Wow, we've entered 2011 and I am sure that it's going to be a wonderful year, it's gotta be better than 2010, don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, but a lot of bad stuff did go down last year. Saying that though we get out of life what we put into it, so I'm going to be more positive and outgoing. I was looking through my old profile pictures on facebook and thought that I could reminisce with you fine people out there...
Todays picture is courtesy of my 23rd birthday party - many years ago now :D It was a costume party- the theme was toys, I went as a Living Dead Doll and my friend went as a Panda bear...
I was working at an opticians at the time, I had been there for 2 years and I was incredibly close to all of the wonderful people that I worked with. I remember when I went for the job, I thought that it was going to be a small team of uptight people and I was unsure I even wanted to work there, however the money was good and it was a 'grown up job'. I was working at a cinema at the time and the opticians had asked me to an interview, I had nothing smart enough to wear and true to form I left it until the last possible minute to think about getting interview clothes. The night before my interview I went in to Asda and bought the cheapest suit they had in the sale, it was this hideous biscuit brown skirt and jacket and it was 2 sizes too big - I looked a state, they probably gave me the job out of pity.
In my interview I had to impress not one but two people, I am confident and outgoing so I wasn't really worried about that aspect of it. The man who interviewed me was lovely, I was sure I had impressed him, he was very open, the woman however seemed not at all impressed with me, and I got the vibe that she didn't like me at all, I remember I left that interview and phoned my mum, I told her that I didn't get the job, that I had blown it. So imagine my shock when not only did I get the job, but that woman would go on to become one of my closest friends.
It's not often that you can say that your bosses are your friends too, but the opticians was an incredibly social place to work, the true definition of a team, and as such when my 23rd birthday rolled around and I threw a party I invited everyone and they all turned up - and they turned up in costume too! Hazel came as a panda bear, because she is obsessed with them, she had gone to so much effort making her costume and she looked incredible! All I remember her doing that night was going up to my friends - men that she didn't even know and groping them - she was the groping panda! There are tons of pictures of her in action. I actually think as that picture was taken she was going in for a grope of the birthday girl!
Hazel and I have so much in common it's a little strange, but it also made working for her that much easier, I knew how far I could take a joke, I would never overstep the limits and take advantage of our friendship and Haze never takes any crap from anyone anyway.
One of my favourite memories of her came from the days when I worked in the office. It was my job to answer calls, organise doctors letters etc and there was a toilet right next door to the office - not always pleasant - but at least I saw people as they went to and fro from the toilet. Because the toilet was well used and often 'odouress' we had copious amounts of air freshener.
The air freshener was usually a life saver, but someone made the grave error of buying a rose scented air freshener. It wasn't one of those that got rid of a stench, it just tarted it up. I can't tell you the amount of times I was assaulted with the revolting stench of a trussed up turd.
Hazel found my hatred for the rose scented freshener hilarious and would often tease me about it.
One day in December, I was being driven insane because not only was it freezing in our tiny office, I had the space heater on and the door closed to keep the warmth in, it was also dead, the phones weren't ringing, I was nearly all caught up with my work, I was finding myself tasks because otherwise the day drags, so I'm sitting getting absorbed in filing when I hear this strange hissing noise.
I have no idea what the hell it is, and I'm looking around our tiny office in confusion wondering what the noise is and whether it should disturb me, then just as suddenly I'm assaulted by the sickly stench of the rose air freshener, and it's so thick in the air it's burning my throat. I try to get out of the office only to find that the door is stuck!
Turns out that Hazel making the most of her lunch break had wedged the door shut and was spraying the rose air freshener through the keyhole in the door.
I'm sure that office still smells of roses three years on.
No comments:
Post a Comment