Platform 327

Yeah, I know I’m late for both the Western and Chinese New Year’s celebrations, but for me, today is New Year’s Day. After a big bash last night, today is the day when things change. It is a time of renewal, a time of taking stock, and all those other lovely self-reflective things. Today was my first full day in almost four years as a non-corporate employee. In some ways, there is a new sense of freedom; in others, a sense of uncertainty. Ultimately, however, I know that things will work out and that whatever happens, something interesting is around the corner.

Frankly, I’m kind of excited about having a little bit of uncertainty and change ahead. I was starting to feel stuck in a bit of a rut. Now, if anything, there seem to be way too many options ahead of me. The biggest question is this: Do I become part of a company that basically keeps me doing the same job that I’ve been doing, or follow my own path by working part-time and exploring some new creative projects? The more I think about it, the more I’m leaning towards the second option. I like the idea of freelance work, but being responsible for a company and other people and all that ain’t something I feel up to. I’m going to take another couple of days to ponder, and then make a decision. I guess it boils down to picking what I can best live with.

More later.

Day 4 on day shift, and things are starting to catch up with me. Can’t stay awake, can’t sleep, and the change in eating schedule has my whole system out of whack.

There are some good things, though. After work I can go for a walk without dealing with midnight drunks blocking the street. And once summer comes, I plan on spending my afternoons by the pool and lying in the sun.

Right now, however, it’s fatigue and headaches. I need coffee.

It’s my first day on day shifts for… a very long time. I can see the sun rise.

But being on an opposite shift to W wasn’t working. With one of us asleep half the time we were together, we weren’t getting out and doing a lot of the things we wanted to do. I’m kind of looking forward to early morning walks together… when the weather warms up, of course. By then, hopefully, I’ll be used to my schedule.

At the moment, it’s time to zombie-shuffle my way into the office. Have a nice day.

It’s been a hell of a week. First, our union had a deal with the company. Then they didn’t, and we were going to have a strike vote. Then we had a deal. Then the government allowed our company to be taken over by a big media conglomerate. Then the union showed us “our” deal with the company, but the deal is shitty and I, for one, cannot vote for it. And I’m not the only one.

Fuck it.

On a good note, we got Christmas Eve off, so I don’t have to go to work until the Wednesday after next! I tell ya, I needed some time off, and the more the better. I’m gonna be doing a lot of relaxing, eating stuff I shouldn’t eat and, oh yeah, relaxing. And doing as little typing as possible.

Why the hell not? I’m not driving, and there’s no place I have to be.

In fact, I’m elbows-deep in a little home-based project that I’ve been putting off for a long time. All the crap that has been packed in boxes for years is coming out, and being categorized according to it’s value, be it practical, monetary or sentimental. Anything practical is being kept. Items in the other 2 categories are getting digital photographs taken of them, and being thrown out, donated, or planned for sale as needed. I’ve already freed myself of a full giant Rubbermaid box of junk that served no purpose other than to break backs on moving day. A few hundred digital photos of stuff I never use or look at will be a lot easier to lug around than all that stuff.

Speaking of home-based projects, I’ve also just ordered all the stuff I’m going to need to do transcription work from home — the software, hardware and extra RAM for my computer. I’ve been thinking of doing some transcription work from home to make some extra money so as to kill that high-interest loan of mine. I was going to hold off, but we got word from the union on Friday that a strike vote will be happening soon due to the company’s douchebaggery during negotiations. Knowing people in HR, I can see why the people on the company side are doing what they’re doing. The company is being sold, they’ll likely be fired, and they’ll be looking for work soon. The last thing they want on a resume is, “Rolled over and gave new union everything they wanted.” Still, I’m getting real sick of the union and the company playing these stupid little games with my life. Time to get my own shit started.

I’m not captioning Sid and Nancy after all. I want to see that movie at some point, but as a caption job it’s a pain in the ass. Have you ever tried to pay close attention to what a bunch of American actors playing British drug addicts are saying? “Oi, wot eew noggle grot, hey?” Yeesh.

Luckily there’s someone at work here that likes captioning “those bloody pommies,” and hates war documentaries, so we switched. Now I gets to watch stuff git blowed up real good.

I’m captioning Cannonball Run at work right now. I picked it off the shelf because I remember it being a fun movie. From a captioning-logistics standpoint, though, it was a huge mistake. I’d forgotten how many characters were in this movie. Brain go bye-bye now.

But the weekend was pretty good. I was going shopping for stuff with Wendi, but I didn’t find anything I was looking for. I did, however, discover the joys of shopping with a woman who hates shopping. She needed shoes, and I suspected that would be the death of me. Instead, we got into Zellers and she was like, “These fit and they’re not hideous. Let’s go.” Nice.

Yesterday I pretty much chilled out except for some cleaning. I’ve almost returned my apartment to its pre-3-week-flu state. Just in time for summer!

Exciting, eh?

Here I am, after a whole lot of time away. Feels weird to be a productive member of society again. I kinda wish I had enough money to live that lazy life. Of course, I’d get bored.

So I’ve decided that I’m going back and doing some book-learning. I haven’t decided what path I’m going to take yet, but it’ll likely be some online degree course seeing as I can’t take a couple of years off work to go to school. There’s a technical writing certificate program I’m interested in. I’ve also been thinking of going back to Athabasca University to finish up that communications degree. In case I decide to go in a completely different direction, I’ll be spending the summer upgrading my math skills through the Independent Learning Centre. Hell, it’s cheap enough (a lot cheaper than taking university-level mathematics upgrading courses, for sure). This morning I sent off my application to Grade 9 mathematics. Figure I’ll start back at the beginning and see if I’m any better at it now than I was back in the day.

So what brought this on, you ask? While I was sitting at home alone, a few things came to mind. First off, I was reading about the meridian expedition that measured the earth in order to come up with the standard metre. Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, one of the lead scientists in the expedition, didn’t take up astronomy until his mid-30s, but still managed to have a respectable career. That was in the late 1700s. My life expectancy is a lot longer than his (knock wood), and even if it takes me until I’m 40 to finish schooling and I retire at 65 (which is looking less and less likely), that’s a 25-year span of time to build a respectable career of my own.

Seeing as my plan to win the lottery has fallen through (as has my backup plan of marrying rich), I’ll give this a shot.

Luckily I’m getting a week off in a couple of weeks. Lookin’ forward to it.

I’ve been stupid-busy lately. An article I’m working on was supposed to be on a meeting that took place a couple of weeks ago. I think I’ve learned to hand my stuff in quickly for this particular publication, because now the article is about what happened after the meeting, people’s reactions to it, blah, blah, blah. Oh, and even though it’s due on the 18th of March, they want to see something tomorrow so it can be taken to ANOTHER meeting. I ain’t being paid; it’s not gonna happen.

Tomorrow will consist of a lot of running round, including a trip to the dentist who will refer me to an oral surgeon who will do a biopsy on some weird lesion in my mouth. Good times.

Oh, and today the boss offered a “coaching session” because “a few people” in the office apparently don’t like me for some undisclosed reason. Of course, nobody has said anything to my face. So as far as I’m concerned, they’re all the enemy. I’m not talking to anybody around here. Fuck ‘em all. I’m not going to get down to the level of high-school politics for a job that’s likely going to disappear in a few months anyway.