Would you ever believe it?

Just got ticked off from my boss for not answering the phone quick enough and for saying 'hello' instead of 'good afternoon'!!

New Order

Can't believe it's 20 years ago since I first saw New Order live - at the time it seemed that I'd got into them late. Now it just makes me feel old.
Here's my Top 10:
1. Temptation
2. Bizarre Love Triangle
3. Shellshock
4. Regret
5. Ceremony
6. World
7. Perfect Kiss
8. Sub-Culture
9. Vanishing Point
10. Touched By The Hand Of God

Work Work Work

Spent all morning trying to work out what we spent on
a project that didn't happen. Mad, I know. But if I
don't do it, it will apparently only prove that I'm
not up to this job. Ho hum. The next question I have
to answer is: how many people benefitted from this
non-existent project?

Money Money Money

One of the reasons I was attracted to working in the voluntary sector was that I imagined it would be full of people who shared a commitment to a cause and that charities would be good employers. I wasn't expecting to earn lots of money - but I did expect to be treated fairly. So why doesn't this surprise me?

Charities advised to review pension schemes
Charities should consider closing final salary pension schemes to new staff or freezing benefits as the crisis hitting corporate and public sector pension schemes makes itself felt in the voluntary sector, finance directors warn. The rest is here

I totally understand the need for charities to make sure their donors' money is spent wisely - but personally I'm getting sick of all the wage freezes, regular rounds of redundancies, not earning enough to even think about buying a house, and now... looks like I'll have very little pension to look forward to.

/rant

Flip-flopped

One of my flip-flops snapped (the bit at the top of the toe). I guess they're not made for everyday wear. Ended up having to shuffle very slowly to the nearest shoe-shop to get a new pair. Wonder how long they'll last...

The Boot

I can't believe it: my old boss is being made redundant. How I wish it'd happened when I was still there. (she was a rather difficult person). It's all change change change at the old place, I've only been gone 2 years and now I no longer know anyone there.

Sigh

Had lunch with a former colleague who's about to go on maternity leave. It feels like the end of an era now that I don't know anyone who's still working there. The fact that many have been 'encouraged' to go makes me think about the whole 'working for charity' thing and how far too many seem to end up exploiting their staff with the excuse that they can't afford to treat their staff better if they are to still be able to help their clients.

Cambridge

Went to Cambridge to pick up a donation for my charity thing. Never been there before, a bit too much like Durham for me to relax. Couldn't believe that they say grace in Latin before the start of meals. When I learnt Latin all we did was translate into English the soap opera-like saga of Caecilius and his family. (They were all killed by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79).

Cambridge also has a thing about dress codes. I was instructed to dress as if I was attending a wedding. So I settled for a pastel-coloured dress (yeeuch!) - thank goodness the weather was fine.

That said, it was great to meet people who'd put so much into raising money for charity. In my student days, taking part in rag just wasn't cool

Here Here

Peter Tatchell in Society Guardian

Divvies

Last year I heard rumours that an Ian Curtis biopic was on the cards. Then yesterday, this appeared in the Observer. Don't know which version I'd prefer. I found that the Deborah Curtis book debunked all of the tormented mystique around Ian Curtis so maybe the Amy Hobby version might be more fun. I realise that sounds bad - but I spent far too much of my adolescence in thrall to the cult of dead pop stars.

We are Leeds

Up in Leeds for a serious meeting about possible redunancies. No one seems to want to commit themselves to making the decision of exactly who will go and what the efect this will have on the organisation so it was all very frustrating - going round in cricles with the decision day being put off again and again.

Anyway, Leeds still rocks (as I believe they say). In a way I feel glad it's so different to when I lived there as I no longer associate it with all the negative stuff that happened towards the end of my time there.