Back in the "burbs"
I work in a new city now, but it's small and surrounded by suburbs, like the one I live in. I don't have to sit on my butt all day and I get to do things my hands other than type (assemble folder things) and the streets aren't crowded and it doesn't STINK! And I can get home by 5:30. And I don't have to get up before 8 if I really don't want to, because I can still make it to work on time (barely, but hey).
I feel like even though I'm back to part time at a job I left, I'm moving forward. I don't feel STUCK anymore! This guy I worked with in the city who lives near me and quit a month before I did called the office today and we compared notes.
Zach: I'm like such a happier person now!
Me: OMG, I know, me too!
And then we chuckled. And were a little giddy. Because we really are a LOT happier.
I'm also teaching a class in the evenings. I have to drive on a highway to this little backroad forever to another highway, and then do a crazy U turn thing and follow a sign that doesn't have the street name's correct spelling on it... And then teach like 5 kids who are cool but usually mostly asleep.
But it's good that I'm driving all over. Now my mum doesn't freak if I want to drive up to visit Jamie chan! And Mom just had her operation (which went SO WELL) so I'm running more errands and generally being OUT IN THE WORLD, as opposed to sitting on a train or walking around stuck behind slow people who are perfectly capable of moving their asses!!!
Sigh. I am more relaxed now.
Anyway, work now.
Labels: work
Quitting my job!
Well, not really. Going part time - part time near home, possibly still part time here. That means part time benefits, but oh well. I don't care if I make any money right now - I just want to do something I like - TEACHING! It's the only job I've liked since graduating college, so I'm gonna start teaching a few classes later this month.
Right now, I'm in transition, waiting for the HR director to BE IN THE OFFICE WAAAAI! My manager is very supportive of me still working here part time, which is good, b/c I think I'll need the hours.
This seems like a somewhat risky move, but I think it's the right one. I need more time to write and work on grad school apps so I can actually go somewhere with my life. And not be a crazy zombie girl anymore.
^__^
Labels: work
razzlefrazzlefrickafracka
OMG, my job is driving me crazy. Not in a horrible way - I don't have an evil manager or work up to my eyeballs or anything; in fact, my manager is the nicest person ever. And that's probably enough of a reason not to complain.
But two things are getting to me:
1) My work is so boring and repetetive and unchallenging that I can feel my brain atrophying; and
2) Work is very far from home. Total 3 hours spent commuting per day. Lame.
These are problems because:
1) I like having a brain and I would like it to remember how to work; and
2) I miss my puppy. Also, I hate SITTING ON MY ARSE all day. (The puppy requires that I don't do that.)
Also, it's freezing in here. Brrrrr.
I feel very separated from the world at my little compy here. I mean, there are hostage trades going on between Israel and Hezbollah, and villagers taking up arms to protect their children's schools in Afghanistan and what do I do?
I answer emails all day. Here's how to get an extension! Here's why you can't do this! Here's an alternate solution to something that isn't really a big problem at all.
Meh. I hope I get into grad school.
Labels: work
The tables have turned!
Well, no. But I will be on the other side of the table, so to speak.
Today I am interviewing someone to join our team. My manager said, you've been in the position about 5-6 months [OMG, she's right, WTH], and you know what it takes to be successful [I do? SWEET!], and we need to know if this applicant is someone who will work well in our department, so, here are some questions to ask...
I'm gonna ask her how she would rate her appreciation for/knowledge of 80s music on a scale of 1 - 10. 'Cause yeah. No, I'm not lying.
Yesterday, one of the product managers asked me to proofread a book that's getting published Wednesday (tomorrow). We were kinda backed up on emails and down to two team members, but I thought, copy editing? F-CK Yeah! Or something like that. And despite how my blog looks sometimes, I'm actually really good at it (do YOU know the proper comma usage for a parenthetical statement, hmmm? I hope so). Yeah, I'm just lazy here, but whatev. I worked on a different book a few months back and got recommended (W00t!) and even praised, which makes me want to memorize The Elements of Style so I can live up to that.
I ended up spending almost 4 hours on the damn thing because the punctuation was crap. Now, it's only something other company employees will see, BUT there were photocopies of pages our students will see, and I was like, THIS is supposed to explain that math problem? This isn't even English. What is this construction? It's not even something recognizable, like Ebonics. Who talks like this?
I'll stop ranting now because I can't even remember the phrases (blocked them out to maintain my sanity, I think). But yeah, the book couldn't go out like that. I only did one chapter (yes, 4 hours, I am not kidding. I had to make all kinds of decisions that I really didn't think I would have to make, so I sat around being like, so I really want to be a comma Nazi? How much of a comma Nazi do I want to be? Well, if I put one there, I have to go back and put them in those similar situations... I was trying so hard not to overdo it. So hard. Editors argue about commas all the time, and follow some rules and dismiss others to avoid having like, 10 commas in a sentence - how many more could I have correctly added to this one? Do you know?). I suggested to the product manager that she use that chapter as a guide for the others. We'll see. I wish I could be a part time copy editor here - how much would that rock? It would totally lighten the burden on my current department, which takes complaints. :)
But commas and split infinitives aside (I left the split infinitives. This is not Latin, this is English, and I do not want to end up in an institution)... Yeah, I'm happy. Now I get to add interviewer and copy editor to my resume. W000000000000t! (That's short for We OOOOOOOOOOOOwned that other Team over there, yes, we certainly did).
Now to prepare for that interview. Ha, I'm nervous. C'mere, stress ball.
Labels: work
Newness
So, last time wasn't a fluke. Indian food IS spicy.
*guzzles water*
We got new computers today with FLAT SCREEN MONITORS! The design is fairly angular with a few curves to soften it, in silver and black, kinda retro. I feel like I'm in Star Trek!!! I was bouncing off the walls. My coworkers were giving me sideways glances like, where is that stress ball going to fly next, and why is she so hyper?
Today is one of those days where I actually have energy. The 9-5 thing bites. I mean, it's not like I live in a country with 60% unemployment and only factory jobs that I have to wait six years for. I do wish I had more time/energy to work on my novel.
SO, I've decided I'm going to exercise every day. I'll feel better and sleep better (not that I have trouble sleeping, but it's nice to feel tired from DOING something, not just from not sleeping enough). So far so good - did half a mile on the treadmill Monday, and 3/4 a mile on Tuesday. I think I'm gonna keep it around that, because it only takes 10-15 minutes and doesn't tire me out. Ideally, it'll make me feel like being more productive instead of reading the paper for an hour. I really don't have time for that. And even though I do it, somehow I MISS all the important news, like Romney dropping out of the race and Fidel handing things over to his bro. I should just check the news at work on lunch, like normal people.
So, the discipline/exercise is a new thing. Also, I discovered I can listen to streaming radio at work. My manager is TOTALLY cool with it, because what do I do? I answer emails. I found an 80s rock station out of Houston and I am going CRAZY with the saxophones and synthesizers.
So even though the commute gets me down, in a lot of ways, this job ROCKS!
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand....
God, I wanna sing along, but it's so damn quiet in this pod. Hopefully the gang over in processing will shake things up again soon. I butt in on their conversations sometimes, because
1) they actually have conversations; and
2) they talk about cool things, like Batman and the Huxtables.
Oh, so I never knew who sang Rio. Turns out I like Duran Duran. Why did I never confirm this before??? *DORK*
We talked about Kosovo/Kosova and Serbia and stay at home dads the other day over here in academic support, though. That was nice. And I talked to Louis about Indian food today. And now I'm all alone in the pod, and dammit, I'm gonna sing along to the next song I know.
I threw a stress ball over the pod wall into processing earlier. This guy was throwing one against the wall and I wanted to play, too! He laughed at me. I think I might have hit him.
*commences chair dancing to ZZ Top*
Labels: music, silliness, work
NEW JOB - WOOO HOOO!
This is my last month of 800 # hell.
^______________^
I applied for two jobs down the hall. One position provides support to our satellite locations and the other gives academic help via email to students. The first one pays $2,500 more, but, like the idiot I am, I decided I'd like to have an enjoyable job for once. So in February it's goodbye Callcenter, hello Academic Support!
*breaks to buy chocolate*
Should have gotten a Snickers... the M&Ms just aren't hitting the spot.
Anyway, new job.
Things I'm looking forward to:
Coming in at 9, not 8:30.
Being able to do things after work because I won't have to get up before 6 am anymore!
Training - I'll become an expert on the question types that appear on various standarized tests (SAT, GRE, GMAT, most likely).
I'll sort of be teaching again (teaching SAT prep was the only job I've ever had that I liked)
I can yell at students all I want and they won't be able to hear me!
Training myself not to be a jerk about run-on sentences. (Let's see... you're having difficulty with the writing section and you don't know what a clause is? Hm........) Being a grammar nazi (which I am NOT... using bad grammar is fun sometimes and using correct grammar 100% of the time can alienate ppl) is very stressful.
But I am a grammar nazi to some extent. Yesterday, I muttered something that my coworker overheard:
Me: I hope I don't go crazy.
Jim: Going?
Me: Um..... what?
Jim: You said you hope you don't go crazy and I said, 'going?'
Me: *chuckles* Oh, so you used the incorrect verb form in your attempt to insult me! *laughs in his face*
Poor Jim. He didn't know what to say. But what was there to say?
So I am a little crazy when it comes to grammar. I do misuse "hopefully" all the time, though, and then remember, duh, that's wrong... but I only care so much.
Anyway.
I just got off the phone with an SAT mom who was very confused by the college admissions process. "This is just so confusing," she repeated. I gave her contact info for the College Board and tried my best to address her concerns and listened as she repeated things three times and asked questions that I would have no way of knowing the answer to like, should her daughter start out at a community college and then transfer to a four year school, does the College Board already have her daughter's information online because she took the PSAT (this one she asked about three times), etc.
Mom then mentioned that she is an English professor at a community college.
She just answered my question - What do you do with a BA in English? If she can get her masters and become a professor, why do I think it's probably not that hard?
Labels: work
Call Center
So I work in a call center. That means I take calls to an 800#. Yes, I'm one of THOSE people!
I'm a good one, though. I care. I fix the problems I can, find people who can if I can't, and apologize if there is no solution (ie, the caller is just plain stupid. You can't fix stupid).
I work in a little cubby (covered in pretty Japanese fabric) on a row of other cubbies. The people on my row are nice - and sci-fi gamer geeks, like I am. Also about my age. "Remember Bobby's World?" "I do, don'tcha know!" Also my managers are nice. One of them just gave me three chocolate chip cookies.
But in the end, it is a call center.
The problem with taking calls is - okay, actually, there are a few.
I work for a company that sells educational products, including online and classroom courses. So you would think that when customers call they'd be able to tell you what they're studying for.
"And what is this call in regard to?"
"My class."
"And which class is this?"
"The one I'm in."
Yeah. I didn't make that up.
Many people have trouble telling me what they want / why they're calling.
"This online thing isn't working."
"And what kind of difficulty are you having?"
"I told you - the online thing isn't working!"
They also have trouble telling me who they are.
"Can I have your first name please?"
"Oh, my name is Ashoaoiashedflkj Ahmedinejad."
"And can you please spell your first name for me?"
"It's ASHOAIASHEDFLKJ."
"Um, was that S as in Sam?"
"No, it's ASHOAIASHEDFLKJ."
Sometimes we have bad connections. Sometimes I have no idea what they're saying. And they have trouble understanding what I'm saying. But they don't slow down.
"What? I can't hear you."
"Can you hear me now, ma'am?"
"Sort of. Okay, so I need the oblibe *garble* becuzIwanna *garble.*"
"I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?"
"Yeah, I need *garble garble*"
If we don't have a super great connection, and they are aware of this, you would think they'd try to enunciate a little. No. Why would they do that?
People can be very forward over the phone. They don't like to take no for an answer, and since they don't have to look me in the face and be a jackass, they feel free to behave poorly. Sometimes it's not that bad; sometimes it's a simple inability or unwillingness to take no for an answer.
"The managers at your local office are the only ones with the information you need. They will be open tomorrow."
"But can't you help me now?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have that information."
"But can't you look it up somewhere?"
"No ma'am; there is no way to obtain that information other than calling the local office, which is closed today. They'll be open at 9 am tomorrow morning."
"But why aren't they open today?"
Sometimes it's worse.
"Well this is your problem! YOU caused it so YOU had better fix it right now!"
"Sir, I apologize that our computer system glitched and we will fix it just as soon as is possible. However it will take 72 hours for the data to transfer and we cannot control this because it's due to the systems of the other company-"
"Well I don't think I should have to wait that long."
And what do you want me to do about that?
I've gotten very good at apologizing.
Labels: work
FULL TIME
I really thought I would use this blog to document me adjusting to an office environment and to tell funny stories about my quirky coworkers.
But you can see that on TV, right?
I don't watch officey shows, so I don't know if there was anyone like my former manager, who disappeared a couple weeks ago for a family emergency and never came back, and who liked to pelt female workers with stress balls and refered to himself as the devil while dancing jigs. He also enjoyed showing off cute pictures of his fiancee and their cute wedding announcements. Furthermore, he had no hair. I don't know if that's relevant or not.
Anyway, he's gone. And so am I! From that job, anyway.
I currently have a full time position for the same company in the Big City (ooooh) in customer service.
If this job doesn't give me material to write about I don't know what will.
The best part so far is that my phone is currently broken so I can't make or receive calls. I feel kind of bad b/c I was supposed to call a student right back (I am so far from burned out, I will probably not go crazy in this job, at least not for a while), but I can't help it. I told my manager in the meantime I would try to do something to keep busy, like dance badly.
Always in a nice shirt manager: *joins me in stupid dance and sings "Do a little dance, make a little, haha, nevermind"*
Now to measure my cubicle for nicer fabric.
Labels: work
