In my last blog entry i finished with a question, why am i a pessimist? Well, i got my answer. It just seems that when good stuff happens to me there is always a rebuttal. Something not so good to counteract it all. Since i found out about my job offer i have been prancing around sniffing the proverbial roses and generally feeling a million dollars (Kiwi not American). On Thursday though i got dropped a little bit back down to earth. Not completely taken down a peg or two but it has certainly taken some of the shine off getting the job.
I went out on Thursday night for my weekly games of poker and met up with Hamish (the guy who let me queue jump on my interview day and pretty much secure my job). I was psyched to see him but didn't want to seem too excited about getting the job just in case he didn't. I thanked him again for letting me jump the queue with him and offered him a drink. He declined and asked if i had heard anything from the ski resorts. I told him that i had heard from both of my interviews. The rentals people had phoned me that day and told me that although i had been unsuccessful they wanted me to be on the standby crew in case anyone dropped out and they also gave my name to the guy who runs the rentals at the Remarkables resort. I told them i already had a job in the shop which the guy seemed genuinely excited about. Hamish said that he hadn't heard anything and that after i left he still waited 4 hours before he got interviewed! I asked him why he waited so long and he just shrugged. Apparently the girls organising the lobby had accidentally crossed him off the list, thinking that he had already interviewed. He said that by the time he got his interview he was pissed off and so where the interviewers. He said he tried but he could tell that the interviewers weren't that bothered anymore. I felt really bad but when i told him this he said i shouldn't be as he had applied to different departments anyway so it wouldn't have mattered. I still feel bad though. Hamish is super timid anyway but if i had seen him after my interviews i would've probably encouraged him to go see why he hadn't been called. He played it down saying that he had a few other jobs lined up but I'm not so sure he wasn't inwardly gutted. I offered him a drink again but he declined.
Further shine was rubbed off later that night when i went to the other poker tournament at the Surreal bar. It's usually the best organised tourney in town but this and last week it was totally spoilt by drunken new folk. I had an Aussie girl on my table who was out of her tree! She didn't really have a clue what she was doing and just sat there dropping C bombs and insulting everyone. She looked rough as too. She had so many facial piercings she looked more like a Christmas tree than a person! She was there with a few guys and i got chatting to one of them. He was from the UK and seemed slightly less irritating than Xmas face girl. I asked if they were in town for the season, secretly hoping they were just passing but he said they lived there and just got jobs at Coronet Peak! I couldn't believe it. How the hell could these two Doosh bags get a job up there and Hamish not? I sat and sulked for a bit until he asked if i skied or snowboarded. I know there is a friendly rivalry between skiers and boarders and could tell this guy was a boarder from a mile away. I told him i skied which caused Xmas face girl to unload a barrage of abuse. The guy who runs the tournament asked her to leave but she just abused him so i decided i had had enough and along with my friend Cameron we chucked our chips in and went to the bar. I got chatting to a few of the regulars and we all stood around moaning about all the new Doosh bags that were in town. I'm just so glad they don't work in the shop at Coronet. They might be cool when they are sober but i can't imagine that Xmas face girl is gonna last long in Q town before someone takes offence and knocks her out if she carries on like that. The town is mostly chilled but there are a lot of reckless drinkers who get themselves in trouble. A few of the guys at poker are all bouncers and i smile at hearing their stories from drunken evictions of dicks from their clubs and pubs. I wouldn't mess with these guys! They look like the forward line for the All Blacks! Huge Moari dudes but nice as pie. Good poker players too.
I'm still super psyched about my job though. Apparently over 5000 people applied to work in the resorts this year! On my open day over 400 people applied for the 40 jobs left, so looking at it that way, i did pretty good. Kate got her ski pass yesterday too so she is amped and can't wait for the season to start. She has come along in leaps and bounds with her skiing and in Japan, at times, looked like a real skier. Well, until she fell and cracked her head which knocked her confidence. She has a brand new helmet for this season and it feels good that she is so looking forward to skiing in a few weeks. I have always worried that she only skis to keep me happy and that she worries that she holds me back when we ski together. She doesn't though and i love just taking it mellow so she can keep up. She gets tired quickly so then i get to go off and ski all the gnarly runs on my own. If she keeps up her current trend of improvement, by the end of this season she'll be flying.
We sprung a leak in our apartment yesterday. It has been really cold this week, bottoming out at -5 degrees the other night. I feared we had a burst pipe but the management company sent us a plumber straight away and it turned out to just be a leaky feed pipe to the toilet. It was in our spare bedroom too so no harm done. We use it as a store room for a lot of our winter gear but nothing got too wet.
Right well i better get back to getting dinner ready. Kate is working a 7 day stretch so i have brought the biggest joint of NZ lamb for a roast tonight. It's been marinading in a mint glaze for a few days and is going to be awesome! Chat soon guys
Peace
D
XXXX
Friday 29 May 2009
Tuesday 26 May 2009
At last!!
I guess bad things happen for a reason. Call it fate or destiny perhaps but for the last 6 weeks i have felt completely useless. All those job interviews and consequent refusals really knocked me and made me feel pretty worthless. If they hadn't have happened though i may not have just got my dream job. Yes, that's right i finally got a job. And not just any job either but the very first job i applied for and the very reason i came to Q town, to work in the ski resorts. I start in a few weeks at Coronet Peak in the shop. Seems my improvised sales pitch about gloves made an impression and my second interview yesterday must've been good. I got the call on Monday that i was hoping for, to come in for a second interview. The same guy, the little Japanese dude called Toshi, did the interview and it just seemed like we were buddies. I felt totally relaxed and we just chatted. Of course i had to self promote myself a little bit but i had a lot more time to prepare this time so threw in lots of "reliable" and "flexible" type phrases. I think he must have seen my enthusiasm and how much i wanted to be working in the resort. I left the interview feeling good, not exactly confident but not the usual feeling of doom that i feel. You know, like when you do an exam at school and walk away convinced you ballsed it up. No, i felt good. Toshi had explained a lot more about the job and the various perks, some of which i knew and some that i hadn't. It made me really want the job even more which of course had the effect of making me pretty sure there was no way i was going to get it. I spent the rest of the afternoon groaning and sighing as my stupid brain replayed all the amazing things about the job that i was going to miss because it was sure i wasn't going to get it. I went to poker last night and had to drink myself to distraction. It was only a temporary reprieve though as it was back in my mind first thing this morning.
When Toshi called i panicked a bit and as i jumped off the sofa i lost reception on my phone causing his voice to turn into Stephen Hawkings. It prolonged the agony for just a few more seconds as i made him repeat what he had said. When he told me i had got the job i damn near jizzed in my pants and jumped off the balcony! I was/am so stoked! It has been a dream of mine to work/live in a ski resort for years and i am shocked that it all worked out. I get a ski pass which saves me $1200! I get free transport to and from the mountain! I get discounts in town and on the mountain! And i get to do a nationally recognised customer service course! But best of all, I get to ski my ass off. I am over the frickin moon!
Kate was here on her lunch break and i think as anxious as i was. She flipped too when i gave her the thumbs up. I think she is super relieved as it means i will be out of the flat and away from all the Internet porn. I'm super relieved as it means she will stop hassling me and urging me to apply for the part time job in Pumpkin Patch or the Japanese souvenir shop in town.
We're out tonight for a few celebratory drinks and a game of poker. I really hope i bump into Hamish as i owe that guy a few drinks! I need to also say thank you to everyone who has been sending me positive vibes from all over the world. Be it an email, a text or a message on Facebook. Thanks guys. It means a lot to me to know i am loved. Fuck, i feel like I'm receiving an oscar!
Man, just when life seems to be throwing you a few curve balls, you hit a home run! Life is good. Why am I a pessimist?
Peace
D
XXXX
When Toshi called i panicked a bit and as i jumped off the sofa i lost reception on my phone causing his voice to turn into Stephen Hawkings. It prolonged the agony for just a few more seconds as i made him repeat what he had said. When he told me i had got the job i damn near jizzed in my pants and jumped off the balcony! I was/am so stoked! It has been a dream of mine to work/live in a ski resort for years and i am shocked that it all worked out. I get a ski pass which saves me $1200! I get free transport to and from the mountain! I get discounts in town and on the mountain! And i get to do a nationally recognised customer service course! But best of all, I get to ski my ass off. I am over the frickin moon!
Kate was here on her lunch break and i think as anxious as i was. She flipped too when i gave her the thumbs up. I think she is super relieved as it means i will be out of the flat and away from all the Internet porn. I'm super relieved as it means she will stop hassling me and urging me to apply for the part time job in Pumpkin Patch or the Japanese souvenir shop in town.
We're out tonight for a few celebratory drinks and a game of poker. I really hope i bump into Hamish as i owe that guy a few drinks! I need to also say thank you to everyone who has been sending me positive vibes from all over the world. Be it an email, a text or a message on Facebook. Thanks guys. It means a lot to me to know i am loved. Fuck, i feel like I'm receiving an oscar!
Man, just when life seems to be throwing you a few curve balls, you hit a home run! Life is good. Why am I a pessimist?
Peace
D
XXXX
Friday 22 May 2009
Self promotion? Uh oh...................
I just this minute got back from the open interview day for the last few jobs left up in the ski resort. Well, i got home then went for a run to vent my frustration, oh and had a shower after. So, here i am. The interview day started at 10am and was being held in the Queenstown resort college. I got there just before 10, parked up Biff and was surprised to see a deserted street. I had thought there would be loads of people milling about but it was dead. I started walking into the college grounds, rounded the corner and was greeted by the longest queue of people i have ever seen, and I've been to Disneyland! There was easily 300 people all standing out in the cold gripping their CVs. My heart sunk but i was so glad i decided at the last minute to bring my big winter coat and my gloves with me. As i begun to walk past the entrance and the front of the queue it felt like i was being tortured. Being shown the finish line before the 20 mile race, having to walk 20 miles to the start line to just run all the bloody way back. As i neared the line though i saw a familiar face. A few weeks ago i came second in a poker tournament, eventually losing to this young guy called Hamish. We had talked as we played and sort of got to know each other. Since then i had played a few times with him and thought he was a nice guy. He spotted me and beckoned me over. We both joked at how crazy this all was and were both shocked to see this many people. I groaned at the prospect of standing outside in the freezing cold for hours, to then wait inside for ages to then fluff up my interview and get rejected. Not my ideal Saturday really. I said my goodbyes to Hamish but as i started to leave he grabbed my sleeve and held me in place. I looked around and the people behind didn't seem to say a word. I'm not generally a queue jumper but Hamish assured me that everyone was doing it. I thought i had been busted though as some official looking guy in a Coronet Peak uniform started asking me if i was cold. I made petty conversation hoping that he hadn't twigged that i had magically appeared at the front of the queue somehow. We went in and filled in forms with our references and contact details, handed them in and then waited in the lobby to be called. After another 20 minutes or so i got called. I thanked Hamish and wished him all the best for the interviews. We were to have 2. One for our first choice and then another for our second.
I got called in by this little Japanese guy for my second choice job first, retail assistant. Probably the only job i had the chops for, having had some retail experience from my Homebase days. I sat down and he informed me i had 5 minutes to wow him. I contemplated getting up and doing a dance or something. I needed to make an impression after all. I sat there and told him why i wanted the job, why i was in Q town. He then told me to pick up one of the 3 objects on the table and sell them to him. There were a pair of goggles, a pair of gloves and a helmet. I picked up the gloves and tried my hardest to imagine being in a sales situation. I did OK. I asked him lots of questions about what he was looking for in a glove, what type of rider he was. He said the main reason for picking the gloves was for warmth. I then produced my own glove liners from my ski coat and said he could always get these. He seemed impressed by my sales pitch but then noticed that this was my second choice job. His body language dropped big time and he asked me why. I spilled some bullshit about being keen to get into ski tech stuff but had the retail stuff to fall back on. Not sure if he bought it. And that was that. I got shown the door and made my way back to the lobby.
I met up with Hamish again but only had a chance to say "They made me try to sell them a pair of gloves!" before i was called again for my rentals assistant interview. Everyone around Hamish overheard me and there were several whispers and shocked looks. Rentals was my first choice because i do actually want to get into the more tech side of skiing. I have good equipment knowledge and know I'd kick ass at it. This interview was less structured. I basically sat there and was asked to promote my self, strengths and all the good stuff. This is a huge problem for a pessimist like me. It's not that i don't know my worth, i do. It's just hard for me to express that. I hate the idea of coming across cocky or arrogant. Thank the lord for my sense of humour because i dropped a few witty lines in which had them laughing, which relaxed me. I tried hard but as i left the interview i felt a bit dirty. You know, like i had sold out. How the frig can you truly evaluate someone in just 5 mins? They say that most people decide if they like you or not in the first 20 seconds! That means that after, pauses, them asking questions and me thinking of witty replies i probably only had 3 and a half minutes to turn them on to me. I'm not that person. I'm not one of those loud American types who truly believe that they are awesome. I know my worth but i'm not arrogant and sure as hell don't like promoting the fact. I'm proud of my achievements but don't brag about them. I hope i don't anyway. I like to think of myself as humble and modest. I told them this but what good is that to them?
I looked for Hamish as i left to thank him again but didn't see him so snuck out of a back door. My god it was more like frickin pop idol or Britains got talent than a job interview! It wasn't fun and it's something i don't ever want to do again. I'm just so glad i didn't have to wait for ages to feel like a unwanted Christmas present. Such a pointless and stupid exercise! I know that it is probably the only way to get through a huge number of people but how the hell can someone get a fair chance in just 5 minutes? You have to stand out but does that mean the person who says similar things to me is going to get the job over me because he had a bright pink coat on? I just wish i had kept to my original plan of doing a striptease. Now, that would've made me stand out from the rest! "Hey i know we should give the job to Darrell." "whose that?" "you know. The striptease guy!" "Oh yeah. Er..........He's in jail." In hindsight it was probably for the best that i kept little Darrell in my jeans.
Other news. We have new neighbours. I was online the other day chatting to Kate at work and joked that they were 4 fit Swedish swimsuit models. I hadn't actually seen them but i wasn't far off the truth! It's actually 2 fit Swedish swimsuit models! Well, i haven't actually spoken to them yet so until i do, don't mess with the fantasy. I'm thinking there will be more of them too as the flat next door is 3 bedroom i think. Kate thinks their boyfriends will be along soon. Doh! I'm sure i will bump into them soon enough. I just hope i'm dressed when i do!
We went for a vibration plate training session the other day. Only because it was free and that the ad made all these claims of how it is the best thing for weight loss since cancer. It didn't actually say that. We went over there and met the big buff guy who took our medical histories and made us define our goals and ambitions. The actual vibro plate thing was way weird! You just stand on it in certain positions and your muscles have to work harder to keep you balanced. You use 30 muscles to just stand still apparently. Standing still on a vibrating plate that is constantly knocking you off balance makes those muscles work like crazy! So we did about a 20 minute session and oh my god it was tiring. I have been running around 20km a week for the last few weeks but this was harder! My legs felt like i had just climbed a mountain with a mini cooper strapped to my back and my pockets filled with concrete. Kate liked it and nearly bought a membership. I talked her into going a few times casually first just to make sure she really likes it before outlaying a big wedge of cash.
We saw Biffs sister the other day too! We had to go to the supermarket and when we came out laden with shopping Biffs sister was parked right next to him. The exact same campervan. Biffs reg is PZ 1968 and his sisters was PZ 1912. Biff was in a bit better condition and has been pimped out with tinted windows and meaty wheels but it looked really cute to see the two Econovans next to each other.
The only other thing this week really was our further domination of the poker prizes available in town. Thursday night saw Kate come second and me third at the Surreal tournament (one of the best in town). Sweet, another bar tab in the bank. It is funny how the town is changing. It is still pretty quiet but we have noticed a few new faces at poker. The odd new guy trying his luck and usually getting smashed and going home early but a lot of new, drunk, young snowboarder types. Cocky little guys who mess up the peace. At Surreal this week there were a few loud Americans from Utah who spoilt it a bit for one table apparently. I think it was probably just down to booze. People forget that a lot of Americans can't drink until they are 21 so still think it's a huge novelty to get wrecked by 10pm and act like a doosh bag. The rest of us more experienced drinkers wait until at least 10.30pm! Amateurs.
So i very much doubt i will get a job based on todays futile efforts at self promotion. If i do get the job i will feel a bit of a sell out but i'm sure i can live with that. I will let you know of my rejection in my next blog entry. Sigh.
Peace
D
XXXX
I got called in by this little Japanese guy for my second choice job first, retail assistant. Probably the only job i had the chops for, having had some retail experience from my Homebase days. I sat down and he informed me i had 5 minutes to wow him. I contemplated getting up and doing a dance or something. I needed to make an impression after all. I sat there and told him why i wanted the job, why i was in Q town. He then told me to pick up one of the 3 objects on the table and sell them to him. There were a pair of goggles, a pair of gloves and a helmet. I picked up the gloves and tried my hardest to imagine being in a sales situation. I did OK. I asked him lots of questions about what he was looking for in a glove, what type of rider he was. He said the main reason for picking the gloves was for warmth. I then produced my own glove liners from my ski coat and said he could always get these. He seemed impressed by my sales pitch but then noticed that this was my second choice job. His body language dropped big time and he asked me why. I spilled some bullshit about being keen to get into ski tech stuff but had the retail stuff to fall back on. Not sure if he bought it. And that was that. I got shown the door and made my way back to the lobby.
I met up with Hamish again but only had a chance to say "They made me try to sell them a pair of gloves!" before i was called again for my rentals assistant interview. Everyone around Hamish overheard me and there were several whispers and shocked looks. Rentals was my first choice because i do actually want to get into the more tech side of skiing. I have good equipment knowledge and know I'd kick ass at it. This interview was less structured. I basically sat there and was asked to promote my self, strengths and all the good stuff. This is a huge problem for a pessimist like me. It's not that i don't know my worth, i do. It's just hard for me to express that. I hate the idea of coming across cocky or arrogant. Thank the lord for my sense of humour because i dropped a few witty lines in which had them laughing, which relaxed me. I tried hard but as i left the interview i felt a bit dirty. You know, like i had sold out. How the frig can you truly evaluate someone in just 5 mins? They say that most people decide if they like you or not in the first 20 seconds! That means that after, pauses, them asking questions and me thinking of witty replies i probably only had 3 and a half minutes to turn them on to me. I'm not that person. I'm not one of those loud American types who truly believe that they are awesome. I know my worth but i'm not arrogant and sure as hell don't like promoting the fact. I'm proud of my achievements but don't brag about them. I hope i don't anyway. I like to think of myself as humble and modest. I told them this but what good is that to them?
I looked for Hamish as i left to thank him again but didn't see him so snuck out of a back door. My god it was more like frickin pop idol or Britains got talent than a job interview! It wasn't fun and it's something i don't ever want to do again. I'm just so glad i didn't have to wait for ages to feel like a unwanted Christmas present. Such a pointless and stupid exercise! I know that it is probably the only way to get through a huge number of people but how the hell can someone get a fair chance in just 5 minutes? You have to stand out but does that mean the person who says similar things to me is going to get the job over me because he had a bright pink coat on? I just wish i had kept to my original plan of doing a striptease. Now, that would've made me stand out from the rest! "Hey i know we should give the job to Darrell." "whose that?" "you know. The striptease guy!" "Oh yeah. Er..........He's in jail." In hindsight it was probably for the best that i kept little Darrell in my jeans.
Other news. We have new neighbours. I was online the other day chatting to Kate at work and joked that they were 4 fit Swedish swimsuit models. I hadn't actually seen them but i wasn't far off the truth! It's actually 2 fit Swedish swimsuit models! Well, i haven't actually spoken to them yet so until i do, don't mess with the fantasy. I'm thinking there will be more of them too as the flat next door is 3 bedroom i think. Kate thinks their boyfriends will be along soon. Doh! I'm sure i will bump into them soon enough. I just hope i'm dressed when i do!
We went for a vibration plate training session the other day. Only because it was free and that the ad made all these claims of how it is the best thing for weight loss since cancer. It didn't actually say that. We went over there and met the big buff guy who took our medical histories and made us define our goals and ambitions. The actual vibro plate thing was way weird! You just stand on it in certain positions and your muscles have to work harder to keep you balanced. You use 30 muscles to just stand still apparently. Standing still on a vibrating plate that is constantly knocking you off balance makes those muscles work like crazy! So we did about a 20 minute session and oh my god it was tiring. I have been running around 20km a week for the last few weeks but this was harder! My legs felt like i had just climbed a mountain with a mini cooper strapped to my back and my pockets filled with concrete. Kate liked it and nearly bought a membership. I talked her into going a few times casually first just to make sure she really likes it before outlaying a big wedge of cash.
We saw Biffs sister the other day too! We had to go to the supermarket and when we came out laden with shopping Biffs sister was parked right next to him. The exact same campervan. Biffs reg is PZ 1968 and his sisters was PZ 1912. Biff was in a bit better condition and has been pimped out with tinted windows and meaty wheels but it looked really cute to see the two Econovans next to each other.
The only other thing this week really was our further domination of the poker prizes available in town. Thursday night saw Kate come second and me third at the Surreal tournament (one of the best in town). Sweet, another bar tab in the bank. It is funny how the town is changing. It is still pretty quiet but we have noticed a few new faces at poker. The odd new guy trying his luck and usually getting smashed and going home early but a lot of new, drunk, young snowboarder types. Cocky little guys who mess up the peace. At Surreal this week there were a few loud Americans from Utah who spoilt it a bit for one table apparently. I think it was probably just down to booze. People forget that a lot of Americans can't drink until they are 21 so still think it's a huge novelty to get wrecked by 10pm and act like a doosh bag. The rest of us more experienced drinkers wait until at least 10.30pm! Amateurs.
So i very much doubt i will get a job based on todays futile efforts at self promotion. If i do get the job i will feel a bit of a sell out but i'm sure i can live with that. I will let you know of my rejection in my next blog entry. Sigh.
Peace
D
XXXX
Saturday 16 May 2009
At last something sort of positive on the job front
Well, i got offered a job at last! Did i take it? Er, not quite. The people at the big DIY store that i applied for weeks ago rang the other day and offered me a full time job. I asked about the hours and they were pretty much 9-5, Wednesday to Sunday. I groaned as that means i would never see Kate as she works Monday to Wednesday. We had already talked about one of us working full time and how it will mean that we will never see each other, let alone ski together, and that we are here on holiday after all. We're not here to start careers or anything. The nice, but very butch looking lady at the DIY store said she might be able to reduce to hours down to 3 days a week but would need to speak to personnel and someone first and would then get back to me. That was 4 days ago and i haven't heard back from them. Oh well. I know it was a job i could've done very easily but there is lots of rumblings in Q town about jobs coming up in the next few weeks.
The ski resort cocked up apparently. They usually are given 150 visas to employ people. This year they accepted loads of applicants from all over the world, denying me and Kate (who are already here!), before NZ immigration denied them the 150 visas, claiming that there are already too many people unemployed in the area and that they should offer them jobs instead! I have heard tales of friends of friends who have flown over from Canada to work and have been turned away. NZ is in a recession too so it makes perfect sense to employ the people who are already here. So, it means i have a doggy life. I get another chance to get a job on the hill. They have a big open day next weekend where they hold interviews for the remaining positions. Wish me luck. I don't wanna get my hopes up but a job with the resort will save me a bunch of cash as it means i won't have to buy a lift pass. It's what i really want to do too as it will go on the CV and will help in the future if i ever decide to get a job in a ski resort again. Watch this space.
So fingers crossed something will happen this week regarding work. Kate is still happily booking people jet boat trips and even has the opportunity for overtime, which is good. It gets her out of the apartment and obviously puts a few more pennies in the bank. I don't think Kate handles the boredom very well. The weather has been shocking this week. It has rained pretty much everyday but has also warmed up. So after all my comments about how rain in town equals snow on the hills last week, the warmer weather has meant that the rain has actually washed a fair bit of snow away this week! Poo! So the bad weather has confined us to the apartment for a lot of the week. I have tried to run a few times but have also preferred to stay in the warm. I'm worried that i will fall out of my healthy routine and go back into my old habits of eating junk and downing gallons of banana milk. The ski season is only a few weeks away so i need to get fit for that, plus i have other incentives. Stupid love handles!
Another week goes by with another relatively successful week on the poker tables. I finished 4th, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in this weeks tournaments winning $70 in drink and food vouchers. I wonder if i will develop a gambling habit but it's all free to enter so only costs the price of beer. I only drink on Thursday nights too so i doubt i'm turning into a alcoholic poker addict just yet. It's still really fun. Everyone is starting to chat to us now, and not just about poker stuff. I get asked all the time if i've found work, we talk about skiing, and the best thing is everyone doesn't believe me when i tell them how old i am! It's very flattering. I'm usually pegged for between 24-28 years old and no one believes i'm married either. It's pretty cool. One of the guys, called Cam, told me this week how he had got drunk at one of the bars and got his drink spiked! He said he woke up by the public toilets near the wharf shivering with this women asking him if he was ok? He then woke up at home with this women in his bed! He freaked out a little as you can imagine, especially when the women said she was married with two kids, was leaving her husband and was gonna move to Q town to be with him! He kicked her to the curb and i have recommended a restraining order. Weird huh?
Yeah so poker is getting really social. People are chatting more and buying us drinks and things like that. The Rattlesnake bar has a real friendly vibe. Mainly because it's a lot like a youth centre. We play free pool, then all sit at our tables playing cards drinking and having a laugh then go play pool with the bar staff when we get knocked out. The other tournaments in town are a lot more serious. Well, it all depends who you get on your table really. At the Surreal tournament this week we all knew each other and it was a great laugh. I felt quite bad knocking them all out as i eventually finished 2nd. I should've won but it was nearly 3am by the time it got down to the last 2 and i was beat. Like proper tired. The guy i lost to is a local skateboarder who seems pretty cool so i was just happy for it to be over.
So i guess thats it really. I am still writing my short story. Well, it is already over 6000 words and i only write it on Monday afternoons. It's great for eating up time too as i type like i have hooves, but it is also very relaxing and quite good therapy. I imagine no one will ever read it but it will be something i can look back on in a few years and think "Jeez, i was bored back then!"
Peace
D
XXXX
The ski resort cocked up apparently. They usually are given 150 visas to employ people. This year they accepted loads of applicants from all over the world, denying me and Kate (who are already here!), before NZ immigration denied them the 150 visas, claiming that there are already too many people unemployed in the area and that they should offer them jobs instead! I have heard tales of friends of friends who have flown over from Canada to work and have been turned away. NZ is in a recession too so it makes perfect sense to employ the people who are already here. So, it means i have a doggy life. I get another chance to get a job on the hill. They have a big open day next weekend where they hold interviews for the remaining positions. Wish me luck. I don't wanna get my hopes up but a job with the resort will save me a bunch of cash as it means i won't have to buy a lift pass. It's what i really want to do too as it will go on the CV and will help in the future if i ever decide to get a job in a ski resort again. Watch this space.
So fingers crossed something will happen this week regarding work. Kate is still happily booking people jet boat trips and even has the opportunity for overtime, which is good. It gets her out of the apartment and obviously puts a few more pennies in the bank. I don't think Kate handles the boredom very well. The weather has been shocking this week. It has rained pretty much everyday but has also warmed up. So after all my comments about how rain in town equals snow on the hills last week, the warmer weather has meant that the rain has actually washed a fair bit of snow away this week! Poo! So the bad weather has confined us to the apartment for a lot of the week. I have tried to run a few times but have also preferred to stay in the warm. I'm worried that i will fall out of my healthy routine and go back into my old habits of eating junk and downing gallons of banana milk. The ski season is only a few weeks away so i need to get fit for that, plus i have other incentives. Stupid love handles!
Another week goes by with another relatively successful week on the poker tables. I finished 4th, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in this weeks tournaments winning $70 in drink and food vouchers. I wonder if i will develop a gambling habit but it's all free to enter so only costs the price of beer. I only drink on Thursday nights too so i doubt i'm turning into a alcoholic poker addict just yet. It's still really fun. Everyone is starting to chat to us now, and not just about poker stuff. I get asked all the time if i've found work, we talk about skiing, and the best thing is everyone doesn't believe me when i tell them how old i am! It's very flattering. I'm usually pegged for between 24-28 years old and no one believes i'm married either. It's pretty cool. One of the guys, called Cam, told me this week how he had got drunk at one of the bars and got his drink spiked! He said he woke up by the public toilets near the wharf shivering with this women asking him if he was ok? He then woke up at home with this women in his bed! He freaked out a little as you can imagine, especially when the women said she was married with two kids, was leaving her husband and was gonna move to Q town to be with him! He kicked her to the curb and i have recommended a restraining order. Weird huh?
Yeah so poker is getting really social. People are chatting more and buying us drinks and things like that. The Rattlesnake bar has a real friendly vibe. Mainly because it's a lot like a youth centre. We play free pool, then all sit at our tables playing cards drinking and having a laugh then go play pool with the bar staff when we get knocked out. The other tournaments in town are a lot more serious. Well, it all depends who you get on your table really. At the Surreal tournament this week we all knew each other and it was a great laugh. I felt quite bad knocking them all out as i eventually finished 2nd. I should've won but it was nearly 3am by the time it got down to the last 2 and i was beat. Like proper tired. The guy i lost to is a local skateboarder who seems pretty cool so i was just happy for it to be over.
So i guess thats it really. I am still writing my short story. Well, it is already over 6000 words and i only write it on Monday afternoons. It's great for eating up time too as i type like i have hooves, but it is also very relaxing and quite good therapy. I imagine no one will ever read it but it will be something i can look back on in a few years and think "Jeez, i was bored back then!"
Peace
D
XXXX
Saturday 9 May 2009
Winter is on the way
Another thrilling week in Q town has passed much like the last, I'm afraid. The job hunt is getting beyond a joke now and i am starting to believe that there is some kind of conspiracy against me working here. I have applied for a few more jobs this week and got replies saying they will contact me next week but from my experiences here, that could mean never. I am desperately trying to not get down about it and have established a daily routine that not only gets me out of the house but gets me fitter and has helped me lose 3 kilo's this week too. Just have to keep it up as the weighing scales in the Mall in Q town say i need to lose another 10 kilo's to get to my ideal weight! That's over 22 pounds, groan. I could do it too if i just keep up the running, avoid all the junk food and hope that my motivation actually keeps me motivated. I have that weird problem where my motivation has like a little whisper voice in my head. It seems to be easily shouted down or drowned out by the lazy voice or the part of my brain designated to Colonel Saunders! No, I'm doing OK. I could be doing heaps better but that requires way too much effort and like i said, the lazy voice in my head is ruling at the moment. I have impressed myself a few times this week though. I procrastinated and procrastinated yesterday about going for a run. I umm'd and ah'd for about 2 hours. The reason for this was the run i did the previous day which, for some unknown reason, nearly killed me! I have been back running for nearly 3 weeks and it should be getting easier. I have slightly increased my distances and slightly improved my times, knocking 4 minutes off my time to run into town, but for some reason that last run really hurt. So yesterday, the lazy voice in my head and the whispery motivation voice had a real duel. The motivation voice won out but even as i got my running gear on, i still had doubt over my ability to run which lead to thoughts of just blowing it off. However, i managed to get out of the house, run the frankton track and have enough in the tank to sprint the last 100 metres. I was so stoked. One for over coming the 'demons' in my head and for also blasting out the run and really enjoying it. I am even quite looking forward to running again today. Well, i would be if the weather wasn't so bad.
It has really taken a turn here. I had been wondering how soon the sunny days and clear skies would last, especially since the ski season here is supposed to begin in less than a month. This last week though it has all dramatically changed. Low cloud most days and a huge drop in temperature have also accompanied a massive amount of rain. It rained solidly for 3 days this week. I'm not that worried about the rain because when the low cloud disappears you can see the fresh layers of snow up on the mountains. Yes, rain in town means snow up on the hills. Shit, it even snowed down by the lake yesterday! It didn't settle though but again, it means the hills and the ski resorts are already getting good dumps of snow. And if this whole job thing doesn't happen, then i am gonna be spending a fair amount of time up there!
One thing that was awesome this week happened at one of the poker nights in town. Kate and I came first and second in a tournament! It had to happen sooner or later as we have both suddenly started playing really consistently. We both got to final table and knocked out the last guy so it was just us heads up. We decided to just call it a draw and take the first and second place prizes ($110 voucher). I think they awarded Kate the win as she had more chips than me, but to be honest i don't care. Poker was good this week as we seemed to be meeting more and more people. It's nice to sit down and be able to chat to people and find out stuff. This is a quiet little mountain town after all and it seems everybody knows everybodys business. Like how we found out this week that one of the guys we play poker with is on the sex offenders register for sex with a minor! That sort of thing. He's actually a really nice guy though and i think the girl was 15 so I'm thinking thats a big difference from being a paedophile, maybe.
Our neighbours have moved. Initially i thought that they were part of the mass May exodus but it turns out that they only moved a few doors down. I think into the flat were the naked guy greeted us. Maybe they got fed up of me screeching Rob Pattinson and John Frusciante songs on my guitar at all hours of the day. Or fed up with the smell of cooking lasagnes and fish finger sandwiches at 3am. Either way, it means that at least one side of the house is quiet. The Asian couple that live on the other side of us are no bother either though, well except for one drunken ruckus at 5 am the other night. In fact, it's really quiet here. When we moved in and found out that a lot of our neighbours were Brits i did fear that there would be lots of loud parties and that I'd wake up to find Biff covered in vomit. It's been fine so far.
I have made a start on a short story too. It will be rubbish i imagine but it is only to kill time. I wrote a preface and 3 pages the other day and that took up 2 hours. I am saving it for time when Kate is at work and think of plot lines and stuff when i'm running. I'll see how it all pans out.
Hmmm, my plans for today look like they are dashed. I had intended to run and then have lunch before going on a big long walk up the hill directly across from us on the other side of the lake but it is proper pissing it down out there. Groan. Oh well, as i said, at least it's snowing up on the hills.
Peace
D
XXXX
It has really taken a turn here. I had been wondering how soon the sunny days and clear skies would last, especially since the ski season here is supposed to begin in less than a month. This last week though it has all dramatically changed. Low cloud most days and a huge drop in temperature have also accompanied a massive amount of rain. It rained solidly for 3 days this week. I'm not that worried about the rain because when the low cloud disappears you can see the fresh layers of snow up on the mountains. Yes, rain in town means snow up on the hills. Shit, it even snowed down by the lake yesterday! It didn't settle though but again, it means the hills and the ski resorts are already getting good dumps of snow. And if this whole job thing doesn't happen, then i am gonna be spending a fair amount of time up there!
One thing that was awesome this week happened at one of the poker nights in town. Kate and I came first and second in a tournament! It had to happen sooner or later as we have both suddenly started playing really consistently. We both got to final table and knocked out the last guy so it was just us heads up. We decided to just call it a draw and take the first and second place prizes ($110 voucher). I think they awarded Kate the win as she had more chips than me, but to be honest i don't care. Poker was good this week as we seemed to be meeting more and more people. It's nice to sit down and be able to chat to people and find out stuff. This is a quiet little mountain town after all and it seems everybody knows everybodys business. Like how we found out this week that one of the guys we play poker with is on the sex offenders register for sex with a minor! That sort of thing. He's actually a really nice guy though and i think the girl was 15 so I'm thinking thats a big difference from being a paedophile, maybe.
Our neighbours have moved. Initially i thought that they were part of the mass May exodus but it turns out that they only moved a few doors down. I think into the flat were the naked guy greeted us. Maybe they got fed up of me screeching Rob Pattinson and John Frusciante songs on my guitar at all hours of the day. Or fed up with the smell of cooking lasagnes and fish finger sandwiches at 3am. Either way, it means that at least one side of the house is quiet. The Asian couple that live on the other side of us are no bother either though, well except for one drunken ruckus at 5 am the other night. In fact, it's really quiet here. When we moved in and found out that a lot of our neighbours were Brits i did fear that there would be lots of loud parties and that I'd wake up to find Biff covered in vomit. It's been fine so far.
I have made a start on a short story too. It will be rubbish i imagine but it is only to kill time. I wrote a preface and 3 pages the other day and that took up 2 hours. I am saving it for time when Kate is at work and think of plot lines and stuff when i'm running. I'll see how it all pans out.
Hmmm, my plans for today look like they are dashed. I had intended to run and then have lunch before going on a big long walk up the hill directly across from us on the other side of the lake but it is proper pissing it down out there. Groan. Oh well, as i said, at least it's snowing up on the hills.
Peace
D
XXXX
Saturday 2 May 2009
Stupid recession
I think i have resigned myself to the fact that i am unemployable. There must be something wrong with me. I had a really promising interview the other day in a big DIY store, like the one i used to work in ages ago, but haven't heard back. I have dropped my CV into numerous places and am just not hearing anything. Kate reckons i sit there in the interviews and just rip off huge farts like that scene in Step Brothers. She can talk! I was sleeping the other morning and she got up to get ready for work, which woke me up. She then went into the bathroom and, no word of a lie, ripped this fart that lasted an age! I'm talking like between 10 and 15 seconds! She was so proud she ran back into the bedroom and asked if i had heard it? I told her the whole damn apartment complex heard it! In fact i could hear someone applauding from 4 doors down! I wasn't going to mention it in my blog but she insisted. She is chuffed to bits and regularly drops it into casual conversation. We'll be sitting watching TV, she'll do a little trouser cough and groan that it was no where near as long as her legendary emission. I told her it was a freak of nature and only due to the fact that she had trapped wind for 3 days before hand. Seriously, it was like that scene from the Young Ones when Vivian gives birth. I'm just so glad there weren't any naked flames or else it would have been game over! Backdraft, in more ways than one!
So, i am still job hunting. I keep getting assured that more work is becoming available but i know that so many people are looking for work here. We have met an English guy whose in I.T. and he's been looking for work for 9 months! I am hoping i can get something soon as i am running out of things to do to keep myself from watching internet porn. I have started running again and am seriously trying to watch what i eat, to get back in shape. Well, to be fair the last time i was in shape, starbursts were still called opal fruits, it was that long ago. Lets just say I'm trying to get into a shape not resembling a big squidgy sphere. I managed about 15km this week which is OK for starters. I can feel my fitness edging back and just need to keep the momentum going. I have even given up Banana milk! I still crave it but am going cold turkey. I had one night of hallucinations and the shakes but i know that was just the evil banana toxins leaving my system. It's gonna be a long struggle but i know i can get through it. I can always go to a B.M.A (banana milk anonymous) meeting if it gets tough.
We've noticed a real change in Q town, or ghost town as we have re-named it. The town is dead! May is the quietest month here but it is amazing just how quiet it has gotten. Literally on the 1st of May it seemed there was just a mass exodus. We're talking tumbleweed blowing through the Mall and everything. One positive from it all is that a lot of local businesses are doing special deals for residents though. The big skydiving company here are doing 2 for 1 deals at the moment which saves you hundreds of bucks! I have dropped several pretty big hints to Kate but she is choosing to ignore them. She is concentrating on our money woes at the moment and knows a sky dive, no matter how cheap, will seriously drain the bank account. As we both didn't get jobs in the ski resorts either we now have to buy our season passes which work out to over $2000. Still ridiculously cheap in comparison to other resorts but still a big dent in the savings.
On a positive note though, money wise, Kate won a poker tournament the other night! $70 voucher for the bar/restaurant. Sweet! It was funny as i had finally decided to use the $40 voucher i won a few weeks back to get drinks and then Kate replenishes it, and then some. She played really well too. She was stoked as you can imagine. Wow, what with her birthday this week, the poker win and the huge fart, it's no wonder she is so happy!
It was Kates birthday yesterday so she decided i had to drive her 100kms to the towns of Cromwell and Alexandra to go shopping. I think it was more about her touching problem. You see, Kate, like a lot of women just likes to go into shops and touch things. Not buy them! Just have a quick feelski then leave. I think the only reason i had to travel miles and miles to these other towns was because she has touched pretty much everything in Q town already. It's a nightmare for me as not only do i get frustrated that she never buys anything but i also have to make a mental note of where everything is and what she has touched because i know that in 2 months time she'll ask me about a pair of gloves she saw that she now wants to buy but can't remember what shop sold them. If i don't remember either then the whole process starts over, with hours upon hours of just touching things in shops before finally finding the gloves she has wanted for months. Only for more deliberation and touching, maybe a discussion over coffee on the merits of owning the gloves, before actually buying them. And then losing them on the bus or forgetting them at home. Sigh. This is the life i have chosen.
After our cross country trek to go touch things we went into Q town for drinks. We had intended to have a drink then go for a meal but we bumped into a poker playing buddy (the guy looking for I.T. work) and just got wasted! Met these two Swedish guys who were just hilarious! One guy, who was only 19 had this weird view that because the human race has sex for fun it makes us all gay. I sat for about an hour in rebuttal to his argument explaining nature versus nurture theories on sexuality and explained how Dolphins and Chimpanzees are the only other species to have sex for fun for him to just reply "No. I am right" I love drinking with Scandinavians, they can be so bizarre at times but also have a mutual hatred of the Germans, so they are cool in my books. In the end though we were nearly thrown out of the bar because the young Swedish guy threatened to beat up this Irish guy who took the piss out his accent. He got booted out so we just sat with the other Swedish dude and drank Jaegerbombs! It was a great night. Kate had fun but also got refused alcohol for being too wasted! HA HA. She asked for wine and the barmaid suggested water instead. Bless. She's still in bed now actually, sleeping it off. I had worried that her birthday was going to be a huge anti-climax what with us being so far away from our friends and family but I'm pretty sure she had a blast. We still might go out for a meal tonight as we skipped dinner. Well, i cooked a proper drunken feast when we got in. Fish finger sandwiches, canned ravioli and homemade Cajun style potato wedges! I've yet to go look in the kitchen but i bet it looks like Beirut!
So i guess i have another week of running, poker and porn ahead of me. It's pretty sweet really but i have never wanted to work more in my life. I might have to make a human sacrifice to the Maori god of Employment, youworkyworky, or something at this rate though. I'll let you know how i get on.
Peace
D
XXXX
So, i am still job hunting. I keep getting assured that more work is becoming available but i know that so many people are looking for work here. We have met an English guy whose in I.T. and he's been looking for work for 9 months! I am hoping i can get something soon as i am running out of things to do to keep myself from watching internet porn. I have started running again and am seriously trying to watch what i eat, to get back in shape. Well, to be fair the last time i was in shape, starbursts were still called opal fruits, it was that long ago. Lets just say I'm trying to get into a shape not resembling a big squidgy sphere. I managed about 15km this week which is OK for starters. I can feel my fitness edging back and just need to keep the momentum going. I have even given up Banana milk! I still crave it but am going cold turkey. I had one night of hallucinations and the shakes but i know that was just the evil banana toxins leaving my system. It's gonna be a long struggle but i know i can get through it. I can always go to a B.M.A (banana milk anonymous) meeting if it gets tough.
We've noticed a real change in Q town, or ghost town as we have re-named it. The town is dead! May is the quietest month here but it is amazing just how quiet it has gotten. Literally on the 1st of May it seemed there was just a mass exodus. We're talking tumbleweed blowing through the Mall and everything. One positive from it all is that a lot of local businesses are doing special deals for residents though. The big skydiving company here are doing 2 for 1 deals at the moment which saves you hundreds of bucks! I have dropped several pretty big hints to Kate but she is choosing to ignore them. She is concentrating on our money woes at the moment and knows a sky dive, no matter how cheap, will seriously drain the bank account. As we both didn't get jobs in the ski resorts either we now have to buy our season passes which work out to over $2000. Still ridiculously cheap in comparison to other resorts but still a big dent in the savings.
On a positive note though, money wise, Kate won a poker tournament the other night! $70 voucher for the bar/restaurant. Sweet! It was funny as i had finally decided to use the $40 voucher i won a few weeks back to get drinks and then Kate replenishes it, and then some. She played really well too. She was stoked as you can imagine. Wow, what with her birthday this week, the poker win and the huge fart, it's no wonder she is so happy!
It was Kates birthday yesterday so she decided i had to drive her 100kms to the towns of Cromwell and Alexandra to go shopping. I think it was more about her touching problem. You see, Kate, like a lot of women just likes to go into shops and touch things. Not buy them! Just have a quick feelski then leave. I think the only reason i had to travel miles and miles to these other towns was because she has touched pretty much everything in Q town already. It's a nightmare for me as not only do i get frustrated that she never buys anything but i also have to make a mental note of where everything is and what she has touched because i know that in 2 months time she'll ask me about a pair of gloves she saw that she now wants to buy but can't remember what shop sold them. If i don't remember either then the whole process starts over, with hours upon hours of just touching things in shops before finally finding the gloves she has wanted for months. Only for more deliberation and touching, maybe a discussion over coffee on the merits of owning the gloves, before actually buying them. And then losing them on the bus or forgetting them at home. Sigh. This is the life i have chosen.
After our cross country trek to go touch things we went into Q town for drinks. We had intended to have a drink then go for a meal but we bumped into a poker playing buddy (the guy looking for I.T. work) and just got wasted! Met these two Swedish guys who were just hilarious! One guy, who was only 19 had this weird view that because the human race has sex for fun it makes us all gay. I sat for about an hour in rebuttal to his argument explaining nature versus nurture theories on sexuality and explained how Dolphins and Chimpanzees are the only other species to have sex for fun for him to just reply "No. I am right" I love drinking with Scandinavians, they can be so bizarre at times but also have a mutual hatred of the Germans, so they are cool in my books. In the end though we were nearly thrown out of the bar because the young Swedish guy threatened to beat up this Irish guy who took the piss out his accent. He got booted out so we just sat with the other Swedish dude and drank Jaegerbombs! It was a great night. Kate had fun but also got refused alcohol for being too wasted! HA HA. She asked for wine and the barmaid suggested water instead. Bless. She's still in bed now actually, sleeping it off. I had worried that her birthday was going to be a huge anti-climax what with us being so far away from our friends and family but I'm pretty sure she had a blast. We still might go out for a meal tonight as we skipped dinner. Well, i cooked a proper drunken feast when we got in. Fish finger sandwiches, canned ravioli and homemade Cajun style potato wedges! I've yet to go look in the kitchen but i bet it looks like Beirut!
So i guess i have another week of running, poker and porn ahead of me. It's pretty sweet really but i have never wanted to work more in my life. I might have to make a human sacrifice to the Maori god of Employment, youworkyworky, or something at this rate though. I'll let you know how i get on.
Peace
D
XXXX
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