New Post. Just Sayin'.

Okay, okay, okay.

Sheesh.

Take a week or 12 off and people get testy . . .

So I'm still working at the cruise line, still loving the job, yay! I'm getting better at it, call by call, bit by bit. We have a new system in place that allows me to give callers my extension if they want to work exclusively with me on their bookings. I'm slowly building a clientele, something I expected to do much later on, not this soon. But it's all working out quite well. I guess. If not, I'm sure I'll get a memo at some point . . .

By the way, the picture was taken in December on one of our ships. She was in port on a turnaround day and shoreside employees got to do a visit for lunch and a show. Did I manage to put enough cruise jargon in that sentence? Don't even get me started on fore & aft, port & starboard, traditional or anytime dining, etc., etc., etc.

While I like working in a group again (as opposed to working at home), it's been a bit of an adjustment getting used to a corporate society. My husband and I can't just say, "We're going on vacation" or "We're going away for the weekend" on a whim anymore. And I can't just say to my boss, "Hey can I have the week of ______ off?" Apparently I have to submit a request through the computer system to Staffing and they'll let me know, presumably through the same system. I'd rather just go find this mysterious "Staffing" and find out what's available--I'm flexible; I have no set dates in mind yet for a week off this summer. Why go through the process of trying to figure out a week and then probably being told I can't have it?! I'm one the of the newest employees, thus bottom of the totem pole. I'm fine with seniority; I just don't want to waste my precious free time on a possibly futile endeavor.

But, since I tend to roll with the punches these days, I'm fairly certain things will work out one way or another.

Otherwise, no complaints. I'm glad I'm on the team I'm on and I'm glad my station is where it is. There's a LOT of gossip and hearsay and wrong information being bandied about on "the other side" of the office--it's an open-plan space, but divided by the stairwells, elevators, restrooms, etc. We get snippets of it from our classmates who sit over there, and while we eat it up, we're glad WE don't have to be in the middle of it all day long! The 3 people from my class that I work next to are all funny and easy to get along with--and none of us really "participate" in office politics. We're all happy to have jobs and are there to make money--and of course, have fun doing it, if at all possible!

Working on the computer all day and taking with people on the phone all day means I've cut down drastically on my online time at home! I check in with emails and facebook nearly every day, but don't spend hours at it any more. Maybe if I had a smartphone and could keep up with fb at work between calls, I'd have more comments to make, but I don't miss it that much. I think I keep up with what's important and the rest will work itself out without my participation. As it should!

So that's been my main focus these last weeks and I'm sorry for not posting sooner! I'll try to post more often, maybe start a "Funny Stuff People Said on the Phone Today" or "Another Question Someone Asked About Something That Wouldn't Even Occur To A Reasonable Person . . ."

Until then, Bon Voyage!