Okay…so I changed jobs again…yes, quel surprise. Why? Because I can…hmmm…that would make a good book title. There are many reasons. The main one is restlessness. I’m an ex-army brat. I travelled a lot as a kid and later when I grew up I travelled the world, never staying in one place for any length of time. It has only been recently that I have put down roots and remained in the one place for eight years. Amazing, Grace. However, now that I have done that I have reverted back to chopping and changing jobs. I think if you have a history of constant movement, you always seem to carry that on in some form or another. I’m sure a lot of you will identify with this. How many ex-army brats, preachers’ kids, railway kids, schoolteachers kids etc do we have reading this blog? Do you feel the need to keep moving in some form? I do. Although I have a house full of furniture now, I still feel restless and I now move jobs instead, always looking for something more. But then, where would we be if we did not want more? Nola, no not her real name, from my old job at Promptel told me today that she wished she ‘could be like me’ and that she did not have ‘the balls’ I apparently have. I don’t have balls. I checked. I do have attitude and belief in myself. That’s incredibly powerful. I'm sure you will agree. Change scares Nola. I understand that but wishing to be someone else is crazy. You are who you should be and you have to see the potential in that…whoa…how existential...
On to less meaningful yet vastly important stuff. I got the best cover today from the cover gods at
Ellora’s Cave for
Knock Three Times. It is gorgeous and I would love to share it with you but I have to be good and wait for the official oakey doakey. I’m not one to break rules…much. Suffice to see that I slavishly adore everyone in Coverland and will show it as soon as I can without getting my wrist slapped. I’m not into BDSM. I’m not submissive. I would slap back.
Is it just me, or has everyone else won the British and Irish lotteries every single day this week and been constantly notified in email?
How lucky am I? I feel bad leaving that unclaimed money there. I almost miss the penis enhancements and Viagra emails. I haven’t had any of them for a while. I think they have given up on enhancing me.
I got home this arvo to discover helicopter boy – so called because he is a grown man who plays with a remote control
helicopter which hovers for hours in the same place - dancing bare-chested in his back yard all alone. Now, I’m not one to judge what freaky-arsed things people do but -
huh? There was no music and yet he was working it for all it was worth. I also don’t believe in staring at strange people as they tend to want to be your friend but I have to admit I did stop and stare at him. And he saw me. He instantly stopped dancing and went inside. I have a feeling he was thinking “
There’s that weird woman who stares at people.” Aren’t people fascinating?
'Got a call from an aggressive little prick debt collector. He rang, my unlisted number, searching for a person he believed to be on that number. The call went like this...
DC – I want your full name and date of birthA – Who the hell are you?
DC – I am David from Scum of the Earth Collections. Now supply me the information I have requested.
A – What is the phone number of your head office?
DC – Answer my question
A – You answer mine
DC – I don’t have to give you that information
A – Exactly
DC – If you have nothing to hide you will give me that information
A – If you have nothing to fear about your debt collecting tactics then you will give me the phone number
DC – I can make life very difficult for you if you don’t co-operate
A – How? You don’t know who I am.
This was met by a long silence
DC – I’m trying to do a job and earn a living
A – And you suck at it
DC – I’m passing your phone number on to my team leader because you’re uncooperative.
A – Is your team leader there? Yes? Please put him on.
DC – I’ll get in trouble
A – Exactly
Naturally David from Scum of the Earth Collections, no, not a real name, hung up. I tracked down the head office phone number and spoke to the complaints manager. Now, having done collections in a previous job, I know the law regarding them. I discussed this with the Manager. He was alarmed, to put it mildly. No, you will never be bothered again, Ms Jones. Here is my company mobile number if you receive another call. Toy with me? I think not.
Take a look at Anny’s blog on www.annycook.blogspot.com and reflect on how lucky some of us are. Then wander over to www.kkirch.blogspot.com and check out the Sabrina Jeffries interview.
www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
So, I get home from work in a good mood due to various reasons which I will discuss in a later blog and I open my mail to see a letter from a debt collector. Pardon me? Moi? Ms Squeaky Clean pay everything on time? I don’t think so, Tim. So I ring the call centre number listed. The operator asked my full name and date of birth for verification of who I was. I said ‘who the hell are you? Why would I give you my personal details over the phone? Where are you? Lower South Botswanna?’ They are in the Philippines. Lovely. Like I’m giving them anything personal to use to de-fraud me later on. I insisted on the Australian office of this company – let’s call them Nonghead Collection Ltd. I call that number and I speak to a bloke who says he is in Australia. I asked for their switchboard number. Why he asked? ‘Because,' I replied. He was a smart man, who could sense I would transcendentally freeze his balls off if he did not do as I requested. I get to the switchboard and then speak genuine Aussie to an Aussie. We discovered the Nonghead Collection Ltd had the wrong person, name, date of birth, email. Riiiight. Their suggestion? Ring Wanker Brain Inc who placed the debt referral.
