Saturday, 24 May 2008
Weekend Working
It's Saturday, and I'm at work. To be honest, I don't mind so much. Saturday working for me could more accurately described as "watching other people work". This weekend we're changing furniture configurations in one of our offices, which means taking the desking apart, moving floorboxes, putting the desks back together. Basically I just let them get on with it, unless something goes wrong. We've already had the "What? We have to do that bit too?" palaver so that should be out of the way now.
When things do go wrong on these jobs, they tend to be spectacularly wrong - such as not having the correct bits for the new configurations, or realising the plan you've been working to wasn't scaled properly and all of your floorboxes are wrong and your furniture won't fit unless your office has miraculously turned into the tardis. Or people just not showing up. Or the guys getting into a punch-up for whatever reason.
Being the only woman in these situations can be funny as well - some of the guys really don't know how to deal with a female project manager. Last week one construction guy tried to tell me that a door that was patently hung the wrong way (the hook was on the outside for gods sake!) was in fact correct and he really got the hump when I wouldn't accept it. This morning 2 of the furniture lads blushed and apologised when they saw me - I have no idea what they were saying but I would assume it wasn't complimentary to women generally.
The guys who work for me also apologise for swearing, which I find bizarre. It's a bit of an English thing, I guess, that men shouldn't swear in front of women, and I wonder if it's a bit of a class thing as well - most of these guys are working class and technically as a manager I suppose I'm not, though being Canadian I tend to fall somewhat outside the class continuum. Never mind that with a decade of being on construction sites I can swear like the proverbial sailor - but then that's seldom the point of this behavior.
After a full day of "supervising" I'll be heading out to thrill, scoff, and generally be amazed at how low we humans will go at this years Eurovision Song Contest. Chances are I will probably drink quite a lot of wine as well - the situation demands it really!
When things do go wrong on these jobs, they tend to be spectacularly wrong - such as not having the correct bits for the new configurations, or realising the plan you've been working to wasn't scaled properly and all of your floorboxes are wrong and your furniture won't fit unless your office has miraculously turned into the tardis. Or people just not showing up. Or the guys getting into a punch-up for whatever reason.
Being the only woman in these situations can be funny as well - some of the guys really don't know how to deal with a female project manager. Last week one construction guy tried to tell me that a door that was patently hung the wrong way (the hook was on the outside for gods sake!) was in fact correct and he really got the hump when I wouldn't accept it. This morning 2 of the furniture lads blushed and apologised when they saw me - I have no idea what they were saying but I would assume it wasn't complimentary to women generally.
The guys who work for me also apologise for swearing, which I find bizarre. It's a bit of an English thing, I guess, that men shouldn't swear in front of women, and I wonder if it's a bit of a class thing as well - most of these guys are working class and technically as a manager I suppose I'm not, though being Canadian I tend to fall somewhat outside the class continuum. Never mind that with a decade of being on construction sites I can swear like the proverbial sailor - but then that's seldom the point of this behavior.
After a full day of "supervising" I'll be heading out to thrill, scoff, and generally be amazed at how low we humans will go at this years Eurovision Song Contest. Chances are I will probably drink quite a lot of wine as well - the situation demands it really!
Monday, 12 May 2008
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Ray of sarcastic sunshine
I was on the train into work this morning when I looked down and realised that instead of my planned black wool suit w/ black t-shirt that I thought I was wearing, I was, in fact, wearing the black trousers and t-shirt, with a navy blue texture-stripe-y sort of jacket. Wrong colour, wrong texture, just very wrong. Note to self - open eyes in morning BEFORE exiting. So I had to buy a new shirt at the station.
And the meeting for which I was dressing to impress (or at least not actively repel) went on for three and a half hours, making me late all day. Didn't get home till almost 9, and it's raining. Again.
But then the universe tipped my way when I read the Doonesbury cartoon of the day (I will find and attach :)- they've been repeats for the last while which has caused me to grumble but today's was a repeat of one I wished I had saved - I love it. And there it was!! YAY!
And my new shirt is quite swish, too.
And the meeting for which I was dressing to impress (or at least not actively repel) went on for three and a half hours, making me late all day. Didn't get home till almost 9, and it's raining. Again.
But then the universe tipped my way when I read the Doonesbury cartoon of the day (I will find and attach :)- they've been repeats for the last while which has caused me to grumble but today's was a repeat of one I wished I had saved - I love it. And there it was!! YAY!
And my new shirt is quite swish, too.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Goodbye Humphrey Lyttelton - you will be missed
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue is one of my favourite British things. It's silly, very funny, surprisingly clever and delightfully dirty in a sort of 40s seaside town way. Humphrey Lyttelton chaired the show and made it. He died yesterday.
He was 86, so I suppose, as one commenter on the BBC site wrote, he had a good innings, but still. I'm going to miss him. He taught me how to love this country, in a way. Or certainly some worthwhile things to love about it.
Good luck, Humph - say 'hi' to the lovely Samantha for me!
(I just read that Louis Armstrong referred to Humph as "that English cat who swings his ass off" ! :) )
(AND he turned down a knighthood. You don't get cooler than Humph)
(and yes, I did name my dog after him - and Humphrey Bogart too. I hope that's not insulting. It certainly isn't meant to be)
Thursday, 24 April 2008
"We may hate ourselves for the buildings that we love...
but you can't do anything about it. They choose us - we do not choose them."
-Jonathan Meades
from Abroad Again in Britain: Salisbury Cathedral
-Jonathan Meades
from Abroad Again in Britain: Salisbury Cathedral
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Rape Crisis Centre Funding Petition
There's a petition going on the oh-gosh-isn't-internet-technology-like-sooooo-cool online Downing Street E-petitions site to provide proper funding for rape crisis centres in the UK. Please sign it.
I'm a volunteer with my local rape crisis centre - twice a month I do a shift on the phone line. We can only open 5 evenings a week, and it's not always easy to have enough volunteers on the rota to cover everything. Our group has to spend a lot of time fighting for funding, and there's a lot of uncertainty over where it will come from and how long it could last. This makes it difficult to plan ahead and diverts alot of energy away from the whole point of being there - to offer support to women and girls who have been raped and/or sexually abused.
If you've ever thought about volunteering - I can highly recommend it! Not only do I feel good about being part of a support network in an area where there is very little support, but I have met many amazing women both in my fellow volunteers and on the helpline itself. Being part of the solution, no matter how small, is still better than ranting and hand wringing.
But I can't wait till we're not needed anymore.
I'm a volunteer with my local rape crisis centre - twice a month I do a shift on the phone line. We can only open 5 evenings a week, and it's not always easy to have enough volunteers on the rota to cover everything. Our group has to spend a lot of time fighting for funding, and there's a lot of uncertainty over where it will come from and how long it could last. This makes it difficult to plan ahead and diverts alot of energy away from the whole point of being there - to offer support to women and girls who have been raped and/or sexually abused.
If you've ever thought about volunteering - I can highly recommend it! Not only do I feel good about being part of a support network in an area where there is very little support, but I have met many amazing women both in my fellow volunteers and on the helpline itself. Being part of the solution, no matter how small, is still better than ranting and hand wringing.
But I can't wait till we're not needed anymore.
Friday, 11 April 2008
6 words
Geo has laid the challenge to describe yourself in 6 words, image optional. yup - complete lunacy. addictive lunacy.
first thought
"it's time to play the music" (for the muppet show tonight)
second thought
"pragmatic, yet optimistic despite all evidence"
well whatever
PDQ Bach has just come on the radio - i must divert my attention.....
first thought
"it's time to play the music" (for the muppet show tonight)
second thought
"pragmatic, yet optimistic despite all evidence"
well whatever
PDQ Bach has just come on the radio - i must divert my attention.....
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