SSB - What's yours?

I was reading this article in today's Herald Sun and it made me laugh. Clearly the Herald Sun has been spying on me.

The article is about Secret Single Behaviour (SSB), sort of what people used to do when they were single that they miss doing when they're in a relationship or what they do when they do get time to themselves.

While I'm not cleaning the house naked, I do need time to myself. Lucky for me the man has a weekend job. Which pretty much gives me two days a week of JenTime(TM).

Two full days is actually a lot more than I need because my JenTime at a minimum is just reading the paper and drinking coffee. In quiet. The pottering around cleaning is just a bonus!

What does everyone else do? Or not do!

- Jen

That's not my name!

Like I said in my last post, I've acquired yet another nickname. This nickname business is getting a bit out of control, have a look at this:

Full name: Jennifer Kathleen

Nicknames:

Jen (most normal people)
J.K (Dad and Grandma & Grandpa)
Jack (Dad)
Jenu (Alex, since year 11 retreat when she 'misread' Jen.U. )
Unsworth (other grad friends because I call them by their surname)
Jenny (ignorant people)
Jenny-poos (the man)
n-word poo (the man)
Poohead (the man)
Poosa (the man)
Ferret (work because I 'ferret' things out - usually by googling them)
Turkey (work - but myself and two other people all call each other Turkey - its not confusing)
Chicken Ferret (work, I don't know how Chicken got involved - think it was turkey first)
Triple J (see last post)
TJ (see last post)
Gunner (from our time spent in the "military" during the grad program)
Chuckles-the-pirate (the man)
Elliot-the-geek (apparently one day when I had a hood over my head I looked like Elliot from ET)

The only nickname I don't have or haven't been called is 'Unsie'. But Dad gets that so it would be a bit weird.

I feel like I'm forgetting some! But these are all nicknames that get used, except for Chuckles and not really Elliot anymore either.

-Jen

Hold your own, know your name - and go your own way

It's been a long time since we got back from overseas and I've been struggling a lot, well with just about everything. Mostly work has been bothering me because I completely lost my energy and drive. Things I thought would be better when I got back were worse and I felt like giving up.

A few weeks ago I was given the chance to be part of a career coaching pilot - I suspect it was offered people from my grad year who aren't at the executive level yet. Anyway I had to set three goals and one of them was to be certain of my career direction..by January.

I have to admit I had serious doubts about the chances of that happening. But last week my 'coach' set me the task of talking to four people about their careers, asking them all the same questions and it's really helped.

Today I spent about half an hour talking one on one with someone in the senior executive and they were so helpful that its got me my energy back (ENERGY LEGS! - sorry couldn't resist).

I have a better idea of what I should do, and don't feel discouraged anymore. I'm also blogging on a 'school night' in case you hadn't noticed!

Anyway I just thought I'd blog about that, because it made my week.

- Jen

I'm so sick from the drink...

If you ever see my updates on facebook or if you've spent any time with me lately you will know I've been a bit of a booze hound. But Friday night was officially the messiest I have ever been. Ever. I went to uni and I was never this bad. I went on a three week drink fest around Europe and I didn't even come close. But somewhere deep inside me on Friday afternoon I obviously decided that 24 is not too old to make a complete goose out of yourself.



Oh and thanks to the inventors of Facebook. In less than 24 hours twenty photos of me were tagged and put up there for the rest of my friends to enjoy. Thankfully the man didn't think to photograph me when I got home. Like I said on Facebook, I was 'sick a dog'. Yes. Sick A dog.



It started out after work, at the local pub,'the elms'. By the time I left I was a binge drinker (see Australian definition). So I hadn't had that much. I even stopped and drank a litre of water and ate a banana and some chocolate. Still being sensible Jen.



After that, well. When we got to the Richmond Club Hotel it was happy hour. I can't remember how much the beers were but they were cheap.. $2.50 each? With only 15 minutes to go we stocked up. Still being sensible because we were saving money. Then we moved upstairs. There was a drink that tasted like Snickers. More beer.... then I was in a taxi. Then I was at home.



I'm pretty sure lots happened in between. There could even have been dancing.



I'm not going to specify what happened next but I'll put it in multiple choice and you can pick whichever suits you best.



a) I got home and went to bed with a bucket

b) I got home and went to the toilet sans pants

c) I went to the toilet and threw up on the bathroom floor

d) I got home and went to bed with a bucket and threw up the next morning

e) All of the above



It was still a good night though, but the hangover was so god-awful it made the man look like a health nut. The lesson really is to eat lots! You think I would have already learned this lesson at uni. We had nibblies but dinner is a must. I also didn't have a big lunch at work which doesn't help.



Saturday was a misery, and we had to drive to Ocean Grove for the man's Uncle Jumpy's 60th. The Fankhauser bunch are notorious for their drinking skills, and I copped it all day for my behaviour on Friday night. I even acquired another nickname, 'Triple J', or Jen Jumpy Junior. Later abbreviated to 'T.J' or 'Teege'. I have a horrible feeling it will stick. Jumpy's real name is Peter and I've never heard him called anything except Jumpy.



Now is a particularly bad time to decide to 'not drink'. I just need to eat more WHILE I drink, drink in moderation (ta Dad)...and maybe ..just maybe...drink less.



For all those reading who thought I was a good person. Well I'm sorry. I felt embarrassed about it until everyone who heard the story the next day recounted their own 'the most drunk I've ever been was when' story.



Please, please add in a comment and share your own.





- Jen

It's cool to know nothing - SOTM November 2008

I know. I'm a bad bad blogger. But I've still got Song of the Month for you.

I've lost my blogging mojo! Hopefully I'll get it back soon otherwise my end of year recap is going to be very short. I blame Telstra!!

Anyway SOTM is 'Never miss a beat' by the Kaiser Chiefs, you can view the very weird clip here.

Reminds me of going home after school and my parents asking 'what did you do today'...'nothing', 'what did you learn today?'...'nothing'.

- Jen