Within the next 12 hours I will find out if I can get to Perth for the CA Wells classes. That means one thing for sure … the iPod is put on hold! 😉 I’d previously requested a DVD (Mission Impossible 3 or Pirates of the Caribbean 2) or CD (Loreena McKennit’s latest one) for my birthday from Mum, but after chatting to her last night, she’s going to give me money instead if the class all goes ahead as planned. I received an email yesterday from the Perth organiser saying there are spaces in both the Pyramid Etui (only 2 left) and the Peacock Needle and Scissor Case (4 left) classes, so I jumped in and said a tentative “yes” to both, subject to getting annual leave approved from work. You see we’re only allowed 2-3 people off at any one time on the Hotline, and if someone has already got those days off, I’m stuck! But I’ll find out today what the leave register is looking like … I’ll be moving heaven and earth to get the days off, that’s for sure! So my Christmas money from Mum & Dad and Heather are now put aside for the classes … sorry iPod, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer, you see I have changed my priorities!! 😉 Mind you, there is a helluva LOT of pre-work to be done for that Pyramid Etui, so my stitching priorities will also have to be jiggled quite a bit too … meaning my rotation will likely go out the door – talking of which, I’d better get cracking on a couple of gifts and my Quaker Sampler RR, ‘cos I soon won’t have much time for it (I hope!).
And the other great news is that I heard from Brenda today – she’s my best friend’s SIL, who is a good personal friend as well, and I was supposed to go to her 40th birthday bash in Sydney in November, but had to cancel due to finances … well, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to invite her as my partner to the eXcel award night in Sydney, giving me a fun companion for the night, and chance to have a girl’s night out and catch up – I’m really looking forward to it so much now! I haven’t seen her for about 2 years, so I can’t wait! 😀 I’m also on days off just prior to the ceremony as well, so I might also try to wangle a flight up 1-2 nights early so I can catch up with Nigel as well, and actually see something of Sydney itself, as I’ve never really been there to visit 😀
Unfortunately no stitching updates today – I had hoped to finish my Christmas ornie for the weekend SAL, but the Dragon (aka Mum) decided to phone me for nearly 2 hours, and I didn’t get off the phone until 9.30pm … so no stitching done. I just have the bottom band to finish, plus the bullion stitches (I have to admit, if I’d realised there were bullion knots on this thing I wouldn’t have been as excited to start it haha – but it’s intended as a gift for someone, so it has to be done!). I should be able to finish it tomorrow, as I have a day off.
And a quick answer for Annemarie – yes, I do take a small stitching project with me on night shifts … that’s the only shift we can get away with it. The only difficulty is that it depends on which staff are on for the night whether you get inundated with calls/questions, or if there are any dramas happening overseas. One of the great tricks is for the UK to release sales fares over the weekends for example, when the UK call centre is closed – and we get all the calls here … but our guys aren’t supposed to quote fares ex other countries, it has to be quoted through the “Fares Desk” (ie me!), which means it could be a busy night. Same thing if an airport gets closed due to fog etc … like the European weather last week, we got the call to help out Heathrow airport at 5am our time, with minimal staffing (although I got an official/personal thank you from the “big boss” in Sydney the other day, which is awesome). Between 11pm-2am there are just two of us on the fares/help desk (aka Senior Hotline), and between 2am-5am just one of us … so if you get stuck on a call everyone else gets backed up in the queue.
Oops, sorry, that was supposed to be a QUICK answer … I must have mislaid my dictionary and forgot the true meaning of the word haha. I usually just take small projects because I may only get one or two stitches in between the next call, and it’s really easy to lose your place etc – but then again I’ve also had a few nights when it’s been really experienced people on duty and no dramas happening and I’ve managed to get a fair bit done … but I’m also quite tired as well, and it’s easier to miscount and make mistakes, so I leave anything I have to ‘think about’ at home. Funnily enough, I just started thinking about projects to kit up and take with me this week! 😀
Feather Stitching 
Noooo! Don’t go to Perth. I wan’t her to come to Melbourne. Wahhhh! (vbg)
I have my name down for the CA Wells class in Melb but we do have a long way to go to get the numbers don’t we. If I could, I would fly over to Perth with you but it ain’t gonna happen. I’ll go buy a tattslotto ticket and get back to you if I win. LOL
Fingers crossed. We might get lucky and find some more interested people. ;o)
Crossed fingers and toes for you! 🙂 So if she comes to Melbourne will you have to go to those classes too? 😉
Wow, thanks for your er… lengthy answer. You know, I always made sure I got the quiet shifts (i.e. Sunday and Monday nights), when sometimes I wouldn’t get more than ten calls (which lasted about 30 seconds per call. Looking up a phone number isn’t as much work as the stuff you do).
I do hope you can get time off for the CA Wells classes in Perth. They sound like such fun!!!
Your opportunity to participate in the CA Well’s event sounds wonderful. I hope it all works out for you. It should be worth the juggling of other things.
Ooh, I love that Pyramid Etui. Good luck with getting a space on the class 🙂
Really hope you get to go to the CA Wells class. The Pyramid Etui is absolutely gorgeous!!