Coming home #blogjune

This is my front door, a white door with lead lighting in the window.

It means I am home, after a long day at work, or from travelling for work. 

Sometimes I have Mooch waiting to be let in at the front door, especially if she has heard the car pull up. If I am lucky, there is a parcel at the door.

Inside it is warm, with a lovely hum from the presence of my family or the central heating.

I have been away from the family for work a bit the last few weeks, and it’s not easy. I am thankful that MrBG is there to keep things ticking along, and I know the kids are in safe hands, even though there seems to be a suspicious amount of white bread and chocolate mousse (in the form of a ‘dairy dessert’) being consumed in my absence.

After the craziness of the last few weeks at work I am glad for a refuge here.

Dealing with disappointment #blogjune

I have a photo of my sister aged four throwing a tantrum, while my baby brother looks on. I don’t remember the incident, but judging from the context of the photo, she had a toy and had to give it to him, and was none too pleased about the situation.

I have finished watching the season finale of Game of Thrones, and I feel like my sister- I want to scream and yell and carry on, as characters appeared to drop like flies, and I have to wait a very long time to see what becomes of  them all. Cliffhangers suck.

It’s only a TV show and is not real life (though wouldn’t real life be way cooler with dragons?), but there are times when life can be pretty sucky. All you want to do is take to your bed, cry buckets of tears, and self medicate with chocolate, alcohol or both.

I applied for a position at work last year, and did not get it. I had been acting in the position, but there was another candidate who was stronger. It was the first knock back at an interview I’d had in 14 years and it hurt like hell. I will admit that there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth for a day or two, but I remembered what a former library lecturer Walter had told my class. I acted like a professional, did a handover of the role to the new person and moved on to another role- a role, which is one I have come to enjoy immensely.

Out of disappointment can come strength.

From Brisbane to Ballarat

I had a productive and rewarding time at the Brisbane campus,  meeting up with familiar staff and finally having face to face chats with lovely colleagues.

Flew back to Victoria,  and incredibly thankful for the expertise of the pilots in landing at Tullamarine, where the wind gusts were up to 120 km/h.

On the plane I ripped out a crochet cardigan I am making for Miss BG,  as I was losing stitches on each row- d’oh! Am back to where I was, so happy about that.

Kids were picked up from school,  then Mr BG was collected from work, and parent teacher interviews commenced.  Both teachers happy with their progress,  as are we.

A quick dinner, then out for book club, where tales of New York and San Francisco were told to a rapt audience.  The book discussion wasn’t too bad either :-).

Missing the warmth of the north,  but happy to be home.

How to make statistics interesting

Honestly, can someone tell me?

This is my next role, looking at the data that the library generates and making sense of it, consolidating and producing it for human consumption, or at least managerial consumption…

Part of the challenge is to ensure that statistics are easily accessible, and that the data we are capturing will be used. Most of what we generate is for reporting and benchmarking against other libraries, but we could be doing more with the stats.

At any rate, it’s a challenge worth taking on!

I get around

I am in a motel room, by myself, thinking about putting the kettle on and phoning Mr BG.

This time I am in Brisbane for work, to meet with staff at the Brisbane campus of my uni, and to formally hand over the job in which I was acting to the person who has just returned from parental leave.

I am here because I am moving into a new role, though this is an acting position until the end of the year. My original contract was due to finish at the end of July, so the extension is welcome.

It was around this time last year that I headed up to North Sydney for an interview, was offered a position, got knocked back for leave without pay from my previous employer and decided to take the plunge anyway by resigning. My parents were a bit perplexed as to why I would leave a permanent position to take on a contract.

No position is permanent, and no one is indispensable. I have also learned that when opportunities come up, you embrace them, as you never know what will happen.

I got my life back, by working in Ballarat, and having more time with my family. I am less grumpy, and have more time for them (the house is still a mess, but what the hey). My working environment and colleagues are lovely and professional, and I feel I can make a contribution.

The kettle has boiled and my phone beckons.

Good night xx

#amonthinthelife- Day 13

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To do list#amonthinthelife #work

A post shared by Steph (@stephmcg71) on Mar 13, 2014 at 2:00am PDT

We have had some network issues today, and my day was spent on the phone, checking if things were right, reporting back to my bosses. Thankfully it has all been resolved and for me today has been a day of ticks, not crosses. Bosses are happy, and that’s the main thing. Tonight I feel like Wonder Woman :).

What you also see is my list for tomorrow and the various things to follow up. Hopefully it is all out of my head and I can sleep easier tonight. I have been known to get up in the middle of the night to write something down that’s been spinning around in my mind, just so it’s out of my head and on a piece of paper.

There are some days my life seems to be a neverending to do list of tasks that always seem to reappear!Laundry, school lunches  and getting milk and bread always seem to be written in indelible ink…

#amonthinthelife- Day12

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Reading material #amonthinthelife #sharepoint #acu #myjob

A post shared by Steph (@stephmcg71) on Mar 11, 2014 at 11:12pm PDT

I got a new book in the post yesterday :).

Part of my job has been to manage the migration of our SharePoint to the 2010 version, and this is something I have been dipping into at work. We have an e-version of this in our library’s collection, but for a permanent reference, I thought getting the print version would be easier.

I have scraped together a good working knowledge of SharePoint in my last 6 months from other people and just simply clicking around the software, but sometimes having a book offers some sort of security to whatever knowledge gaps I still possess.

I find there is something missing about reading a book on my desktop. I still love print reference books for their tactile nature , their indexes and the ability to flick through from one section to another.

With all of my work being computer based, but I still appreciate a good book 🙂

TGIF

I’m having one of those weeks, where the few glimmers of light are fleeting, and are usually found in a bottle of gin, in a little persons cuddle and in a warm bed. There have been several times this week when all I have wanted to do is stay in bed and forget about the world.

It has gotten frantic at work and I feel as if it’s progressing backwards rather than forwards. IT issues have flared up and the familiar knot of anxiety is beginning to settle in my gut again. My eyes hurt from looking at computer screens all day, and the icing on the cake is returning home to try and troubleshoot IT issues with the router.

This week I also learned of the sudden death of a former school mate. The Allison I remembered was a girl with a huge smile and big hair (it was the 80s), who loved life and her friends. On Facebook I remember seeing the numerous photos of her beautiful twins, and her vivacity. She brought so much joy to people’s lives and it’s heartbreaking to see such a person leave so suddenly.

BUT, as Scarlett O’Hara said ‘tomorrow is another day’ and thankfully it’s a Saturday. In fact it’s another month, another new chapter to embrace.It’s also the first day of autumn, my favourite time of the year, another reason to be thankful.

Step by Step

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Name on the door 🙂 #2013pad #happy365 #ballarat #acu

A post shared by Steph (@stephmcg71) on Aug 21, 2013 at 4:01pm PDT

It’s been a while since I’ve written, which is not the same as posting, as a few of my recent posts have been drafts that have been given a bit of a spit and polish.

It’s not because I’ve run out of things to say, but because I am finding it hard to find the time to put my thoughts into words. Part of this post was written at a local indoor play centre while the kids ran amok. It’s not the most inspiring of places, but it was better than trying to sit down at the PC and try to write with two children going stir crazy at home. And when I am at home, there are people competing for PC time and time with mum, and the usual domestic stuff that happens over the weekend.

I guess this is what happens when you get a new job and have to discover a new routine!

I now have a full-time job, based in Ballarat, and it’s close enough to home that I can walk. My commute of over 90 minutes involving car, and two train trips each way has been reduced to a 7 Minute walk, 5 if I really hurry. I can even go home at lunchtime!

My evenings are now spent helping Mr BG with dinner, listening to Miss BG read- pretty much the same as before, but it’s a lot more leisurely, everyone is less tired and generally happier. I have lost my plotting/reading/dreaming time, but I have gained more time with my family and that is good.

It has been scary starting a new job after 10 years and I will admit it has not been easy. It’s a job that entails more technical aspects than what I am used to, it’s in a sector in which I have never worked and the organisation is spread across 6 sites and three states. I am WAY out of my comfort zone, and there has been many a night over the last couple of weeks that I have woken up, my mind reeling with stuff.

I am also terrified of stuffing up and failing, and sometimes this fear can be quite paralyzing. I just have to remember

• they employed me, so they clearly saw something
• I just have to take a step and then another step and then another…
• I have some great work colleagues that I can call if I need to

Some of the successes/highlights over the last 4 weeks

• I faced a fear of stuffing up an update to an application
• I went up to Sydney to meet my boss and my staff member
• I have an office with a view and I have my name on the door!

 

7 discoveries this week

1. My TV antenna is playing tricks with me. It works perfectly fine except at 7.30 on a Sunday night when I want to watch Dr Who. Electricians as a result fail to see the importance of this issue and I have to wait for DAYS to get it fixed.

2. There is a Book Grocer where you can get books for $10. This is a very, very bad thing. They also have very cool wrapping paper which would look great framed…

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Bookgrrl's plans for tomorrow-reading #2013pad #happy365 #wishfulthinking

A post shared by Steph (@stephmcg71) on Apr 23, 2013 at 11:21pm PDT

3. Master BG has started reading Harry Potter and is very intrigued. He is beginning to discover that perhaps the book may be better than the movie, because you can imagine it your own way, rather than the way the director wishes you to see it.

4. It is unwise to leave your mobile on as it will ring during a staff meeting when the Big Boss is present. SHE WILL NOTICE YOU. Then every time you speak, SHE WILL NOTICE YOU.

5. There is nothing so pleasant as a public holiday mid-week- even if it is on the day you are normally off. It is good to spend the day with your family, and reflect upon why you have the day off, while you make your first ever batch of Anzac biscuits.

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Homemade ANZAC biscuits #happy365 #2013pad #lestweforget

A post shared by Steph (@stephmcg71) on Apr 24, 2013 at 7:48pm PDT

6. There is nothing so rewarding as working on a tricky reference enquiry for someone, than learning something about the subject at hand and then being thanked by a grateful person.

7. I am getting a little bit excited about my birthday- because my kids are. I suspect it’s the cake :).