A Brief Aside

In case no one has ever noticed before, my blog here sometimes tend to be my psychiatrist. I've discovered splaying wordy rants across a page and launching them into the blogosphere to float amidst the other blog junk is, oddly, helpful. I'm sure you've read my ranting posts about numerous topics, none of which make too much sense nor have too much cohesion.
And today once again I find myself flopping down on my proverbial psychiatrists proverbial leather sofa. This time with a lot of things racing around my mind. So I hope you readers on the other side of the screen don't mind, but I'm going to divulge a bit.
Shall we?
I've discovered over the past while that being married really does turn your world upside down.
And then inside out, possibly puts your through the rinse and ringer cycle, spins you three times, puts a blind fold on you and then gives you a stick to try to hit your next target. Whether thats managing to get a full night sleep, get up for work, make dinner or figure out what it is that married people do with their spare time.
The last one is really putting a work over on my husband who is so used to, honestly, being alone. He's a bit of a "to himself" person, well, except when I'm around. He doesn't mind spending time with me. But for us to be constantly together, we tend to run out of things to do. Which ends in us resorting to him playing a game/reading a book and me mulling about cleaning and finding random things to daydream about.
My problem though is this:
I feel like I am currently hanging upside down by my ankles, slowly rotating probably, musing to myself:
"What am I going to do with my life?"
I hate my job, I'm just going to say that now. There's no denying it anymore. I feel little self worth or appreciation for what I do. Being a receptionist is not my cup of tea. To me it simply does not feel fulfilling and it feels like I am not completing anything worthwhile. I suppose it is hard to explain, and there are many factors in my office specifically that contribute to it. Either way, I do not love this thing I sit about and do for 8 hours everyday.
Which has my brain in turmoil lately, what do I do with myself?
I am still going to school. However, lately even my degree (Anthropology) has been on the chopping block in my mind. I think, what am I going to do with that? How am I going to take care of my family? I, personally, want to be a stay at home mom. As much as I want to travel the world discovering things, such as, Ivan the Terrible's Lost Library; I want to be a stay-at-home mom a little more.
So then I think, well I do love writing. Why don't I try to write out my stories?
Problem is, the first thing they teach you in Creative Writing: "Get a day job."
Awesome, and with Owen still trying to finish his degree. Our finances can't exactly afford me taking a gallivant through my day dreaming worlds.
I do love gardening, I would love to do landscaping and be a professional gardener. Yet, I hit a brick wall with apparently not having a Horticultural degree? (What? Where do you even get that?)
So what about finishing my English degree? That's 4 more years of finishing and getting an Ed degree because really, all you can do with an English degree is teach (unless I can make a living off blogging! Hah). Not that I wouldn't mind the schooling, but right now I feel...restless.
So my mind flipped through so many things I have always wanted to do, that just feel a little out of reach. Now I just can't think about what I want, I have to think what is good for myself and my husband. Things get a little more daunting when you have another person to take care of.
So then, what do I do? What do I do with myself that makes me feel like I am actually doing something worthwhile. That contributes to myself and others.
1st answer: I don't know. Whatever. I give up. I'll just do this thing because it pays the bills.
2nd answer: Wait. Why don't I become an EMR?
It's an idea. Just a small one that my mind thought of today. Perhaps with a bit of inspiration. I have my First Aide Level C and CPR/AED training. I've always wanted to help people, and my Dad is an EMR too. I've gone on ride alongs and always enjoyed it. Right now I'm just wondering if I can handle things that would be seen as a first responder.
Although, it would be worth it, I think. At least it seems like it would be something both ambitious and worthwhile.
I suppose we shall see what happens, won't we.

xoxo

At work I read minds and magically make things perfect.

Have I ever told you guys about my job? No? Well, strap yourself in for the never ending fun.
Hurr hurr.
So after last summer working at The Museum I found my internship over and myself out of a job.
Also, my school was like "What? You wanna come back? NOPE!"
 Fuuuu...dge and crackers.
So I'm sitting in Calgary hurrumphing over needing to figure out what to do with my life.
 When things like this happen, I would love to say I am a calm person in personal crisis; but that would be a lie.
 I panic, hardcore.
 When there's problems at work I can keep a level head, but when it comes to my personal life; the farmer basically just cut off my head.
 So I applied like crazy for anything I could think of that wasn't retail. Been there, did that, would rather sleep with spiders. Okay maybe not, but retail = noooooooo.
So anyways, after a few interviews and such and such job chasing later I landed a job as a receptionist for an oil company. Now, I'm not going to be naming names because the last thing I want is to get in trouble with people of Considerable Status Above Me.
Bascially, I'm the girl who sits by herself in the front waiting area greeting you as you walk in and trying to figure out what meeting you are supposed to be in (because nobody tells me anything >.<) I answer the phone.. when it rings.. once in a while, and answer emails (which are like, never).
 Basically I sit here and do school work and clean the boardrooms.. and possibly blog. Errr.
Although, there are two things I do in my job that I'm pretty most other receptionists don't have to do. However, if they do I feel for them.
1) I sometimes have the joy of running my bosses personal errands. Like picking up her sons stocking for Christmas, or picking out the Presidents new car, or their furniture, or their towing company, or their dishwasher repair-man, or (and possibly the best) their entire Christmas celebration and gift for the embassy. Oh joy of joys.  And no, I don't get additional pay for this. I do this out of the "goodness of my employee heart".

Usually most people are like "but that means you don't have to sit behind a desk all day!" or "it must be so fun!'

 No. Just, no.

 I have to do their errands, plus my work I have. Also, my bosses are PICKY. Like, I mean they put your gluten-free, vegan-friendly, "I won't eat dog" American cousin visiting China to shame. 

I once picked out 5 different set of Christmas lights before I was told to pick out "exactly these ones", the gaudiest of the gaudy I may add. 

Why could you not tell me in the first place? And then, when I pick those ones out, there may still be something wrong with them. Like they aren't bright enough. 

THEY DON'T SELL SPOTLIGHTS AT CANADIAN TIRE! *facedesk*

*sigh*

Okay, so in honesty that isn't so bad. Just really frustrating sometimes, especially when I have files stacked on the desk, and I am told continuously that "No no, not that." and then they thing they want is almost the same thing. Whatever! I can deal with it. It's not too bad, just really, really frustrating.  

It's #2 that rubs me raaaawwww

2) I am not only a mind reader but I make "executive decisions" to the people no one wants to deal with. 

Now, let me elaborate. 

Firstly on the mind reading. It slightly coincides with the afore mentioned but mostly it has to do with actual day-to-day job. 

For example, I will be sitting at my desk doing work.. Err, yes.. and suddenly a group of 10 people from a law firm and some other oil company and the bank will all walk in. Now, I will smile and greet them while thinking in my head "What?! Who are they for?! Which boardroom do I put them in? I haven't made coffee! There's no water set out!" 

Then I will look like a total idiot asking them who they are here for, they'll all raise their eyebrows at me and tell me who. So I will ask them to please wait, take a seat and go find my boss. 

Now, at the beginning of my job this was a big problem. I was constantly running around like a chicken trying to figure who went where. Sometimes I would put one meeting in our large boardroom and a second meeting would walk in moments later and the person they were meeting with would be mad that they didn't get the big boardroom. The poor Administration Assistant before me had dealt with this longer and she said it was always like this.

 So, eventually I learned to always have water set on the tables and the boardrooms prepped. However, I wasn't up for this who charade. So if people didn't get the boardroom they wanted:

Tough cookies you guys. Should have booked your meeting. You've only received ten thousand emails from me about this.

 At first some of the temp workers from overseas weren't cool with my stand point, luckily my boss knows I'm just trying to work on efficiency and told them they had to deal with me. 

So I tell them kindly they need to book it and when they do I ask them if they want me to set out tea and coffee. It's gotten better, though sometimes the overseas business people still drive me nuts. Actually, all the time. >.>

Now, the "executive decisions" isn't really as fancy as it sounds. 

My basic job for answering the phones is really just screening calls. Most calls I get in a day are telemarketers. I now have a serious zero-tolerance policy with them. I used to be like "No thank you.. Well.. I.. I don't want to talk to you.. I'm busy" 

Interruption, interruption.

 Now I'm just like "Look, this is a company. We don't have time for this. Sorry, but don't call again." If it's a Canadian number I add "Call again and I call CRTC." 

Because telemarketers are illegal in Canada, did you know that? Oh yays. I am kinda mean.. I know. But you don't understand how many of them call 

O_O

 SO MANY! 

The other phone calls I get that no one else wants are the people who want an "in" with us, or a donation, or to sell a new idea. These people, though they mean well, annoy me to no ends. 

Simply because of the fact that they cannot seem to grasp one concept. 

We are NOT, I repeat, NOT, the head office. 

See, my oil company is based from another country. We don't make new business decisions, we don't deal with new companies unless told to, and no we cannot fund your new "innovation". Yet somehow, no matter how much I tell people we cannot help them they continue to push and push to talk to my "manager" and insist that we may be able to just hear them out.

I usually hear:

 "Well, I've dealt with our companies from [insert country name here] and they had offices back there."

 Do we look like that company? No, I'm sorry I can't help you.

 Usually, I try to be professional and kind to these people. It was weird to me at first too that we got all orders from out of country and didn't act unless told to. Eventually you see it makes sense in a business way. Some people that call and keep getting pushy and insistent though I lose a little patience with. I was never blessed with lots of patience anyways, but these people are a number. They keep telling me:

 "Well you can do something I'm sure, you're a prominent company."

Applying to my ego doesn't help you.

"Well can I talk to your manager anyways?" (asked about 5 times)

No

"Well can't we talk to them and then meet with your head office?" 

No

"You mean I have to go to [insert country name here]"

No, just talk to them then if they want to do business you can do it through us.

"Well why can't we do it now?"

Because you have to talk to them first! Argh!

"Can I have you bosses name?"

NO!

"Can I just talk to you manager about who to contact?"

Oh you're so sly. No.

"This is a great opportunity you're missing."

I'm sure it is. 

"Can I talk to your business manager then..?"

NOOO!!

*facedesk*

These people, they have more persistence and gumption than a door-to-door salesman or something. 

*sigh*

xoxo

p.s. I get married in 26 days. OH MY GOSH!

Hipster mannequin anyone?

It scares me mommy... It mustache. It stares into my soul...

And suddenly they all broke out into Queen

Well. That was just my lunch hour.

Now, what jersey's they are wearing I have no clue about. But today I'm standing in line at Subway (I lurves it) when I realize the Scaramouch-ing I can hear isn't just my head playing Queen. Which doesn't happen often which is why I was wondering in the first place. So I grab my lovely perfected sandwich (hey it took my whole life, it's perfect) and look over the +15 railing to see these guys. Rock Band-ing it out in the lobby of the PetroCan Tower. Let me tell you, the guy singing had some serious guts, because there were a lot of us watching. And laughing. Mostly laughing. I have no clue what it was for, but you can see the camera guy there filming them, so I'm sure it'll show up on CityTV or something.
Also. Holy two days of blog posts?! I'm so proud of myself :)

xoxo
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