(Or possibly just lots of thunder and lightning?)
Gee, do you think they might be expecting some storms?
Wouldn’t want to be in Cooly tonight. They are going to be BOMBARDED.
ETA: Radar’s looking fun, too.
ETA 2: WTF??? I really hope these don’t all converge on us. LOL I think that is probably the most storm cells I’ve seen on one map ever.
Received a recommendation from an online friend (Brisbane-based) that LINK Recruitment are apparently very good. She couldn’t speak of them highly enough. So I had a quick look around the website and found this ad - sounds good to me!
I ended up doing a sort of ‘letter of introduction’ to accompany the resume, to explain what I was looking for and my recent background with the govt departments.
Dear Bree
Please consider this cover letter and the accompanying resume as my application for the temporary pool advertised on the LINK Recruitment website.
I am currently interested in both short and long-term temporary full-time roles with government departments. As I live on the Bayside and only have access to public transport, I would prefer roles that are based within the CBD itself.
Whilst my resume highlights essential skills, knowledge and experience I possess, I would like to take this opportunity to expand further upon my skills and background.
For the past 16 months, since moving back to Brisbane, I have been working within the Queensland Government as a Human Resource Officer at the AO3 and AO4 levels. The majority of my employment was with the Recruitment Services Team in Shared Service Agency (formerly Corporate Solutions Queensland) followed by a short stint with Corporate Capability within Department of Mines and Energy.
Much of my work involved a heavy client focus and gave me ample opportunity to speak to a broad range of clients, both internal and external, at all levels. The customer service I provided included, but was not limited to, recruitment and selection advice (referring to relevant legislation and government policies), answering payroll enquiries (and liaising with payroll as needed), responding to general enquiries from non-government clients, and liaising with other government department, branches and regions as required.
While my previous roles as a HR Officer required little in the way of general administration, I am not unfamiliar with the duties associated with Administration Officers and Assistants and would feel confident undertaking any roles of this nature.
My general computer skills are considered Advanced. I have been using computers daily for well over 10 years. I am largely self-taught, through genuine personal interest, and feel extremely capable using any programs based on the Windows platform. As well as constant use of the MS Office Suite, my computer skills encompass extensive experience with email (Outlook/Outlook Express), internet/intranet (Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla Firefox), Adobe Acrobat Reader, FTP, HTML, CSS, and Windows 95 through to Windows XP. I have also had extensive experience with the Aurion and SAP Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) used by Queensland Government departments.
I am available to start immediately. I’m not afraid of hard work and I love the thought of a job that will get my brain working and foster my need for professional and personal growth.
If you are looking for a person who can move quickly into a position and has a broad range of skills available to call upon, I would love an opportunity to speak with you. I can be reached on xxxx xxx xxx.
As a matter of interest, LINK Recruitment was recommended to me by a friend. She had used LINK Recruitment previously and couldn’t speak highly enough about the company and her consultant, hence my application.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Fingers crossed something comes of it! 
I had an appointment with a new consultant at Select Appointments earlier this afternoon. I originally re-registered with them back in early July but the first consultant I got was HOPELESS (Bridget). She only got me an interview for one job (which she never actually confirmed with the place 
) and then I never heard from her again. WTF??
So I got a card from a former Select temp at DME before I left there. I gave that chick a call - she was no longer working there but I set up an appointment with her replacement.
A few things became apparent when I came in today. Martine (the consultant) was quite nice, though I thought her a bit standoff-ish at first. She asked me if I’d filled in all the registration forms out the front when I first came in. This is a paraphrased version of the conversation.
Sarah: But… I already filled those in. I re-registered about 2-3 months ago…
Martine: Really?
S: Yeah, it was in July.
M: Oh. That wasn’t all that long ago…
S: No, not that long at all.
M: *taps on the keyboard* Ohhhhh. Okay. I think I see what happened. When you came in last, they didn’t update your records to show you were active again. So it was showing your original registration date. (Note: I originally registered with them back in Feb 2005…)
S: *mentally headdesks*
S: Oh. Right. 
So that TOTALLY explains why Bridget and NO OTHER BLOODY CONSULTANTS have phoned me in all that time. For frell’s sake! 
Anyway, the rest of the meeting seemed pretty good. I only had to redo the WH&S questionnaire thingy and she got an idea what I’m looking for - general admin, but HR stuff is okay considering I’ve been doing it for the last 16+ months and know it pretty well. I also specified I’d prefer to stay with govt departments.
Fingers crossed I get something out of it now that my records are updated! 
Mum asked if Martine would be calling me or if I had to call her - I said I’d wait for Martine’s call this week, but if I hadn’t heard anything by Friday morning I was calling her back. *nods*
I am soooooo glad I’m not on the whale watch today.
Check out where the 2 northern storm cells are (and are heading).
Right where my boat was 2 days ago!!!!!!
If I was finding it bumpy on Wednesday being so close to open water (towards the northern part of the island), I can only imagine what it would be like today. Eep!
Totally different topic but is now the best time to be buying stuff from the US, or what? I went and priced The Ultimate Matrix Box Set (10 discs) which is $99.95 (and out of stock) at EzyDVD. However, with the AUD doing so well against the greenback, check this out.
I can get the same 10-disc boxset (granted, Region 1 but I have a multiregion player) for US$36.99 at Amazon with US$7.98 shipping, for a grand total of US$44.97… or AU$49.32!!!
Less than HALF PRICE on what it would cost out here, AND it includes postage. 
Yeah, the temptation is definitely there…
Am back from the whale watch, which was awesome. I won’t go into it much (other than to say, well, it was awesome *g*) because my back has been giving me some trouble the last few days and decided to EXPLODE in pain this afternoon. Lovely. So it’s off to the lounge with the heat pad for me. Ouch.
Anyway, whale watch = awesome. Weather = fantastic. No seasickness = w00t! No sunburn = bonus!
Oh, and the whales we saw were a mum and her calf. Awwww.
Two photos and a video (!!!) to tide you over until I go through the other 181 *dies* photos. *nods*
Click thumbnail for muuuuch larger image
Video link - right-click & save, ta
[NB: Video is approx 10 mb and .avi format]
Also? My body feels like it’s rocking, like I’m still on the boat. It’s going to be fun in bed tonight!
Gee, I wish I could say I was shocked.
Sorry, Hugh darl. Not even you could make me watch this…
Of course I could be slightly biased because Blackpool and David Tennant were so brilliant…
While I used all last week as time to veg-out and de-stress and whatnot, I wanted my last (well, at this stage this is my last) week of holidays to be getting out a little bit and doing holiday-ish type thing. The original plan was to spend a few days down the coast with my grandparents but we didn’t realise my Gran’s knee operation was coming up so quickly. Long story short, now isn’t the best time to be staying with them, which is TOTALLY understandable.
Anyway, it left me at a bit of a loose end so I’ve decided to get OUT of the house and do something I’ve never done before… I’m going whale watching on Wednesday. 
Can’t WAIT! In all the years I lived in Kingscliff (about 15 years, give or take a bit) I never saw a whale go by during the migration periods - can you believe it? And I’ve wanted to do the whale watching thing for aaaages so I thought “Right! Perfect opportunity!”
Wednesday is really my only spare day, other than today… but I’ve left my run a bit late to do anything for today. LOL Doesn’t matter - I have Season 5 “The West Wing” eps to keep me busy.
So far, the week is filling up:
Next week I’ll be back to looking for work but at this point I’ll just be happy with some casual temping stuff, which means checking out Select, Kelly Services, Hays, etc. Thankfully, my termination pay from DME was enough that if I don’t find work immediately next week, I’m still covered for rent and stuff. Phew!
Oh thank you God the Boks won the World Cup final. *relief*
And, MAN, are THOSE some words I thought would never ever pass my lips…
So, that makes South Africa tied with Australia for no. of world cups won.
1987 - NZ (in NZ/Australia)
1991 - Australia (in England)
1995 - South Africa (in South Africa)
1999 - Australia (in Wales)
2003 - England (in Australia)
2007 - South Africa (in France)
Final score was ENG 6 - 15 SA. Have to say I’m rather unimpressed by the fact that there were no tries scored. A World Cup FINAL scored (and won) only by penalties? *rolls eyes* Thrilling, I’m sure.
I’ve only got up about half an hour ago and Ch 10 are doing the post-game wrap-up stuff (medals/trophies have already been presented). It’s nice FINALLY hearing “The World in Union” as I don’t think they’ve played it all tournament… :-\
Neighborhood Hazard (or: Why the Cops Won’t Patrol Brice Street)
I haven’t laughed so hard in AGES.
Beck (who also sent the link for How to Drive in Beijing) was responsible for providing today’s hilarity. She always has the best links. 
Saw this on a friend’s blog and couldn’t resist sharing.
1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of the term ‘died in the arse’?
2. What is a bloody little beauty?
3. Are these terms related?: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?
4. Explain the following passage: ‘In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her
block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of a biffo.”
5. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?
6. Complete the following sentences:
a) “If the van’s a rockin’ don’t bother…
b) You’re going home in the back of a…
c) Fair crack of the…
7. I’ve had a gutful and I can’t be fagged. Discuss
8. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?
9. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard ‘up on blocks’? Is his name Bruce and does he have a wife called Cheryl?
10. Does your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either Chow Mein, chop suey or Kai See Ming?
11. What are the ingredients in a Rissole?
12. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.
13. Do you have an Aunty Irene who smokes 30 cigarettes a day and sounds like a bloke?
14. In any two hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two serves of pav washed down with someone else’s beer that has been flogged from a bath full of ice?
15. When you go to a bring-your-own-meat barbie can you eat other people’s meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?
16. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter ‘B’ is required by law to be included in a hamburger with the lot?
17. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or Ugg boots?
18. Is it possible to ‘prang a car’ while doing ‘circle work’?
19. Who would you like to crack on to?
20. Who is the most Australian: Kevin ‘Bloody’ Wilson, John ‘True Blue’ Williamson, Kylie Minogue or Warnie?
21. Is there someone you are only mates with because they own a trailer or have a pool?
22. What does ‘sinkin piss’ at a mate’s joint and ‘getten para’ mean?You may copy your mates’ answers, please submit this back to me when you have had a fair old crack.
You must have a pass rate of 45%.
