tingel

Wow, it's been 2 months since I last updated my journal! Well, I've never been very regular in my posting, but I try to post something at least every months. So much has happened in the meantime and the last few weeks (with the exception of this one) have been so stressful and difficult, I didn't get anything not work-related done.

My co-worker is pregnant and she'll take her maternity leave at the end of May. She's responsible for the payroll. So we need someone to take that over till she's back which probably won't be anytime this year. One candidate who was to start this month cancelled at the last minute. We have found someone else. But she can't start before July. Which leaves us with a problem for payroll in June. So guess who has to step into the breach? Yeah, that's right, me. I'll be solely responsible for the payroll in June. We're only talking about 4000 employees and subsequent reports etc. Up till now I was only marginally involved. So, yay! I really know what I'm doing!
I mentioned above how difficult the past few weeks (basically since the beginning of the year) have been. I so needed a few days off. I had planned my vacation for this week and the next one. Now that it's been decided that I'll do the payroll in June I need to grab every chance I can get to learn from my co-worker. Next week is payroll-week. So my vacation was cancelled. I got four days off this week, but had to head in today to clear my desk for next week when I won't have a chance to do anything else. At least I managed to get everything done today. But I couldn't really enjoy my off-time. I always need time to get down from work stress. It takes about a week. So any time less than 2 weeks off is not really relaxing for me. My next chance to get a vacation will be in August at the earliest. I'm now planning on taking 3 weeks off in September. I hate having to work on my birthday. Maybe I can even travel a bit. I have this fanatsy about a week in a bungalow in Tuscany.

Okay, enough complaining! Of course there are some very positive points about this whole situation. First, I will learn a lot and it will look very good on my CV. Because, second, payroll is growing and will become a 2-man-job. So even when the new colleague starts I will still be working in payroll. If everything goes well (and my current colleague likes me a lot and promised to be only a phone call away if there should be any problems. So chances are good everything does indeed go well) I'll get a month's salary as a bonus (Tuscany!). Third this gives me the opportunity to ditch some projects that are really boring and time-consuming (mobile phones and vehicle fleet).

On a completely different note: Last month I went to a Nightwish concert and it was absolutely great! I've never been to a concert before. It was overwhelming, wonderful! I love Nightwish, and love their latsest album best!
This Sunday I'll go to a Taiko concert. I decided I absolutely had to after watching this: TAO
I saw a short Taiko performance last year by an amateur group. And that was thrilling. I can't wait to see how good this'll be. The concert is in Mainz, near my little sis's place. So we're going together and I can crash at her place.
My little sis is really settling down. After her marriage last year she and her hubby are seriously considering buying a house. They have found one they are very excited about. Buying a place will become necessary in the next few months. They're planning to have a baby (I'll be an AUNT!!!!) next year and the current place is nice, but there's no space for a kid (or kids as they want at least two).

I don't know what it is. But having babies seems to be the trend right now. I suspect it's contagious! Two of my colleagues are pregnant. A cousin of mine just became a father, another one is also pregnant. And everyone you talk to is either pregnant too or planning to be soon. It's uncanny. I'm a determined single and won't ever have kids. I can't even look properly after my house plants (they ALL die of neglect). Wouldn't do that to a baby! And the idea of how life altering having a kid is, is really scary! I like not being tied to someone else (and forever at that!) I'll stick to being an aunt and taking my nephews / nieces in for a few days, spoiling them rotten and then return them with a sugar high! :laughs:

Oops, that was longer than I expected. But that's it for now.

I just called my mom and we had a long talk. My dad is still on his tour. Right now he's on his way back in France. We hope he'll make it back for my birthday.

Mom still hasn't told him about the house. She asked the new landlord if she has time for the decision until dad is back and he assured her it would be okay. I really hope they aren't screwing her over again.

I'm glad I called her because obviously she keeps worrying about it. She's still not sleeping properly and she's angry about the broken promise. The late landlords had told them they could keep living there for the rent they're paying now for at least another 5 years. But it was only a spoken contract, no witnesses. I discussed the matter with a co-worker whose parents had bought a flat a few months ago. She showed me the homepage of a credit bank which has very good rates. The result of the online calculator looks good. I did the calculation with mom and she was surprised and reassured. She really wants to keep living there and buy the house and grounds. But she'll have to make the decision with dad, of course. She's even thought about how I could move in there later, much much later, and get the house in the end.

I don't really want to think about this though. Not about my parents growing old and dieing. Another thing is, I don't get along well with dad. That was the main reason I moved out when I did. I had the excuse of wanting to be nearer to university because then I was still in the PhD project. But it was really because my dad got unemployed and would be home all day. I knew there would be a huge fight sooner or later. And I wanted to avoid it. Better to move out when everybody was still talking with each other. Well, one condition for moving back would be my own flat in the house. If I can keep to myself when I want to it might not be so much of a problem. Besides, I have a fulltime job. Right now I leave at 7:20 a.m. and don't return before 6:30 p.m. at the earliest. That wouldn't change what with commuting and all. Well, this is really about the far future.

If dad is against buying the house (I really hope not and I can't really imagine it anyway) mom wants to move to Worms where my sister lives. That would be a huge step. She's lived her whole life here. All her friends and family are here. But now that my sister is married and is planning to have kids I can understand it I guess. The region around Worms is really nice and they definitely have better weather.

So, it all depends on dad. Just have to wait for his return. Mom is getting a bit impatient. Beside all this house issue she's missing him. Even if I don't get along with him I have to admit that they care deeply about each other, those two old love birds! Sometimes they can be really cute together! But I think mom's going to put her foot down. No more months long trips for dad. What did she say? If he wanted to live he should've done that when he was still single. :laugh: Now he has family. She doesn't feel like married when she's on her own for months! Talk about tied down. Poor dad! :grin: But she's willing to go on a two week tour with him next year. And although she's nattering about it all the time she's still proud about his accomplishment. She's planning to put up this huge 'welcome home, pilgrim' sign at the house.