Wednesday 22 October 2008

Off on my hols

Whoo hoooo!! I’m all packed and ready to head east to Hong Kong tomorrow. I cannot wait, I really need a holiday. The question is will I have a job to go to when I get back? Our company implemented a hiring freeze on at the moment and my client, Elmer, didn't get the funding for 3 projects that we'd scoped and then today he asked for a $25,000 refund!!!

A refund!!!

After asking for the refund, which essentially puts the projects we’re working on for him for the rest of the year he had the cheek to ask if we’d do some work for free. I referred him to BossMan who politely told him where to go. These are not fun times in marketing, but thankfully Elmer is not my only client, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no more budget cuts.

This whole "The great depression: the sequel" gubbins is making me think that I made a mistake in booking a somewhat pricey vacation to Asia back in August, but what can I do? Not go? Noooo way matey!! I need it for mental health reasons and at least it's two thirds paid for, I just have to worry about paying the hotel bill off my credit card when I get back

Anyway as I said I am all packed, save for make-up and hair brushes which I still need to use tomorrow morning when I get up hideously early to head to JFK (eeek!!). Melissa and I are leaving at 6.30am to allow for potentially heavy morning traffic to JFK. "It's good to get there early and then you can have a drink at the airport" advised Debs and Emma.


"I'll be there at 8am. That's a bit early for a drink"

"8am is 5pm somewhere in the world. It's not too early"

All the same, I think I'll be sticking to coffee :-)

I started putting things in my suitcase on Sunday and added bits and pieces over the next few days, I packed strategically though, taking my naturally overly organised disposition a step further for this trip and jotted down a list of coordinating outfits to pack thus maximising the usage of all my clothing, but minimising the weight. I know…geeky to the max, but I like to travel as light as possible since hefting a big suitcase around plays havoc with my lower back these days - ageing sucks big time I’m finding. I would be a lot less bothered about it if I didn’t feel like my body were crumbling at times. Sigh.

Being so organised in packing meant I had plenty of time to finish all those last minute projects at work that magically popped this week and also run around and buy a new camera – a $150 I could have done without spending in these mend and make do times, but I can hardly go all that way and not take photos eh. I have two digital cameras – well now I have three – and both seem to be utterly buggered unfortunately and I’m completely flummoxed as to why. I’m not one for toting a camera around on a regular basis, so I pretty much only use them on my once yearly vacation and both were working fine when I last used them. However the display screen on my original digital camera, a Sony that my parents bought me for Christmas a few years ago, doesn’t seem to work at all.

“Is it definitely turned on?” queried the technologically gifted Debs when I told her about it at work the other morning.

Cheek of the woman!!! Yes it’s bloody turned on. It goes from black to slightly less black and all the little setting icons pop up on the screen, the flash, the ISO and all that shenanigans, it’s just useless at taking pictures or viewing photos I’ve already taken, but it does seem to take photos. At least the little counter goes up indicating there are photos in the file folder. I should get my act together and take it to B&H Photo and have them look it over since the problem has flummoxed my Dad, Tel Aviv who looked at it last year and any random man I’ve mentioned it to in passing that considers themselves to be technologically gifted and clearly think it’s going to be an easy fix. I’m sure, like Debs, these men all initially thought me a ditzy female who just hadn’t managed to work out how to turn the display on, but the problem has had them beat too!! Ha!!

As for the second camera, well this was my Dad’s old Fuji that my parents gave me when I was home last Christmas to replace the malfunctioning Sony. It worked fine when I tried it at the time and has been languishing in a since January until I took it out this weekend to make sure everything was in working order. It wasn’t. It functions perfectly for about 2seconds and then switches itself off. And yes, I did check the batteries, but I just haven’t get it to stay on. I'm beginning to feel like my apartment is the place photographic equipment goes to die. Fingers crossed the new one survives and I'll have photos to post when I get back.


Behave yourselves while I'm gone ;-)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's actually compulsory to have a drink in the airport before a flight. One of my proudest moments was having a pint of beer at Gatwick Airport at 6am before a flight to Prague. And I wasn't even on a stag do...

Blur Ting said...

Have a good trip. Don't worry about the job, just enjoy HK!

Kitty said...

Ah....Have a wonderful time! Relax, shop and don't worry about work. It will be here when you return.

you so deserve this time off. I expect photos when you're back!

Amel said...

Have a SUPER FUN holiday! You DO need it. I'm crossing my fingers for you that everything works out well when you're back!!!

And also that the new camera works well 'coz I want PICS, PICS, PICS he he he he...

Bangs and a Bun said...

"8am is 5pm somewhere in the world" - best justification ever!

Anonymous said...

That's a big refund!

Have fun on your hols and good luck on your return.

Tom

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Dylan, ah compulsory it may be, but I could only bring myself to have a coffee at 7am. The bar was open though ;-)

Thanks Blur Ting

Thanks Kitty, my photos aren't great as it was so hazy, but I will post asap

Hi Amel, thanks so much, hope you had a great trip too.

Hi BnB, it is a pretty good justification isn't it ;-)

Hi Tom, yes it's a big refund. Things are tough at the moment. Thanks for the well wishes :-)

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Thanks Kaylee, that's really nice of you. Your comment has helped boost my enthusiasm for updating my blog at a time when I am struggling to find the time to write. Best, Fish