Home for Random Thoughts

[Rick]

Gonna be a long summer.

Mowed for the 2nd time today.

It was ready a week ago...

[oldr_n_wsr]

I just trimmed the lylacs to get out the dead fall from the winter.

[Crackpot]

Must.... Stop.... Working.... On.... Lunch.... Break.

[The Hen]

Lunch break?

I've heard of those.

(I usually take about 15 minutes off around 3:00 pm. But I get to stockpile the time to take additional days off, so I no complain.)

[oldr_n_wsr]

(I usually take about 15 minutes off around 3:00 pm. But I get to stockpile the time to take additional days off, so I no complain.)

Just what you aussies need, more time off.

How can your economy be doing so well with everyone on holiday all the time?

[The Hen]

The unions have looked after the workers well.

The time off I am taking is I lieu of overtime and is work time that the Government got for free. If I was paid for it, it would have been at a higher rate. So in the long run, the Government has profited from me before I took the day off.

[The Hen]

Sometimes it doesn't work out so well. Last year I had to give up over 300 hours flex time that I wasnt paid for. That's the nasty beast that sometimes bites a public servant.

[Sean]

Well that is pretty random...

[Rick]

Get the death scared out of ya.

You'll live forever...

[alice]

...That's the nasty beast that sometimes bites a public servant.

Well, this public servant is currently getting quite thoroughly bitten. 12-13 hour days, barely a break through the day, and chaos and madness all around the treadmill. Our department has been undergoing changes and they'll be continuing for quite some time, and the union hasn't been able to do a lot to help. It's not been a good environment - quite stressful and tiring. But at the end of the day, it's secure employment and hopefully will eventually stabilise.

I did just have some time off (a couple of weeks - to celebrate my 50th birthday - on owed time, all on 'flex') - but had to work my butt off to prepare my workload before I went, and then work it off again when I got back. We don't have the facilities at the moment for others to handle our work while we're away, so any time off becaomes as stressful as it is relaxing. I'll be on long hours for the next couple of weeks, so that I can catch up on my previous time off and then be in a position to take a few days off before my son leaves for the Army. Then I'll be on long hours catching up after that. Sometimes it's worked on flex and sometimes overtime, and sometimes gratis just because the work has to be done.
But it will slow down eventually - I hope!! At the moment I don't enjoy my job at all

[oldr_n_wsr]

Happy Birthday alice sorry it's late.

[The Hen]

Happy Birthday Alice!

Your story sounds very familiar.

[Gob]

How can your economy be doing so well with everyone on holiday all the time?

May be due to the workforce feeling valued and relaxed?

[Timster]

How can your economy be doing so well with everyone on holiday all the time?

May be due to the workforce feeling valued and relaxed?

What a novel idea... And also quite amusing in its assumption that a "workforce feeling valued and relaxed" could somehow be more productive. It is to laugh! Oh, wait...

Right then. Carry on.

[Timster]

And speaking of random: I have very eclectic taste when it comes to music.

But it is a fact that I really enjoy Reggae!

[Gob]

Here's a classic bit of Bob Wailey and his Marbles for you then Timster..

[alice]

Happy Birthday Alice!

Your story sounds very familiar.

It seems to be the way of the public servant nowadays - and now they're about to slash the funding even more, and they'll expect even more productivity. My little treadmill is wearing very thin!!
I didn't mean to have a public whine - but I'd been reading the newspaper after the announcement that our spending was going to be cut a further .25%, and I do sometimes get a bit annoyed at the public comments and jokes about how easy public servants have it, and how little we do. There's such a chasm between the public perception, and our own workplace reality at the moment Thanks for letting me have a moan.

Happy Birthday alice sorry it's late.

... And thanks to you both for the birthday wishes.
I'm amazed at how quickly the years went!!
It was great catching up with friends and family, but it kinda really reminded me about where I should be in life and how many mistakes I made along my own journey.
Still, I guess i've got plenty of time left to try to catch up and do something great in the next 50 years!!

[loCAtek]

'Doing more, for less' is a common refrain these days.

[Rick]

I like to refrain from doing more for less...

[MajGenl.Meade]

So on Wednesday is there a party for this thread? Shouldn't it be walking and talking by now?