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Our Journey to Edmonton, Alberta
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Our Weekend trip to Fort McMurray
Yes we did it, we decided to go to Fort McMurray. Both Neil and I wanted and needed to see what all the fuss is about! One things for sure it's a long boring drive of over 400 kms.
I was quite amazed when we finally got there I thought it was going to be this grey horrible looking place but it was actually very pretty! Yes Fort McMurray and pretty in the same sentence.
We went to their Heritage Park and I'll be honest with you now we have done a fair few of this Heritage parks and have now decided to call it quits with them. Once you have seen one you have basically seen them all!
So after we had spent all of about 15 mins in there we were moving on!
I thought is would be a great idea to drive to the Atherbasca Sand Dunes, we set off past the Oil Sands which are situated 35 kms outside the town of Fort McMurray and kept driving North. After 70 kms we were faced with a gate and a warning sign! We needed to be well equipped to drive any further. The road was made out of sand and knowing us if we proceeded down it we were going to get stuck! It will have all just ended in tears. We should have both learnt our lessons by now, this is Canada and some of these roads are bad.
We had to turn the car back around and head back to Fort McMurray. It's a very isolated town the nearest place is Edmonton you only drive past a handful of communities on the way. It is the truth that house prices are ridiculously high the same house you could buy for $350,00 in Edmonton is around $700,00 in Fort McMurray!
Of course we went to the Oil Fields, we paid $35 each and to be honest it did seem like a waste of money. I was expecting to see the Oil Sands but they didn't show it us which was very disappointing and had I have known this I probally would have not done the trip! We were allowed to take photos but we are not allowed to e-mail the pictures or upload them on blogs or social etworking sites so that annoyed me even more. You have to ask for permission but it's a long process and to be honest the snaps I've got are not even worth it.
The above picture used to be an old oil sands patch and they have reclaimed the land back to how it was, I was quite impressed
One thing we did find funny was the fact that they offered the Playboy channel for free in the hotel room, I must admit I have never been in a hotel with free porn before.
All in all the place wasn't too bad, there were lots of families there and I didn't feel bothered walking around the streets. It was just like any other town, i'm sure it does have its problems but so does everywhere else, like Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver! The people in general were very friendly, and liked the fact that we came up to see what it was all about. Would I go back there, no I probally wouldn't been there, done that now. I'm glad we did it though, it did dispell some of the rumors for me.
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Posted: 07:53, Wednesday 11 August 2010 |
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Good News
So plan A might have pulled off.
Yesterday I got Neil to send my resume to the lady he deals with in HR then I decided today to follow that up with a quick e-mail from myself. Within say half hour of me sending that message she phones me on my cell phone. Her words were she was very excited that she recieved the resume from Neil yesterday and when it was followed up with an e-mail from me she was even happier.
She told me to go on line and do the approprate things on their website and in the mean time she was going to have a word with her boss, which is also Neil's boss. She said she wants someone asap and I would be perfect.
I am so giddly right now as hopefully my wage will go up and the hours will be so much better for us as a couple. The position was stated as temporary but she said it would lead to permanant I said I would be as permenant as they were to keep us in Canada. (they issue us the work permits remember)
I am happy to get back to my routes in office work as like I have said in previous posts i'm bored at the spa, I need to keep busy or time just seems to drag. So what am I going to say to my current employer? I don't think I'm going to make a big deal out of it probally just say a better offer has come my way and I would be stupid to turn it down. At the end of the day there is no personal ties there, I don't see how I would become a spa manager or have any other more responsible duties there. It has taken her a whole month to give me more hours and have me work on Saturday!
Hopefully I'll get some good holiday allowances and benifits that come along with working in a big company. I shouldn't speak too soon as I haven't been offered the job so far or even been asked for an interview but it all sounds very very promissing indeed.
I've had some odd experiences with regards to working in Canada so far, working in retail has been in my opinion one of the worst jobs. Customers can be quite nasty but you do have a good laugh with your work mates. At the spa it's more fingers on lips, pushing people to buy stuff and really working hard to get bookings for appointments, deep down is that really me? I'm happy to go back to office work, more than happy believe me and if I get this job i'll try not to complain about any aspect of office work ever again!!!!! |
Posted: 05:56, Tuesday 29 June 2010 |
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Searching for a New Job, Again.
I was sat at work today for four hours, twiddling my thumbs almost. I will admit it's bloody boring, it's not really very busy and when a customer comes in you virtually have to jump on them to get them to buy some sort of cream or book a treatment.
It's hard work at times because people like to know how much things cost and when they hear the price they generally seem to back off and walk out the door. I don't think people can afford to spend money on themselves anymore
I remember my old assistant manager at the other place I worked, her comment to me about me working in a spa was "Cassie, I think you will be bored!" Maybe people know me better than me? When I said this to Neil tonight he said he thought the same thing. He also asked if I would like him to give me advice for the next job.
My pay check was enough to push me into a sence of dispair, Crap it was $951.04 for the month! I went pale. I used to get around $700 for bi-weekly!
I've had to watch what i've been spending this last month and now i'm going to have to do the same thing this month. This is one of the reasons I need another job, I just don't have enough spending money. It's depressing to be honest, $100 or even $200 goes no where.
I started with asking the husband if there are any jobs at his company, there are four different offices around here. So my name has been put forward to the HR lady there. Remember it's not what you know it's who you know here. His company do have a couple of admin jobs available I checked there website.
Plan B is to fire off my resume left right and centre, i'm also considering going back to temping work. I loved my time as a temp in the uk, I could do that all over again.
So wish me luck and hopefully I'll be working 8 - 5 Monday to Friday pretty soon. Oh how's the diet going well it's pretty damn fantastic, i've lost 5lbs so far and i'm on my period at the moment. I've not touched 1 oz of chocolate I'm really pleased with how well i'm managing this. I haven't had a drop of wine near me since at least a month so i'm not an alcoholic, lol. I am still on the liver detox tables after this I'm going to not pop any more herbal tablets for a good month to give my body a break.
Overall I feel so much more healthy and the belly is getting flatter, some of my pants are loose which is a great sign i'm doing very well. Self Control and real determination has got me throught this.
I still go to BBQ parties we've been invited to, I just don't eat or drink at them, I explain before I go. Just because I can't eat doesn't mean I can't have a good time. I get a little teased but I have to do this for me and my nice new flatter belly that I want before it gets too hot this summer.
Anyone thinking of losing some weight, there is never a good time to start JUST DO IT!!!!!!! |
Posted: 04:38, Tuesday 29 June 2010 |
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Honeymoon period, well and truly ..........over!
What is it with me? I seem to attract everything bad in life to come and follow, I knew it was too good to be true and by this I mean my new job!
Over the last few weeks a fellow employee has been being funny with me, I wanted to address the issue because being a newbie I don't want to gain enermies in the space of a month!
My boss has always said she doesn't like gossip and if there is ever an issue she wants me to tell her.
Here's whats happened. When I first started said employee was really nice, trying to copy my accent which was kind of annoying to tell you the truth, how would she like it if I tried to immitate her philippines accent I would probally be told off for something!!! Here's that one rule for one thing coming into my work life again! Oh no Cassie, just bite your lip and be nice.
The next thing to happen was I forgot my water bottle, I was just walking down the mall and I remembered. I walked back into the shop to hear her talking to another co worker "Cassie, forgot her water bottle!" I just walked in and heard it and said "sorry ***** I forgot my water bottle" and they both started laughing which made me feel very uncomfortable now. I got the impression she was bitching.
The next thing to happen was on another of my cross over shifts with her she came in 10 mins late and I was struggling with a customer. **** came in just in time to help me so I handed it over to her explaining before what the customer wants. I ended up leaving the shop half hour late as I needed to tell her a few things before she left.
Her face was on fire, I explained what there was to do and the reaction seemed to be "I know what i'm doing Cassie!"
So over the next few days she was very cold towards me, wtf have I done? I decided to tell the daughter my feelings and she reasured me but she told me there are some things that I say in the English language that can be taken the wrong way.
She brought up this example. There was one day when my boss was serving someone and a man was just stood in the doorway. He didn't say anything when I looked at him so I said "Is everything o.k.?" He replied with "Why, shouldn't there be?" I was kind of shocked with his response. Now the daughter says that if you say this in Canada it implies that something shouldn't be o.k, that there is something wrong!
Well in England it means that i'm concerned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for being concerned.
Anyway the first night I closed which was this last Tuesday, the heating seemed to stop working in the store I was frozen and there was no hot water. I decided to only mop the back half of the store and leave the front as I was concerned about a possible slip if a customer came in. I wrote this in the communication book and said employee wrote. We always mop the floor with cold water the floor ALWAYS gets mopped. Yes the capital letters were there, and it really pissed me off. Did she think I was being lazy? I'm not lazy I just didn't want a claim going in, at my last work place we were NOT allowed to mop the floor untill the doors were shut!!!!!!!!!!!!! common sence I think.
Anyway I was pissed off and upset and decided to talk to my boss. I said I think i'm having problems with ******* and she asked why I showed her the communication book, I then told her that she had already said that the floor had to be mopped why was someone else telling me again. I explained why I had not mopped it. I also said about that time when I was struggling with the customer and her face cream and she said said employee told her I was interferring, wouldn't shut up and I keep repeating myself.
This is where I got said employees life story, how she works six days a week, she lives with her daughter on her own. Had a horrible husband she has got rid of and now after eight years has just started dating, please would someone tell me what this has anything to do with the price of fish?
I was told how said employee is probaly one of the best part time people she has ever employed better than most of her full time staff members. (insult number one, bing bing)
I was also told that I need to learn how to speak Canadian, as Canadians are very prejustice (insult number two bing bing). I was shocked to say the least. I was just addressing a concern and now she has a wall built up, wtf is the deal with that. She also told me that she hates people that lie to her(insult number three ding ding) and over fabricate situations (insult number four ding ding). This then upset me, I don't lie......... I was being honest with her. To be honest I lost it and started to cry, what kind of person was she now seeing me as? I had walked into the lions pit now just let them eat me and have done with it.
She said I need to go and have a coffee with said employee and talk it through. Hang on rewind, she said if I have any problems to go to her and anyway I don't care about wanting to get to know said employee. I come to work and work, I don't want to get to know her I get paid and go home! I have my own problems and stress, I don't need any more created by this employee. Why anyway so she can take the piss out of me?
I love how said employee can just roll up ten mins late because her other job down the mall finished at 5:30. Well mine finishes at 5:30 and generally I like to go home. Every shift she is late so why not have me untill 5:45 and have her start at 5:45pm god that would be an idea. But oh no because said employee has a "hard" life she is favorite. Saying that she rolled into work with a gucci bag the other day, wish I got paid that much.
I know the last place I was working at was bad but I don't think I can take much more of this either, where are the normal jobs?
I didn't leave my water bottle on purpose that day, nor did I have any intention of interfeering as the employee calls it. My boss told me in the interview that she would be training me to become her assistant manager and I've already said I have problems with one person, if she likes this woman so much offer her full time status. I think this said employee has a disliking to me, why should I be all sweet and kind and be shit on like that! bitch.
In my contract it said if I was to leave before a month I have to pay back any training I receive which is $60 an hour, I don't see how they can jusify that with my position. I get paid $12 and hour and the only training i've received is inbetween appointments from the estition. I also get paid monthly, i'm thinking of getting that check and finding another job asap because to be honest this boss can be bitter and I think she will just steal my wage.
To say I'm worried about not getting a reference again and even my remaining wage is an understatement! How the hell do I find these situations or should I say how do they find me? Maybe I should have shut up and left it but now its obvious said employee started bitching about me before I did her.
Anyone have any advice, if so leave a comment.  |
Posted: 06:49, Sunday 27 June 2010 |
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