“Fed Cuts Rates on Money, Chicks”. Hahahaha… That one totally took me a minute. The Snook is going to love it.
Woot, my knee-jerk don’t-overthink-it pub-quiz answer was Iran which seems to be [✓]. I ‘knew’ it was more populous than…
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Three little kittens…
Yay! Miss Fee and the Sock Victim found three little kittens in their yard yesterday. They’re thinking of keeping two, and we’re thinking of finally getting Dr. Amy Jones a little brother. We’re just waiting to hear back from the vet. (Being a responsible pet owner, Miss Fee is arranging to get them desexed, chipped, and vaccinated.)
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Shared today on Facebook
is watching Gossip Girl and wondering why she didn’t know before how AWESOME this show is.
is celebrating getting a new job TWO DAYS after being laid off. WOOHOO!
is luxuriating in blue skies, a cup of coffee, and a fresh croissant from the bakery around the corner.
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NEW JOB!
NEW JOB! Just heard back from the interview I had yesterday… and I got it! Very similar job in a different company. I get to start on January 5, which means I’ve got a nice little bit of vacation time here. So if you crossed your fingers or put some positive vibes out into the universe for me, THANK YOU! It’s such a relief. 🙂
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Barack Obama on Flickr
Barack Obama on Flickr. I clicked on that gallery expecting to see photos of Obama, but really it’s more artwork and photos inspired by Obama. There’s some really cool stuff in there. But hey, no knitting? Must get on that.
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Unemployment in Sydney
Unemployment in Sydney. Interestingly, the area where I live (the inner suburbs) has relatively low unemployment, whereas in the distant suburbs it’s climbing. Presumably that has to do with the cost of living in the inner city. I guess if you can afford to live here at all, the chances are you’re in a more stable industry and you can get rehired easily. Seems pretty pathetic to pin your optimism on some dubious government statistics, but I’ll take it.
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Shared today on Facebook
is annoyed by the fact that even though she’s not “at” work, she still has to, like, “do” work.
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Official Tough Bloke Pictures
The Official Tough Bloke Challenge Pictures are now available! They had photographers on the course in certain spots, so if you wanted to see us on the actual obstacles, now you can. I’ll leave it up to Clare and Emily whether they want to share theirs with the whole Internets.
Before the start
Hurdles. We had to go over and under these giant posts.
Running between obstacles. The course doubled back at this point, which is why you can see people heading the other direction. (Yes, I’m doing the thumbs again. And the girl behind me is laughing because I said, “CAMERA! LOOK TOUGH!”)
Suspension bridge
Balance beams. I made it all the way across without falling!
After the beams. Yeah, we’d hit some mud by this point.
The dreaded rope swing. Snookums prepares to leap.
SPLOOSH!
I hesitated on the swing. It took a conscious effort to step off the platform.
Trying to extricate ourselves from the mud.
I have never felt so muddy and dirty in my entire life.
There were loads more obstacles, but those are all the photos we can find for now. We’re still combing through the “unidentified” pile. (Everyone’s sticky numbers came off in the mud.)
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Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned in the Past 24 Hours
- If/when you get laid off, resist the urge to drown your sorrows for at least a few hours. Get to a computer, dust off your CV, and start sending emails.
- When you do go to drown your sorrows, get other people to pay. Note: Everybody is really, really nice to you when you’ve just been laid off.
- Always wait til the last minute to buy expensive hats and wigs for your company Christmas party, because if you buy them and get retrenched the very next day, inevitably the stupid shop will refuse to give you a refund. (Bastards.)
- Don’t underestimate the power of spite. Get angry at the idiots who let you go. (Don’t they know how awesome you are?!) Use that as motivation to get cracking right away.
- Don’t be proud. Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for work. You never know where a lead is going to come from.
- People are amazing. I had no idea how many folks would be willing to help me out, even “Internet-friends” that I’ve never met. (Sample email I received today: “You don’t know me, but my wife knows you from some knitting site and said I should email you my company’s open positions…”) Maybe there’s something to karma after all.
- I am so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends. When I moved here seven years ago, I didn’t know anybody other than the Snook, his family, and a couple of his college buddies. The outpouring of support I’ve had in the past 24 hours has been really gratifying and humbling. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you to those of you that poured sangria down my throat; thank you to those who sobered me up; thank you to those who sent job leads and tips; thank you to those who offered kind words and encouragement.
It’ll be good. I actually had an interview today, about 25 hours after I got the axe (which must be some kind of record, right?). Regardless of whether it works out or not – pleasepleasepleaseplease – it was good to have some immediate positive reinforcement. Things aren’t dire yet. The sun is still shining, and I’ve got a path ahead of me. It’ll be good.
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