Strange Notations From a Laborious Life

 Ploughing through another week. Been fairly quiet around here and at work. I’ve been sorting in my own little area everyday, no one hassling me, just getting on with the job. I sort what are known as “small parcels” or in the old terminology, “other articles” (oa’s). I won’t even go into what a small parcel is as Australia Post don’t actually seem to know but let’s just say it is bigger than an envelope and smaller than a parcel that might be sent in a postpack. They have changed the rules for oa’s from what they use to be and there is a lot of confusion about what an oa actually is so a fair bit of my job is just having to decide for myself whether I should sort it or not. I guess the easiest way to describe an oa is as a parcel that can be carried by the postie rather than delivered by a parcel van contractor. That makes it clearer doesn’t it?!
 One of the biggest problems I see in Australia Post nowadays is the pitiful state of training for the staff. In my little section I receive all the small parcel’s that are posted in Canberra every day and I sort them off. These articles come to me from a variety of areas such as street posting boxes, post offices, bulk dock area where they are streamed from the rest of the mail by my workmates, many of whom don’t appear to know what a small parcel is either. Thus I end up with several different types of mail through the day which I have to separate myself and send off to their correct areas for disposal. Of course if the managers of Australia Post can’t decide what a small parcel is then I suppose it makes it hard for the rest of us further down the food chain.
 As dull and boring as sorting mail can be I actually get a strange sense of satisfaction in the oa area. I almost enjoy sorting there! Maybe it is the fact I am left to my own devices to get the job done that I enjoy? I don’t really know but I try my best. Sometimes I think I worry about the service more than those higher above me do. But I get some satisfaction out of it.

 It seems that the “planking” craze is dying out and just as well with the injuries and deaths that it has been causing. I tried it myself but I wasn’t silly enough to do it anywhere that was dangerous. I tried it on a mail bin at work last week and got a laugh but figured that sooner or later someone dob me in and I may have had to explain myself. Just as well too as I have been told that a postie or night sorter out the back “planked” on a sorting frame and had himself filmed and put on Youtube. He was summarily fired by Australia Post! Now I don’t agree with him getting fired just for being an idiot but he probably should have known better.

My birthday approaches and it doesn’t seem to be a year since I had a party for my 40th but the calender doesn’t lie! Life is certainly slipping by at a rate of knots. The funny thing is that I feel physically better now than I did in my 20’s! Maybe I have just toughened up a bit  but I don’t ever get the bad colds and flu that I use to get and I seem more physically capable than I use to be. Perhaps if I tried some of the physical things I use to do I might get a shock but I am happy with where I am except for being a little chubbier than I would like to be.
 Obviously I am a more mature and one of the best things about that is that I have learned to bite my tongue much more instead of saying what I think and although there are sure to be people who don’t agree with me I think it has made my life easier being this way. Think first and then talk. It’s not always possible but I try.
 So that’s it for today, work to be done so I better not be spending anymore time on the computer for now.
 Have a great day.