where from. I think once you hit a certain age, you aren't getting new friends. You make new acquaintances, but it isn't quite the same. Plus, as I don't go out, don't drink or do drugs, have no interests that involve other people and don't follow a local sporting team, my opportunities to meet new and interesting folks are somewhat limited. Unless they like the gym, in which case they had best not speak to me while I am there cause that is just poor form. The gym is not a front bar!
I can't wait for old age...won't be much of a step for me I don't think
Its been a medium length road so far (4 months or so I guess) and I haven't always got anything to say (thanks Youtube for filling in those times), but 100 posts is 100 posts dammit and as I raise my bat and salute tha pavillion, I would like to take moment to thank all my readers (all 4 of you)...
as a gift, I have another clip for you, although not of crazy japanese game shows, Sesame street music, 90's metal or scrubs clips, rather one of those things that if I had tear ducts, could possibly have had me bawling like a baby...
The fathers name is Dick Hoyt and he pretty much puts all other dads to shame...
PS. Click on my new banner up the top fuckos, save some animals and habitat
Now listen, even though I am in the best shape of my life -- and I am, by the way...I mean, fact of the matter is you could pretty much bounce a damn quarter off my butt, you know, if you...if you wanted to.
