It was very much a case of shut up and do the job and you *might* get any days off you need for whatever reason. The shifts were all over the place, up and down, never the same and no regularity to them. And you never knew how many, if any, days off you had accrued. It was an arduous task to apply for any time off.

I think I ultimately became a manager to protect the young kids who worked there from the nazi-like regime of the store manager.

Ultimately I needed to be thinking of myself. Protecting the kids, while a need that was not being met at that store, was not worth damaging myself. I would come home crying at what a hot/cold one-friend-at-a-time the store manager was, not even speaking to me, completely ignoring me, only being friendly towards me when she felt I could help her feel more about herself. She is a user. And not someone I needed in my life.

So I blocked her out of it, I distanced myself, I purposely didn’t invite her to events and gatherings.  And through shutting her out, I let her know that the power she held over me, was powerless. She didn’t hold me anymore. I was no longer the puppet for her amusement. I was stronger than that, strong enough to make my own choices and decisions, and deciding she was not going to effect me any more was the strongest best decision I ever made in my entire life.

When I was leaving, I made no secret that I was looking for another job. Others who worked there applauded my efforts and encouraged me. I often said to them after their encouraging words that if the owners really wanted to know why I was leaving all they had to do was ask. I would gladly tell them I am leaving due to the inconsistencies with the policies and the way the staff were treated.

It was a long and labour-intensive task, searching for another job, I applied for more than 300 jobs before I got the call.

When I got the phone call from my current place of employment advising me I got the job, I was over the moon. I got drunk and celebrated so much that night. So glad to be rid of the regime.

When I walked into the offices for my interview of where my new job was, I almost cried. I was so excited.

Then I started, my first day. I was so nervous I just talked, and talked, and talked. I just hoped they liked me.

Now quite a considerable time into the new role, I am so happy. Monday morning massages, friday night drinks courtesy of the company, a quiz night with all expenses paid, a fully supported, fully on board office role dealing with clients. I could not be happier and I am still so happy.

Welcome 2010!

2010 has come at last and it really does feel like 2009 has just flown by – in the most awesome way.

In one sense, I will miss 2009 and everything that happened, all those memories that were made and shared. In another, I am looking forward to making more memories in 2010!

So to recap, lets look back at the significant events in my life that happened in 2009 and the memories that made 2009 the year that rocked!

2009 – The Year That Rocked and The Events That Rocked It As I Remember Them

• I spent all New Years Eve between 2008 and 2009 waiting up for Drew at my friends house for a New Years Eve party. He arrived around 2am, after everyone had already gone to bed in their drunken stupor. I had saved him a sparkler. He set it alight and we celebrated our first New Years together with a bottle of wine.
• I spent New Years Day – January 1st, 2009, at Drew’s house after ditching work. We watched ‘Snatch’ feeling incredibly seedy from the bottle of wine and lack of sleep. It was also on this day I met the Chumps (housemates and friends).
• January 2nd saw Drew and I become official. I invited him around to my house bursting with the excitement of saying Yes, that I will be his girlfriend. He came over after he finished work around 10pm that night and we went for a drive. We wound up at the newly established Champion Lakes where Drew rescued a tiny green frog. We walked all the way around the lake – a good 2km or so, and even encountered a bridge of spiders that we attempted to cross, much to my arachnophobic  horror only to discover the other end had been closed off. We had an amazing conversation and the end of the night saw our relationship become official.
• January also saw me meeting Drew’s family for the first time. I don’t know who was more nervous about it, me, Drew, or his parents! It went well, they are very lovely people.
• February saw Valentines Day. I had to work which was unfortunate, but was surprised by Drew bringing me a dozen red roses while I was at work! All the girls were very envious that I had such a sweet man who treated me so well!
• I started a part time course at TAFE one night a week studying Applied Language – Italian
• I also moved out of my parents’ house for the first time ever after working all day on Valentines Day. I moved in with a friend who owned a house and needed a new housemate.
• March brings us to St Paddys Day and drinking Guinness at Nicholsons’ with Drew and his parents to honour their Irish heritage. I had never really had Guinness before but I took a liking to it straight away.
• I had a housewarming party to remember in March too. Certain significant events happened at the housewarming such as a girl I used to work with smashing an American Honey bottle over another of my friends’ heads (she was okay, there was glass and sticky booze everywhere though). The same girl also threw a friends’ phone on the roof of the house (Lucky he was sporty and jumped up and got it down straight away) and a few other episodes. In the end, when my friend was bottled, another friend tried to drag her backwards out of the kitchen and because they were highly drunk, they both fell backwards and he ended up tackling her. Very funny, I was just glad to have her out of my house! I’d kicked her out at that point. I am no longer friends with the girl who ruined my party and the only few times I’ve talked to her was to point out the fact.
• I moved for the second time ever in with Drew into the Chumps’.
• I was really sick for a few months. As it turns out I was pregnant and because I had the Implanon inserted in my arm, the clash of hormones made me very severely sick.
• Drew bought me a beautiful Claddagh Ring for my birthday. It is gold and has a diamond in the center. Being pregnant I’ve not wanted to wear it because my fingers were swelling at the time, but now I cant wait to get it sized down and wear it!
• As mentioned above, I became pregnant! Drew and I went through the process of antenatal classes, appointments, waiting rooms, and finally the birth of our beautiful daughter, Rosalie, on December 15th.
• So I guess another milestone is I became a Mother!
• We moved out of the Chumps’ and into the granny flat at my parents’ house
• We celebrated our first Christmas as a family
• I ended up leaving my TAFE course due to illness and pregnancy complications
• My friends Rima and Michael were married in October
• One of the guys married his Missus in March
• I went camping for the first time – Drew and I went to Dwellingup with his parents
• I stopped working due to pregnancy complications

So much more but this is already mega-long. All in all, I am very glad 2009 happened how it did. I wouldn’t change a thing! Bring on 2010!

Thankyou for taking the time to read my blog.

It is quite boring at the moment but stuff will be added soon.

Stay tuned