Work

I’ve been quite busy — to put it mildly — at work for about a month now. It all escalated when I received a massive project to finish in half the time that was originally scheduled for it. That was because I received it a month late…

I’m usually good at forgetting the stressful work stuff outside of 9 to 5 (or 9 to 6/7 which is often the case) but when I’m extremely busy (“don’t know if I’m going to manage this” kind of busy) I find myself thinking about schedules when I’m trying to fall asleep. I suppose it’s not all bad since I often have good ideas then. (During the day I only have time to do not think.)

But last night I had apparently had enough: I dreamt about working! It was as if my hectic day continued all through the night. If that’s not a sign of proper stress I don’t know what is.

This story has a happy ending, though. Just this morning (perfect timing! Although I could’ve done without the dream…) I received a message letting me know that the schedule had been extended by a month. Finally!

I was supposed to go shopping today but I have an irritating headache. Don’t know if it’s because of the weather (it’s trying to rain) or because I slept too much or too little.

Luckily the shops are open tomorrow (even the special lamp store I was planning to go to) so I’ll go tomorrow. Maybe today I could hang the curtains I got from my aunt and clean up the place a little. And of course, play some Half Life or Portal.

This week has been very busy at work, again. I’m cherishing a hope I might go back to my old job. There is a chance because they say they want me back. In the summer when I accepted the new job (within the company) I didn’t know about the things that are happening now — and now I’m regretting my decision. Not that I don’t like what I’m doing now but I’m liking the other things more. What I’m doing now is just work; what I was doing and will hopefully get to do again is something I love and I’m good at it. Why did I choose to change jobs then? I felt like there wouldn’t be enough work for me in the future (ha, funny). I didn’t accept the offer with 100% certainty, though, which is probably why I’m regretting it now. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed.

If I do switch back, I’ll be sorry how it looks to my current client contacts because I care about the relations. But maybe my boss can think of a good way to explain it (“anyone can do this, we need the expertise elsewhere”? Not.).

I’m afraid how I will feel if I can’t switch back soon.

Just when you think — again — that you’ve misjudged someone, they remind you that you were right all along. Or maybe my sense of humour is too different from theirs.

Today as I was eating my lunch and reading Duma Key (S. King) one of the nice co-workers noticed that I’d read a lot since yesterday (yup, I started reading before bedtime and suddenly noticed it was wayyy past my bedtime). The annoying one made a comment that I’m probably reading secretly in my cubicle. I replied, “yeah, I’m known to be such a lazy and slow one.”

Accusing me of reading on company time? Unbelievable.

Waking up is not so hard to do after all.

This morning I had to wake up at 5:30 am (we had to leave for a faraway meeting). That is really early for me; even 6:30 when I normally wake up (or 6:43 more accurately) is really early for me. I tried to be the good girl and went to bed at 11 pm but what good did it do: after playing some mobile sudoku, remembering I’d forgotten to set a timer for that night’s Lost episode, I was still up after 12 am — leaving barely 5 hours of sleep.

But, I jumped up at 5:30 and, really, only the first 3-5 seconds were difficult. The biggest problem is how do I stay up for the rest of the day. (Luckily, I don’t really have to, I got off work early.)

You know, it’s probably like a sugar rush: you quickly get high but then you crash suddenly.

A lot of the new employees (in the group I work in) have been young guys. And a lot of them have been the friends of a young guy who’s been working there for a while. That’s a bad equation — they frolic all day: play online games, watch YouTube videos (and laugh loudly), and surf the net. On company time. Every single day. And it pisses me off because other people (yes, including me) are working over-time. Every single day.

Today the latest addition and the one who brings all these slackers in were watching yet another YouTube video. I was so annoyed that finally I told them there were tasks on the queue. The guy who’s been working for us for a while said that they have a task (I said “oh really?”) and that they’re only watching a 2-minute video.

So, I snapped at them (not the new one, really). Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.

I’m so glad he’s leaving soon because then we’ll get someone new. I hope they’ll have a proper work ethic or at least a bit better.

Last Friday I went out with a couple of colleagues, “for a pint.” We were walking to the subway station when the other asked me to come along and I had to make sure, “You’re asking me? Even though I don’t drink alcohol?” I was told that was beside the point. So, I tagged along.

We went to a beer house and I ordered a Pepsi (I was treated, how kind). The bartender asked, “you want some vodka¹ with that.” My response? A loud “god no!” When we sat at the table my colleague laughed and asked if I get asked that a lot. I don’t but that might be because it was my first time “out for a pint.” (I had a wonderful time!)

I’ve never drunk alcohol, nor tasted, nor wanted to. Usually it doesn’t cause any problems but in the company’s summer festivities we were at a Greek restaurant and I asked for something to drink other than beer or the lukewarm water they served at the tables. The waitress shrugged and said “this is a Greek restaurant in Finland, why would we have something else?” (What about kids?!?)

Finns are big drinkers and I’m one of the odd ones out. Proud of it, too, although I don’t remember making a decision between to drink or not to drink. There has been no need; drinking has never even crossed my mind.

I suppose it’s “common knowledge” at work that I don’t drink alcohol. (It certainly is common knowledge with my family and friends.) In our last Christmas party I won a bottle of wine and a promotional t-shirt. I asked if the competition organizer would mind if I gave the bottle away to everyone. I kept the t-shirt although I don’t think I’ve worn it once.

On Monday a colleague of mine had emailed a project manager saying that he hadn’t had time to finish a task so he’d buy a beer to whomever finished it for him on his day off. And either the PM or the colleague had added, “or a Hyvää Päivää² to Minna.” Today — I got a bottle of vitamin C + caffeine Hyvää Päivää.
(Yup, caffeine is my drug of choice. I’m not pretending to be a goody two-shoes.)

1. Well, he said “kossu,” but who cares. (See Wikipedia if you do care.)
2. Hyvää Päivää wellness drinks, another site, in English

I signed a new employment contract today. Until now I’ve been on a fixed-term contract and paid by the hour because it has allowed me to study freely; I haven’t had any obligation to work from 9 to 5. But most of the time I do.

Now I had the option of continuing the temporary contract, get a permanent part-time (80% of full-time) job for the next year or a permanent full-time job starting right away. I’ve missed so little work that I decided to opt for the full-time — with benefits. Full-time is quite flexible to everyone as it is, and my boss additionally said they accept the fact that I’ll go to lectures.

I feel at ease now. I know exactly how much I’ll get each month and I’ll have more money for living after the loan instalments. With the current pay it may’ve been quite a scrape — I can’t say because I have no idea how much it costs to live on my own. (I’ll know “soon.”)

You’d better protect yourself — by locking your computer when you leave the keyboard for even a second. If you don’t, a nasty computer virus may walk by and select you as its next victim.

(It says “Hahaa!!! Your computer’s been infected by a virus!!! You’re a dead man!!!”)

That’s not my screen, though; I always lock my computer.

The other day (Nov 10th) while I was away from my computer for a while, I saw my boss sit there and do something. After thinking “gasp, did I lock the computer” (just instinct, no security issue if he saw what I was working on) I went to look what he was doing. Well, take a look:

The bottom Post-It has, I was told, dog treats (I had to ask what on earth were those) and it reads “yum!”.

(Hmm… I was missing my favourite pen this week, those are maybe written with it. I’ll have to go get it back.)

On Wednesday I was voted employee of the year (thankyouthankyou) — it was a tie, though, and I had eventually won in a paper clip draw. Luckily I won because the other one got a bottle of wine. I got a whopping gift certificate to a fancy restaurant chain so I’m taking my sister, Grandma, and an aunt/godmother to eat. It should be fun but the restaurants are so fancy (everything has mushroom and/or alcohol) that I don’t know if I, let alone my sister, find anything to eat.

This post is the first in my new category, Smile of the Day, but I’ll probably add more posts to it as I go through the archives. I won’t post in it daily but ‘Smile of the undefined amount of time’ doesn’t sound as good, does it…

Today I received an email from our Brazilian vendor and the project manager had signed it with “Kindest regards”. I don’t usually read signatures (except to see who’s written me) but this caught my eye. I had to check some of the previous emails and they said ‘best regards’ or ‘kind regards’. Kindest really felt like a step up the ladder.

What made it all the more cute is that I have a habit of “blabbering” with this PM.

I feel so special now.