30 November – first ten hour shift

Kicking out time at the call centre

My first ten hour shift. That felt like the longest day in history of world. The time did go faster than I expected, mainly because there is so little time to actually think about anything but the person on the other end of the phone. Every call feels like an unexploded bomb, you just don’t know what you’re going to get or when it’s all going to blow up in your face but maybe that’s just me. Panda keeps telling me it gets easier but I find that hard to believe.

28 November 2009 – Happy birthday Mini Commando

Happy birthday Mini Commando

My last weekend before the ten hour shifts start and it was all I could think about. Nine to five thirty at the Mad House and I’m exhausted at the end of each day, how on earth am I going to manage another two and a half hours? The thought of it coloured my day, as I went about the housework, making a shopping list, struggling up the Big Hill in the stormy morning, cooking meals for the week in the afternoon, all I could think about was the week ahead.

24 November 2009 – one to one blues

Meeting pod where everyone can see you

About an hour before lunch time Maddie told me to log off. It was time for my one to one. My heart was in my mouth as I followed her to the pod with glass walls and a glass door so everyone can see you in there. I’m pretty sure my legs were shaking.

22 November 2009 – Christmas market temptation

Colourful slippers on the German Market

Today the Christmas lights were switched on in town. We missed it, although we did go to look at the German market. What is it about us and Christmas lights? For all my bah humbug I do like the Christmas market, lots of little stalls with all sorts of interesting things, handmade wooden toys, scarves, slippers, jewellery. There is mulled wine and German sausages, the smell alone has probably made me put on a pound or two.

21 November 2009 – Pappy and remembrance

Remembrance

We meant to go up the Big Hill to the village this morning to watch Matt LeTissier switch on the Christmas lights. Not that I’m much of a fan of Christmas, I’m more a bah humbug type of girl. When Pappy died in the hunted bedroom on Christmas Eve the whole thing lost it’s magic for me. I was twelve and I’d saved my pocket money to buy him a present. It was early in the morning. I could hear Mother walking up and down in the hall outside my bedroom door saying, “what am I going to tell her?” and all the time he was in the room opposite getting colder. The bit of me that harboured Christmas spirit died too that day.

20 November 2009 – hoping for more

On target

All week I’ve been pretty good, walking to work every day, taking home made sandwiches for lunch and sticking to just one skinny latte a day so I had high hopes for my second Friday weigh in. Maybe they were a little too high. Weight had been lost but only the pound I put on in Prague. Somehow I was hoping for more but I guess it is in the right direction and its the first time I’ve lost anything since the beginning of October when I started at the Mad House. Why does it have to be so hard to get it off when it’s so easy to put it on though?

19 November 2009 – memories of the cabbage soup diet

Unfortunate consequences from horrible soup

So far this week I’m on target for my sales, I’ve got one every day and I’ve got a service contract but it feels like the pressure is never off. No sooner have I got a sale then I’m worrying about the next one and, as everyone else except Tom, is getting lots of sales every day I feel like I’m letting the team down. Next week I’m having a one to one with Maddie and I’m a bit worried what she’s going to say.

17 November 2009 – what kind of people am I working for?

A fish out of water

Today I found out a little more about Tom, the man who sits next to Maddie and always looks slightly uncomfortable and a little scared, like a fish out of water. Mind you, I know just how he feels. From the outset I thought he didn’t really seem to fit in, he hardly speaks to anyone and never comes to the canteen. This morning in team talk Maddie told him he was going to be put on special coaching and he looked like he was going to cry. I felt terribly sorry for him and it made me wonder what his story was.

14 November 2009 – entertained by the neighbours

A broken fence

Storms battered the house last night, rain pounding on the bedroom window, wind whistling down the chimney. According to the news gusts of 100 miles an hour were recorded at the Needles Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight, just a few miles away. Thankfully the floods and the worst of the storm missed Southampton although the fire station opposite the Mad House offices lost part if its roof in the early hours. Ironically crews from another fire station had to be called out to help. Lucky that didn’t happen when I was walking past on my way to the bus stop.

13 November 2009 – Friday 13th was probably not the best day for a weigh in

Not the best day for a weigh in

When I realised it was Friday 13th I very nearly abandoned my plans to weigh in but I reasoned it was just silly superstition and went ahead anyway. Maybe if I’d remembered that the only speeding ticket Commando has ever got was on Friday 13th…