Anyone would think I had a social life or something, with the above title LOL. But really, it was a work function on Thursday night, and a workmate leaving on the Friday, but yeah, when was the last time I went out two nights in a row? Years at least I am thinking :)
Thursday was one of those end of financial year road trips the big bosses have to say how much we have improved on the last year, rah rah us and all that. Although I don't think it was quite as good as last year. First off, due to the agency agreement being more tightly enforced this year than last - temp staff work for their agencies, rather than the actual place where they actually work, apparently, so they weren't invited to this thing. Can't have helped that last year one of the agency staff fell over (drunk) on an escalator and fractured her back - she was OK enough after a bit of recovery time, but yeah, what with the liability insurance as it is in this country nowadays, kind of understandable, but still seemingly petty to go on about it like that.
So a few people that I wouldn't have minded socialising with were not even invited, but I didn't feel about it as strongly as JLA who sits behind me, he wasn't going in protest at that. Well, he wasn't too sure about going or not, but that was a good enough reason not to go - he changed his mind about five times over the course of the day LOL.
Actually had a couple of good days at work the last two, not feeling tense at all, the whole warm fuzzies thing happening more than a few times with helping out customers until I could help them no more, improving my error rate, and actually getting training on how to be a better telephone consultant on Monday, so it's all good, but of course work is far less exciting than socialising, so on with the report.
Found ourselves at the venue (Sofitel this year, the former Sheraton in town), with about ten minutes to spare before the free bar started. Had walked up with ASI, and bumped into GTU at the piano bar downstairs - got myself a bourbon and coke, gotta love those hotel prices, $7.70 for a single, but it was a good start to the evening LOL. GTU I used to sit next to in the office, but don't really have much in common, so the main goss with him was that he was moving into his first actual real bought home over the next few days, he had Friday off. A unit down the Gold Coast from what I can understand, but with prices the way they are, first time buyers can't really get into the four bedroom house in the suburbs thing - although, the way I think GTU can squirrel away money, I could be wrong.
Headed up to the first floor lobby, where three quarters of an hour of pre-function drinks and nibbles had been scheduled. First saw MCO, former team leader, who got each of us in a big hug, how are you doing kind of thing - I tried to keep up with the conversation, but the background chatter was so loud, and with me not wanting to impose myself too much into anyone else's space to actually hear, and the whole mainly speaking to GTU anyways, I missed most of the convo. Not much of a loss I think though.
TDE and JSO made an appearance, and then we went and mingled more, had been on the fringes of the group, threw ourselves deeper in to the melee. Spoke with PMA a bit, found out that JSO is a Kiwi, has been over here for four years, still supports the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup though, and looked askance at me for even having to ask the question - hey, it's a question you have to ask, my brother became a dual citizen and has always loved the Aussies in the cricket, any other sport though is still Enzed. ASI and JSO then had a discussion about what they miss back home, lol New Zealand Twisties for me, it's a no brainer.
Had quick chats with KWA, a returning guest star from her current section - she's loving it, it is so difficult to understand, but she is loving the steep learning curve - MGO, KDA, ADE, and then it was time to head into the ballroom for speeches, dinner and such. Sat at a table with NBO, LMA, MGR, JAN, TDE, JSO, ASI, KSM and KLA, up the front of the room, so unlike last year, I could actually see who our senior management are when they gave the speeches.
Not that they were that inspiring, when all the other six areas of the business got glowing references with statistics and all, my area got 'did better than last year while being reorganised'. Without any stats. Hmmph, so did we go from a D to a D+ or C to C+ or what LOL.
The food, what there was of it, was good - bread rolls for starters, roast lamb, potato and gravy for mains - although as MGR said the next day, it was a snack more than a mains. And later in the evening there were cheeses and bread going around the tables, and apparently some desserts that you had to go and collect up the back - the dilemma was resting from dancing, or going up and getting something to eat, hmm let's rest some more, there is always McDonald's at the train station if I need a bite to eat LOL. From what I heard, the desserts were nice as well, though no ice cream - as opposed to what I remember as a much bigger meal, with actual soup for starters, last year round.
And then there were two hours of dancing or so - the DJ was OK, but he played far too much eighties stuff, although to be fair, it was a work function, it wasn't too much of a Fiddy Cent crowd LOL. The girls at the table were up dancing fairly quickly after the roast lamb had been cleaned up, but I sat at the table - all I wanted was a simple question do you want to dance, but of course, being a guy, we are supposed to do the asking and suck it up when we are ignored LOL. OK, OK, I have to admit that I do like to dance as well, have been needing less and less alcohol over the years to get me up on the floor.
A few good songs came and went, to which I was thinking, hmm I should get up to this one, it's probably not going to be played later in the night - racking my brain trying to think of an example, but Wake Me Up Before You Go Go is the best, and only one I can think of. Now, the first song I did get up to was Dancing Queen LOL, and that was only I came back from the bathroom to see my entire table up there, including ASI, who if she is up there, everybody is LOL. Felt 'safe' to not seem sad and desperate getting up by myself to dance with everyone on the floor - even without being asked, which is just kind of annoying, grr. But it was a work thing, and I was on my bestest behaviour.
When I got up there, Dancing Queen turns out to be such a slow song to get into. Was up again pretty soon afterwards to Blame It On The Boogie, Jackson Five - started getting into the moment then. And, somewhat to my shame, the crowning masterpiece of me on the dancefloor on Thursday, was to I Will Survive, what a girly drag queen song LOL, I think I remember it from Priscilla Queen Of The Desert or something, or maybe it's just a crappy ad I remember it from. Anyways, there was a mini circle of my area's staff on the floor by this stage, and we were all having our turns in the middle of the circle. There was a song before Gloria Gaynor that I found myself in the middle to, and TDE started singing 'go Pauly, go Pauly' - actually kind of distracting and offputting, so I wasn't in the middle long. How I found myself bopping to Gloria Gaynor the next song though, I'll never know - and AGO, the big boss, was up and dancing by this stage.
They were going around with a digital camera or two on the night, and downloading the pictures straight away to put on the big screen - I'm pretty certain there was only the 'at the table' pic for me, none on the dancefloor - THANK GOD. Also remember going up on the floor for Grease/Summer Loving that whole megamix thing, and then staying up for Mama Mia. When the Time Warp came on though, skeedaddled pretty quickly, nice enough movie and everything, but I just can't understand the cult nature of it all. If something from the Sound of Music had started up though LOL, sad sad Pauly.
When JPH, one of the team leaders from upstairs, came over by our table, I smiled hi to her, and she smiled back, and briefly touched my shoulder - nice to see she still recognises me, and she was wearing a stunning gold dress on the night. Her usual sidekick LNE was keeping it simple in black, with an err plunging neckline.
Only in Australia would Khe Sanh come on late in the night (late for a Thursday, close to kick out time of 10pm) and people be dancing to it - I know, if anyone regularly reads and can remember, that I asked for Khe Sanh to be played at the wedding back home in January, but that was just to have some bonding moments with V, and no one danced to it at all LOL. The last two songs of the night were Black Betty, which LHU, the Big big boss was bopping away to, although it's a difficult beat to dance to, and Akon's Lonely. Whoever requested the chipmunk song for the last of the night should be shot. Even if it was AGO or LHU LOL.
Lights came up, everyone started mingling in the lobby outside again, MGR, LMA, NBO and KLA were still around who I knew, and they wanted to kick on to somewhere. Of course, the first three got too distracted with talking to other people who were also mingling to head off anytime soon, KLA basically thinking she wanted to go home, and it took about forty minutes to get them moving. MGR, LMA and NBO started walking down the street towards the Valley, but the pace they were setting it would take a month of Sundays to go the two or three kays required LOL.
Then they stopped, and NBO wanted to catch the train, no she didn't, let's head back, MGR and LMA were going to pick up their car, if they got a text from NBO to kick on, they would, but of course they were also going out the Friday night, so maybe that one would be bigger. I wandered back to the Sofitel with NBO, apparently to have a drink before catching the train, but then we bumped into the next group of laggards, who were headed over to the Novotel for a couple of after function drinks. So, with month of Sundays pace again, we headed over to the other hotel, where I think all the big wigs were staying, crossing main arterial roads as we went with no fear of being hit, hmmph.
More soon, gotta go and catch the bus to catch a movie now :)
Pauly
Thursday was one of those end of financial year road trips the big bosses have to say how much we have improved on the last year, rah rah us and all that. Although I don't think it was quite as good as last year. First off, due to the agency agreement being more tightly enforced this year than last - temp staff work for their agencies, rather than the actual place where they actually work, apparently, so they weren't invited to this thing. Can't have helped that last year one of the agency staff fell over (drunk) on an escalator and fractured her back - she was OK enough after a bit of recovery time, but yeah, what with the liability insurance as it is in this country nowadays, kind of understandable, but still seemingly petty to go on about it like that.
So a few people that I wouldn't have minded socialising with were not even invited, but I didn't feel about it as strongly as JLA who sits behind me, he wasn't going in protest at that. Well, he wasn't too sure about going or not, but that was a good enough reason not to go - he changed his mind about five times over the course of the day LOL.
Actually had a couple of good days at work the last two, not feeling tense at all, the whole warm fuzzies thing happening more than a few times with helping out customers until I could help them no more, improving my error rate, and actually getting training on how to be a better telephone consultant on Monday, so it's all good, but of course work is far less exciting than socialising, so on with the report.
Found ourselves at the venue (Sofitel this year, the former Sheraton in town), with about ten minutes to spare before the free bar started. Had walked up with ASI, and bumped into GTU at the piano bar downstairs - got myself a bourbon and coke, gotta love those hotel prices, $7.70 for a single, but it was a good start to the evening LOL. GTU I used to sit next to in the office, but don't really have much in common, so the main goss with him was that he was moving into his first actual real bought home over the next few days, he had Friday off. A unit down the Gold Coast from what I can understand, but with prices the way they are, first time buyers can't really get into the four bedroom house in the suburbs thing - although, the way I think GTU can squirrel away money, I could be wrong.
Headed up to the first floor lobby, where three quarters of an hour of pre-function drinks and nibbles had been scheduled. First saw MCO, former team leader, who got each of us in a big hug, how are you doing kind of thing - I tried to keep up with the conversation, but the background chatter was so loud, and with me not wanting to impose myself too much into anyone else's space to actually hear, and the whole mainly speaking to GTU anyways, I missed most of the convo. Not much of a loss I think though.
TDE and JSO made an appearance, and then we went and mingled more, had been on the fringes of the group, threw ourselves deeper in to the melee. Spoke with PMA a bit, found out that JSO is a Kiwi, has been over here for four years, still supports the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup though, and looked askance at me for even having to ask the question - hey, it's a question you have to ask, my brother became a dual citizen and has always loved the Aussies in the cricket, any other sport though is still Enzed. ASI and JSO then had a discussion about what they miss back home, lol New Zealand Twisties for me, it's a no brainer.
Had quick chats with KWA, a returning guest star from her current section - she's loving it, it is so difficult to understand, but she is loving the steep learning curve - MGO, KDA, ADE, and then it was time to head into the ballroom for speeches, dinner and such. Sat at a table with NBO, LMA, MGR, JAN, TDE, JSO, ASI, KSM and KLA, up the front of the room, so unlike last year, I could actually see who our senior management are when they gave the speeches.
Not that they were that inspiring, when all the other six areas of the business got glowing references with statistics and all, my area got 'did better than last year while being reorganised'. Without any stats. Hmmph, so did we go from a D to a D+ or C to C+ or what LOL.
The food, what there was of it, was good - bread rolls for starters, roast lamb, potato and gravy for mains - although as MGR said the next day, it was a snack more than a mains. And later in the evening there were cheeses and bread going around the tables, and apparently some desserts that you had to go and collect up the back - the dilemma was resting from dancing, or going up and getting something to eat, hmm let's rest some more, there is always McDonald's at the train station if I need a bite to eat LOL. From what I heard, the desserts were nice as well, though no ice cream - as opposed to what I remember as a much bigger meal, with actual soup for starters, last year round.
And then there were two hours of dancing or so - the DJ was OK, but he played far too much eighties stuff, although to be fair, it was a work function, it wasn't too much of a Fiddy Cent crowd LOL. The girls at the table were up dancing fairly quickly after the roast lamb had been cleaned up, but I sat at the table - all I wanted was a simple question do you want to dance, but of course, being a guy, we are supposed to do the asking and suck it up when we are ignored LOL. OK, OK, I have to admit that I do like to dance as well, have been needing less and less alcohol over the years to get me up on the floor.
A few good songs came and went, to which I was thinking, hmm I should get up to this one, it's probably not going to be played later in the night - racking my brain trying to think of an example, but Wake Me Up Before You Go Go is the best, and only one I can think of. Now, the first song I did get up to was Dancing Queen LOL, and that was only I came back from the bathroom to see my entire table up there, including ASI, who if she is up there, everybody is LOL. Felt 'safe' to not seem sad and desperate getting up by myself to dance with everyone on the floor - even without being asked, which is just kind of annoying, grr. But it was a work thing, and I was on my bestest behaviour.
When I got up there, Dancing Queen turns out to be such a slow song to get into. Was up again pretty soon afterwards to Blame It On The Boogie, Jackson Five - started getting into the moment then. And, somewhat to my shame, the crowning masterpiece of me on the dancefloor on Thursday, was to I Will Survive, what a girly drag queen song LOL, I think I remember it from Priscilla Queen Of The Desert or something, or maybe it's just a crappy ad I remember it from. Anyways, there was a mini circle of my area's staff on the floor by this stage, and we were all having our turns in the middle of the circle. There was a song before Gloria Gaynor that I found myself in the middle to, and TDE started singing 'go Pauly, go Pauly' - actually kind of distracting and offputting, so I wasn't in the middle long. How I found myself bopping to Gloria Gaynor the next song though, I'll never know - and AGO, the big boss, was up and dancing by this stage.
They were going around with a digital camera or two on the night, and downloading the pictures straight away to put on the big screen - I'm pretty certain there was only the 'at the table' pic for me, none on the dancefloor - THANK GOD. Also remember going up on the floor for Grease/Summer Loving that whole megamix thing, and then staying up for Mama Mia. When the Time Warp came on though, skeedaddled pretty quickly, nice enough movie and everything, but I just can't understand the cult nature of it all. If something from the Sound of Music had started up though LOL, sad sad Pauly.
When JPH, one of the team leaders from upstairs, came over by our table, I smiled hi to her, and she smiled back, and briefly touched my shoulder - nice to see she still recognises me, and she was wearing a stunning gold dress on the night. Her usual sidekick LNE was keeping it simple in black, with an err plunging neckline.
Only in Australia would Khe Sanh come on late in the night (late for a Thursday, close to kick out time of 10pm) and people be dancing to it - I know, if anyone regularly reads and can remember, that I asked for Khe Sanh to be played at the wedding back home in January, but that was just to have some bonding moments with V, and no one danced to it at all LOL. The last two songs of the night were Black Betty, which LHU, the Big big boss was bopping away to, although it's a difficult beat to dance to, and Akon's Lonely. Whoever requested the chipmunk song for the last of the night should be shot. Even if it was AGO or LHU LOL.
Lights came up, everyone started mingling in the lobby outside again, MGR, LMA, NBO and KLA were still around who I knew, and they wanted to kick on to somewhere. Of course, the first three got too distracted with talking to other people who were also mingling to head off anytime soon, KLA basically thinking she wanted to go home, and it took about forty minutes to get them moving. MGR, LMA and NBO started walking down the street towards the Valley, but the pace they were setting it would take a month of Sundays to go the two or three kays required LOL.
Then they stopped, and NBO wanted to catch the train, no she didn't, let's head back, MGR and LMA were going to pick up their car, if they got a text from NBO to kick on, they would, but of course they were also going out the Friday night, so maybe that one would be bigger. I wandered back to the Sofitel with NBO, apparently to have a drink before catching the train, but then we bumped into the next group of laggards, who were headed over to the Novotel for a couple of after function drinks. So, with month of Sundays pace again, we headed over to the other hotel, where I think all the big wigs were staying, crossing main arterial roads as we went with no fear of being hit, hmmph.
More soon, gotta go and catch the bus to catch a movie now :)
Pauly
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