The Paper Train Express : January 2014

party city meltdown

I had my radio interview.

It went alright, but I have a feeling from the way the instructors were talking that I won't get in for lack of prior radio knowledge. I found out that theres an entry level radio job that doesnt require previous experience, just have to be eligible and pass the interview, so thats an option I'll be looking into. I'm more interested in getting library tech and going places with that instead though. I really dont mind a very quiet, slow job. Especially if it pays decently. At the end of the day, my job needs to support me and my future kin, and if I can do it in a safe and stable job, that wins for me.

We'll see what happens with it though. Either acceptance, waiting list, or rejection. Will post response when it comes.

In other news, The one and only Enzo is in town. Prepare for chaos, as this week (jan 28- feb 4) Enzo will be in New City to party with me. Most posts will likely come as I tell about our wacky, wacky adventures.

Dont worry Ill stay out of ~~jail~~ trouble k

PTE steps in a new direction

If you hadn't noticed yet, I created and put up a new little device on PTE today, the PTE Test Your Luck. It's a simple little thing that randomly chooses how lucky you are. (Which in itself tells you your luck honestly, figuring its complete chance of what you'll get. (Note: Tester results are a 1/27 chance))

It was fun and easy to whip up and it may not the last of its kind. I've thought about how Flash and PTE can be integrated more and I may do more things in flash for PTE (aside from the usual banners) in order to make PTE more entertaining and give more reason to keep coming back to visit. Plus, playing in flash so much may help me with coding and getting ideas for other projects I've been working on.

In other news, today was the best shift of work I had all month. (after coincidentally getting "Extremely Lucky" on the test your luck...) The bosses I had there were all the most relaxed, customers bottomed out over an hour before close, tasks all went easier than expected, I even got out early. The only downside is that I imagine tomorrow mornings shift will now be the polar opposite, as my luck tends to do that. (Flip extremes; One day is really good next is utterly awful, vice versa.)

I'm curious to ask now: What sort of things would be interesting to see on PTE? Quizzes? Games? Movies? Comics? More Gadgets?

Twisted Cards of Fate

I finally found out sort of what was going on yesterday. By some twisted fate, I managed to get employee of the month. Though honestly, I can make sense of why I did, very likely due to boxing day with being the only person in my department and running it the entire day with a Saturday level of people. (aka: super busy) Its a bittersweet award, but I do appreciate the recognition. That said, I really hope someone else gets it next month and the months following. I don't like work's limelight.

Another twisted fate I had is another award for "showing continuous effort and enthusiasm." What makes this award twisted is what its for and its timing. It seems to have been paired with the EOTM one, making me seem even better (which is bad, last line of paragraph 1) than I am. I'm essentially seemingly being pedestalled above everyone in my department, kind of like a child being favourited in a family. (Which I've had that too, pedestalling is irritating to deal with) I'd rather be a shadow at work, at least at this one; going in, doing my time, going home. I don't want politics ruining that.

In more positive news, I recently got called from one of the unis, and an interview has been set up for the radio program. If I succeed, I'll get in to that program and be aiming for radio. If I fail it, my back-up remains library tech (or pharmacy tech, either way something will be backing it up so I can do something other than what I am now....retail....bleh....)
The Interview is next week, more post (s?) will be coming on that.
This is the thing I've been waiting for, it will get the gears for my tomorrow going. The first step towards Not New City Forever.
(Yes I'm excited about it. Very much.)

My world is weird. Did I ever mention that?

You call this a utopia?!

Work's been interesting.

Two coworkers have been fired recently over one giving the other a discount when not supposed to.

A coworker has been facing unpleasant behaviors from certain bosses, which I too have now been finding some of my uppers are now treating me differently. I'm not sure if some political game is going on or what.

I'd like to imagine myself a strong person. I'm actually extremely weak, both in strength and dealing with things. But I try my best, because that's all I can do. I've put up with this retail bs for a while now. They've tried to move me in other places in the company, but I've resisted because I do not wish to move anywhere. I do not want to stay too long term, I just wanted to stick with them until I had a new job in a new field to move to. These recent complications are making work more and more unnecessarily difficult, I used to be neutral about going to work "its no fun but its at least pretty okay at times" but we're now back to Hometown's "I'd rather die" mentality. (Except of course in Hometown, that was the alternative and so yeah I always went anyway because I had to.)

So I guess in conclusion, New City has its problems too.

Car Shopping

Our* old van is now 15 years old, and though still functional, its a bit unreliable in long distances due to an oil issue. Because of such, we've been looking to get a new vehicle to replace the van. The plan is for the next vehicle to last ~20 years if it can.

So far there have been some good contenders, but pushy salesmen and low-ball values on our van prove to keep us looking. Not sure what new vehicle will be decided on, but when a decision is reached I'll make another post about it. Another van may be what is gotten, could also end up with an SUV or something.

Somewhat related, I've gotten better at asking questions. Decision making skills remain at awful though.

Also works been a bit rough lately. I'll make a deeper post about that if the problem doesn't resolve soon.

*Parents and I share the vehicle, it's in their name though

Bump shifts

Its sometimes amazing to realize how much things have changed from not even a year ago.

I recently have had issue when having to deal with what I refer to as 'bump shifts'. These are essentially work shifts that double in size while at work due to another employee calling in sick and my work not wanting to own up to their own mistake so they 'give me the option' (read: guilt trip) to stay so they don't have to call anyone. When this happens I get frustrated to no end, and always come home in a crappy mood. What makes it worse is that it seems my mom always get caught in my fury, similarly how she gets mad at my cousin when she gets upset about something.
Fun to see learned behavior work subconsciously. Now then, need to fix it...

I compare this event to the day in and out of Hometown and hometown's work. Things were so much worse that bump shifts didn't even phase me. In some cases they were needed because I was always running out of money. I was so exhausted from life itself that I had zero fight in me for anything. I had accepted all the things I did because I mentally couldnt do anything else.

New City is wonderful but it took suffering in Hometown to see what I had. I forever say I needed the time in Hometown for a multitude of reasons. And still miss it, despite what happened. (But moving back is still an event that will not happen unless the circumstances permit.)