K.K. Appendix

The same lady who said "Oh no, it's not me" in the last post. Wrote "To Anna, love from Georgia" on the card accompanying her K.K.

I don't think she's cottoned on to the concept...

The Treacherous Terrain of the K. K.

So, at my work, like many other workplaces we do the Kris Kringle thing. That's where we have one person to buy a Christmas present for and it's a secret who the present is from.

It has occured to me that there are many ways that the identity of the present giver can be given away. For example, this year one of the people involved in the K.K. was finishing up work a couple of days early so the person with their present had to put that present on his desk and he had to put his present in a communal K.K. box.

One of the ladies relayed this information to everyone. Of course, we were not meant to give away whether it was us or not who had to buy the earl-leaver a present. One of the girls, when confronted with the information (even after the information giver had said "Now, don't tell me if it's you", I might add) said: "Oh no, it's not me!" That didn't matter anyway, the person who was meant to bring his present forgot the present so it was then obvious that it was her because she had to bring it to the work dinner that night (as that was the final time we'd see him for the year).

Then, this morning, one of the ladies says to me: "Can you let me know when X leaves as my present's really big!" I said "Well, I guess I know who bought X's K.K. then!" Woah- this thing is doing my head in. So many ways to bugger it up...

It can be obvious if it's your writing on the card (especially if you're the receptionist and people see your handwriting on phone messages all the time). I also give everyone a little present of homemade fudge, so I have to make sure that I don't use the same paper or ribbon on the presents. I'm also big on the disclaimer, so If I've wrapped the present messily or the thought behind the present needs some explanation, I find it very difficult not to say something.

Then there's the reaction. Last year someone gave me a hideous jewellery stand: a tiny headless mannequin thing wearing a ball gown. I honestly did not know what to say. And thankfully, I couldn't work out who gave it to me!

Work

Well, the work year is excruciatingly close to ending! You don't know how happy that makes me. I don't hate my job, but I don't love it either. Every day I try to focus on the positives. They are as follows:

Regular income

Forces me to get out of bed

Get to walk about 45 minutes per day to do banking

I like the ladies I work with

I have enough down-time to study on the side



Speaking of study, I've just completed my first module of a Graduate Diploma in Counselling. This gives me hope that I won't be doing this job forever. Because, as my workmates and friends keep telling me, I'm too smart to be doing this job. Not to blow my own trumpet, but damn it, I am! But it's good for me in so many ways to do menial tasks, to be at the bottom of the office foodchain- it teaches me patience, humility, grace.

But I'm sooo looking forward to a holiday!

When bad movies happen to good people

I saw 'Australia' on Friday night. It was horrific, as I thought it would be. It was like Baz Luhrmann put as many cliches as you could possibly imagine into a fairy floss machine and then had a bit of a puke on it. Oh, hang on, that was me. I had a very good reason for going, though. You'll just have to trust me on that one.

The experience was made bearable by the fact that I was sitting with Luke and Amy. What this meant was that we were free to snort cynically, giggle inappropriately and slouch further and further down in our seats until we were in adequate cringing positions. I think at one point I nearly slid off my seat in the hope that I would bang the back of my head and become concussed so that the movie would at least appear to finish sooner.

This has happened to us before (not the concussion, but the bad movie watching experience). We went to the Nova to see 'Noise' (which incidentally is an excellent movie) but it was sold out. We decided on the spur of the moment to see 'The History Boys'. It may be summed up in a scene where a weedy teenage boy sings a song entitled 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' in front of his whole class focussing on the object of his affection- an arrogant young man who everyone in the movie (including teachers) seems to be inexplicably besotted by. It was honestly one of the most terrible films I've ever seen. I was certainly not bewitched by it. Bothered and bewildered by the sheer pointlessness of it, perhaps.

But, as much as I hated these films, I would rather watch a bad movie with great people than a good movie with people I don't connect with at all. With good company, the experience can move from potentially intolerable through to more than tolerable- maybe even fun!

Still, don't see 'The History Boys'...or 'Australia'...

Rip it up & start again

I have returned to the blogging world. After a hiatus, I decided that blogging is a fun and useful thing to do. I was going to start a new one (i.e. rip it up and start again- which incidentally is a very good book on the post-punk era) but upon re-reading my old posts I think I'll just continue...

Today I signed up for Raw Comedy. This petrifies me but it's something I keep talking about doing, so I'm gonna. So, now I'm thinking- what's my schtick? Do I go for self-deprecating, cynical, observational? Should I be verbose, self-conscious? Do I pull out a guitar? I don't think so.

I've got 5 minutes to dazzle them with my comedic talent. Can I do it? Do I have any? Will I be nervous? Will I sound stupid? Am I stupid?

One thing I do know is that I won't talk about breasts, periods, sex or menopause like most 'edgy' female comediennes out there. Whhhhyyyy is there not more unisex comedy from females? What on earth makes me think I can do it?

Very Neilly

I think that Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, Neil Young and Neil Finn should form a band and call themselves "Very Neilly".
What do you think?