But I don't even like work

[rebness]

I've been working in Manchester for the last few weeks, though our office opened in Liverpool city centre this week. And everything's mad busy. It's usually two hours before I can even get a cup of tea (quelle horreur!) and check my e-mail. There's just so much do and not enough staff to do it. I also have 6.5 days' holiday to take before Christmas and I just don't have the time to take it, but we can't carry it over to next year. So frustrating! I may try and take a few days off in November to go and visit my Barcelona friends. I hate using holidays to just sit around online.

Then again, every single goddamn website except Google maps is blocked at work, so I don't have time to post to the VC comm except of a night/weekend, check newspapers and all that general faffing about I do online. I'm sorry for the protracted absence, you guys. It's especially bad when I feel like our beloved LJ needs all the support it can get right now, with people flitting off to Tumblr (great for photos, not so great for blogging) and *spit* Facebook. I hope to get a phone that allows proper web browsing soon.

I spent the weekend in London with squishypeanut, who is always a delight to be around and who always takes the opportunity to educate me in music. (I tend towards the most generic stuff if not pushed.) We saw lots of live music, visited the awesome Camden markets, ate good food and watched lots and lots of nerdy science videos.

                            
                                       An honest-to-goodness, real live shark, Brighton


She also insisted I read Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, a really good book of anecdotes from Richard Feynman. I'm getting really interested in all this ~sciencey stuff, though I don't hold with his assertion that there's little to be found in humanities. I love my literature and poetry and all that, so sorry. But he's very funny and interesting. I'll review the book soon.

I just really feel like I need a few days to wind down and write up stuff for my LJ, write fic and continue with my original stuff, maybe draw a little. This month's very busy for me with birthdays, social stuff and work, but when the arsey long nights draw in come November, I'm sitting down with some green tea and writing, so help me God.

Anyway, what are the haps, my friends?

Comments

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

I got the Samsung Galaxy 4G and it kicks ass for web. My boss hasnt blocked stuff at work but I know he's watching us with spyware and I just got tired of hearing him say in meetings there was too much goofing off. So I just hang out on my phone during the day. Its been much better.

I wish I had some vacation time left. I got nothing I didnt even have a proper vacation this year due to using up most of my time on recovery from multiple dental surgeries.

I somehow manage to find plenty of time to write though this is surely at the expense of other things like socialization and sometimes work.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I've heard good things about the Samsung! I shall check it out.

Ugh, it really pisses me off that a lot of companies (hmm, including my current one) are so arsey about time off for surgery. I absolutely don't think we should be forced to use our vacation days for it. Unfortunately, it seems only the NHS has ever been good about that, as an employer. I guess they have to be!

You're such a prolific writer. I kind of envy how you do it. :D

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Dont envy me, I'm kinda obsessive. Writing comes before everything, sleeping, eating, work...its sick. But its kept me safe and sane more times than I can count so I live and try to share space with the monster. And I never want it to leave me.

Yeah, my boss screwed me on time but the man screwing the proletariat is the American way. And next year I get three weeks vacation.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

What the hell holidays do you have currently!?

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Um, New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Day in January. Then nothing till Good Friday in either March or April, Memorial Day in May, Independence Day in July, Labor Day in September, Thanksgiving in November, and Christmas in December.

We dont get President's Day in February, Columbus Day in October, or Veteran's day in November.

Other than that I get like 8 sick/personal days and 15 vacation days come January for 5 years of work. We get nothing, I know.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

The UK sucks for bank holidays - I think we're amongst the lowest in Europe, so we also only get eight days.

We also get, on average, four weeks' holiday. Sickness varies across jobs. I've always complained about how low our holiday allowance is compared to the rest of Europe, but now I feel churlish! That's horribly low. >:|

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Every job I worked was one week's vacation for the 1st two years, then 2 weeks for years 3 and 4 and then three after 5 years. I dont know too many jobs that go over 3 weeks but there are some. Sick/personal varies here too and a lot of corporate jobs are off for all banking holidays. Some even have a floater, that you can use cuz some people dont get off for MLK or President's Day or something.

We're basically making companies all this money and barely have enough time off to properly take care of ourselves and family. But what's the alternative? In this economy I count my blessings everyday I have a job, even when I want to set the place on fire.