i think i used to be much less sarcastic

nik — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:08:38 +0000

I know that my dissatisfaction with work has screwed with my world view. The most minor glitch and a day is ruined; if I don’t maximize my weekend I feel like I’ve wasted it; and I’ve got barm*. I keep thinking, though, a lot of people hate their work, right? So why is it tweaking me out so much? Then I remember the 2+ hours of commute time each day, and the restructuring effort that has about 100,000 people pointing at the 15 people in my division and saying, “It’s all your fault.” It’s real tough to muster any enthusiasm when you dislike your work and everybody’s telling you that you’re doing it wrong, on top of it. That said, I’m becoming effective at slacking off, although I haven’t found a good balance that allows me to actually get work done yet. That will be key to my further sucess with this organization, methinks.

Had a good time at my friend’s bachelorette party. Duck boats** are a friggin’ riot. I remember them being HUGE in Boston, but I hadn’t seen them much in San Francisco, and apparently neither has anyone else, because it was quite the attention-grabber. The best part was that it limited walking, which is for sucks (thanks for the wisdom, oh mighty simpsons), and allowed for a lot of chat-time with a bunch of people I haven’t seen for like 9 years. So it was good.

*Boob-arm. Like cankle (calf-ankle), it’s what happens when you beef up and your body parts lose distinction and start plotting against the rest of you.

**Duck boats. Amphibious vehicles often found in touristy areas–like San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

teensy tiny bit cranky today

nik — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:08:59 +0000

I’ve got a yoga class that I go to in downtown Oakland every now and again, and I guess I’ve been going more often than not, because today when I realized that I couldn’t go, and in fact, had to stay in the office to wait for my boss to work on something so that I could send it out, my zen got all fucked up, and I got downright cranky. It’s bad enough that I don’t like my work (and while there’s sure to be more on this subject in the future, deep down, the truth is that I really don’t like the basic function of my job, so there’s no helping it at all, other than finding a new one, which I’m working on) but when work activities encroach on my me time, I get kinda…well, livid. And it’s been happening an awful lot lately–starting last week with an all day off site meeting, punctuated by a bunch of ad hoc phone meetings taken from starbucks and benches on san francisco street corners which lasted until 7 pm, when I was finally able to go home and get something to eat. Next day, more of the same, and on sunday, SUNDAY, people, I received a number of frantic emails and phone calls asking me to stand by to work on something once something else was finalized–at freakin’ midnight. Even if I liked my job, I would find that request out of line.

However, since I’m trying to slack quietly, without alerting my boss (beyond the constant stream of “appointments” I have to keep telling him I have, when I’m really going to job interviews) I have not complained. In addition, I’ve cut back on my alcohol consumption, which was threatening to become rather serious and no longer fun and/or healthy in any way, shape or form–so I have a bunch of extra time at night where I’m wide awake, sober, and free to reflect on how much it sucks that I have to go to work the next day. In response I’ve been sleeping a lot more. Still not quite fun and/or healthly, but better than getting sloshed.

So, I’m soliciting suggestions (again, this would be better if I had readers, but that will come eventually). What do you do to a) erase the bitter memory of your work day every evening/weekend, b) keep yourself sane while working at one job and trying to find another, c) stay sober AND happy?

damsel in digress » Work

i think i used to be much less sarcastic

teensy tiny bit cranky today