The Annual Leave Saga
Jan. 19th, 2009 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teylaminhPeople trying to book their easter / summer leave already has resulted in a massive fuss over nothing.
Last week various people were wandering around checking with the WPO team so they could try and book leave. People have deposits to pay on caravans and holiday cottages which are only available certain times, fair enough. Except unfortunately our line manager is off sick and has been since before Christmas, and apparently nobody is allowed to authorise our leave in her absence.
Actually, it's because they're trying to book EASTER and SUMMER leave, which are notoriously difficult times. Because if it were actually the case that no-one can authorise leave, I wouldn't have come in this morning to discover I can't have the week off in February that I wanted because someone snuck two flex days in when I wasn't looking, thus taking the amount of people off up to three. It's partially my own fault for waiting until this week to book it, but still quite annoying.
As it transpires, I've now had to book it from 9th to 13th March instead, which means that for the entire of March our team is going to be one typist down. Noor is off the first, third and fourth weeks of the month (in the same boat as having lots of leave to use up), and me the second. Hopefully it won't be too horrendously busy and/or stressful, but still, I'd rather not have had to book it off then, as I'd rather have it in February.
It also buggers up the plan I had, which was to book the Sunset Boulevard tickets for 13th February and then have a week off after that (although it was dependent on Paul being able to get the leave also). I need to book the tickets before the end of January to get a special half-price offer, also, so I'd rather the leave situation be sorted first.
The thing which irritates me more, though, is that they're bloody moaning in the first place. I know it must be frustrating when there's only a certain time period in which you can book your precious holiday cottage, but for God's sake, at least you can afford one. I would take whatever days I could damn well get if I could even afford a long sodding weekend somewhere, let alone a whole week. My last proper holiday (by which I mean the hot country, lying on a beach kind) was back when I went to Crete. Annual holidays (even twice a year, in some cases) are a privilege, not a right.
Although if it's this bloody stressful to try and get the time off, it's probably just as well I'm not going anywhere.
In other news, the road through Kings Heath was open and running freely this morning, despite being closed all day yesterday. I imagine they had no choice but to re-open it, or it would cause absolute chaos. Things were bad enough on Saturday, though possibly my experience was somewhat exacerbated by going in and out of Birmingham three times over the course of the day...
Also, I appear to have lost another two pounds, though it's admittedly difficult to tell with our cheap scales. I should really get some digital ones.
Despite bemoaning my failure to keep resolutions, I have a few vaguely achievable plans for this year.
1. Continue sorting out the flat. The hallway is the main problem area, as we have one full bookcase, which is functional, another one which is half-full and used for the bigger books, whilst the top half has ornaments on it presently, and then there's Trevor's bookcase and the shelves. The top two shelves have things on them (Playmobil pirate ship and my collectors' edition unicorn figurines), but the bottom two need sorting out, as does the other bookcase. I might swap over the dolls' house and pirate ship, in fact, as that would make more sense in terms of the relative heights of things. I also want to refurbish the bathroom a little bit with a new toilet seat, shower curtain and bathmats, as it looks a little drab. I'm thinking lime green would be perfect to brighten it up. (The ceramic bath has seen better days, alas, but if I can keep the surrounding areas clean it will help a lot.)
We also have some regular jobs to do on a three-monthly basis, like cleaning behind and inside the oven. Sorting the flat also involves trying to get on top of housework so there isn't a mad flurry every couple of months to clean carpets, etc, although it does also depend on having the energy to do it. I need to re-organise the attic again as well, as it is now housing some bits of Lisa's. If I can arrange it into three areas of my stuff, Trevor's stuff and Lisa's stuff, it will probably be easier to find things.
2. Learn to make curry. Paul bought me a curry book with this express purpose, and Anjum Anand's recipes are also on the BBC website if they're not in the book. I firstly need to get some airtight containers, and then will go to the halal butcher round the corner to buy various spices.
3. Get better pans. Or, at the very least, a wok. ;)
4. Take more photographs. Now that we have a shiny new camera, there's no excuse. :)
There are also a couple of others which are on the very edges of my brain, but they can wait until funds allow. The main plan for this year is to pay off the credit card so it can be used in time for Christmas, as per the original idea behind getting it...
Gah, it's quiet here today. Just had an email to say our manager is back in tomorrow and will sort the leave out as a matter of urgency, thank goodness. I'm just waiting until it all blows over when it comes to Easter, quite frankly...
Last week various people were wandering around checking with the WPO team so they could try and book leave. People have deposits to pay on caravans and holiday cottages which are only available certain times, fair enough. Except unfortunately our line manager is off sick and has been since before Christmas, and apparently nobody is allowed to authorise our leave in her absence.
Actually, it's because they're trying to book EASTER and SUMMER leave, which are notoriously difficult times. Because if it were actually the case that no-one can authorise leave, I wouldn't have come in this morning to discover I can't have the week off in February that I wanted because someone snuck two flex days in when I wasn't looking, thus taking the amount of people off up to three. It's partially my own fault for waiting until this week to book it, but still quite annoying.
As it transpires, I've now had to book it from 9th to 13th March instead, which means that for the entire of March our team is going to be one typist down. Noor is off the first, third and fourth weeks of the month (in the same boat as having lots of leave to use up), and me the second. Hopefully it won't be too horrendously busy and/or stressful, but still, I'd rather not have had to book it off then, as I'd rather have it in February.
It also buggers up the plan I had, which was to book the Sunset Boulevard tickets for 13th February and then have a week off after that (although it was dependent on Paul being able to get the leave also). I need to book the tickets before the end of January to get a special half-price offer, also, so I'd rather the leave situation be sorted first.
The thing which irritates me more, though, is that they're bloody moaning in the first place. I know it must be frustrating when there's only a certain time period in which you can book your precious holiday cottage, but for God's sake, at least you can afford one. I would take whatever days I could damn well get if I could even afford a long sodding weekend somewhere, let alone a whole week. My last proper holiday (by which I mean the hot country, lying on a beach kind) was back when I went to Crete. Annual holidays (even twice a year, in some cases) are a privilege, not a right.
Although if it's this bloody stressful to try and get the time off, it's probably just as well I'm not going anywhere.
In other news, the road through Kings Heath was open and running freely this morning, despite being closed all day yesterday. I imagine they had no choice but to re-open it, or it would cause absolute chaos. Things were bad enough on Saturday, though possibly my experience was somewhat exacerbated by going in and out of Birmingham three times over the course of the day...
Also, I appear to have lost another two pounds, though it's admittedly difficult to tell with our cheap scales. I should really get some digital ones.
Despite bemoaning my failure to keep resolutions, I have a few vaguely achievable plans for this year.
1. Continue sorting out the flat. The hallway is the main problem area, as we have one full bookcase, which is functional, another one which is half-full and used for the bigger books, whilst the top half has ornaments on it presently, and then there's Trevor's bookcase and the shelves. The top two shelves have things on them (Playmobil pirate ship and my collectors' edition unicorn figurines), but the bottom two need sorting out, as does the other bookcase. I might swap over the dolls' house and pirate ship, in fact, as that would make more sense in terms of the relative heights of things. I also want to refurbish the bathroom a little bit with a new toilet seat, shower curtain and bathmats, as it looks a little drab. I'm thinking lime green would be perfect to brighten it up. (The ceramic bath has seen better days, alas, but if I can keep the surrounding areas clean it will help a lot.)
We also have some regular jobs to do on a three-monthly basis, like cleaning behind and inside the oven. Sorting the flat also involves trying to get on top of housework so there isn't a mad flurry every couple of months to clean carpets, etc, although it does also depend on having the energy to do it. I need to re-organise the attic again as well, as it is now housing some bits of Lisa's. If I can arrange it into three areas of my stuff, Trevor's stuff and Lisa's stuff, it will probably be easier to find things.
2. Learn to make curry. Paul bought me a curry book with this express purpose, and Anjum Anand's recipes are also on the BBC website if they're not in the book. I firstly need to get some airtight containers, and then will go to the halal butcher round the corner to buy various spices.
3. Get better pans. Or, at the very least, a wok. ;)
4. Take more photographs. Now that we have a shiny new camera, there's no excuse. :)
There are also a couple of others which are on the very edges of my brain, but they can wait until funds allow. The main plan for this year is to pay off the credit card so it can be used in time for Christmas, as per the original idea behind getting it...
Gah, it's quiet here today. Just had an email to say our manager is back in tomorrow and will sort the leave out as a matter of urgency, thank goodness. I'm just waiting until it all blows over when it comes to Easter, quite frankly...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 12:04 pm (UTC)Booking leave can be such a pain can't it? :(( I only have to check with three other people, and two of us can be off at the same time and so far it has been fine. But in my last job it was always a pain.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 01:16 pm (UTC)Booking leave here is a pain, as only three of us can be off at any one time (out of twelve).
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 12:57 pm (UTC)Shelves - is it possible to stack the books so the narrow ends are pointing outwards? (I was so ridiculously happy when I noticed in an ep of Jonathan Creek that Maddy's books were like that; that it Wasn't Just Me - sad, but true.)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 01:20 pm (UTC)Thankfully our fridge-freezer is frost-free and doesn't tend to get too dirty, though having said that it could do with a scrub...
At the moment the books are okay, and there are plenty of spaces left on the other two bookcases if I ever get around to clearing them. I need to Stop Buying Books, really, as that would probably solve the problem. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 03:00 pm (UTC)We've got Anjum Anand's book; I bought it for my mum for Christmas. I'll go downstairs in a minute and find the one that was particularly tasty. The spinach and tomato general vegetable side thing was good!
I've been dead busy in January but I'm starting to be free in Feb, so if the weather is fine I might pop over some time and see if I can get your bike(s) working? No guarantees whatsoever but it could be good to get a look at it/them, ready for spring. NB I've been putting off fixing the flat tyre on mine so this is kind of part of my good bike-ly resolutions.
Happy you're making plans! If you need a spare hand/brain for flat sorting out I can offer that too, no obligations, no worries :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 03:03 pm (UTC)Think it was North Indian Lamb Curry!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-19 03:39 pm (UTC)I just need to fix the chain back on for the moment, but you could always take a look and figure out why it keeps falling off, if that's within your expertise. I was going to fix it with duck tape if not. ;)
I'm planning on some flat sorting during my week off in (hopefully!) March so I'll definitely let you know if I need a hand. I'll even cook for you. :P