Hydrotherapy anyone? I wish...

I can see it now: all over the city people are returning home exhausted but secure in the knowledge that they can soak the trials and tribulations of the day away with some soft music, candles, a glass of wine and a nice cold bath. What's wrong with this picture? Need I ask? I've come to the startling realization that plumbers really believe we enjoy a dearth of hot water during winter.

So, here are a few things I can do without today.

1. Incompetent water and sanitation engineers. Answer the phone damnit!
2. Flimsy excuses that insult my intelligence.
3. Funerals. Enough said - that's a comment for another day.
4. Wasting time away from work.
5. A hole in the head.

Eureka! I've found it! .... with Google.

I am finally online at home. The PC is sleek and fast, minus the dialup interent connection of course... we wont go there. It'll take toooooo long. This is most definitely the best news I've had in days. It puts a sunny side on amongst other things: My hot water cylinder not working, my car requiring a service, and of course me being ill with a cold and falling behind on my work. Yippee.

All my consultants are busy at the moment...

Nothing of huge importance today. Granted it's only 8am...

Oh yes, one thing is certain: telephone company service hotlines make me want to repeatedly smash the handset into somebody's head. But the only thing that prevents me from doing that is that I will be forced to make another service call for that problem - in addition to the call to the hospital of course. The annoying on-hold music alone, is enough to make me have a seizure of some kind.

"All our consultants are busy at the moment. Please be patient, your call with be anwered. While you are waiting have you considered:

1. Our new internet rates package? Press 1.
2. Payment options for account holders? Press 2.
3. Smashing this telephone handset repeatedly against somebody's head?
4. Flinging yourself off a cliff?
5. Entertaining the notion that we actually give sh*t about customer service?
6. Flinging yourself off a cliff again?

Your call is appreciated."

Okay speaking of music, my favourite song a this moment is a track called "Never Leave" by Seether. Fantastic 'rock anthem' type sound. A little known fact is that they are a South African band. I'm feeling patriotic already. Pity about the whole drug rehab thingy.

Thank you for small mercies.

Back to work.

Pesky little adaptive behaviours...

Technology tsk tsk. I posted something yesterday morning but somehow it did not get uploaded. Should have realised this when I did not get the email confirmation.

Annie: Good insights as always. No nerves hit, pinched, stretched or twinged - miraculously even the feathers have remained unruffled. I'm comfortable with my age - I even get mistaken for a 27 year old sometimes. :-P

What I said was that the whole age thing is partially relevant in the sense that with age comes a degree of pragmatism (and adaptive behaviour) due largely to the experiences we have had in our lives. The downside to this is it makes us a little defensive and conservative when faced with change and/or commitment. Well, that's just me I guess. After a couple of long term relationships, you tend to pick up a few scrapes (and bad habits) here and there.

Having said that, I'm not giving up on the idea completely, but I guess I'm in need of a bit of dazzling myself. I just love the freedom I have right now, so sitting on the fence is not chewing into my butt just yet. Just another thought.

The good news is within a few days I'll once again have a computer at home. Hallelujah to that.

Hindsight is 20/20

I'm having one of those "could of, would of, should of" moments this morning.

Don't ask why. Let's just put it this way: Why is it that people (read: I) are so comfortable committing themselves to romantic situations knowing full well that there is no real future given the timeframe? Yet, when more logistically and circumstantially viable oppurtunities present themselves, we shy away from them. For clarity, I'll refer to the former option as door 1, and the latter (amazingly enough) as door 2.

I know what you're thinking. More banal rhetoric. Guilty as charged.

Look, you don't have to be a psychology major to realise that people are simply fearful of exposing ourselves and getting hurt. Thrown in a healthy(?) dose of commitment phobia for good measure. I'm no stranger to THAT. After a few scrapes, I've realised that the irony of this is that we are quite prepared to take this risk simply because there is an end, an out. An emotional back door, if you will. But in doing so, we drop our guard and then actually start to care. Once that happens, we then still have to let go.

So, my point is this. With all the risks being what they are, why don't we just keep on walking, and put all the effort into door 2 and be done with it.

I know the right answers, it's just a thought.

Adumski's law of logistics (okay maybe Murphy) : If there are two unrelated but equally important appointments happening on a particular day, they will ALWAYS end up clashing. *groan*

Hypothetical situation (is it EVER really...?)

Boy meets girl, has a fun time. Boy meets girl again, this time with two friends. Two friends (unbeknownst to each other, and of previous fun time) ask boy for girl's number. Boy likes girl and wants more time to decide, so he asks girl on a date. Girl accepts. What to tell the friends? Discuss.

Don't get me started...

First things first: Welcome back Annie. Your unique view on the world at large has been sorely missed. It seems that you have the ability to spark dialogue with relative ease. That's a good skill to possess.

After reading about your pet hates, three things are apparent to me at this point. 1. You are prone to impatience. 2. You do not suffer fools gladly and 3. You do not like Motley Crue. I would have to agree whole heartedly with you on this last point. Nobody could be faulted on that. Oh yeah, and if one more stupid Tommy Lee 'home video' gets leaked onto the internet..... etc. You get the picture. So, here are some of the recent things that make the vein in my forehead pulsate.

People who get upset if you forget their name or make them repeat themselves.
People who dont wash after using the bathroom.
People who their cellphones in cimemas.
People who get upset if they know you have screened their call.

And... my favourite at the moment (and this really drives me to distraction):

People who leave voicemail messages saying "When you get this message, call me." WHAT MESSAGE? There's no message! Only the promise of one - if it ever existed at all! If you have something to say, then go ahead and say it. Isn't the point of voicemail to leave a message? I ask this with tears streaming down my face. Under redundant, see redundant...

Okay now that my blood pressure has returned to normal, that is all.

Where in the world is Annie?

Enough said.

Sweet sanctuary...

Okay so tonight I'm feeling a little like this (left) right now. Grumpy to say the least. Perhaps some of you can relate. Don't you just love the way your head throbs after a night out and one too many drinks or when you've been working feverishly all Sunday? The sensation of feeling like your head is being squeezed in a vice. What remains is to retreat to the sanctity of my apartment.

Not really sure why I posted this image except that maybe its the only picture I ever took with my phone that actually turned out vaguely interesting. It's of my home city and always reminds me of an album cover or something. Worryingly, I'm starting to ramble on about largely nothing - no feeble philosophical attempts; biting sarcasm, cold cynicism, other any other isms for that matter. Perhaps only exhausted 'idioticisms'. Just maybe. Think happy thoughts. HAPPY THOUGHTS..... oh screw it.

All quiet on the western front?

Well, its Sunday afternoon and like millions of other professionals do around the world, I am sitting at the office. No, I don't work from home or even run my own business (which could imply that since its your own company, therefore the involvement is 24/7). I am the employed, not the employer.

Okay so one of three things is happening here: 1. I am blessed with a most wonderful drive, enthusiasm and work ethic, instilled in me by my parents and role models. 2. I have no social life and trips to the office on weekends and holidays break the long hours of boredom and depression. 3. I am just not getting through all of my work during the week and now am obliged to give up my free time to catch up. Let's hope its a healthy combination of 1 and 3... but moving swiftly along. I'll have to start working smarter, not harder.

On to a completeley different topic. I might be a bit pedantic about this but don't you just HATE people that insist on spitting in public? Do they feel they owe it to the world to show us the general contents of their mouths, throats, or God knows where else? Almost like a human hairball if you will. "Ghhhhhhggghhh.... Whoa hey guys, look what I just coughed up. Neat huh?". Real smooth.

I understand if you are participating in sport, but just walking down the street? Come on now. Am I crazy or just sounding prudish?

Let's have some pet hates please.

Time for a postmortem...

This image kind of sums up my week and the kind of carnage (in a passive aggressive sort of way) that transpires at the workplace. Specifically, it's all in the implication. I call it the 'Stephen King cover'. Very dark, brooding, sinister, and yes, somewhat cliched.

I was in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada in 2000 and was photographing some American Indian totem poles when I came across this disembodied doll's head lying next to a dark deserted corner of the park. Pure fluke. It's one of those once-off shots where you cant help feeling that it's been staged. I particularly like the little daisy flowers, so often a positive symbol, that feel so out of place here.

A view from the top...

Today is a good day. I keep telling myself that. Granted, its only been 2 hours. At least the view of downtown from the office is good. Small mercies.

Sorry Annie, not much of interest today - too busy with work. I'll write about that fanfair in due course.