Finally... Weekend....

It has been one hell of a week... I don't think I've ever gone through so much stress at work. That woman is a complete nightmare to be around and it finally got to me. On Wednesday, I revoked my offer to assit her team in training the banking staff. I told my boss' boss that I did not want to be in her line of fire if something went wrong. And I put all of my concerns in writing - in an email - to my boss and his boss. So I am now hoping that action is taken. It is the only thing that keeps me going. I decided that  I will be at work every day.... I will try to be awesome every day. If I am stressed at work, so be it. But I will not give her the satisfaction of knowing that she has forced me to stay away from the office. I will be there every fucking day just to piss her off.

So finally the weekend has arrived. I wish that I was out, getting drunk and forgetting the week I just had. But instead, I am at home, in my PJ's. Oh the crazy life a single woman in her 30's leads! At least I'll be going out tomorrow night!

Having a Sulk...

I am sulking.... I am incredibly annoyed at the office and I'm miserable. I have not progressed in my work today and I am extremely pissed off about that.

The noise situation is becoming unbearable. Even with my earphones on, and my music playing at almost full volume, I can still hear conversations all around me. Everyone tries to speak louder than the next person, so that whoever they are speaking to on the phone can hear them. And so it gets louder. And louder. And louder.

I can't stand it any more.

The big boss tells me to be patient. We will have our quiet office in a few months.

I don't have a few months.

I have deadlines that I am going to miss because I can't concentrate!

Then I get told that I should go sit in a free boardroom. Oh yes, boardrooms that are free for an hour, then occupied for a meeting for another hour and then free again. Yes, that is definitely the way to go. Fucking stupid idea. Even when I book a boardroom for the entire day, I am disturbed by people sticking their heads in to check who is there. It's probably even more disruptive than sitting out here in the open plan office.

All I want is a space where I can be on my own, where there is peace and quiet and I can just sit there and do my work without having to overhear anyone's conversations.

I have lost an entire day's worth of work and I am pissed off.

Winter is Here!

This weekend, I well and truly felt winter. It's been cold, but not too cold, but this weekend, winter brought all her cold and fury.

My Friday afternoon ended with quite the adventure. It started with a 40 minute wait for the Gautrain bus, in the cold, and it was drizzling as well. It was completely miserable. When the bus finally arrived, I figured I'd be at the train station in 15 minutes tops. I was wrong. Because of the time, the traffic was completely insane. The bus would get stuck at every intersection for about 15 minutes at a time. At one traffic light, a group of passengers got off the bus and decided to walk. At the next intersection, another group did the same, including me. And so we walked. And walked. And walked. We arrived at the station at the same time as the bus. When we got to the platform, we had to run for the train because it was about to leave. And I was NOT missing that train! I finally got to Pretoria at about 6:30pm, completely exhausted. I went out to dinner with my folks at the Ocean Basket in Woodlands. After dinner I popped into Exclusive Books and bought myself two books: The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I had planned on going out  to the drumming circle to watch the Black Cat Bones, but I was just so tired after that epic journey home, that I just went home and got into my bed and started reading The Hunger Games.

On Saturday morning, my mom, dad and I went to Brooklyn Mall for a bit of shopping. And I shopped like a madwoman. I stocked up on winter clothes. Two turtlenecks, three pairs of knee-high socks, two thermals vests, and another two sweaters. If that wasn't enough, I also went on a home decor shopping spree. I got some cushions for my bed, some storage baskets and two prints to put up on my bedroom wall. And it felt great. When we got home, I put on my tracksuit and settled in on the couch with blankets, heater and assorted animals cuddling me for warmth. And I decided to watch dvd's. I watched From Paris With Love and Horrible Bosses. I started watching Thor, but fell asleep. I woke up at 2am with the intro music palying over and over again. And so I moved my sleeping to my bed.

I decided that Sunday would be my domestic day. So I cleaned. I changed my sheets and organised my closet. I threw out a lot of clothes. I never thought I could be so ruthless at it. I threw out a lot of clothes that reminded me of the ex. Like the unerwear he bought me and the jacket I was wearing the day we broke up. I got rid of it all. I don't want those things near me any more. They hold too many bad memories, too much bad energy. It felt great.

In the afternoon I dyed my hair and tried to stay warm. I could hear the wind howling every now and then. I desperately hate winter. I don't function well in the cold. I struggle to wake up in the mornings and I struggle to fall asleep at night. My body hates the cold. I finally unpacked and put my heater together on Saturday afternoon and I left it on all evening while I watched movies (and slept on the couch) so my room was warm and toasty when I went up there. The best time of day in my bedroom is mid-afternoon. The sun streams into the room, filling it with light and warmth. It's wonderful. But it's also very short-lived. As soon as the sun dips below my neighbour's hose, my room goes cold. Oh yes, I am also wearing full winter PJ's! The first time I've done so this season!

This morning I struggled to get out of bed again. And it feels as though my brain has not woken up yet. What I would give to be lying in my bed right now, the sun just starting to warm my bedroom, with my three beautiful cats for company. Such bliss.

Finally Friday!

It's been one hell of a long week. I've worked extremely hard and there has been plenty of stress and drama at the office. That woman has been making trouble again and it is getting too much to handle.

I have just found out that something is going to happen with her next week and that it is very likely that everyone will be dragged into it. I know that it has to do with the fact that she comes in late every day, as well as the fact that she disappears during the day - no one knows where she goes. I don't mind her disappearing from her desk - it brings some peace and quiet and calm. Her smoke breaks are super long. She'll go smoke and only come back half an hour later. Yes, I also take smoke breaks but I go downstairs, smoke and come back up immediately. Ten minutes tops. I'm sure that she'll also bring up the fact that I leave early. But here's the deal - I come to work and I work. I'm at my desk and I do what I have to do. I don't spend all day sorting out my own personal stuff. I don't spend all day bitching to everyone who will listen. I do my work. And yes, I leave early because I have a bus to catch. ButI make up for the early leaving by working. I get things done, while she just messes things up. I've learnt that you have a lot more leeway when you actually do your job and you do it well. So bring it on, bitch. I'm ready for you.

Thank goodness it is Friday today. Really, I couldn't be happier. My boss was here this morning and it was great having my ally here. He filled me in on a lot of confidential happenings with regards to this bitch of a woman. No one wants to work with her. No one. Not even her own staff. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is.

But yes, back to the happiness that is Friday... Even though it's freezing cold, I am going to go out tonight to watch some bands and hang out with friends. I need to unwind after this hell-week. I've just realised that I have events every weekend for the month of June and that's awesome! Next Saturday, I am going out again to watch more bands and see friends. Then the following Saturday I am going out for dinner with some old school friends. And the Saturday after that, I am going to get my tattoo and I'm really looking forward to that! A birthday present from my bestest Dee!

Ugh, the time just won't move on.... I want to go home....

Almost Weekend!

The weekend is almost here.... I can almost touch it!!

Last night I received an sms that made me very happy. Gautrain announced that Park Station was to open this morning. And so, my travel time was shorter by 20 minutes this morning! It was fantastic!

I am going to slow down with work a little. I don't want to burn out again like I did yesterday.

So I am planning on going tomorrow night and I already have plans to go out next Saturday as well. Yes. It's going to be great!

Writer's Block... Kind Of...

I've been revamping our orientation material, which involves reformatting and rewriting a 5-day programme. In the last three days I have written almost 11000, yes, eleven thousand words of banking-related information. Needless to say, I am rather tired. My brain shut down just after 1pm today and I have not been able to get up going again. I am tired and I am taking the rest of the afternoon off.

I have been chatting with my friend who lost her husband almost two months ago. She is going through a bad day today and I have been giving her some advice on how to take it, not one day at a time, but a minute at a time. I can relate to her pain. I've been to hell and I've come back. The least I can do is help someone who is on that journey now, giving her some light, some support.

I struggled to get out of bed this morning.... Not because I was dreading coming to work, not because I hadn't slept well and was tired. It was just too cold. My bed was a warm haven and I didn't want to leave it. I'm so looking forward to getting back into my bed tonight!

I am thinking of going out on Friday night. The Black Cat Bones are playing at Klitsgras on Friday night and I feel like hanging out with friends, drinking beer and listening to some cool tunes. It's been a while. It's definitely an option.

I erckon when I get into work tomorrow morning, I will be able to pick up where I left off and I will have another productive day. I am confident.

Let's Do This!

Yesterday we attended some training at work at it was the biggest waste of time I have ever experienced. We are all in the business of training and to have to sit through such a terrible experience was torture.

We finished early and then the mood was awful. The bitch woman was on some sort of mission and she kept her favourites very close to her all day. The tension was so thick in the office that I spent most of the time outside. And before 3:30, I had left. I just couldn't handle it any more.

This morning the bitch woman is again on some mission, cleaning her cupboards out. I am hoping that this is a sign of her imminent departure. The office will be a much lighter, brighter place when she is gone.

And then, of course, I heard her gossiping to one of her buddies about how she's in trouble for coming to the office late all the time. And yes, she was talking about me... Because I leave at 4pm every afternoon. But you know what, I'm here on time every morning. Not like her who waltzes in at whatever time she feels like arriving.

But I'm not going to get into that.

I am determined to have a good day today and to get a lot of work done.

I just need to ignore this stupid bitch cow and do my thing.

Yes.