I tried first last week, but I have tried a few times since to walk up the stairs to the other floors of our office instead of taking the lift. I plan my shoes and clothes so that it's possible (heels or sometimes girly flats can get dangerous). Today I jogged all the way from level 1 to level 8! Our highest floor is 12, so that is something to aim for.
Even though it's only a few minutes of exercise, I feel like i'm getting fit. My legs can certainly feel it, and my lungs certainly struggle too!
Stupid headset design
Monday afternoon at the moment, and I have done one job. I installed the second attempt at a bluetooth headset for a PAs desk phone. The first one broke after one day of use. I think the problem is not necesarrily the user, but the research that when into buying the product. Clearly there are great pieces of hardware to make one's life easier, and this is not one of them. It is fragile and difficult to set up, let alone a stupid design. Let me paint you a picture...
The wireless bluetooth headset has a range of attachments for your preference, from the ear-clip style to the headband with one ear, to the adjustable headband style. Cool, user choice, pretty good ideas, fine. The headset sits on a dock to charge, which wires into a power pack (a big mo-fo to step down the power because it doesn't need much), as well as wiring into the desk phone. There are about 4 cables required on top of the single cable the phone uses. OK, so we have a bluetooth headset to reduce cabling... and have quadrupled the number of cables required?
But that isn't even the stupid part of the design... one of the cables leads to this mechanical device that you attach to your desk phone with double sided sticky pads (semi-permanently). What is this mechanical device for? Well, you may well ask... For a phone that is entirely capable of being used with a range of headsets and speaker phone, no need to raise the handset at all, this is laughable. This mechanical attachment raises the phones handset in order to answer the phone or even make a call. Once raised, the call goes through the handsfree base and via bluetooth to the headset. When the call is ended by pressing the button on the headset (or one on the base) the phone's handset is lowered and the call is ended.
Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous in this day and age? It's as though the headset is trying to accomodate for phone models pre 1995 or something! You know those old telstra phones with the big square buttons? The ones that you had to wire an answering machine to, or if you were special you could use some of telstras functions by pressing various number buttons.
Not only is this handset a very silly design, it was very difficult to figure out - apparently it took 4 guys in IT looking at it to figure it out in the first place.... although I do wonder if this was not due to its complicated nature, rather the tendancy for IT guys to refuse to use the instruction manual.... either way, not only that, but the headset was physically broken within one day of operation! It was the tiny connection between the dock and the headset that charges it - it had bent and snapped right off! We sent it right back and I installed the replacement today.
I told the PA to be very careful with it because it is fragile. I hope this is the last we hear of it.
The wireless bluetooth headset has a range of attachments for your preference, from the ear-clip style to the headband with one ear, to the adjustable headband style. Cool, user choice, pretty good ideas, fine. The headset sits on a dock to charge, which wires into a power pack (a big mo-fo to step down the power because it doesn't need much), as well as wiring into the desk phone. There are about 4 cables required on top of the single cable the phone uses. OK, so we have a bluetooth headset to reduce cabling... and have quadrupled the number of cables required?
But that isn't even the stupid part of the design... one of the cables leads to this mechanical device that you attach to your desk phone with double sided sticky pads (semi-permanently). What is this mechanical device for? Well, you may well ask... For a phone that is entirely capable of being used with a range of headsets and speaker phone, no need to raise the handset at all, this is laughable. This mechanical attachment raises the phones handset in order to answer the phone or even make a call. Once raised, the call goes through the handsfree base and via bluetooth to the headset. When the call is ended by pressing the button on the headset (or one on the base) the phone's handset is lowered and the call is ended.
Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous in this day and age? It's as though the headset is trying to accomodate for phone models pre 1995 or something! You know those old telstra phones with the big square buttons? The ones that you had to wire an answering machine to, or if you were special you could use some of telstras functions by pressing various number buttons.
Not only is this handset a very silly design, it was very difficult to figure out - apparently it took 4 guys in IT looking at it to figure it out in the first place.... although I do wonder if this was not due to its complicated nature, rather the tendancy for IT guys to refuse to use the instruction manual.... either way, not only that, but the headset was physically broken within one day of operation! It was the tiny connection between the dock and the headset that charges it - it had bent and snapped right off! We sent it right back and I installed the replacement today.
I told the PA to be very careful with it because it is fragile. I hope this is the last we hear of it.
Tech support
This week I am filling in for a tech support person from my old workplace. The job is for two weeks, and involves installing computers, headsets, phones etc and solving peoples printer and general tech problems. There is also a service desk who take all the calls and deal with all things that can be done remotely, I am essentially the legs of the operation and do whatever needs doing in person.
I'm surprised at how easily I have slotted into the job, not having strictly done it before. I haven't found anything that I couldn't do past asking a simple question here or there and quite frankly it's a very boring job! I'm very glad this is two weeks, and that I have since learned about other jobs I can do so that I don't fall into a tech support career. It's fun hanging out with the nerds though :-)
The other thing I've found so far is how many people want to know where i've been, what I'm doing here now, and what my plans are now that uni is finished. It's the same questions every time: "Alex! I haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?" "Are you happy uni is finished?" "How long are you around for?" "What are your plans next?". I'm just thankful that I can tell them definitively that I have a job starting in January as a Business Analyst. A nice easy answer, instead of telling them i'm looking for work and feeling awkward about it.
I also realised that there are a number of people here that I don't like running into because they're nosey with no good intentions, and talking to them feels forced and awkward. On the other hand there are many who I am genuinely happy to see and catch up with. I'm glad to be here for a short time, and to know what's happening later. It's a nice clean progression.
I'm surprised at how easily I have slotted into the job, not having strictly done it before. I haven't found anything that I couldn't do past asking a simple question here or there and quite frankly it's a very boring job! I'm very glad this is two weeks, and that I have since learned about other jobs I can do so that I don't fall into a tech support career. It's fun hanging out with the nerds though :-)
The other thing I've found so far is how many people want to know where i've been, what I'm doing here now, and what my plans are now that uni is finished. It's the same questions every time: "Alex! I haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?" "Are you happy uni is finished?" "How long are you around for?" "What are your plans next?". I'm just thankful that I can tell them definitively that I have a job starting in January as a Business Analyst. A nice easy answer, instead of telling them i'm looking for work and feeling awkward about it.
I also realised that there are a number of people here that I don't like running into because they're nosey with no good intentions, and talking to them feels forced and awkward. On the other hand there are many who I am genuinely happy to see and catch up with. I'm glad to be here for a short time, and to know what's happening later. It's a nice clean progression.
Redecorations
I am undertaking a number of big projects this summer, hopefully before I start working in a real job, but they may spill over into future weekend times.
The first, redecorating my childhood room at my folks place. I have lived away from home for almost 4 years now (with a few months here and there of rebounding), so it's time to turn it into a guest room. It's not mine any longer. Besides, when I do come and visit I'd at least like a double bed to sleep in!!
So the plan is as follows:
1. to chuck/store all of my posessions
2. pull out the built in desk, drawers and shelves
3. repaint - it has actually not been painted in 20 years, it still has just a white undercoat on the walls
4. re-floor - take up the coyer matting carpet which is horrible on bare feet, and put down wood or pretend wood floors
6. Put in a nice big bed, freestanding shelves and some nice antiquey things.
Currently we are making plans for what is going to happen, and I'm trying very hard to reduce my worldly goods. It is hard work. I have nowhere to put them, so i'm trying to get rid of as much as possible. A big one is throwing out my collection of DANCE Australia magazine... there's about three magazine holders full of them, but I just can't justify the space because i'm probably not going to read them again. It's really mentally difficult to get rid of this stuff you've held onto for years. In the keeps pile are all the programs from dance and theatre performances I've collected, magazines and newsletters that feature friends in them, and a big bunch of school work. I know the school stuff will reduce more in later years, but right now i can't bring myself to let them go. Thank god everything is done online these days!
I'm moving my desk area into my brother's room so that I have somewhere to work while I'm here. I think it'll be good to separate my concentrating space with the train wreck that will soon be this bedroom. Looking forward to things happening, maybe this weekend.
Domino's Pizza Post Eating
So the Pizza wasn't that good, but the ordering system was fun. Probably won't use it again. Might try Pizza Hut's one next time.
Domino's are making my pizza online
Domino's online store are making my pizza!!!Wiesel and I were trying to find menus online so that we could order what we wanted for dinner tonight, and we came across "Order Online". So being the lovable geeks we are, we had to give it a go. It's a few dollars more expensive than picking it up from our local non-chain shop, but for the thrill of ordering online, and the luxury of cheesy crusts we gave it a go.
You are given the choice of credit card or cash on delivery, and we chose credit so that we don't have to go and get cash out. And once the order went through, they show us this beautiful flash animation of the status of our pizza!! First stage was "At store", then it progressed to "Making", and then "Cooking", all the while the clock ticking around and placing markers for each change.
The geek in the both of us is very excited watching this clock... I just hope the pizza is as technologically advanced as the ordering system!
On a side note, we started the same process through pizza hut first, but they wanted to charge 8 dollars for delivery, where Domino's included the delivery in the cost of the pizza. Came to the same price in the end, but the Domino's system is way cooler!
Week 13 is over
I feel a bit weird not blogging this week, so i thought i might start a new blog. It's going to be about what happens after uni... Alex Post Uni. Although uni hasn't really finished yet, there are no more classes, and everything is drawing to an end. I'm thinking about the future and trying to come up with plans, but finding it very difficult. I don't think the next few months can really be planned because it depends so much on others.