2007-11-14 - 6:03 p.m.

The mere concept of what my current job role entails is stressful, but I'm starting to get a kick out of having crazy days that are over before they've begun, where I have more than enough to do to fill up my day and I'm not filling in the hours like I have in the past with Monday-Friday positions. I feel like I should be staying until 5pm at least, even though if I get there at 7.30am my official end time is 3.45pm (but really, what manager anywhere has an official end time?), but then there's just not enough hours outside of work to do anything. I like to cook dinner most weeknights, but if I plan 5 days ahead (for shopping purposes), then I limit my after work activities- eg not being able to go for a run because I was going to make a 3hr spaghetti bolognese. If I don't plan five days in advance, and don't shop on the weekend and then have something planned virtually every night of the week, I haven't got a hope in hell of sticking to my resolve of cooking at home most of the time. I like keeping up to date in here, but then I also like plonking myself down on the couch and watching a couple of episodes of "House". If I'm going to trivia, or a mid-week gig, I wouldn't even mind a power nap but there's no time for that either. And I wish I could clone myself and go to trivia (which I thoroughly enjoy), and stay at home and watch "Spicks and Spicks", "The Chaser" and "House". I've had Nathan around for dinner heaps in the last couple of months (probably because I'm time managing my home cooking and my socialising) but rather than relishing the odd dinner at his place I see it taking away from a planned rest day. With Bexley being on the way home I don't tend to come home first, so I'm going there straight after work, and in all likelihood (though it wasn't the case last night), I could be getting home at 10pm.

Yes, I know everyone has the same problem, but I'm used to having the odd 3 days off in the middle of the week, having to get up very early 33% of the time (but getting home by 4pm) and sleeping in the rest of the time.

I'm mainly stressing out because I'm going overseas in less than a month. I've had to make numerous trips to the jeweler's (Jo's far too busy to be reading this anyway, but whatever I write in here it'll still be a surprise I guess) and I've got to make at least 2 more- I'm trying to find accommodation in Berkeley for my family, I've got to get a new suitcase, go to the travel doctor, think about what I'm wearing for half a week's worth of wedding stuff in Singapore (and I'm going to a wedding the day before I leave). Got a 30th, a work Xmas Party, a 12 hour BBQ/Pool Party on election night, got to get presents for some of those things. Want to learn some of the ins and outs of my new camera before I go- am stressing about using my new Camera in Costa Rica, probably need to get certain impending jewelery item written into my contents insurance though I imagine it would be covered in travel insurance (though I'm not sure), as well as my camera. And that's just outside of work, and what I can think of now.

I've also got to do year-end performance reviews for about 8 people, and anything that I'm not confident leaving in someone else's hands for 6 weeks. It's going to be insane catching up on everything when I get back after my holiday, but at least then I'll feel I have the rest of the year (or at least until somebody usurps me if that were to happen) ahead of me- not 3 weeks.

Gah!

So, what have I been doing this last week and a half apart from Crowded House? The time at worked as gone by ridiculously quickly- I'm sure I had some days that dragged on but overall...wooosh. So I'll be going overseas in no time- which is clearly good, but have no time to do all the things I just wrote about, which is less good. I think I actually did have a few quiet nights last week- I know I cooked on Monday and Wednesday, Lucy coked on Thursday and on Friday I went to Sam from work's farewell. I don't think I spent any money on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, which is good.

Friday night (9/11) started pretty early- we went to the Doncaster in Randwick, had drink and dinner, Sam went home quite early considering it was her farewell (but I'm sure she more than made up for her lack of time in quantity of drinks), and inevitably I ended up at the Townie with Nathan, Gerard and Steve from work. This time (as opposed to my disgraceful last effort at the Townie) I would have happily gone hope at say 1am, but it was still about 4.30am when we left.

Saturday (10/11) I felt reasonable hungover but I still managed to get myself to the Kirribilli Club for Phillipa's birthday drinks by about 2pm. I had a few drinks, a really good Mezze plate, the weather was lovely and then I left at about 7.30pm, when the night before started catching up. Sunday I was up reasonably early, went to the jeweler and was mildly annoyed that they couldn't have called to tell me my work in progress hadn't arrived from the workshop, but also mildly annoyed at myself for not ringing ahead after the last time when I found out by ringing to reschedule due to my all nighter that they didn't have what I wanted that weekend anyway. I got over it when the Newtown Festival put on a typically good (and sunburn inducing for many) day, and I ended up drinking out the front of a terrace house in Australia St with acquaintances linked to my last disgraceful night at the Townie, watching people filter from the festival.

Monday (12/11) after work I did some impromtu grocery shopping for one night, went out of my way to find a petrol station that no longer existed and ended up having to apy full price anyway (as I would have if I'd just gone to a convenient one), talked to Jo for over an hour on the phone, made a good pesto and watched some TV. Tuesday I went over to Nathan's for early dinner straight after work, then we both headed over this way to go fro a run, then wasted 90 minutes of my life watching another installment of "Nightmare on Elm Street" that was far more crap than I remember it in childhood, and went to bed.

And here we are at today. It's warm and light at 6.51pm, I'm going to head off to trivia in about an hour, I actually had time to unwind this evening and I don't care that I'm not cooking at home because I'm putting a lot of value on the time that I'm saving. Can't complain...much.

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