Thursday, December 24, 2009

Bits and Pieces

There was a guy sleeping on the train this morning when I got on. Now the train I get on comes from the city, stops at my station, then reverses direction and goes back to the city so this sleeping guy probably wanted to got off by now...
I could have waken him....
but I didn't....
And when the train conductor came into my carriage he saw him but he didn't wake him either!
I could tell he was thinking about it though!

The sleeping guy looked so out of it! He was sprawled out over three seats, with one arm flung out onto the floor.The train started moving and more and more people got on but no one went near the sleeping guy and the motion and commotion about him didn't wake him...
neither did the sun that was now shining brightly onto his face.

It wasn't until we were almost into the city that I wondered if he was even alive! Can you imagine if something had happened to him and we were all ignoring him? I tried to see if he was breathing but by that time too many people haad boarded and I couldn't see him. How horrible if we'd all just ignored him and he really needed help.
As I got off though I saw the train driver approach him so I guess whatever needed to be done was done at that point...

Speaking of the train, on the way home I saw two people speaking in sign language on the train. I used to know quite a bit of sign language but it's been years and I'm unpracticed and they were going WAY fast! But the funny thing was, it was a male and female that were talking and the female was going for AGES, signing her words, while the guy only put in a few sentences here and there. Made me realise that even in sign language, women outspeak men!
And then when I got to work....

I had a customer today who said "Hi, I've got an en-queer-ee about my account"
Yes, I'm sure it was queer indeed!

As part of our call quality we have to ask at the end of each call "Is there anything else I can help you with?"And you can bet there'll be at least one customer a week who'll come back with a smart arse reply.
Today a customer said "How about a $100 note?"
Aiming low I thought, but I replied "Sure, I'll just pluck one out of fairlyland for you."
Luckily he laughed!





Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Running Through The Pain Barrier

Well I just completed a fifteen kilometre run. It's the longest single run I've done in a while, making my total for the last four days, 42kms. Now I have a three day break!


Last week, I bought a new pair of shoes that I wanted to set aside for all road running (I also run on the treadmill) The first time I used these shoes, I developed HUGE blisters on the insides of my feet... The next two runs were on the treadmill so I ran in my regular shoes...
Today was on the road again so I put my road shoes on. I thought I'd left enough time for the blisters to heal. I put a few bandaids and wrapping on them so they wouldn't blister again in that spot and off I went.

The shoes were a little uncomfortable in the blister area while I was still walking around, but I thought that was because the area was still a little raw and would go away the more I walked in them.

When I started running, they were quite sore but I knew the more I ran, the less the pain would be. It was pretty sore up until six kms into my run. After that, it went to a dull ache, and by the time I was finishing, I was so euphoric at approaching the finish line, that I didn't even notice the pain.

When I got home and finally took off my shoes I was SHOCKED!
(Right foot is pictured above, left foot is to the right.)

And do you know what worries me the most?? Is this going to be healed enough before I run again?? It better be because I'm not missing my next run!! Guess I just have to go back to the old shoes...

Saturday, December 19, 2009

It's All In The Family


Miss 15 is going to kill me for writing this...

But we were all sitting around the dining table the other night when out of the blue she says "you know, a lot of people in our family are related"

And there wasn't much else we could say to that!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Now That's Embarrassing


Recently I saw an acquaintance of mine, having not seen him for a few days.


In that time, a cold sore had bubbled and festered on his top lip.


At the time that I saw him, I didn't realise it was a cold sore and ALMOST said "oh you've got a bit of something there" thinking he'd caught some of his lunch on his top lip.


Wow... can you imagine if I'd said that! Now THAT would have been embarrassing!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sayings/Words/Phrases I hate


Miss fifteen is still rolling her eyes over my last blog entry. Apparently that is so "yesterday". Everyone knows the "waaaaambulance" line...
Well shame on me for not being up with the vocab times!

So that got me thinking about other phrases and words I hate hearing... maybe you can think of a few yourself?


Some Phrases/words I wish would be banned



1. "Do you know what I mean?"
Not bad when said once, but some people insist on using it after ever second or third sentence.

2. "What not"
As in, "We stayed there and and talked about life and what not". Often used instead of "etc."


3. *Overuse of personal name.*
Don't you hate it when you just meet someone, and they insist on using your name in every sentence? I guess that might be how "That's my name, don't wear it out" might have originated!!

4. Speaking about yourself in the third person.
Please... didn't everyone see that Seinfeld episode!! Don't do it!! It's NOT cool!

5. "Right love?"
It doesn't offend me but I still think that only female workers at truckstops over the age of 55 should be able to use the word 'love' when calling someone by a pet name and then ONLY if they have a fag hanging out of their mouth.


6. "How about the lotto numbers?" Followed by a hearty chuckle.
This is in reference to my particular job. I have to ask "is there anything else I can do for you" and the customer invariably come back with this line which I'm sure they think is original and it just cracks them up.

7. "Right" or "ok"
When this word is spoken after a statement that the speaker wants you to believe, it really irks me. Just the fact that you have said "right" or "ok" doesn't mean I automatically am going to believe what you've said. You still have to make your case.
eg. "I told you not to do that (pause) right! I've told you to not call me anymore (pause) right. I'm not going to stand for this anymore, OK?"
Well geez... I'm convinced. That put the stalker right in his place!


8. "No offense, but..."
No offense?? If you have to say it, you can bet offense is appropriate... you're just saying it as an out for YOURSELF! If you tihnk you have to say it, then please DONT say it and choose different, non offending words instead!


9. "Everything happens for a reason"
Yeah and that reason is random chance and life choices. Maybe it makes some people feel better if they think there is a purpose to something.Happens for a reason? Maybe it does, or maybe an invisible chain of events occured right before it

10. "My bad"
Makes me want to show the person who spoke it, how bad it really can be!


11. "I slept like a baby"
You mean you slept for 30 minutes then cried your lungs off until someone fed you and cuddled you back to sleep then started that cycle again?


12. "Hot/Cold enough for ya?"
No, actually, the more extreme the more I like it. I regularly sleep in my fridge or my oven just so I can feel it that bit warmer or colder...
I know it's just a conversation opener but really? Don't we know by now NOT to talk about the weather?

13. "I/You deserve this" or "I/You don't deserve this"
Really? And where is the rule book that states when someone does or doesn't deserve something? When someone wins the lottery, what did they do to deserve that? when a great tragedy happens to a person, what did they do to deserve that? Sometimes shit just happens and to think you're above it is to have a little too many tickets on yourself!





So there's just a few that I've thought off from the top of my head.
Can you think of anymore?

Friday, December 11, 2009

What? Are you going to cry now?

Oh maybe this is old and I've only just seen it for the first time but it made me laugh!

When someone is getting upset over something for whatever reason, can you say "ohhh, do you want me to call for a waaaambulance?"

I can't wait to use that line!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Can we ban xmas please?


I feel really evil just thinking about writing this but I think I'm beginning to really hate xmas!
It's the commercialism and greed that I'm completely against because if we're honest with ourselves, that's really what xmas has become.

I hadn't put up a tree last year and was ribbed about it a bit so this year I asked the kids if they wanted to put a tree up. I thought it might be something nice that we could all do together. They were giving me half hearted yes answers until they realised that I meant for ALL of us to do it together. They then thought it better to just give it a miss.
There was no argument from me!

And then there's the crowds!

I can't go to my shopping mall because it's too stressful to try to find a car park... and if I do manage to find one, I have to fight through the crowds. Many people line the mall's aisle ways loaded with shopping bags. Can they buy enough 'stuff'?
Do we really need so much stuff??? What are we doing with it all??

I hear it said "oh it's for the kids. " Is it really? Do the kids know the value of the xmas presents you're giving them? Or are the gifts really for you? So the kids know how cool Auntie X is? Auntie X gives better presents than anyone else! And what are we teaching these kids? We're not teaching them how good it is to give!!! We're teaching them how good it is to GET!!! And not only that, but that they SHOULD GET!!! It's their right as cute little kids (and holders of our DNA) to GET! At the cost of everyone else!
How many families do you know where they "just buy for the kids"?

It's like we get caught up in this frenzy of "how much money can I spend" all the while complaining how much xmas is costing us.

I walk into the mall and I swear I can hear "buy now, NOW. You're running out of time!! XMAS is almost here!!!"

And forget about any religious meaning! Sure, people can sprout off a few words about the religious aspect of xmas but we all know, it's really about presents and time off work!

How did we turn something so pure and good, into something so stressful and costly?

What do I like about xmas? I like being with my family. That part can't be replaced. I like taking time to appreciate and value the people who mean the most to me in the world.

So for the next three weeks I'm going to shut my eyes and stick my fingers in my ear and pretend nothing out of the ordinary is happening at all!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Perils of Public Transport

I don't understand why a person would think it was ok to squash their large frame, complete with bulky back pack and biker jacket, through a bunch of people to sit at the furthest possible point from the door in the train.

Unfortunately I was sitting opposite this seat when she came in.

Now really, I wouldn't have minded so much if she didn't stink to high heaven.
I hate saying that, I really do, but I don't understand how people cannot be aware of it. I'll bet anything that those clothes she had one were not freshly washed!
And it's not like I could sit there with my fingers to my nose for the rest of the train journey....

And to manoeuvre herself into such a specific and unreachable seat!!
I have to ask WHY!!!
There were other seats available!

I don't get it...

Monday, November 23, 2009

itunes


Woo hoo! Finally my music is on itunes. Only took me two months!!!

The process is a lengthy one and can take up to six weeks, but in my case, it had been two months and nothing! So I emailed their support staff again and found out the problem had been a glitch on their end... so they fixed that and rushed my order through and now the songs are all there!
All ready to be purchased easily.
The question is, is anyone going to be interested in buying them? LOL

Oh well, it's a thrill for me to just have it there and to have achieved this much at least.

So if you're reading this you can preview or purchase the CD or individual songs from this link.

If you do take a listen, I'd appreciate some feedback!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

You don't trust me

Miss Fifteen and I were having a bit of a conversation last night. During the course of this conversation, which I might add, included a few tears, I heard the words "you don't trust me - You're too over protective - they're not like that - I'm not like that - I'm smarter than that - that won't happen to me"

It took me back to my own teenage years because I know I uttered those words on many occasion.

It's not easy being a parent. Where is that line between being too strict and being too loose? And where are the instructions to tell you when that line changes? It's got to be different at every age!

So I gave Miss Fifteen the same words my mother told me... "Trust has to be earned, it's not a given right - I put restrictions because I care - when you're an adult with your own children, you'll understand"
but I know those words will be met with the same attitude that I gave when my mother spoke them to me.

I guess I haven't turned out too damaged so I have to hope that miss fifteen will also not hate me so much in a few years time...

Sure is tough being a parent to teenagers!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

I hate shopping for clothes


This lunch time I was reminded how much I hate shopping for clothes!

I've needed new clothes for some time as I slowly seem to be outgrowing the ones I have... So, as depressing as that is, I faced the fact and went out this lunch time to get something new. A new skirt perhaps...I'm steering clear of pants or anything that comes above the knee. It's time to be realistic...

30 minutes isn't a great deal of time to look, granted, but I still think I should have been able to see something passable...

It seems to me the shops are geared towards the 16 or 60 year olds.
Where is all the in-between stuff???
You either have to be young and wanting to wear short tight clothes, or old with a passion for large flowery patterns.
It was quite depressing

I was actually wearing the skirt that I was trying to find a replica of, after all, there is only so many times you can wear the same skirt into an office - and one of the girls in a clothing store I went into asked me if I'd bought this skirt from her store. I got excited thinking they may have something for me! Alas no - the store didn't even have anything remotely resembling my skirt so that was a bit of a letdown.

In another store, the sales assistant was just beside herself trying to help me but there was nothing there. "Hold on" she would say, and lead me to something else that was completely not what I was after. I admired her dedication but dedication doesn't always get results. Especially if you're on a time limit!

So no, I have no idea what I'm going to wear tomorrow unless I happen to lose 10 kgs overnight, and serves me right for letting my wardrobe situation get as bad as it has.
I just hate shopping for clothes so much! I
know, so unwomanly of me!
Why is it that the perfect outfit is ALWAYS found when you're not looking for it!!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Running...


I haven't wanted to write about this because I'm scared of jinxing myself!

I've been running for a couple of months now, slowly building the amount of km's I do per week.

Right now I'm up to 20 or 25kms a week (depending on how many days I'm working)
I've been running 5kms at a time.

I'm thinking of increasing that to 6. I have two more runs to go this week before I'm back at work... If I changed it to 6ms, that would make 27kms for the week!

I still can't believe I'm doing it!

I really can't.

In fact, that's what motivates me...

Every morning when I get dressed for running, I'm filled with this dread that I'm not going to be able to do it.
It's what drives me I guess... I want to prove myself wrong.

And then when I'm on there and doing it, I'm fighting a mental battle. The trick to being able to complete it strongly and successfully is to just take my mind off of it!
Watching a good movie helps.

I've been watching movies with subtitles because when I read from the TV screen, I'm having to use different mental powers so it distracts me from what I'm actually doing. Strange as it sounds, it works...

And what a feeling when I'm done!!! I did it! I always can't believe that I did it....

So should I go for 6kms tomorrow or should I just stay on 5kms? I'm worried I'm going to push myself too soon!

And have I just ruined it all now by writing about it?

I just love that I can do it.

20 hours till my next run!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

A Cat Burglar?


We had a bit of excitement this morning.

I was in a nice, comfortable deep sleep when suddenly, I felt a poke in my side.
"not now, didn't we do that already? I want to sleep" were my immediate thoughts however I was soon poked again!
I turned over to see Deno sitting up, staring fixedly down the stairs.
Quietly he said to me that he had seen a light on downstairs when he awoke to use the bathroom. He thought maybe he'd left one on when we went to bed but after a few seconds, the light went off!

We stayed like that, watching down the stairs, for what seemed like ages!

Then, thinking we'd flush the intruder out, we started speaking loudly and turned on the lights for the stairs and the upstairs area.
We were both sure we'd heard a few little sounds after the lights went on but didn't see anyone rushing for the exit!

I went outside on our balcony, to see if there were any getaway cars or to perhaps see our intruder leaving the scene via a neighbours house but after a minute or two, Deno called me back in.

He was going downstairs.

With weapon in hand (curtain rod... but next time he'll be better prepared!) he bravely went down. I had the phone set to "000" just in case...

Thankfully it was a false alarm although the whole time I was waiting for a yell then a thud and hoping Deno was going to be the one doing the hitting!
He checked all the exits and windows and all were intact.
We think the light he saw had come from the sensor light downstairs, perhaps being triggered by a cat or something.

Either way, it gave us a bit of an adrenalin rush and wasn't Deno so brave!
Love ya honey
x

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

It's All Relative...


I recently added an old high school teacher to my list of friends on facebook.

He didn't really remember me but then again, I wouldn't have expected him too.... even though I'm sure there weren't too many girls with big bushy blonde hair who were called "Bushhead", even by some of the teachers.... I can't tell you the amount of times I was asked if there were possums hiding in my hair!!! It was all quite traumatic!

So anyhow, the first thing I noticed about this old teacher of mine was his date of birth. I was a little surprised to see he was only 16 years older than me! That would have made him ten years younger than I am NOW when he was teaching me!
So why is it that when I was a student, he seemed so old??? Was he really only 30 years old?? Really??

It's all too depressing...

Someone stop this damn age clock! I think it's out of whack, it's turning too fast!!

Friday, October 2, 2009

A Poem by Tina Borzillo

MY GRANDCHILDREN

They’re gone, they’ve gone, the house is clear.

The house is quiet, no sound I hear.

Three days I had to fuss and spoil,

Three days I was a mum again.

Rest I was told, regain your strength,

But such a chance I could not pass.

To have all four of them with me,

Was something I did not want to miss.

I’ve never had a time like this

When Tony requires so much from me.

One on the Net, the other chasing the dog,

One on the DS, the other on the XBOX.

And every hour or so they swapped.

“Don’t spoil them” Their mothers told me.

Don’t spoil them?

To town we went and T.T.P.

A T-shirt here a T-shirt there,

“I would rather have a pair of jeans”

The younger one pleaded with me.

And what about those crazy photos!!!!!

The things I did to see them happy.

Now Sarah, Josh, Anthony and Michael have left

I’ll sleep in peace tonight for sure.

But miss I will their chattering

And wish they were with me here once more.

Tina borzillo

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Life Umpires... a great idea?

Well sadly football is over for another year. I hate this part of the season. Deno gets right into it. Draft picks, who's going where, what's happening at the clubs, but not me. I just want to watch good football.

We were watching the grandfinal on Saturday and although I appreciated it as a good game of football, there wasn't any emotion in it for me as my team wasn't playing.
That can make it easier...
But it gave me a chance to observe the game more and I thought isn't it funny that that umpires whistle can hold so much power!
He blows wildly into it and everyone stops.

It got me thinking... wouldn't it be great to have life umpires? I'm not talking about umpires to keep the law, we already have those, they're called policemen...
I'm talking more about policing social issues and situations.

For example, if you're sitting having a conversation with a friend who is BSing about something, wouldn't you love an umpire to come and blow a whistle in their face?
"I call bullshit! No talking for 10 minutes"

Or how about when you're in line at an icecream store and someone comes in front of you and gets served before you. Wouldn't you love a life umpre to come and blow a whistle into their ears and send them to the back of the line?
I'd be in favour of that!!!

How about those irritating people who insist on keeping their umbrella's open even when walking undercover? I'd love a life umpire to come and take that umbrella away. If they can't use it properly, they shouldn't be using it at all!!

I'm all in favour of life umpires.

With all the customer stories I post, I'd love there to be umpires listening in on my calls to whistle and stop the stupidity I have to listen to.

I'm sure you could think of many more examples!

Yes I'm all for it, bring in life umpires!!! I'd like to see that!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Customer Stories Again...



Isn't it obvious that to get a concession discount, you'd need to have a concession card?
Why do people call in and ask if they can have concession on their card, without actually owning a concession card? what do they think they're going to get?
Do they think there's some general public concession that everyone gets? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the term 'concession' if everyone was getting it???
If there were a concession for stupidity I'm sure lots of them would qualify!!!
(Oh, bad Margot!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of stupid, I once went through an entire call, calling the customer I had on the phone by the previous occupants name.
Funny that the customer didn't say anything.
Guess I qualified for the stupid concession that day!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh dear... A customer called because she paid her account twice.
I assured her we'd received her payments and that her credit would come off the next bill
"So you have my payments" she asked with a worried voice, thinking perhaps that we were going to pocket the extra she'd paid.
"yes" I assured her.
"Both of them??" she asked again.
"Yes" I replied, trying very hard not to sound exasperated.
"But why did I do that???" She then asked me.
Yes, you read that right, SHE asked ME why SHE'D paid her account twice.
I bet you can imagine any number of inappropriate responses and I thought of quite a number of them immediately!!
Instead I tamely said "I don't know" and assured her once again that the credit would come off of her next bill...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today a customer called because she had received a disconnection notice after she'd paid the account.
She paid it a month after the due date by the way.
The notice she received, was sent the same day she made the payment so it was just a matter of bad timing.
I explained it as nicely as I could and told her to ignore the notice because yes, we had now received her payment.
The customer was silent for a moment then hmphed and said "hmmm and because of this, you may also lose me as a customer!!!" and promptly hung up on me before I could say another world.

Now in what world is a person who pays an account a month after the due date, justified in getting incensed over a notice received a day after they'd made the payment?
If she'd simply notified that she'd be paying late, we wouldn't have had to send the notice!





Thursday, September 24, 2009

More Customer Stories...

I'm in absolute shock
Even though I get these calls from time to time it still never fails to surprise me!

A customer called in today complaining that we were holding his credit.
I looked at his account and saw he was on a payment plan of $70 a month.
"Well" he began indignantly, "I've been paying $71 a month!!!"
I looked and saw that was the amount of his previous plan so I explained that to him and told him the revised amount was now $70.
"Well what happens to the extra money I've paid? When will you give that back?"
Look, I swear to you I'm not making this up. He'd paid three lots of $71 instead of $70, so he wanted his $3 back.
I advised him that his account is in debt anyhow, so the extra $3 has just gone off his current debt. We haven't kept it, it's gone to what he currently owes.

He didn't believe me. He thought I was trying to pull one over him so he said he would go through all his statements and if it's not sorted to his liking, he'll be calling back.

Someone has to give that a guy a hobby!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you call through to our call centre, there are a few options depending on what fuel or utility you're calling about. When I answer the phone, I always specifiy the fuel or utility I can help them with to confirm they've pushed the right buttons to come through to the right area.

At least a few times a day I get someone saying, "oh you're joking" when I tell them they've come through to a different fuel than what they were expecting. I can't help them.
The poor deluded customer is actually angry with ME that I can't help them!
Wasn't it their fumbly, fat fingers that pressed the incorrect buttons in the first place causing them to come through to me?
I just don't understand!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I spoke to another customer today whose first name was "Princess". I resisted asking her if Michael Jackson was her father.
Normally, to be more personable with customers, I try to use their first name when speaking with them but I just couldn't bring myself to call her princess!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Going on a different tangent, a customer culled today who just wanted an extension of time to pay. I asked her what her date of birth was (to confirm it was the customer as required by the privacy law) and got a little freaked out when she was only three years older than Sarah. Wow... did that make me feel old!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can somebody tell me why customers call us wanting to update their concession details or to set up a direct debit for their account but then when asked for their concession number or bank details, they have no clue where to find the documents??

If you were wanting to set up a direct debit, wouldn't you have you bank account details handy?

Do they think we can just ask the magical genie and know their numbers without them providing it for us? Or do they want me just to guess? This happens more than you can imagine!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hot or Cold?


I have a fear of cold weather. I detest being cold and will make sure I'm always rugged up, because I'd rather disrobe than be caught feeling that cold to my bones!

Deno on the other hand, has a fear of warmer weather. I'm sure he's going to dispute my choice of the word "fear" but you know what I mean.

Last week they forecast a 27 degree day for us and while we were getting ready for bed, I was surprised when Deno asked with genuine concern "What are you going to wear tomorrow?"

I had to take a few seconds to register it.
What was I going to wear?
Why did he care?
I don't think he's ever asked me once what I was going to wear!
So my little brain tick, tick, ticked and I realised he was asking because it was going to be 27 degrees (warm by his standards). It has to be over 35 degrees before I start to think "Hmm, I'm going to be warm today"

I thought it was cute anyhow...

And by the way, whatever the weather is outside, it's always a fridge in my work building!!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

So, what do you want to know?

You either love them or hate them.
If I'm at work, I love them, if I'm home, I hate them.

What am I talking about?

Email forwards of course!

Now when I'm at work, they're a fantastic distraction. You look at some cute pictures, read some funny story, look at some optical illusions or think about some clever riddles. It's great.
When I'm home, I usually have twenty things that need to be done immediately (whether they be recreational or house motivated) so I don't like being interrupted by them.

One of my favourite email forwards are the questionnaires! You know the ones don't you? Where you're asked if you like bacon bits or croutons?
Chocolate or Vanilla? Hugs or Kisses?

It constantly amazes me what some people will answer without thinking twice about it.

And why does it have to bacon bits or croutons? Why can't it be both? or neither!
Why can't anyone come up with original questions?
Why doesn't anyone ever ask me what my favourite cookie is?
Would I rather be Paris Hilton or Brittney Spears? (and you have to pick one!)
Who do you think would give you an interesting hour of conversation, Cathy Freeman or Kyle Sandilands?
Who are you more scared of, Serena Williams or Kanye West?
etc etc...

And even though it's usually the same group of us that answer these questions and send them on, I find that I learn a little something more about that person with each survey filled.

Still, my dream is to write my own question survey thingy and send it off into email land to one day, have it returned to me. Now THAT would be an achievement!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Playing squash & horror reflections...

Deno and I went to play squash today and it really was a lot of fun!

He's been asking me to play for quite some time but as he's really competitive, and I play more for the fun of it, I was a little put off going...

But in the end I thought I'd give it a go and really had a great time. I was actually able to hit the ball and when he held back, even scored a few points for myself!
I can only get better right?

Luckily we had a court that was shielded from the rest of the complex so it was also very private and nobody witnessed my sometimes, lame attempts at the ball.

Oh, I take that back... there was some annoying person watching. She was a frumpy looking thing who I noticed every time I looked at the sheen from the glass at the back of the court. I've also noticed her when I look in my bathroom mirror but thankfully I've learnt to ignore her so I didn't pay her too much attention today either...

So, I don't want to speak to soon, but I think today's activity may have motivated me because later on in the day we went to Harbour Town and I bought a new pair of running shoes!! I plan to use them tomorrow morning...

AND I'm also looking to get the timetable of a gym that's nearby..

I know, I can hardly believe it myself!! but I have to do something to make that annoying frumpy girl I keep seeing in reflective surfaces go away!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Because I work in a call centre...

Here is the latest collection of silly things that we call centre staff, or our lovely customers have said...


A customer called in and said "Yeah I'd like to register for… umm… I've got one of those recession cards. Do you get anything off with a recession card?" Actually I think there are a couple of whole countries that are holding one of those cards at the moment!!


But to show that it's not all about the "silly" customer all the time, here are some of the things that we operators have said...


One of my colleagues once spoke to a customer who identified themself as Zachary.
Brimming with confidence and personality, my colleague who is NOT called Zachary said
"Hi Zachary, this is Zachary, how can I help you?"


Another colleague named Max once answered the phone saying
"Good morning, Welcome to Max, how can I help you?"
Instead of saying our company name.I kinda like that one.
Welcome to Margot. My world. My rules.

Yet another colleague was once overheard answering a call saying
"Good Morning, this is Joe. How can I help you tonight?"
Tonight? Was Joe taking the customer on a date? hehe


Yet another call was answered
"Good morning, this is Sally. How can I help you with MY utility account?"
Well heck we get utility accounts too that we have to pay don’t we?

At the end of the call we're supposed to say "Thanks for calling" but some variations said by my colleagues are
"Thanks for your day"
And even,"Thanks for calling, have a good gay"
Don't know if I should mention that the person who said that last statement is actually gay... make of that what you will! *wink*


Another closing statement heard was "Thanks for coming" instead of "Thanks for calling"
Ok, so I'll admit that one came from me, and the stranger thing was, the customer didn't say anything! Perhaps they didn't hear.


Oh and Jesus called into the call centre today. I was a bit miffed that the operator who got him didn’t ask those tricky questions like, is he really the son of god?, and how did he manage to get out of that tomb? And what was his real relationship with Mary Magdalene?


Isn’t it wonderful that this constant stream of customer and operator stories never stop!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Customer Stories cos you know you love em!

Today I answered the phone and was just about to go into the opening spiel when I heard a woman SCREAM what I thought was my name!


This freaked me out a bit because how the hell would she know what my name was before I'd given it???


Then she says calmly, "I'm sorry, did you hear me screaming just now?"


And I refrained from saying "yes master, what would you have me do"


Instead I said "yes, in fact I thought you said my name"


She laughed and said she had just been yelling at her dog who is called "milo" (Kinda sounds like Margot right?)


Phew, the world is still a rational place.




Actually I take that comment about rationality back. I had a man contact me today to tell me we were over charging him because his last account ws $80 and this one was $89.


Now honestly, what chance could I possibly have with someone like that???


As I started to explain it's Winter and you use more etc etc he cut me off with "oh you've got all your ready made answers haven't you but you're just ripping me off!"


Sometimes I'm just lost for words.



A guy was cut off for non payment of account. We had been in contact with him last month and he had promised to get in touch by the end of August to let us know when he was paying. We didn't hear from him so he was disconnected.


He called in today FURIOUS!!! how dare we disconnect him!! he's got four kids!


How can someone be so indignant about being disconnected when they haven't paid? And yes I certainly feel sorry for the kids but all the more reason for him to pull his thumb out and contact us when he was supposed to!





Now tell me, if you had to ring your utility company, would you want to get someone like me on the other end?




Thursday, August 27, 2009

A few customer stories...

A customer called in today telling us he was going to pay on the Webber…
"You're going to pay on the what?" I asked.
"Webber. I'm going to pay my account using the Webber"

You can imagine at this stage, I'm picturing a man bbq'ing his bill on his Webber bbq. He didn't sound like he was trying to be sarcastic with me so again I said
"You're going to pay on your Webber?"
"Yes,"
he repeated… and then clarified, "I'm going to pay using bpay on the Webber"
"Oh, using the web, the internet?"
"Yes, yes!" he exclaimed, obviously happy to have been understood….


Then I had another lady who had a high bill enquiry. She couldn't believe she could have used that much. She asked if her account had been estimated.
"No," I said, "Your meter was read."
"Not estimated?"
She asked again.

I wanted to say, "Most people know that saying that your meter is read means that it wasn't estimated!!!" but instead I said "No it wasn't estimated. In fact, having a look at your reading history, it hasn't ever been estimated. We always take an actual reading at your property."
And the woman says to me "Are you sure?"

At that point I wanted to say "no, actually I think you're right! *smacking forehead* it's been estimated!! How did you know! You're so brilliant!! And to think, me with all the meter and account information here in front of me, couldn't know that it had been estimated! Honestly, you're brilliant. Would you like a job here so we lowly call staff can be taught the right way to do it?"
But I said "yes I'm sure. It's an actual reading"


And then there are the strange class of people who want to tell me they never shower and only cook in the microwave, so how could they have an account this high??
I'd love to say that maybe it's the "stinkyman" surcharge kicking in.
Ewww….

Monday, August 24, 2009

Did you believe that?

I wonder how many people were told things as a child, that they might not have really believed, but weren't game enough to put it to the test just in case...

What am I talking about?
Well, how many of you were told that if you ate bread crusts, your hair would grow curly?
I have curly hair and anyone that knows me knows that the crust of the bread is my favourite part however the only reason I have curly hair is genetics!!!




What about the saying that if you make a face when the wind blows, your face would stay like that? Wow was I ever scared of that one!! I think I was well into my teens before I would chance that one...



Who of you were too scared to step on a crack?


And wasn't it nice thinking there really was a tooth fairy? I so much wanted to believe that a magical, pretty little fairy came into my room while I was sleeping, took my old tooth and left a shiny little coin in it's place....




And the fairies resided at the bottom of the garden of course... along with the pixies and those nasty trolls.




Was there anyone else that really really wanted their parents to drive them to the end of the rainbow just in case there really was a pot of gold there? That elusive end of the rainbow... somehow we never quite made it... or did someone else just beat us to it and took the gold before we got there?


We were never really told about the monstors under the bed or in the cupboard but we all knew they were there and somehow only came alive when the lights went out.


Where do these sayings and thoughts come from?

Do you have any of your own to add to my little list?

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Eating Cake & Diet Rules...

I've always hated the expression "he wants his cake and wants to eat it too" I mean really, what nonsense is that!!!

Can you imagine sitting in a cafe with a group of friends, you all order cake and coffees... while your friends munch away on theirs, you leave your cake untouched. It's time to go and one of your friends notices your untouched cake.
"Aren't you going to eat that?" they ask you.
"oh no", you reply quite indignantly, "I don't want to be one of those people who gets their cakes AND eats it to!! no way, not me!"


Speaking of eating cake, seems there are always people around me that are dieting or wanting to lose weight so I thought now would be a good time to list a few diet laws.

These laws are not scientifically tested but neither is naturopathy and we all know that works!!!So for all you dieters....

1. If you eat it standing up, it has no calories.

2. If you eat from someone else's plate, it has no calories.

3. Mothers this one's for you. If you have children who don't finish their food, the unfinished portion that you end up polishing off has no calorie content.

4. The sliver you cut off of cake, bread, or any other loaf like item to make the remaining portion "neat" has no calories... no matter how many times you need to shape that cake/bread/etc, to make it "neat"

5. When baking, tasting the batter to check if it's correct has no calories.
5a. "licking the bowl" contains no calories.5
b. checking the finished product to see if it turned out ok contains no calories.

6. Eating in front of the television is bad only if you think about it. If you mindlessly shovel food into your mouth without thinking about it, then you didn't really eat it and therefore has no calories.

7. Food consumed at the cinema has no calories because it's part of the whole movie going experience.

8. Similarly, food consumed at parties has no calories because it's part of the party experience. This is especially true if you don't notice what you're eating (see Law 6)

9. If you eat while exercising (i.e., walking to the donut shop/fish & chip shop/bakers delight/McDonalds etc) then it has no calories.

10. If you really don't want the food you're consuming to have millions of calories, then by the power of your mind, those calories are wished away.

So there you go dieters.
Like I said, they're not scientifically proven but I have lived by these rules and know others that have and are still living by these rules.

So when you hear people say "I'm watching what I eat but I still can't lose weight" you can say, "a ha!, it's because you're watching what you eat!!! You have to be mindless about it!! Don't notice what you're eating, just shovel it in before your mind has a chance to respond! Then you too can be one of those people that say 'I don’t' eat anything yet I can't lose weight!' "

Monday, August 10, 2009

Naughty but funny...


It's not that I want to embarrass anyone but this cracked me up yesterday and I wanted to write about it...

I was one of the few people who hadn't seen Schindlers List. I had always wanted to see it as I'd heard how powerful it was but for one reason or another, I never did.

Deno got it for me over the weekend and I thought it would be good for the kids to see it too....
Now they being teenagers, aren't really interested in seeing a movie unless their current heart throb is in it, or their friends have told them it's a movie they have to see... so when I told them that I wanted them to watch it too, they were against it..

Still not taking no for an answer, I told them that it wasn't an option, they had to at least start to watch it later that night when we'd all be home, and then we'd take it from there...

But as the day went on and the grumbles (from a particular girl) became more and more frequent, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I got her mobile phone when she wasn't looking and changed my name on her contact list to her best friends name.
I then went back to my phone and sent her a text saying something about just having seen Schindlers list and what a great movie it was....
When she came back in and saw this message, supposedly from her best friend, she announced it to us all and wrote back to her 'friend' "funny enough, I'm seeing it today" without knowing what was really going on.
I could barely keep the laughter in. I know it's horrible but it's funny too isn't it???

So she watched it.. in fact both kids watched it all with us and we were all affected by it but I'm sure she must have been wondering why her friend had described this as an "awesome" movie!!!

One day on, I still haven't told her that it was me and today they're going to school so I wonder what conversations she's going to have with her best friend???

I'm such a mean mum!!!!
:)

Monday, August 3, 2009

So Close...


I've been working on the lyric sheet for "I Like That" for the last week or so.
It was important to me to have this with the CD so whoever is listening to it, can know what the songs are about.

I find the lyrics are the last thing I pay attention to usually but not everyone is like me...
Like I mentioned in my last blog entry, there is a demo of the songs that are going to be on "I Like That" on the right hand side of this page under "My MP3's"
15 songs in total.

So right now, I'm looking for the best option for printing the lyric booklet off but more or less, the design is set and done.

This is going to be the album cover.
Can't believe it's almost done!

I was going to sell through www.lulu.com but I wasn't given enough options for cover design so I think I'll just sell it myself from home to whoever wants it.
Can't believe it's just about done.
What am I going to fill my days with now??

Friday, July 24, 2009

I LIke That


I'm starting to get a little excited as the CD I've been working on is getting closer and closer to fruition.
I can't believe that I only started putting these songs together in April! It doesn't seem possible.
I know I've reached the end though because my creativity feels like it's at an all time low. It seems I was working on the last song for ages (although in reality it wasn't… but it felt like it!) and I dread the thought of having to work on a new song right at this moment.

So for me, that settles it - project closed.
I'm now putting the finishing touches on some of the songs, then I'll work on a CD cover, and then I'll figure out how I'm going to get this thing up on lulu.com

I can't believe it's almost done!

It's hard to be excited about your own project because you don't want people thinking you're blowing your own trumpet, but naturally, you’re proud of your achievement, whatever it is.

I'm thankful for the help and support I got from Deno. I would never have gotten this far if he wasn't encouraging me and sending me more and more lyrics... to the point where I had to say "please Deno no more!!" because I couldn't handle the pressure of having to come up with new music.
LOL
I'm a bit silly that way...
But without him I'm sure I would have given up long ago. Big mwah to you honey!

So within the next short while, I'll be advertising my new CD which I'm calling "I Like That".
Between this blog and facebook I'm sure you won't be able to miss the hoo haa when it's finished so if you're interested in getting a copy, be sure to let me know!

It's so close now!
By the way, you can get sneak peak at the unfinished versions of the songs under the "My MP3's" link on the right side of this page.
Feedback always welcome!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

It's Better To Give... Right?

I've written about my hairdresser before.
I think she feels that she has to make conversation with her clients and she feels the best way to identify with them, is to agree with everything they say. I've caught her out by accident a few times - where she thinks I'm saying one thing and agrees with me but when I correct her and say I actually meant "blah blah blah" she changes her tune and agrees with me again. It's cute.
I know she means well and I don't envy her having to make small talk with everyone that comes in.

The last time I was there however, she seemed a little stressed. I can't even remember what brought it on but all of a sudden she was telling me in her "oh so nice" way, that her family were driving her bonkers!
Her kids took her for granted, her husband didn't realise all she did and took her for granted and she said
"I got so angry that I told them I was going to run away and they can see for themselves how much I really do do around here!"

That statement brought back a little memory…. When I was about nine or ten, I heard my own mother say that more than once! Being the ungrateful child I was (and as most children are) I thought she should just wear it because she's a mum, and that’s what mums do… crap…
At the time, my mother had a traditional Italian husband and three children under nine. It couldn't have been a picnic for her!

But thinking about it some more, I realised that I too have spoken those words and that made me smile.
Could it be that all mums feel this way from time to time and we all just pretend that everything is fine 100% of the time? Maybe my frustration isn't because my family is ungrateful, but it's just another normal stage in family life.

I grew up to value what my mother contributed to the family, and do likewise, no matter if it's not acknowledged… even if from time to time I go crazy and let out my frustrations for the lack of appreciation.

Bottom line is, I feel lucky that I have a family to contribute too, and in time, they too will see what I have done and hopefully they'll do the same for their families.
It's the cycle of life!

But even so, give your mum a kiss and hug today and tell her you love her and appreciate all the things she does for you…


Friday, June 26, 2009

Let the children come out to play


I'm really a little annoyed that I seem to be the only person who is not mourning the death of Michael Jackson.

I was a huge fan in the late 70's and early 80's. Most of my family will attest to that!! To say I was obsessed would be an understatement.

As he started to get 'weird' I defended him!! Yes I did!! And then in the 90's when the Jordy Chandler case came to light, I defended him again! I believed that the family was just out for money...

So if anyone was going to mourn him, it would have been me.

But you can't have someone being continually accused with more and more evidence coming up against them without some of it sticking.

I do believe that Michael Jackson was guilty of molesting those children. My heart breaks for all those that were affected by him. Just because you have fame and fortune, doesn't mean you have the right to do as you please. You can't own people no matter how much you think you can, and eventually, karma will catch up with you.

So Michael Jackson, thank you for your music but we could have done without your extra curricular activities and I for one am glad that no more children will be hurt by your desires.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

She's Back


It's been a while since my last blog.

But what else could spur me out of a blog drought but my lovely dear customers…

Today I had a customer who was enquiring about his overdue bills. I told him he had two bills that were overdue and that together they totalled $103.
"Are you sure?" he replied.
"Yes. You have two invoices, and together they total $103"
He paused
"Are you sure? Haven't I paid those already" he asked, incredulous that he had charges.
"Yes I'm sure."
"There's still $103 over due?" He asked again.

This was when I took a deep breath and repeated yes, it was still overdue, I was sure.

What I wanted to say was "Yes you moran, unless the magic pixies paid your account within the last 2.5 seconds, it's fricken overdue!"

Or another favourite fantasy response is "Ha, ha. Got you! No there's nothing owing! You're our lucky 100 000 customer and as a prize, you get your charges wiped! Congratulations!"

Or - "Yes you're right, we were joking… you don't owe anything. Don't know why we sent you those invoices saying you owed us that money when you didn't. What were we thinking *slaps forehead with hand*"

No wonder I have a headache!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Need patience when I'm a patient


Late last week I felt a cold coming on. My chest was tight.
I refused to believe it though and put it down to anything from indigestion to the cold weather we're currently experiencing.

Wednesday I was supposed to go to work. I got up... got dressed... but didn't make it. Instead of going to work I went to the doctors. I thought he'd just give me the day off but instead he insisted I shouldn't be going anywhere for at least three days.

THREE DAYS???

That's an eternity!

Actually it was pretty easy to do nothing on Wednesday as I really did feel terrible.. but as the week progressed and I've started to feel a little better, I just want to start doing things. I'm sick of being home. I'm sick of being stuck in this house. I hate feeling miserable! I hate that my throat hurts, that it's hard to breathe and my nose runs like a tap!
I hate it!
I'm not a patient!! I don't get sick!
Anyone that knows me knows that I say this over and over again so when a bug does dare to infect me, I become very indignant. How dare it!! Everyone else gets sick not me!!
Reality is bummer...

Thursday, June 4, 2009

What was that again?


From time to time I get calls from the interperting service at work.
These are always interesting if nothing else.
Once they've identified themselves, they'll proceed talking to their non english speaking client about the nature of the call to me. This conversation can take a very long time! During this time I busy myself with my handy, pocket sized, sudoku puzzle book.

Very often the interpreter has a thick accent and if I'm not listening carefully, I can miss when the interpreter stops talking to their client and starts talking to me.

Sometimes I'll get an italian interpreter. I always enjoy those calls as I can understand their conversation but quietly sit back, pretending I can't. Or sometimes I do the opposite and jump right in, answering the question before the interpreter has repeated it to me in English.

Sometimes you can tell what's being said. For example, the non english speaking person could be spelling out their name meaning we have it incorrect on their account.

If they're yelling and agitated it's most likely they've got a high bill enquiry. At those times I'm glad to have an interpreter to act as a buffer between me and the customer.

Sometimes the interpreter and client go off into their own world talking back and forth in their language. I wonder if they remember I'm still there at times. I want to break in and say "hey, did you still need me?" but I like the fact that I'm on a call, without actually having to do any work so I let them go on and on while I do my puzzles.

The only time an interpreter call is a bad thing is when you get it a few minutes before home or lunch time. I've been caught before! Not nice..

So far I haven't had any interpreter calls today but it's almost lunch time so the probability rate is increasing I'm sure!

Stay tuned...

Friday, May 29, 2009

I Love My MP3

I recently found a published list of etiquette rules for ipods and mp3 players. I'm sure I've broken most of them.
One of the hardest thing for me to remember is that just because I can't hear something happening in my non mp3 world, doesn't mean others can't.
So if I need to do a little (and by little I mean feminine, cutesy and barely there of course!) burp, I need to think twice about doing it while I have my headphones in... especially if I'm sitting on a quiet train at the time.

And before your mind goes there, there are no other bodily noises I'm referring to apart from the aforementioned burp and perhaps clearing of the throat, sniff or cough!

So with that out of the way, I want to give you the list as shown here

"Wearing earphones is like hanging a “do not disturb” sign off your nose."

Oh lordy if that isn't a reason to leave those earphones in my ears all fricken day!!

"Take note of your surroundings. It may be fine to use your iPod on the commute (in a relatively anonymous public space), but it’s more difficult to use it in the break room at work."

Duly noted and already abiding by that one.

"Respect no-Pod zones. Mp3 players are unwelcome at weddings, funerals, and other gatherings, and also in classrooms or places of worship."

Oh I don't know… if you can do it discreetly, without anyone knowing you're doing it, I'm all for it!! ESPECIALLY if you’re in an intolerably boring situation…

"Be a professional. If you work in the customer-service industry, iPods are out."

Yeah, yeah. Got it. Do it.

"Remove your ear buds to interact. Removing only one ear bud signals that you hope a conversation won’t last too long."

Hmm... Well I half do that… I take one ear bud out and I do sometimes hope the conversation won't last too long!

"Keep the volume moderate."

Well I thought I was doing this one until my daughter exclaimed "mum why have you got that thing up so loud!" and I didn't think I had it loud at all!!! I put that one down to old age hearing loss… sadly…

"Don’t get funky on us. Yes, we know you like music. We can see that it moves you the way your head is bopping about"

Check.

"Establish your own musical tastes."

Now that one was too dumb to be in the list.

"Share the airspace"

N/A

"Avoid downloading on shared networks."

Preston and Steve podcasts and my own music are all I listen to these days!
So there you go. What did you think of that list?
Have any more rules to add?


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Being remembered...


The older I get, the more I can see myself turning into that eccentric old woman that the kids snicker about, behind her back... Actually, kids are far more brazen about their ridicule these days than they were when I was younger so strike off that "behind her back" part!

But the reason I say that is because I simply don't care anymore. I don't care if other people think I'm strange, as long as I'm doing what I want to do, and not causing harm to anyone else, who cares right?

Is this how eccentric old people feel?
Do old eccentric people even know they're eccentric?
Now there's a question!

One things for sure, they stand out in the crowd and are remembered...

I've got to be remembered for something!

Friday, May 22, 2009

It's all about attitude


It's been another crazy sort of day...
The type that makes you question whether there's currently a full moon!
I must be in a good state of mind though because I didn't get my back up and just talked the imbeciles customers through their problems.
That's not to say I wasn't hung up on. In fact two customers hung up on me today. Usually I become indignant when that happens. How dare they! But today I just let it ride and laughed it off. Nothing much more I could do about it.

So why, when everything around me is testing my frustration limit, am I coping?

Because I'm distracted!
All I can think about is recording this new song tomorrow!

Unfortunately I have the habit of having a "near enough is good enough" attitude and I really don't want to that with this song because I really really like it! Deno wrote the words as he did with "More To Me" and he did such a fantastic job. I'm looking forward to creating more songs with him. I think he's enjoying being part of this creative process too. He's always had a way with words. I normally find that part difficult. My lyrics tend to be flighty and unmemorable. Deno's have meaning.

A few nights ago he showed me the lyrics to this song I'll be recording on the weekend. I was singing away, testing how they would fit with the music I'd created.
"I love it" I exclaimed.
But then he asked "Do you get it? Do you know what it means"
"No" I replied, "but it's deep enough that people will extract whatever meaning they want out of it."
He tried to explain it to me but it was late and... well to be honest I didn't retain the information... but still, can't wait to sing it on the weekend!