Ode to my pc… and thank goodness for books.

I have to get caught up on a lot of shows. Downton Abbey, Revenge, Homeland… Plus I’m falling behind with Supernatural, The Mentalist…

Alas my tv show viewing has stalled as my desktop pc has finally died. After 5 years, a few OS re-installs, a RAM upgrade and a trip to Papua New Guinea and back I think it’s done pretty well. A few days ago I went to re-start it because things kept freezing and now whenever it boots up it goes straight to system restore. And none of the system restore options have worked. So I think it’s time to call it a day.

Problem is I can’t afford a new pc. Yeah, they are getting pretty cheap these days, with laptops brand new from $350, but I can’t spare that right now. I have car rego due in a fortnight, a car service approaching which I am sure will have to include getting my brakes done. Plus the whole saving for two weddings, one of them in Fiji later this year. So until I can save up some spare cash, I’ll be using the computers at the hostel and the uni labs.Probably just as well with uni starting up again soon.

In the mean time I have been powering through reading A Song of Ice and Fire. A quarter the way into A Dance of Dragons. Once done I have The Silver Lining Playbook and Anna Karenina on my e-reader. I’ll probably go looking for the ASOIF novellas too. Have toyed with doing Robert Jordan’s Ring of TIme series now that its completed. I am worried though that it will pale in comparison to ASOIF. Only one way to find out.

What books are you reading right now?

Why I love my job.

It’s Australia Day, I’m working front desk at the hostel and have been told to drink all I want.

Totally makes up for the minimum wage LOL

Hostel Happenings #2 – naughty, icky boys.

One of the night watchmen* is a 23 y.o. ex-U.S. marine who has been at the hostel roughly 6 weeks. Back around Xmas/NY I saw him out at one of the clubs and he and this tiny girl (he’s around the 6′ mark) were sucking each others face off on the dancefloor. So naturally I took to throwing ice at them. He twigged, saw me, we laughed at each other and he returned to sucking face while I continued on with my girlfriends.

Fast forward to work the next evening. He comes out and starts moaning about how he didn’t get lucky the night before and asks why-oh-why didn’t she come home with him (which she technically did since she was staying at the hostel – she just didn’t go home with him). So I filled him in on how there are girls out there that are just up for the dirty dancefloor pash, but are in no way prepared to go home and sleep with some random guy. This mystifies him. He goes on to blame me (jokingly) for not looking out for him and letting him get into trouble while out partying. So the running joke now is, as a result of my absence, I am responsible for a grown man-boy’s drunk indiscretions.

Anyway, this whole joking thing has somehow evolved into me being a combination of his pimp, mother, and agony aunt.

The latest story is a few days ago he managed to get a blow job off a Scottish girl staying a few nights at the hostel. Yes. I get told what he got and where he got it. I now no longer want to sit on a specific couch in reception. I get asked as to when she is staying until and he proceeds to avoid her the rest of her stay. Which isn’t surprising because man-boys are dicks.

What puzzles me is why do they share these things with me?

I suspect I have encouraged it by not overly reacting to what they do tell me. So maybe they think it’s ok. I dunno. Doesn’t really matter because I end up with a wealth of fodder for interesting stories.

*Night watchman – person responsible for hostel security, late check-ins, early check-outs and general cleaning from 10pm – 7am.

Wants, haves and needs…

This is the second FB status of this sort that I have seen since the New Year. Different person though. If she’d left out the bit about wanting a man then perhaps it wouldn’t sound so desperate. But she didn’t leave it out. Couple this status update with what I know about this person – she does need a job but lives off the allowance her ex gives her for the kids while moaning about no one giving her a job. She also lives well beyond her means because that’s all she knows.

As to having a room to rent, I’m going to direct her to easyroomate.com or some similar rental/share housing site.

See, I am attempting to cancel out my bitchiness by being helpful. I am just a little bit ashamed of myself.

Hostel Happenings #1 – (Not-so)Tall, dark and handsome.

A plus of my job is meeting handsome, mature, interesting guys.

Like the fit, attractive, tanned, brown-haired, pony-tailed guy who had me help him wrap Christmas presents for his best mate’s family. He had a marine biology degree (as do I), worked in a remote area for a large multinational (i.e. securely employed), and a mysterious glint in his brown eyes (a.k.a. sexy, smouldering look). He was not unlike one Jared Padalecki. Except not as tall. But I was prepared to look past that.

All this was more than enough for me to ignore the fact he was the same nationality as my ex. He didn’t have the same ethnic background as my ex so I can confidently say that was the only thing he had in common with my ex. To my knowledge anyway.

I digress.

Basically, I like my job because I meet hot guys such as Mr Pony-Tail. The down side is they all check out and move on eventually. Which is what Mr Pony-Tail did. However, I knew he was returning at some point because he was going to stop-over again on his way back to work. So I was hopeful of seeing him again.

Despite this, when a guy called to make a reservation last week it took me a full two minutes before I realised who it was. This was even with him saying “it’s Jared, remember the guy with the pony-tail, I did marine biology and we were talking about it?”. Still drew a blank but continued taking the reservation as if I knew exactly who I was talking with. So didn’t I sound like a complete fool when I realised who it was and I was all “Oh! That’s right! I remember now!”?

Hannah is a dill.

*facepalm*

Anyway, I was on the desk when he checked out the second time. He was still yummy. Fingers crossed he comes through again next time he takes a break from work.

Happy New Year!…

I just had to go back and check that I hadn’t posted since last year. I sucked last year for posting. Perhaps I’ll suck this year too but hey, I have the best of intentions 🙂

At work right now, which is reception at a backpackers hostel. After being screwed over in my last job, I found every man and his dog was out there competing with me for an admin/accounts position. So I’ve ended up going back to what I did when I first moved here. Now, I love it – backpackers are generally chilled out people, who just want to do things and have fun and that’s what I’m paid to help them do. A few people stick around long-term and it ends up like working with all your favourite family members who just like to get pissed most of the time. Plus the guys generally wander around the hostel in nothing but low-slung board shorts.

Only down side is it’s basic wage. Plus any commision I make selling tours to guests, but since it’s the low season that’s a bit of a challenge. So in the end I’m just scraping by. I need to try get some freelance work or something. My plans for this year are gonna require a large amount of savings. I have two weddings (best friend’s and my brother’s – the latter of which I think is going to be in Fiji) and want to visit my parents in PNG and grandparents in Brisbane. Add to that car repairs/services, registration – this car is costing me more than she is worth but I can’t afford a new one 😦

I’ll have to get through it somehow…

*pause for intermission*

I’m still at work and right now a bit shaken up – one our long-term guests just had an epilectic seizure in reception. It was pretty bad. We got him to the floor on his side and with a pillow under his head but he went blue in the face so we called the ambulance. They took him to the hospital and my bus driver went with them. But someone still had to drive the bus into town so I decided to do it. And now there is a great big dent, like 3 foot long along the bottom of the driver’s side. :(:(:( My boss is gonna be pissed. (The dent is there because I didn’t take into account a great big coconut tree on the side of the driveway).

Important thing though is that the guy is ok. I just have to be a bit cooler under stressed conditions and not drive the work bus.

Why are we women stupid?

A girlfriend of mine just posted that she is in a relationship… with her ex fiancé… who only a few weeks ago she caught out cheating and he emptied her bank account on his way to the other side of the country.

Yep.

Stupid.

And I believe I can say that, because I’ve done it myself. I’ve been that stupid. Mind you, my ex-fiancé didn’t cheat or fleece me of any money. He was just a selfish bastard. But still.

I haven’t been close to this friend in over a year. Since she first got together with this guy actually. Yep, he is one of those control freaks who like to closet their woman away from her friends and old life. So. I feel guilt that I am not close to her anymore (although it does go both ways). I feel I should help her but I know that whatever I say will not make a difference. I always ask myself, why didn’t my friends come to me when I was miserable with my ex-fiancé? But I also know that the answer is I just would have defended him. The only way to get out of those controlling relationships is to realize you yourself have the power to change things. And you will be better off without him/it.

Yay for new beginnings!

I’ve got a job! *happy feet shuffle*

Yesterday I interviewed for an Assistant Accountant position for a large shipyard and 2 hours later I had the call offering me the position. 😀

I thought it was a good sign when she pulled the GM in to meet me towards the end of the interview. Plus, turns out my interviewer (i.e. my new supervisor, the Financial Controller) knows my current supervisor (that’s how small Cairns is). In the interview I had said I would give 2 weeks notice as a courtesy to my current supervisor, but when she called for my reference my current supervisor said a week’s notice was more than enough. So yeah, starting the new job Tuesday next week. I have the impression they really want me with end of financial year approaching.

I’m sooo happy I got it – it sounds like exactly the job I need at this stage of my ‘career’. Plus, after 3 months probation I’m permanent which means I get leave entitlements finally. And there is opportunity to take on more responsibility over time because my new supervisor said she will need to start delegating down as the company directors want her in a higher duties role.

So YAY all round. I don’t have to worry about spending anytime unemployed, which was a possibility after my contract end date on the 29th June. I’m so grateful and thankful.

Now. Here’s to hoping I can cram enough to pass this Tax Law exam tomorrow night. Gah!!!

Knowing what you want shouldn’t equate to picky.

An aside on the job-hunt front.

My landlord upstairs knows I’m job hunting and keeps telling me to apply for positions at her work because she thinks I’m perfect for them. I’ve been non-committal. She works at a job services/placement agency (JSA) i.e. they are paid commissions by the government to place unemployed people who are on social welfare into jobs.

To be frank, I know that, no matter how good she believes I would be good at the job (and I don’t think I would be), it is not a job I want to do. I don’t think I’d be suited to it because it’s dealing one-on-one with people, the majority of which will range from apathetic about getting a job to hostile towards a government agency that they believe is failing them.

On the (job) hunt.

So I’m on the job hunt at the moment (temp contract not being renewed and all). Really I should be focusing on my final tax exam this coming Wednesday, but no, I’m procrastinating on that so I’m setting myself up for ridiculous pressure and stress over the next few days…

Anyway, regarding the job hunt – I’ve applied for a few jobs. Two with mining personnel supply agencies. These I’m not really banking on much because they would require relocating. But I thought I’d give them a go. Another two I’ve applied for I’m really hopeful for.

There’s one as a billing & recharge clerk at an oil & gas exploration company. The position seems right up my alley as it’s reconciling historical project costs and investigative accounting. Add that it is a multinational organisation (albeit a relatively small one) which suggests to me there is room for progression if I get in. So yes, keen on that one. Sent in my resume on Wednesday after talking to the lady doing the hiring (I hate calling about job ads – never really sure what to ask and feel like an idiot as I end up um’ing and ah’ing a bit). They are looking at the applications next week and interviewing not long after that.

Now the other one, is an accounts assistant at a large shipyard and slipway company. The job covers a variety of tasks, many of which I have experience in AND it asked specifically asks for experience in an accounting software that I have been working with daily for the last 6 months. My mum found the ad. Thank goodness as I think I’d be awesome for it.

Anyway, I sent my resume in late Wednesday… and got a call first thing the next day. Yup, I have an interview this Monday. Fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed they like me because I really want the job. I think it has the potential to give me heaps of experience in accounting/finance, beyond accounts payable. Like getting into reporting etc.

So yeah. *Hopeful* 🙂