Just Nicky

A trip in the Wonkanator* March 30, 2005

I had a hearing test this morning. Verry interesting … but not very funny.

The results for my right ear came back as pretty much normal, including the dropoff in the high frequencies that can be attributed to age (along with my long-sightedness).

The left ear showed an alarming plunge in the middle frequencies. This means that there are a lot of sounds I’m missing through my left ear. So you all REALLY need to stay on my good side…

The ENT specialist sent me off for an MRI, in case the loss is due to a tumour. Apparently this is unlikely, but needs to be checked anyway.

I’ve never had an MRI before…

I’m a little bit claustrophobic…

Although there’s a little mirror in the machine which enables one to see out the window to the garden, I found it preferable to keep my eyes shut and try to remember the mindfulness of breath meditation I learned 10 years ago.

With my eyes open I found it impossible not to look at the bars of the little cage inches away from my face or the walls of the machine only a few more inches away. And the more I concentrated on not moving, the more I really, really felt the need to move.

That’s got to be one of the longest 15 minute periods of my life.

*pinched from Dooce

It’s all been said, but I have to add my bit

Paul Hester’s death is so, so sad.

Whenever I hear of someone committing suicide I find myself thinking that it must be such a sad and lonely place to be at the point at which one actually takes one’s own life. So desolate.

The world is a poorer place for his passing.

Phew! March 24, 2005

It feels like it’s been a while since I blogged. Things have been busy.

Firstly, Shannon. It was lovely to meet you, lovely to have you here. I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to spend with you, but it all went by so quickly. For a long time it seemed like we had ages before you were arriving, then you were here and it seemed like we’d have heaps of time to do stuff and now you’re gone. Start saving for next time!!

There is much I could blog about the unbloggable, but that’s … unbloggable. Suffice to say, some people should be slapped and sent home to their mothers.

I have a cold and feel like crap. Tomorrow I am doing nothing. Do you hear me? N O T H I N G !!!!

I thought, after so long, I’d have a lot to say but I don’t.

That’s all folks.

Lots to look at. March 11, 2005

I’m way too busy to be even thinking about blogs, which is why I thought I’d take a moment from my one hour long task (no fecking way will this take an hour!!) to have a quick look at a couple while I composed myself.

I found Drawn via Loobylu and it immediately struck me as something that I needed to make a note of for me, for Ms Sparkles, jojof and possibly Helen - and anyone else who likes good pictures.

OK, I s’pose I’m composed. Back to the grindstone.

busy, busy, busy March 10, 2005

Things, workwise, have been a tad full-on over the last week or so, courtesy of our monthly report.

I thought I had it done last night, only to find this morning that I was mistaken. Later in the day I found out that I was very mistaken. Tomorrow morning I’ll get to find out that exact magnitude of my mistaken-ness. I suspect tomorrow will then be spent rectifying things.

It’s no big deal, really, except:
I hate tasks that won’t end.
I have other stuff I haven’t been doing because of the need to get this report done - for the last week. The pile is getting a little big…
The work that needs to be done now is because of a failure to pass information on and I have to ask - why???

At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t really matter and it keeps me off the streets.

Softies March 2, 2005

I think I have an idea for Loobylu’s month of softies for March.

I’m not sure if it will really fit the theme, but it feels like a good idea. I’m also not sure if I’ll get it done in time (March is already feeling busy), but I figure it’s worth a go.

Am I going to tell you what it is? Not yet.

The 39,000 steps

We had an evacuation drill today. It was a surprise - as these things are supposed to be - otherwise I’d have contrived to be out of the building at the time.

My colleagues & I had to walk down 32 floors to the ground. I didn’t find it too hard until the last few floors when my knees started to complain. I suspect I’ll know all about it tomorrow. The walk from Telstra Dome to work may not be a happening thing.

Today was just not a good day for it for me, though, as I was actually really busy. The evacuation and the waiting to get back upstairs put about an hour and a half hole in my day when I could least afford it.

It was good, though, that it was done. There have been grumblings for a while that our building was long overdue for a drill and it’s only by doing these things that you learn valuable lessons about whether people know what they’re doing or not.

Red Again?? March 1, 2005

I’ve just received the ‘invitation’ to replace my salary sacrifice vehicle and I’m hung up on the most important of decisions.

Should I have a red one again?

The range of colours available for this car is pretty boring. The red (called ‘vixen’) is probably the brightest colour available. The next brightest is a blue called ’shockwave’. I could go for the black - ‘vibe’ - but I can’t have tinted windows so you wouldn’t get the full effect. There’s a yellowy/green called ‘peel’, but I’m not a fan of those sorts of colours. The other alternatives are the fairly standard navy, maroon, silver, variations on them and, of course, white.

White is the only colour I completely refuse to consider. Almost every member of my family has a white car, so I refuse to have one too.

I was really hoping they’d have a purple or a really nice, rich green this time. That would have made the decision easy.

Maybe it will be red again…