Wholly hell. I never expected to be linked to such an amazing blog as Suburban Limbo, but there you go! There I go! And he read me too!! I am amazed and surprised.... and a bit hung over from last night. I will now try harder to have and share real original and intereting thoughts, but not today.

We went to a basketball game. The basketball here is a bit like college basketball but held in a facility that looks like a very poor Midwestern school gymnasium. It's not their sport of choice. Most Kiwis are into rugby, cricket, even field hockey has a better facility here locally. I know some of the players and they're mainly good guys. The leagues import the odd foreign player and my ex and I even hosted a really nice Canadian guy and his girlfriend a few years ago. The Imports come over for the lifestyle and travel experience, not the money. The players play because they love the game. It’s semi-professional so some of them get paid a bit for their time and effort. Most of them have a day job as well.

There was far too much drinking going on. My head hurts. It has a high pitched pinch in it somewhere that I have to get rid of or else I think if will explode or implode. I’m off to take a bath. No more wine for a good while.

posted by KiwiChick at 3:15 PM

**<-->**
PEOPLE WHO JUST SHOULDN'T BE IN BUSINESS
I worked at his office where the bosses wife worked. Actually, I've done this a few times and always swear to never do it again. This last time, the wife was meant to work as the receptionist, but she was utterly useless. I was the other member of the admin. 'team' but there was a fairly loppsided work load, as you could imagine. I slowly took over things she was meant to do but was so utterly useless at them, it got in the way of the general running of the office and was pissing off clients. There was no training, no job description and no cooperation from her or her clueless husband. The only saving grace was the brilliant group of co-workers he had somehow managed to con into working for him. Few of them are left now. When I left, he docked my pay for days I took off sick, but then made up the work for. He paid me for them at the time. I guess it was easier to make the cheque out for the same amount than it was doing the math. The guy is an accountant, for dog's sake. What he did was very illegal and now he's stalling and making excuses instead of paying me my money. I spoke to one of the girls who stayed a bit longer after I left. She said that not only did he admit to being wrong but he was determined to dig his toes in and not pay. It's a piddly amount of money too. Something like $700. She also said that this last Christmas, he presented the staff with a 20 page collective contract. It's the law here to have contracts for workers. Needless to say the staff laughed and threw it back at him, unsigned. The law has been in place for, lets see, about 7 years, and he's never had contracts or job descriptions for his staff. Very illegal in itself. Like I said, he is utterly useless and his turn over of staff is astounding. His name is John B. (Mick) Lloyd and he runs his office out of Mount Maunganui in NZ. I just felt that I needed to exercise my freedom of speech here and put this all in writing. I've just got off the phone with the labour lawyer I put it in the hands of. He knows it's not really worth his time to pursue it and I understand that competely, but he's a mate of a mate, and, now that he has a feel for what sort of asshole Mick is, he's happy to keep bashing away at it when he gets the chance. He's suggested that, if it's ok with me, he register the complaint with the proper government agency so that it's on the public record and they can take any action if they feel the need. I told him to go ahead. Employers like him make me so angry.

I need to get positive because I'm looking for work (again). Now that I'm back from the States and some of my other committments have been met, I need to earn some major dosh so I can get to Europe. Send me all the positive energy you can spare.
posted by KiwiChick at 3:41 PM

If he can stand it so can I...... to borrow a quote....So, I'll carry on too.

He talks of cathartic experiences.... I've had them. Not only did they involve crying until my guts hurt, but a police interrogation room, taking off my clothes and a few days in the psych ward..... I guess crying just isn't enough for some people..... ;o)

It was ANZAC day today and I always cry a lot on ANZAC day. I watch the movies about Gallipoli and Chunuk Bair and curse the English. I'm more Kiwi than Yank. I have an affinity to this, my adopted country. Reminds me of something I told a friend once when she told me she was adopted and was having trouble with it... "Hey, you were wanted by your parents. I'm the last of NINE kids, do you think I was planned?" So, I was born in America, but chose to live in New Zealand. Yank by accident, Kiwi by choice. I can't really explain how I feel about this country. When I try to put it into words it sounds so stupid. I like the way the ground smells after a rain. I like the way the clouds form and how they cast shadows on the hills and mountains and walking on the beach in the winter. I like how you can drive for a few hours and see tropical forests, beaches miles long, deserts and snow capped mountains. I like the fact the Lord of the Rings was filmed here and that I've seen it three times and plan to see it two more times before it leaves the movie theatres. I like that they spell differently here. 'theatres' and 'cheques' and 'programme' I told you it sounded stupid. I'm planning on leaving these shores for yet a stranger place. I'm excited about it because, as he put it, I'll be with my first love and my current love and there will be a happily ever after. And no, we haven't talked about our current love lives here. This log is just for him, really, and for me, of course.

My dog is drinking out of his bowl. I've been allowed to have him upstairs instead of in the garage and I'm so pleased. He's a great dog and I'll miss him.

As I was saying, I'm leaving this paradise for another, stranger paradise. The reason I'm leaving is love, because there is never any other reason. It's lightening bolt sort of love. The sort of love that hits you on the side of the head and demands to be recognised. The sort of love that legends are made of. Moves mountains and continents sort of love. We can't believe we let it get away the first time, but we were young and, I can't speak for him, but I didn't have any reference for comparison. Nearly 20 years later, I do and what we had, correction, HAVE is light years more amazing and more RIGHT than anything I've experienced... and I've experienced a bit. So, yes, he can be difficult. I don't have a psych degree either but he seems mildly manic/depressive (you should have heard him on the phone when he bought, of all things, a double bass!!) It seems minor in comparison to the feelings I get when I'm with him. He's a brilliant mind and he's sensitive and I love every nuance of him. So, bring on the waves and troughs. I'll be a life boat. I'm excited. So, the planning continues and I deal with the challenges in order to attain my goal.

I really need to get better about looking after my Graves Disease. I took the dog for a walk this morning and my pulse got up to 184. The medication just doesn't seem to do much. Granted, I hadn't taken any beta-blockers before hand, but it pisses me off that this stupid condition is rampaging through my system. It's just like the damn English at Chunuk Bair. Ordering in the artillery when I've got it all under control and fucking up the whole thing, killing me. Well, hopefully it won't kill me, but I got a bit worried this morning. The bloody condition eats away at muscle tissue because I'm hyper and I get so damn weak and it pumps up the appitite and heart rate. Then I want to eat all the time and my periods stop and I get puffy. I haven't had one in three months, more info than you wanted?? So, it's bad and I've already had a Dr. on the phone bawling me out when he got the results of a recent blood test. I know it's the pressure from looking after Mom and sorting things out here so that I can be with my one true love, but it should settle down soon, shouldn't it? Well, on that note, I should turn into bed. The other things this damn disease does is give me insomnia and make me shake and get all emotional... I hate it. Hope I dream of my love.....


posted by KiwiChick at 7:29 AM