A Life of Crime and Chocolate

I feel better today, so I hope I have finally stopped being ill.

Tarak, dont you hate it when there is no visible cause for fevers.
I'd much rather find something and know what the cause is, then be left in the dark just hoping that it's not lingering.

Mr Mitchell - Glad you're feeling better.

There is one. I started it in 1996 *believe it or not, I've not given up on it* that calls to me. I started editing it to get into the story and found that much of the technology is outdated so I need to fix that and I've...well..wow..I've grown a lot since then. Both in my life and as a writer.

French Maiden said:

Tarak, dont you hate it when there is no visible cause for fevers.
I'd much rather find something and know what the cause is, then be left in the dark just hoping that it's not lingering.

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This is exactly how I feel. She seems fine again, other than maybe some allergy issues with spring finally having sprung.

Cassiopeia, I'd say go with that one!

Mr Mitchell, glad you're feeling better.

I called my headhunter tonight and asked him to help me find another job.

There was a big string of high-level meetings last week, in which they decided definitively that this week they needed to decide who would do the investigation into the various options that they need to decide between. So I'm not seeing my life there changing any time soon. Me and my resume need to go somewhere else before my career is squashed into non-existence.

If only I'd bought Apple stock in 1986.

Hope you find what you're looking for in a career Liz. I'm sorry this job has been such a dissapointment for you.

Liz go with your instinct! If the job is wrong for you have no compunction about looking for a new one. Don't take a job that does not feel right for you. I've done that twice. I can hear my mum's voice saying to me "don't throw away dirty water until you have clean".

Thanks, everyone. I feel pretty silly complaining about this, really. I've been awfully lucky in my career, and I'm lucky that I have options. They're not torturing me, after all; they're just making me a little crazy. I'll find something else; I'm just not the world's most patient person, you know?

Shakesbear said:

I can hear my mum's voice saying to me "don't throw away dirty water until you have clean".

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I LOVE this.

One of the doors in work is stuck open, which is an issue because it's a fire door. However, I'm more concerned by the note corporate property have put on it:

This facility is currently unavailable. An engineer has been called.

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So am I allowed to walk through the open doorway or not?

onesecondglance said:

So am I allowed to walk through the open doorway or not?

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And what on earth is the engineer going to do about it?

Oil the hinges? Give it a kick?

See all the exciting things you could be doing instead of programming, liz...

ETA: ... with no offence intended to Mr hj...

onesecondglance said:

One of the doors in work is stuck open, which is an issue because it's a fire door. However, I'm more concerned by the note corporate property have put on it:

This facility is currently unavailable. An engineer has been called.

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So am I allowed to walk through the open doorway or not?

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Only if there is NOT a fire the other side.

onesecondglance said:

Oil the hinges? Give it a kick?

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You know, I tried that with my old Win XP laptop, and it worked wonders.

onesecondglance said:

See all the exciting things you could be doing instead of programming, liz...

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There is actually a fair amount of violence in programming, but it's virtual. (Well, mostly. )

Shakesbear said:

Only if there is NOT a fire the other side.

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osg: *checks*
osg: "Looks all clear!"
osg: *steps forward*
osg: *smells smoke*
osg: "Oh no! I am on fire!"
Onlookers, shaking their heads: "If only there had been some kind of warning notice!"

OSG no no no!! You do NOT step forward - you lie on the ground and put your hand out to see if the temp is hotter on t'other side of the door. You give a HUGE sniff to smell if there is any smoke. It is at this point that you have two options: you can either soak your self with water so that, if there is a fire, you are parboiled and not burnt. Or, option two: find another way to where you want to go to.

Shakesbear said:

OSG no no no!! You do NOT step forward - you lie on the ground and put your hand out to see if the temp is hotter on t'other side of the door. You give a HUGE sniff to smell if there is any smoke. It is at this point that you have two options: you can either soak your self with water so that, if there is a fire, you are parboiled and not burnt. Or, option two: find another way to where you want to go to.

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I think the fact that "avoid the problem" is Option Two here makes it clear we're all writers.

Shakesbear said:

It is at this point that you have two options: you can either soak your self with water so that, if there is a fire, you are parboiled and not burnt.

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There wasn't any water around, but there was some milk and oats in the kitchen. I've filled my pockets and am going to see if it makes porridge.

lizmonster said:

I think the fact that "avoid the problem" is Option Two here makes it clear we're all writers.

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Yep! for writers there is always another optional avoidance of problems.

onesecondglance said:

There wasn't any water around, but there was some milk and oats in the kitchen. I've filled my pockets and am going to see if it makes porridge.

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Would that be with sugar or salt?

Liz, I'm sorry about the work situation. I have a friend who works as a graphic designer. I don't necessarily understand the ins and outs of what she does, but her current job has her classified as something less, despite the fact that a great part of what she does is design. They can't reclassify her without giving her a raise. She can sort of live with no raise, but she said that after too much time she'll have a hard time finding a job with that classification. Because anyone hiring will want to know why she was doing abc instead of xyz. If that makes sense?

onesecondglance, is your building maintained by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by any chance?

I nudged an agent last night who's had my full for a long time. I mentioned I'd revised it since sending the full and if she was still interested, I'd love to send the revised version. She wrote back this morning and said I should forward it to another agent in her office, sounded like the MS was right up her alley (the full was originally requested by an intern who is no longer there). So I'm thinking I just forward the email thread to the other agent so she knows what's going on, with a brief message that the other agent had the full and suggested I send it to her? How is it I can draft a nasty dunning letter in my sleep when it's going to a vendor who's bungling things, but a simple letter to an agent has me confused?

I'm well today.

tarak said:

She can sort of live with no raise, but she said that after too much time she'll have a hard time finding a job with that classification. Because anyone hiring will want to know why she was doing abc instead of xyz. If that makes sense?

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Absolutely. Back in the Neanderthal age (1990), I quit a job over title. They seemed confused, because they'd just given me a raise; but for once in my life I was thinking past how much money I needed for the weekend.

tarak said:

How is it I can draft a nasty dunning letter in my sleep when it's going to a vendor who's bungling things, but a simple letter to an agent has me confused?

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Because one matters to you, and the other doesn't. And congratulations on the interest in the full!

Mr Mitchell said:

I'm well today.

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And about time, too! Yay!

Well, I got through the doorway. The good news is I'm not on fire. The bad news is my pockets are soggy. (this level of silliness on a Tuesday? the world may collapse!)

And it would absolutely be sugar, Shakes. I was born north of Watford, but I'm not northern. Although I am stubbornly hanging onto my flat vowels.

I was actually in Pennsylvania just last week, tarak, but regretfully my office is not there...

Glad to hear you're well Mr Mitchell!

Oh dear!! Sugar - very high temp when heated. Not a good idea. Caramelised pockets.

Silliness? Compared to the rest of my day this is Mensa level!

Mr Mitchell! Stay well.