Saturday 1st January 2022
Happy New Year!
A well deserved sleep in until 8 am this morning after a huge day yesterday!
Breakfast was a large bowl of ravioli. It is a new flavour. Mexican inspired ravioli? It was ok but a little bland even with tomato sauce so you need to add some cream cheese.
A beautiful day today which turned a little overcast around lunch time with strong howling winds before calming down again. The sun comes out again but gusts of wind continue to blow. Temperatures today were forecast for late 20s.
The wind is still howling outside at 5 pm.
I did absolutely nothing today except sleep eat and watch tv. I uploaded my videos from last night's fireworks onto my YouTube channel and sent text messages to 2 team members attacjing one of the random photos I took last night of the mass exit to Wynyard I captured and discovering only this morning that there was something a little disturbing in one of them. I was just pointing and shooting randomly at the amount of people in front of me and behind me , it was dark and because there were so many people I could not really stop so had to keep walking whilst pointing and shooting my camera on my phone when I could.
It was reported "There were I believe 128 party goers arrests by police but most people were well behaved. With only 10 arrests in the CBD." One of the random photos I took below therefore needs a please explain
News headlines include today:
Betty White dies at 99 just a few weeks before her 100 year old birthday on 17th January 2022. In a recent interview she attributes her longevity to vodka, french fries and hotdogs.
Omicron Omicron Omicron! There seems to be no other news except COVID news. Testing centres closed to ease pressure at least temporarily on staff and a backlog in test results. The discussion on the stupidity of the NSW government's lifting of mask mandates and QR code scanning mandates continues. The number of testing on the 6th day of infection and period of time between the first and second test debated and discussed on whether it is actually required and when.
NT has 60 infections and masks are now mandatory. SA was told to celebrate NYE at home via Zoom due to increases in COVID cases.
6 tonnes of fireworks lit up the night sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge. Yes it was spectacular as I was there with a strictly ticketed vantage points event. There were I believe 128 party goers arrests by police but most people were well behaved. With only 10 arrests in the CBD.
There were 22577 COVID cases in NSW and 5 deaths today! Highest in the world.
Instead of millions of people lining the foreshores around Sydney Harbour only an estimated 36000 turned up.
The Habour Bridge was lit up in blue as a tribute to all the frontline workers.
The ball drop returned to NY at Times Square but on a scaled down event with vaccination passes checked and mandatory mask wearing.
Countries around the world are celebrating the new year with crowds.
Cricket has been rocked by positive cases of COVID amongst team members. Daily COVID test results of teams were negative.
There was a massive fire in Boulder Colorado in the US that ravaged the town . Residents did not have time to grab any processions running for their lives. Hundreds even thousands of residents have started the new year homeless as these fires totally destroyed their homes. How could this happen they are in the middle of Winter and it snows there? Biden is to visit the town.
Sunday 2nd January 2022
It's a beautiful day today again . Really sunny.
I slept in until 8 am as I did not get to bed last night until 11 pm as I was watching YouTube videos, trying to catch up with my blogging, trying to upload photos as well as trying to replicate the filling inside a Chikko roll ( without success - must be the beef tallow I omitted yuk!) I didn't put enough salt in it and I didn't have a few ingredients so had to substitute crushed chic peas for barley, ground fennel seeds for celery, turkey mince for lamb mince and mushed peas for beans. It had the other ingredients cabbage onion and carrots in it. I used short crust pastry instead of spring roll pastry and baked it instead of deep frying it. It tasted ok but not a Chikko roll rather a pastie of some sort.
I am getting COVID alerts from Service NSW and just asked the unvaccinated team member by text how it works as it does not quite make sense.
I haven't been out for 2 days and live very much alone as readers probably know but just got alerts that I may have come into contact with an a person infected with COVID for today and yesterday and to monitor for symptoms and if I become unwell get tested. How on earth can I have possibly come into contact with an infected person if I haven't even been in contact with anyone for 2 days?
I have been getting alerts everywhere even places that I may have checked into but did not actually go into and sometimes forget to check out of. You can actually go back and check out of places you forget to check out of.
I also got an alert on the 30th December 2021 where I may have come into contact with a person infected with COVID at Myer Warringah Mall. I was working all day at Myer from 9am - 6 pm. I asked the unvaccinated team member who was also working at Myer all day that day if she got an alert she said she didn't because she forgot to check in and out that day then later said she did. Here's what I asked her:
"hey D**** how does the COVID alert work? I just got a notification that I may have been in contact with someone infected on 30th Dec at Myer Warringah. You were working that day. Did you get an alert. Does that mean I can sue Myer if I get sick because that's the only place I was all day from 9 - 6. Good excuse for me not to come into work this week. And I got 2 other alerts yesterday and today - I haven't been out at all for the 2 days how is that even possible I live alone?"
"I didn't receive one. Because I've been forgetting to scan on entrance to work"
"Me too but that day I did. "
"The other u vaxed girls have had there shifts cancelled and have had to have 3 tests cleared
I think it's a scam to get the unvax not to work
I was working 30th too. Weren't you at our conter?"
"Easy way out - I just say to Myer since you are so concerned about people being infected with COVID and this was the only place I was at all day when I got the alert , I'm taking a week off. What do you thonk they would say to that? too bad it's not scan count week.
no not all day - stock and other things"
"It depends if you want to work or not"
"I only have 2 x 6 hour shifts because my whole Saturday shift was cancelled. Not worth me coming in really"
"I think it's everywhere..........I just got the covid message too 🤣"
In between texting I took my rubbish out to the red bin, had a shower, washed a pile of dirty dishes, watched YouTube videos The Food Channel, ate and slept, sorted my dirty laundry, made a shopping list and reported my 5 job required to fulfill my mutual obligations for the month of January.
It's still howling winds outside and 9 pm - I can't sleep.
Finally asleep around 10 pm.
News headlines today include :
Tones & I musician gets engaged.
Hundreds of houses have been destroyed in Colorado on NYE wildfires now doused in snow.
Cyclone Seth is expected to reck havoc in SE QLD & NSW border with Gold Coast beaches closed as tides rise and huge waves batter shorelines - sand bagging is in progress.
A mass exodus to QLD has lead to housing shortages and a question as to where the state can handle the population boom. Low income households are being pushed into homelessness due to increases in the rental market as demand in rental housing outstrips supplies from more people moving to the state from NSW and VIC.
COVID COVID and more COVID news dominates news headlines again. Booster shots this month have been fast tracked however millions of NSW residents now eligible for a 3rd booster shot have failed to make bookings.
7 million residents suddenly eligible for 3rd booster vaccine as the window narrows between the 2nd and 3rd vaccinations to 4 months on Tuesday and possible 3 months on 31st January with kids vaccines also becoming available putting pressure on GPS and pharmacies- will they be able to cope is the question?. Is there still vaccine hesitancy as residents do not step forward for booster shots.
The PM has come into contact with a person who has tested positive to COVID from a press conference attended and has been asked to monitor for symptoms but is not in isolation.
A well know celebrity scientist Dr Carl has contracted COVID and is in isolation despite being triple vaccinated. He has been an advocate for vaccinations from the beginning and believes that boosters will be required for everyone every 6 months to keep COVID at bay much like all commercial chickens being vaccinated against the COVID equivalent virus citing if chickens weren't continuously vaccinated there would not be any chickens as viruses spread like wild fire amongst chickens as soon as there is one infected chicken.
There were 18278 COVID cases in NSW & 2 deaths overnight - a slight decrease in the number of cases.
A state funeral has been held for Desmond Tutu who requested the cheapest coffin available therefore his family carried his body in a simple pine coffin.
Daniel Craig has been appointed a companion by the queen.
There was a fire outside of Melbourne where a change in the wind direction has reduced the spread of the fire slightly.
Cricket Australia is considering the relocation of games to Melbourne to complete the cricket games series as 4 more team members test positive to COVID.
Monday 3rd January 2022
Another week in a pandemic and another week of not wanting to go to work. It's a bit late to receive a COVID alert on Myer Metrics MComms from someone testing positive to COVID that worked at Warringah Myer on 24th December & 29th December 2021. It's now the 3rd of January 2022. Does not match up with the Service NSW COVID alert received they I may have come into contact with an infected person at Myer Warringah on 30th December 2021. I was working on 24th December 2021 but not on the 29th December 2021 according to my diary. If I end up getting COVID the only likely place I would have got it from is Myer as I don't go anywhere except to the supermarket or local shops - I don't eat or drink out,, I don't go partying or clubbing and the only mass event I went to is the NYE fireworks in town and I didn't even hang around closely crowded vantage points. I went straight home as well.
I hate going to the supermarket but I had to to get groceries. There seems to be a shortage on toilet paper and tissues again although not to the extent of March 2020 when the pandemic began. I had to go back to purchasing the 4 roll pack plastic wrap So Soft brand of toilet paper from Coles ( refer blog on the changing size of these rolls for same price ) now $4.10 per pkt 4 the size of the rolls has gone back to the larger roll size.
Some grocery items are still unavailable at Coles but available at Woolworths.
My usual trip to Woolworths Metro followed by Aldi and then Coles Locale ( I forgot to check out again and only did so incorrectly the next morning at around 5.05 am)
I took the bus home took the red bin out washed my hands unpacked my groceries and chucked my laundry into the washing machine to wash overnight.
I watch what I could of the news, The Cook Up and the new series of 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown. I catch up with YouTube videos and my blog ( some photos still to be uploaded - it takes forever to upload photos one at a time and a lot of the time it fails).
Can't sleep too hot. Work tomorrow and I really don't want to go.
Another unsuitable response to my Gumtree looking for work advertisement which has been on there for 2 years almost. He I am still looking for a permanent job.
News headlines today include:
Omicron cases surge, increased hospital admissions put pressure on hospital systems. 100000 cases a day? 100 hours just to get a COVID test, negative results released then only to be told positive. PCR testing Centres long, rapid antigen testing kits difficult to find.
Jobs boom after lockdown lifted indicative of an economic recovery
Adele buys Salone's mansion in Hollywood Hills for about half the price he purchased it for
Ex Cyclone Seth causes beaches to close due to monsterous waves in QLD and NSW tracking South but moving North.
Prince Andrews plans to have his lawsuit dropped due to the victim living in Perth has been rejected . The prince may lose his title.
The Queens closest trusted confidante and friend Lady Diana Farnham, Lady of the Bedchamber who supported her majesty for decades has died aged 90 on 29th December 2021.
Cricketer Glen McGarth has tested positive to COVID and may miss the Pink Test.
NSW had 20794 COVID cases and 4 deaths overnight. It has been reported that 1 in 4 people will be infected by COVID.
Tuesday 4th January 2021
I wake at 5 am and put my laundry in the dryer for 70 minutes hoping my work jeans will try in time for work.
It must have rained lightly overnight as the ground is wet outside and there is that damp grassy smell. It's grey and cloudy this morning.
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
Myer 11 am - 5 pm today - yes a 6 hour shift . I really don't want to go to work. I'm risking my health contracting COVID, using all my credit on my Opal card just to get there and back and wasting at least half my time travelling to/from work just for a stupid 6 hour shift. I'm leaving at the very last minute. I hate working at Myer yet I have been unsucessful in gaining alternative employment. I must have applied for 100 jobs by now.
So today I didn't even have time for a break which means I'll have a longer break tomorrow! Yes I have been asked to work tomorrow 8 am - 4 pm by the assistant store manager to do stock. Honestly - there is so much of it on the dock cages and cages of it. What have Myer been doing in the past 3 days after NYE?
It is so quiet downstairs - everyone has called in sick! Yeh right. Sounds like COVID to me.
The Homewares team leader called in sick citing in What's App text message that she didn't have COVID but a bad ear infection. I doubt this as she has been away sick before for a week or two with " a heavy cold" during the peak of the Delta outbreak again insisying it was not COVID and recently went overseas before Christmas to the UK before returning to Australia and upon her return the unvaccinated team member suspected maybe she may be the super spreader at Myer.
With COVID alerts constantly popping up where there were 2 positive cases at Myer Warringah on 24th and 29th December 2021 ( I was working on 24th Dec but not on 29th December according to my diary ) and COVID alerts popping up from the Service NSW app where I may have come into contact with an infected person at Myer Warringah on 30th & 31st December as well as 4th January 2022 all the days that I was working at Myer all day - it's concerning. I don't even know which notifications to niece anymore as I did not even get an alert at all from Service NSW on 24th December 2021 of the a posdibly coming into someone infected with COVID - the alert was from the mcomms in Myer Metrics.
News headlines today include:
Omicron Omicron Omicron. Today 8 million people are now eligible for a 3rd booster shot as the period between the second vaccine and 3rd vaccine decreases to 4 months with talks of bring it forward to 3 months by the end of January 2022. There is a plea for people not to present to an ER unless they are actualky sick to stop the hospital system from being overloaded. Testing centres have remained shut in an attempt to clear the backlog of test results. The PM has reinforced that rapid antigen testing kits will not be made free to Australians although the Victorian government will still be providing these free . Chemist warehouse has made a plea to the federal government to subsidise if ot make free rapid antigen testing kits in order to prevent price gouging of rapid antigen test kits - eg removing the GST on them. Rapid antigen test kits should be made free or at least made cheaper as PCR tests are free unless travelling overseas. The question is why can't they make them free - this is a federal government call not a state government one. One person has fainted whilst waiting for a PCR test and QLD has had it's first death from COVID for 2022. SA is unsure whether kids will be returning to school or continue with remote learning. Kids under 12 are eligible for vaccinations as of 10th January 2022. State vaccination centres to re open.
Prince Andrews lawsuit maybe again dismissed on the grounds that he was not mentioned in court documents provided where Virginia Giuffre had a secret settlement paid to her to exclude any mention of associations with Jeffrey Epstein and other high profile people.
Britney Spears has unfriended her sister Jamie Lyn.
A barrel of beer has been washed out to sea as a result of ex cyclone Seth. A shipping container has drifted away in Currumbin and has to be removed in order not to cause more damage. QLD and NSW have been badly affected by the cyclone. Surfers love it but warning only professionals should attempt the wild waves. Most affected is the tip of Bribie Island where the island has been cut into 2. Beaches remain closed along the coasts of QLD and Northern NSW.
The oldest woman alive has celebrated her 119th birthday and hopes to live to 120 years old.
COVID has claimed more Cricket team members ( 12 ) affecting their game results in BBL
The AUS$ has risen above 72 cents against the US $.
1 month to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Betty Whites death is being questioned - some were rumoured that she had received a COVID booster days before her death which is not according to her publicist the cause of her death. Her 100 birthday is now more of a memorial.
There were 23131 COVID cases in NSW today and 2 deaths
Wednesday 5th January 2022
Myer 8 am - 4 pm stock ( extra shift requested by assistant store manager verbal at Homewares counter yesterday)
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
The weather forecast for today yesterday wasn't wrong. It forecasted showers in the early morning and yep it rained in the early hours this morning and was really raining by the time I reached Neutral Bay Junction at around 7 am misding the B line connection with another one following about 5 - 10 minutes later. Reached Warringah Mall by 7.30 am.
What's happening with the world - should we be preparing for Armageddon? Is the world ending?Toilet paper and tissues continue to disappear off shelves in supermarkets along with laundry sanitizer!
I haven't even tried to find a rapid antigen test kit and acrosd the road queues outside the Brookvale Community Health COVID Testing Centre wind up the side set of stairs every morning.
Today I just did stock all day. I paid some bills this morning but still have not been paid yet so can't pay other bills due. I also think that I am missing a few days pay from my first pay since returning to work on 15th December 2021. I worked everyday from 15th December 2021 to 24th December 2021 inclusive except for Sunday 19th December 2021. The normal hours just don't add up. The only hours correct is Saturday 18th December 2021.
I still managed to make $54 or so worth of sales today despite not being on the register. I can't believe I'm still being asked to cover for lunches and posdibly staying back - no way! The Electricasl team leader called in sick today and the Homewares team leader was back insisting she was away sick because she had a bad ear infection when she was telling team members how she had to find a rapid antigen test kit as her husband had come into contact with an infected person. Still so many team members away sick - Myer COVID Central.
When I'm on stock I'm on stock. There was so much clearance stock coming in it is ridiculous!
I advised the Homewares team leader that the amount of expired sale signage left up was absolutely redicious and Myer wonders why customers become angry and frustrated trying to figure out what is actually on sale and what is not.
I had a customer yesterday asking about a sheet set sign. They were exactly the same wording except one was 50% discount and the other 40% discount. The 2 signs were placed next to each other however in very small print the 50% discount sign was a special daily deal for Tuesday 4th Jan 2022 only and the 40% was the ongoing Stockdale sale discount . So of course he wanted to buy it today ( Tuesday).
I took the 4.30 pm 280 bus to Chatswood then a bus back home today. There was no way I would have made the 4.10 pm bus therefore stopped off for a bottle of water as it was stinking hot and extremely humid today all day. It did rain but the rain disappeared for a while. I arrived home around 5.35 pm today so tired. I was planning to catch the final drone sky show at 10 pm tonight however was so tired I cooked dinner of a roast chicken, ate it watched the news, The Cook Up and 8 out of 10 does countdown before falling asleep. I had even packed my bag ready to go after washing my hands and my mask to hang up to dry as soon as I arrived home from work - I was prepared to go but was just too tired. I woke up around midnight I estimate and it was raining again through the night into the early morning .
I woke up around 5 am the next morning ( Thursday) to a grey damp day however it was not raining just a little windy. I am still half asleep.
News headlines today include:
No surprise Omicron Omicron Omicron even at 5.30 am this morning!!!! Testing centres in certain areas remain closed but people are booking their booster shots. Kids under 12 will be able to get their vaccinations before returning to school and kids will receive 1/3 of an adult dose with the TGA assuring parents that the vaccinations are safe.
Rapid antigen test kits will be made available to concession holders. they will not be available to everyone free of charge. If people are sick they will still need to queue up for PCR testing. Victoria has trialled a drive through testing centre giving away rapid antigen test kits rather then performong PCR testing.
Coles has limited the purchase of 1 rapid antigen test kit per person and 2 packets of meat chicken or sausages per customer as meat shortages continue. No word of whether Woolworths will follow suit with these policies.
High tides have washed away a MV and holiday camp sites in QLD have been washed away.
The debate over the dismissal of Prince Andrews lawsuit continues.
China is hit by a mudslide and the rescue effort for the search for bodies continues.
Severe snowstorms cut a main highway along the East coast of the US to Canada off . 24 hours stuck in a bizzard. Jack knifed semi trailers stranded motorists. 80 km along the Atlantic highway passengers and drivers shared fuel and food - anything to keep warm for hours stuck in the cold. Those that were lucky to find an off ramp, found themselves unable to get fuel or food as Seven Elevens were closed and gas stations empty or closed. Locals in Virginia tried to walk food to those stranded to try and clear the back log of those stranded .
Meth was smuggled in pillows in time for NYE celebrations in Perth . The men have been arrested when the drugs were replaced with a harmless substance in them awaiting their collection.
Novak Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption to play at the Australian Open. He was not given any special treatment as it was a blind application process for vaccination exemptions. Novak refusrd to give his vaccination status months ago creating controversy as to whether he was vaccinated or not and whether he would be allowed into Australia to play in the Australian Open.
There was a an anti mask protestor in SA yesterday before premiers press conference.
There were 35054 COVID cases in NSW and 8 deaths.
Thursday 6th January 2022
Day off
Forecast for more rain today in NSW. By 7 am It's raining again. Not just a brief light sprinkling but substantial dumping of rain whilst I was in the bathroom. It's still windy outside and the road is wet with the swishing of MV passing by along the main highway. Traffic is sill not back to normal yet as it is still holiday season.
After paying my phone bill and income protection for the months of January yesterday, nearly all my bills have been paid this morning - Rent due x 2 weeks in advance , private health insurance half of January 22 , off site storage unit due mid January 22 - except for one bill which is paid on a separate card.
Almost 10.30 am and the winds are still howling outside.
Almost noon and It's raining again on and off. The sun is trying hard to keep out but It's a struggle.
At most 2 pm and the winds are still howling outside but no rain.
I am still so tired from yesterday's day on stock.
4.30 pm and still howling with wind , It's raining again. I've done nothing except watch YouTube and tv in bed.
It's not a day to venture out - It's Thursday night therefore if I need to go shopping the shops are still open until 9 pm tonight.
No venturing out today again.
I catch up on watching YouTube catch part of the news , watch the Cook Up and 8 out of 10 Does Countdown
I fall asleep around 10 pm It's still really windy.
Work again tomorrow.
The main news headline today which isn't dominated by Omicron for once but still very related was:
Tennis player Novak Djokovic is being held in isolation in a room somewhere at Melbourne airport and is being interviewed by border force. It is now in doubt of whether he will be freed and allowed into Melbourne to play at the Australian Open. His father back in Serbia has taken to the streets to advise everyone how his son is being held captive in Australia and typical Victorian pandemic behavior , protestors will take to the streets to protest against vaccine mandates and freedom of rights. It was due to a visa mix up where apparently a team member filled out the wrong visa form . Will he be deported home? Is he really the anti vac everyone thinks he is? The question is , will he be allowed to play at the Australian Open? Is so, will it affect his performance and will public opinion influence the decision to release him? He has now been held at the airport for 7 hours + after landing in Australia overnight. Suggestions have been for him to come out and do a press conference exposing how when where why he got a medical exemption from vaccination. That would clear things up and hopefully release him . Everyone is now involved in his case including the Federal Government, Victorian state government & the Serbian Embassy. Breaking news his visa has now been cancelled after being detained for 8 hours +. So what happens now? Will he be deported back to Serbia? Latest new is he will not return to Serbia but is in a quarantine hotel near the airport pending legal appeal. His case will not appear in court until Monday.
Same old stories Prince Andrew and the lawsuit against him continues. Meghan Markle and her lawsuit against the media - Did I hear she donated the proceeds that she won in her case to charity etc etc etc... There will be no further appeals against the case by the daily mail who lost the case ordered to pay her legal fees and an unspecified sum of money over a private letter she wrote to her father. She was paid just 1 pound for damages. End of story ( hopefully) but the lawsuit against Prince Andrew continues to fester.
Rule changes to testing and availability of rapid testing kits as well as the question over how positive results from rapid antigen tests will be reported and recorded to the NSW Health services - not all COVID cases will need treatment or hospitalisation hence will not go through the NSW heath services. Same news everyday as testing rules continue to change daily - the government has really stuffed up yet again! I'm a concession card hold - Does that mean I will be able to get a free rapid antigen test kit? just 1 and what type- it will be the government issued one ( It's beginning to sound as if Australia is a communist country where they control the who which what when how and when issue of vaccines & testing). Postive rapid antigen tests do not require a PCR test to confirm the result to ease pressure on testing centres. It has been reported that people have lined up for upto 6.5 hours just to get a PCR test often camping out in the early hours of the morning way before testing centres opened and only to be turned away! Coles nationwide ( except for WA) has continued with a customer purchase limit of 2 pkts per customer of meat and veg due to supplier chain shortages due to staff shortages. Price gouging of rapid antigen test kits has been discouraged by private suppliers with a penalty fine of $66000 ( how on earth does the Australian government even come up with these $ values as penalties) and possible jail time under biosecurity laws if caught selling them for over 20% of mark up. All states except NT has been classified as extreme risk of COVID. Still in doubt return to school for kids or remote learning plan. HK has banned fliggts from Australia along with flights from other countries US Canada etc in order to churb COVID. In the NT all unvaccinated residents are in lock down and are not allowed out except for medical emergencies and to purchase essential groceries for 72 hours.
NSW is on rain watch again as Cyclone Seth moves away from QLD (which has been in a heat wave with temperatures over the last couple of days reaching 45 degrees plus in some areas with some relief coming ) off the coast with heavy rain forcasted for NSW over the next 5 days. Currently it is extremely windy in Sydney with howling winds.
The Grammy awards have been cancelled and has not been rescheduled yet for a later date due to COVID scares.
An Italian Mafia has been caught after 20 years on the run for murder after changing his name and fleeing to Spain from Google.
There were 34 994 COVID cases in NSW and 6 deaths today including a male in his 20s who was double vaccinated and had no other medical conditions.
ITALY makes vaccination mandatory for everyone over the age of 50 following other European countries ( previously all workers, school staff, police, military) AUSTRIA over 14 from February 2022 with fines of holdouts after 3 months, ECADOR obligatory except for medical conditions or incompatibility, GERMANY plans to make mandatory for all adults from February, INDONESIA all adults with fines or refusal of social services or government assistance for the unvaccinated, MICRONESIA all adults, TAJIKISTAN: all over 18s, TURKMENISTAN: all over 18s GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS, CANADA all federally regulated workplaces from early 2022, COSTA RICA all state workers, CROATIA: all public sector employees, citizens who need services in public institutions, CZECH REPUBLIC: police officers, soldiers and some other professions from March, DENMARK: workplaces allowed to require a digital "corona pass" for employees, EGYPT: vaccination or weekly COVID-19 test required from public sector employees to work in government buildings, FIJI: public servants, employees at private firms, FRANCE: public officials or employees, including civil security pilots, flight personnel providing care for victims, soldiers permanently assigned to civil security missions, firefighters, GHANA: targeted groups including all public sector and health workers from Jan. 22 ,HUNGARY: employees at state institutions, LATVIA: required for lawmakers to be able to vote and to receive full pay; businesses allowed to fire unvaccinated workers , LEBANON: all civil servants and workers in the education, tourism and public transport sectors from Jan. 10 , NEW ZEALAND: workers of border, prison, police and defence force sectors; education sector by Jan. 1 , OMAN: public or private sector employees for entry to workplace, POLAND: teachers, security personnel and uniformed services from March 1, 2022, RUSSIA: workers with public-facing roles in Moscow, SAUDI ARABIA: public and private sector workers wishing to attend a workplace; people entering government, private, or educational establishments, TUNISIA: officials, employees and visitors accessing public and private administrations, TURKEY: some sectors including teachers and domestic travel employees , UKRAINE: public sector employees including teachers; extension to medical personnel and municipal employees under consideration , UNITED STATES: all federal workers, contractors (temporarily blocked from enforcing nationwide), private sector workers in companies with 100 or more employees (reinstated on Dec. 18), public-sector workers (contested in New York court) - last news headline reported that there was a vaccine mandate for all workers in NY. , ( the list goes on with each country having it's own vaccine mandate rules regulations, conditions & exemptions). Note : AUSTRALIA was on the list however I did not include it because there is not actually vaccine mandate nationwide but there is a vaccine mandate depending on which state you live in. In NSW there was no vaccination mandate - it is only for certain health and frontline workers however those that remained unvaccinated returned to being disallowed most freedoms of the vaccinated until 15th December 2021 then it was the same freedoms for all except for travel restrictions however in the state of Victoria a vaccination mandate was imposed for all residents by their state government which has not ended well with protest after protest and the above Novak Djokovic visa cancellation , refusal of entry into the state of Victoria, failure to provide a medical exemption for being unvaccinated, pending deportation and legal appeal case making major headlines around the world and probably souring diplomatic relationships between Australia and Serbia ( good one Australian government you've just managed to destroy yet another relationship with another country)
Preet Chandi has reached the South Pole in 40 days, 5 days ahead of schedule despite COVID and illness. First woman of colour to do so .
Friday 7th January 2022
Myer 11 am - 5 pm original shift unchanged from 26th December 2021.
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
I wake at 6 am to my alarm and It's raining again. Grey wet and overcast it is forecast to continue to rain again and reach 28 degrees C.
Ping - ping - ping, I receive another 2 COVID alerts my text from Service NSW for the 5th and 6th of January 2022. How is even possible- for a start I was home all day yesterday and as readers know I live very alone therefore haven't been in contact with anyone let alone someone that is possibly infected with COVID! The other alert on the 5th January 2022 - well I was at Myer Warringah all day working and went straight home on the bus and no alert actually comes up on my COVID safe check in history on the Service NSW app for that day. So I'm confused.
It's 8 am and already the what's app group chat is alive with text messages from the customer service manager. Re rosters for scan count over 2 days next week. No holidays allowed we were advised.
Centrelink fortnightly income reported. I will need to check my payslips as hours may not be right. I would not be surprised if Myer is another one of numerous larger organisations that cheat their employees of wages deliberately.
On my way to work and It's absolutely miserable. The rain is constant although not bucketing hard down. It is a little humid but the wind is blowing although not howling. I think I missed a 144 bus. Oh well I can only get there when I can.
So what happened today at work - loads.
I can't remember how many pillows I sold today. I was assisting a customer with a purchase yet I was being pressured to see the customer manager regarding the roster. I saw the note in the diary to see her when I can, I was advised by the team leader , I will not leave my customer just to see her, I will see her when it is appropriate and I have a moment.
Ping Ping Ping, I received a COVID alert as soon as I arrived at Warringah Mall when I very briefly checked in and checked out of Kmart before starting work. I have a hole in a second pair of my good Uniqlo leggings from doing stock and was trying to find a cheaper pair of black leggings to replace them. The Uniqlo black leggings are not only unavailable but not cheap to replace @ $40 a pair full price. I can't keep destroying my goid black leggings at work. My good H & M black sheer to got a pull in it the other day also from doing stock but luckily it did not too unlike my 2 pairs of leggings that hot caught on cages. Again the top is irreplaceable and was not cheap. There was no one around me in K mart and I was in and out in 1 minute or 2 yet I still got a COVID alert yet no alerts from Myer Warringah are coming up lately and I sp end hours there and am in contact with so many people each time. Just does not make sense.
One of the unvaccinated girls from the ground floor returned to work today after being stood down yet again for another 3 weeks or so it must have been. She was ordered to not return to work until a certain date and until she received 2 or 3 negative COVID tests. She was not alone, other girls from the ground floor were told to do so as well. Yet Myer Warringah won't advise everyone who the positive COVID team members were. We just found out from a national mcomm of all the location of stores that had team members who tested positive to COVID and the numbers - by that time it was too late.
The day ended with a un-potty trained toddler peeing on the mats behind the Homewares counter. I tried to call the cleaners 3 times but the call kept going to the Myer's voicemail which never gets answered - I think they had all finished for the day - afterall it was almost 5 pm on a Friday. The puddle of human excretion remained there until after I finished work - not my problem anymore. Stupid customer service manager pointing towards me to get out from behind the counter - did she not realise I was blocked in as 2 other team members serving were in my way therefore I could not exit from behind the counter avoiding the puddle at the other end of the counter?
I caught the 280 bus again. It was quite a wait for the next bus so I stopped off at Coles Warringah for a quick grocery shop. The shelves were almost empty of chicken and green vegetables as well as selected fruit. Once I arrived at Chatswood I went for a very brief grocery shop at Woolworths Metro. Their hot food bar was still well stocked by 6 pm but their entire double sided fruit and vegetable shelves were completely empty. They did have a little more poultry left then Coles but again almost empty with quite a few prepackaged poultry products on special or were they really?
I get home in time catching the tail end of The Cook Up and watched 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown before falling asleep. I wake around 10 pm and try to rematch The Cook Up. It is around midnight and it is storming hard outside. There is a thunder and lightening show and the rain is pouring down while winds howl. Absolutely awful. I am safely tucked into my bed with tea and snacks nearby. It's not cold it's not hot but I still need my fan and my doona.
News headlines today include no surprises:
COVID COVID COVID - Novak Djokovic has been granted a deportation delay whilst he seeks legal assistance to appeal his deportation. He has been allowed to stay in Australia until 4 pm on Monday, staying in a hotel housing about a dozen other refugees and asylum seekers detained there for a year or more even awaiting processing. He could request to be moved to another hotel closer to his team mates and with a tennis court jowever this request could be rejected . The case has become a joke with people divided over the decision, an embarrassment for the Australian government and making world news headlines. It was also reported thst other tennis players were in a similar situation now being investigated . It was reported that Djokovic based his conditions of entry into Australia having contracted COVID in the last 6 months which was thrown out the window based on if you are not an Australian resident and unvaccinated you will be refused entry. The finger pointing continues. Serbia is certainly unhappy with the situation. Scott in Serbian means "bad person" - true or false?
COVID restriction are being bought back in NSW but already the per person square meter rule has returned in Victoria. Restrictions may bring back the cancellation of major events, no clubbing singing and dancing . Victoria has already planned to introduce the registration of rapid antigen testing results to health authorities in order to contact trace however no details of how this will be done have been released.
There is a staff and food shortage on Day Dream Island as staff go into isolation and supply chains delayed. This has resulted in panic buying at the local IGA and becoming a holiday from hell for some.
It is Jane McGrath Day today or the Pink ( Cricket) Test. Virtual Pink seats are on sale to raise money for The McGrath Foundations Breast Cancer Care Nurses. Glenn McGarth unfortunately can't be in Sydney live for the day this year as he is recovering from COVID but a life size figure of him will be present at the Pink Test match.
There were 38625 COVID cases in NSW and 11 deaths.
Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th January 2022
A weekend off for once!
It's not the best day but not raining this morning.
I did absolutely nothing today just sleep eat and watch tv but I must venture out tomorrow. I need to tale my rubbish out get change to do my laundry and maybe find a new pair of jeggings and shoes.
Breaking news headlines Saturday include
Wild weather continues in QLD and ex Tropical Cyclone Seth is sitting around Wide Bay which has claimed 1 life and is under investigation to the cause of his death where a car was swept away. Flooding in the areas surrounding this region and thunderstorms has caused severe flooding overnight with flood watch continuing today in and around Maryborough. There has been a do not travel warning issued. The QLD press conference has entirely switched focus from COVID to ex Cyclone Seth, flooding , isolation of regions, wild weather, thunderstorms, heavy rain falls and emergency services in SE QLD. Cook Town & Lockard River is on cyclone and flood watch for next week.
Woolworths fruit and vegetable supply shortages are due to 1 in 5 staff out at the Yennora DC and 1 in 10 retail staff away sick. So it looks as if Coles is not the only supermarket chain suffering staff and supply chain shortages.
Josh Frydenberg has tested positive to COVID after 2 other high profile politicians had previously tested positive including Barnaby Joyce. Former PM Malcolm Turnbull has also tested positive to COVID just as Josh Frydenberg was tested positive.
Tennis Australia shared false information to tennis players entering Australia saying that unvaccinated tennis players could enter Australia if they could prove they had had COVID in the past 6 months before he had his visa cancelled. Novak Djokovic therefore entered Australia based on that information. He will still remain in Australia until Monday pending legal appeal processes. The Park Hotel where he is staying may not be up to the standards tgat he is used to as it is reported that it does house asylum seekers and refugees that have been in detention there for upto 9 years. Novak has requested that he be moved to his rented Melbourne house which has a tennis court and a personal chef to produce special meals however any requests have been rejected.
Interesting that a 2nd Czech tennis player has now been detained after entering Australia on the same basis as Djokovic and is staying in the same hotel as Djokovic which she has described. It is unclear whether she will also appeal her case. She had already played in a tennis tournament in Australia therefore already exposed to the public before she was detained. It is reported that she has pulled out of the Australian Open and expected to leave the country tonight.
A third tennis offical has also been detained but reported to have left Australia.
NSW restrictions ( if you can even call them that) have continued with no dancing sing pubbing clubbing except at weddings and organised classes in order to curn the spread of COVID and delays in elective surgery until at least not February 22 to easy the pressure on hospitals.
Rapid antigen test result reporting has gone live online for Victoria today.
Hospital staff testing positive are in isolation leading to staff shortages and pressure on the health system. The are discussions of shortening isolation periods , having asymptomatic staff that have tested positive to COVID to work in COVID wards and rapid antigen testing kits to be readily available to work places.
Bahamian actor Sidney Portier has died aged 94. The first blackman to win the best actor Academy award. He was famous for his movie " To Sir With Love" one of my favourite 1960s movies ( made before I was born).
The King's Man the most delayed film is finally hitting the big screen. It's been 2 years since started being made. The actors are even joking about not remembering who they played, The plot of the movie and feeling as if it was made during WW2 and surprised it was made in colour etc..
The number of COVID cases in NSW has climbed to 45098 COVID cases and 9 deaths today however the actual number of COVID cases in NSW is unknown and is actually much higher as there is nowhere to report positive results from rapid antigen tests and only based on PCR test results unlike Victoria who are the first state to be able to report rapid antigen test results to health authorities and breaking news today day 1 of reporting and PCR testing the number of positive COVID cases was 51356 ie well over the number of positive COVID cases in NSW today.
It is reported that NSW will start reporting rapid antigen test results from mid next week to health authorities.
It's a grey Sunday morning no rain after there was a rainbow yesterday outside across the road yesterday.
I have ventured out today , only downstairs to take my rubbish out and there is not a single person there yet ping ping ping more alerts received that I may have come into contact with an infected person with COVID and it does not even give you any indication of when or where - how is this even possible- I have not left the apartment for 2 days. This is getting ridiculous. I must have infected myself . Yep that's it.
It's 2 pm and I've made myself go out. Well Well Well no surprise text received from the team leader today on the What's App group chat as follows :
"Hi team, we need help tomorrow. Can anyone work PLEASE even just 6 hours?
Or 5!"
Sounds as if It's desparate - who can't work tomorrow? or who is sick? Sorry NO CAN DO! I've been allocated to stock already for my 6 hour shift - I don't dare do any overtime as they will have to pay me my OT!
When I was at Macquarie Shopping Centre both ex team member ticket girl and the unvaccinated team member decide to text me on 2 different texting platforms. I texted ex team member ticket girl that I hope I don't text the wrong message to the wrong person!
Then the following response appeared on the What's App group chat :
"I can work tomorrow H****"
"All day if needed"
"Thank you! 930 to 530 please!!!"
"Yeah okay"
"Owe you a coffee!" ( the coffee wasn't forgotten about but the cafe was actually closed!)
So where am I off to today? Macquarie Shopping Centre. To shop for baby clothing and another big grocery shop as well as get some change for the laundry.
I ventured out to Macquarie to get a 30 pkt of antihistamines and some non prescription Cortisone cream as I could not be bothered lining up at Priceline to fill my script. They had sold out of thermometers except for the really chunky ones and sold completely out of rapid antigen testing kits - no surprise there!
After that it was a trip to Miniso followed by a look at baby clothes at Cotton On, Kmart, Big W before heading to Aldi. Somewhere in between I managed to grab a snack of a seaweed and cucumber hand roll from Sushi World or whatever it is called.
First stop was Aldi but I decided not to shop at Coles today spending almost $100 on groceries at Woolworths instead. There was not much left. The poultry section and fruit sections were almost bare. Plenty of duck breasts on special so I grabbed a packet. The other sections that were almost empty were tissues , toilet paper and wipes. Even Aldi was stripped bare of tissues and toilet paper but they had plenty of mega rolls of paper towels left! Not much meat and poultry and fruit as well. Vegetables were still available but certain herbs like basil were in short supply as well.
I did not realise what time it was - almost everything was shut at Macquarie Shopping Centre except for strike bowling and the ice skating rink which has hockey every Sunday afternoon and it was past 7 pm when I finally made my way home on the Metro to Chatswood and waited for a bus home. The next bus was in 10 minutes due to reduced public transport services effective from 10th January 2022.
It started to sprinkle with rain as soon as I arrived home but by 8 pm when I'm safely back inside my apartment, it is pouring with rain again. I put my laundry into the washing machine and go upstairs to unpack my groceries, wash my hands and change my clothes.
Dinner is 3 vegetarian sausages on some whole meal bread with some bbq sauce and mixed greens. I make up a glass container of fruit salad which will last me for the week and an egg salad for my sandwiches whilst my clothes are washing.
I'll put my laundry into the dryer and leave it in there overnight.
So much to do before tomorrow. It's 10.30 pm and I've just boiled a kettle of water that will be cooled by tomorrow and put my laundry in the dryer to dry overnight. My phone is on the charger. My bag packed. I should try and sleep.
Work tomorrow and another early start.
News headlines on Sunday include:
There were 30062 COVID cases in NSW and 16 deaths on Sunday.
Monday 10th January 2022
I woke at 5 am this morning, took my laundry out of the dryer, made myself breakfast and lunch of an egg and mixed leaves sandwich. A borrocca and an apple.
I left for work after 6 am and arrived around 7 am despite the change to the public transport services to the public holiday schedule ie reduced services.
It is a grey but humid day again today but no rain.
I am still having a problem with my timeshare apartment overseas where the owners corporation is charging me for things that are probably illegal. They also failed to send me a budget report this year and did not have an AGM this year due to "flooding" just forwarding me with a statement to pay my maintenance fees before 31st January 2022 or incur interest as a penalty for each month it is late. I only just got the statement but had to ask them yet again to substantiate the statement with the budget report. I hate dealing with problematic long term investments that have only become problematic in the past 5 years or so. My timeshare and under performing non dividend paying Myer shares are just driving me batty - why can't they just be like cash! Maybe cash is really king.
Myer 8 am - 2 pm stock
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
I think I achieved a lot today. It's so nice not being yelled at by anyone for once!
It was a pretty quiet day of trading at Myer with 2 team members away sick. One electricals team who has COVID and still has a cough awaiting the ok from the doctor to return to work. The other the unvaccinated team member I was texting yesterday who wasn't well but it could have been her leg which has swollen up again who went to a COVID testing centre to get tested only to be turned away when the centre shut and told to return the following day. She could not get her hands on a rapid antigen testing kit so decided she would see her GP today. I haven't heard from her so I hope she is OK.
I managed to tidy up some of the shelves in the reserves and pull a few clearance items out as well as restock the floor.
Another unvaccinated team member from the ground floor returned to work today after being told not to return to work until she had 3 negative PCR tests. She was away for at least 2 weeks due to being in close contact with another infected team member apparently but this was very suspect as a few ground floor Myer staff were actually told not to return to work until a certain date and when they had 3 negative COVID tests.
It was a quick toilet stop and an snack of a mini apple before catching the next 280 bus to Chatswood and another bus home.
I looked at my emails thinking that my replacement pair of black jeggings I purchased online from Uniqlo was ready for click and collect but it was only to inform me that my order is in transit.
I also got an email from a job I applied for to organise a time for a phone interview. It's just a one off 7 hour job at an event in the Hunter Valley for Saturday 15th January 22. I am free that day but do I really want to work on one of my only 2 days off and how would I get there if I got the job? I have never been to the Hunter Valley before. I responded that the first available day for a phone interview was Wednesday 12th January 2022 after 2.30 pm.
Howling winds and humidity dominate the late afternoon and night as it is now 7 pm. It's still dry with no rain forcasted until mid week and it will be light. Temperatures are still in the late 20s degrees C forecasted.
Breaking news today :
Novak Djokovic has won his case to stay in Australia today. He has moved from The Park Hotel to his rented home in Melbourne.
Actor Bob Saget known from Full House has died.
Floods continue to rage QLD & Cyclone Tiffany is making It's way across the tip of QLD .
There were 20293 cases of COVID in NSW today and 18 deaths
Tuesday 11th January 2022
Myer 9.30 am - 5.30 pm service
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
News headlines today include
Australian tennis star Nick Kryios tests positive to COVID. Will he miss the Australian open? Possibly out of quarantine the day before he is due to play. He is currently feeling fine , healthy and asymptomatic.
Novak Djokovic may have won his lawsuit to enter Australia and is free to stay and play however the legal battle continues as the Federal Government of Australia and immigration minister still has personal powers to cancel his visa and deport him (again within hours) . This is creating havoc for Tennis Australia and scheduling for the Australian Open due to the last minute decision to appeal the lawsuit's decision. Melbourne is in mayhem as fans take to the street and tried to mob him. He managed to have a latenight training session. The fight goes on. In a press conference back home his parents are worried for him and it was described that he was being " tortured" however when asked if Novak had played at a recent tennis tournament whilst he had COVID and children were present the press conference was ended. If Novak wins his battle again to stay he will have a week to prepare for the Australian Open although he has missed match practices. Wait tax payers are paying for the legal costs? If he is deported he will be banned from entering Australia for 3 years. All this based on a rule that if you are not a citizen or retirning resident of Australia, must be double vaccinated to enter. The question is how is this possible if Novak just had COVID on 16th December 2021? I suppose he could have been double vaccinated before he contracted COVID and I believe that may be the loophole that could be used to re - deport him.
Ash Barty withdraws from The Classics after winning the Adelaide tennis tournament to give her time to recover and prepare for the Australian Open.
In Victoria a booster vaccination mandate has been enforced for workers in 6 frontline industries. ( I see more protests coming or further workforce shortages, health / economic pressures & business closures)
Kids COVID vaccinations for 5 - 12 year olds start despite a shaky starts with some teething problems with some kids turned away.. The race is now on to get all kids vacvinated before they start school. The debate to delay the return to school date or continue remote learning continues due to cancellation and delays of kids vaccinations estimated by 3 months initially due to problems with the roll out of supply and distribution of vaccines to pharmacies and GPS.
Gold Coast has a COVID outbreak due to having a high volume of travellers from interstate.
There is a competition for a new pudding to be invented to go with existing celebratory dishes such as Coronation Chicken, for the Queens 70 anniversiary since her coronation as queen.
Australia possibly having an early Federal election as early as March 2022? Nah more likely for as late in May 2022 as possible due to the current COVID outbreak.
There were 25870 COVID cases in NSW and 11 deaths today.
Wednesday 12th January 2022
Myer 11 am - 5 pm service original shift added to roster 3/1/22. Amended to Myer 8 am - 2 pm stock verbally by the customer service manager on 7/1/22 and amended again verbally by the customer service manager on Tuesday 11th January to 8 am - 5 pm ( 8 am - 11 am stock & 11 am - 5 pm service - what do I not get a break for a 9 hour straight day today?) No changed again today to 8 am - 5 pm stock all day.
I was also asked to work tomorrow until 5 pm but said no as I was suppose to have some phone appointments and I was asked to work on Friday as well starting at 8 am instead of starting at 11 am but said no but an 8.30 am start was ( not really) "negotiated". I Don't understand why I can't start at 9 am instead of 8 am. The VM staff do.
Today I spent the entire day on stock. Mainly re merchandising the cookware tables starting with The Cooks Collective, Tefel ( incomplete) and the entire Greenpan range which I just managed to complete by 5 pm. No time to do anything else.
It is so hot and humid again today. The unvaccinated team member returned to work today after being off sick for a few days.
A Blackhawk helicopter was loudly hovering over Warringah Mall today for quite some time. They were hunting down a mad man who was threatening lives with a knife . He was found and arrested.
It was straight to the dock to return a random cage of cookware and punch out before just managing to catch the 280 bus that had just left the curb and stopped for me waving it to stop and let me on as I could not see it behind the not in service bus parked in front of it. Arrived at Chatswood and it was straight onto another bus straight home. So tired I caught the end of the news, watch The Cook Up and then 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown before going straight to bed.
It had started to rain on my way to Chatswood on the 280 bus but by the time I was on the 144 bus home it was raining a lot more and continued to rain into the evening before stopping. People ask me why I carry so much in my backpack - I am always prepared - I have lost count of how many times I have bern caught out in heavy rain and freezing cold temperatures to and from work or elsewhere so living so far from work, I carry at least a spare set of clothes and a scarf and wind jacket.
Sleep early to a rather dark wet night.
News headlines for today are the same as previous days weeks months even.
Novak Djokovic is still in limbo in Australia as the immigration minister has not made a decision as to whether he can stay and play or deported - the Australian Open is just a week away. He may have to play a day later.
Boris Johnson is in hiding and sent a junior minister to represent him over parties held illegally at Downing Street during the UK's lockdown.
A man and his daughter survived clinging onto a tree after their car was caught in flood waters and washed away . They managed to survive 2 days without food, just drinking water running down the tree, snakes flicked away with a stick and a rope tied around them until they were rescued.
Omicron Omicron Omicron continues - staff shortages and supermarket shelves are stripped bare of fresh fruit vegetables protein toilet paper tissues and even bread . ( Note I spotted a King truck pull into a Dan Murphy liquor chain store this morning bright and early - gee NSW has got their priorities right haven't they? No shortage of alcohol here ( and I don't mean champagne ).
Thursday 13th January 2022
KRONOS STILL DOWN MY CLOCK USED
Myer 8 am - 2 pm stock - no, change that back to 8 am - 5 pm which was the shift that I was originally asked to work but I said no . Stock up to 2 pm service afterwards to cover for the team leader who wasn't feeling well after receiving her booster shot yesterday and had to leave work to go home this morning. So there goes my afternoon off. I was asked if I could stay until 6 pm - no way it's absolutely pouring with rain and has been most of today.
So many staff off sick this week - one staff member even off sick in advance. How on earth can you know you will be sick this weekend? And I can't even have a 5 hour waste of my time day off next Friday after being rostered on next week for 2 consecutive 10 hour shifts finishing at 8.30 pm each day and amended to start at 10 am according to a new amended roster that is so blurry you can't read it posted on the What's App group chat.
I did not bring my lunch today as I was suppose to leave at 2 pm so had to buy it - I'll be claiming that on my next tax return as Myer does not pay any allowances for last minute changes to rosters. These very last minute changes to rosters has got to stop. If I can't have next Friday off, I'm calling in sick. Even better if I catch COVID then I really can't go to work.
Well what do you know my entire roster has changed for next week except for the 21st January 2022, The day I do not want to work because it's a 5 hour shift. I still have 2 x 10 hour shifts but due to the way they split it you Don't get an hour lunch break instead you get half an hour only between 5 pm
I don't get it so I Googled it. What is the difference between HR and People & Culture.
News headlines today include:
Premiums for private health insurance is going up again although it is reported that it is the lowest jump in 2 decades. It will mean and extra $58 for singles.
Prince Andrew will not be able to escape his lawsuit. Trial could be as earliest as September this. The civil case could be delayed due to asn appeal by Prince Andrew or if settlement is made outside of court in which the details of the case will never be revealed. 95% of civil cases in the US are thrown out before they even reach the court.
The decision of whether Novak Djokovic will be able to stay and play in Australia or be deported will be made by 3 pm today. If the immigration minister fails to do so by then it will cause further problems. Novak has admitted that he made a mistake breaking COVID isolation rules by being out and about whilst infected at a French photo shoot.
There are fears for a missing 14 year old lost during flooding.
There is presdure from all oppsition parties for British PM Boris Johnson to resign for throwing illegal BYO "work" parties during the nation's COVID lockdowns - the case is being investigated with leaked emails inviting members of parliament to byo drinks to these multiple work gatherings.
1/2 teaspoon a day of olive oil may be beneficial for you studies show.
Raid antigen positive COVID test results must be reported to Service NSW otherwise a fine of $1000 will be imposed - yah right who is going to know who has reported as there is no one policing this and it has to be entered manually onto the Service NSW app. It's difgicult enough just getting your hands on a rapid antigen test kit let alone report positive infection results.
New definition of close contacts and isolation periods based on results are in discussionsagain to try and keep staff in the workforce in frontline roles and keep supply chsins flowing to stop food shortages on supermarket shelves . There are discussions of increasing international student work hours allowed and employing retirees back into the workforce for example.
There were 91928 COVID cases in NSW and 22 deaths ( since the mandatory positive RAT test reporting to Service NSW was required back dated to as far back as NYE ).
Friday 14th January 2022
Original Myer shift today was 11 am - 5 pm service however I was again asked to start at 8 am to do stock - no I said that I will start at 8.30 am.
I l eave home at around 7 am and take the first bus that comes along a 144 to Manly getting off at Neutral Bay and wait for the next B line bus to arrive. I have hardly stepped off the bus when I receive a text message from the customer service manager that reads:
"Hi sorry to annoy you please refill knives today there is heaps in the reserve that are not out. Thanks"
reminding her of the following :
"yes sure I start at 8.30 am this morning"
For once she did respond with :
"Thank you 🙂"
When I arrived at Warringah Mall I had a massive gallery attack, I was coughing , my eyes were watering so badly and my nose was running like anything. I had my mask on and It's not the first time it has happened. It happens a lot whenever I sit in certain places where there are plants behind or very close to me around the mall. I think they spray them with something as I have seen ground keepers around maintaining them - yes they are live semi indoor/outdoor plants everywhere around the indoor/outdoor mall. I had to take 2 antihistamines and more outside to the Myer staff entrance/exit and sit on the steps for half an hour to try and calm my allergy fit down. Luckily it almost stopped by the time I started my shift. It was a pretty frightening attack this time round and there was no one around.
I wait at the Myer staff entrance/exit and someone is ment to open the door for 5 minutes only at 7.55 am for an 8 am start and 8.25 am for an 8.30 am start. I wait and no one opens the door so I text the customer service manager who is conveniently having yet another day off. So I have been at Myer for over a year now and still not been made a permanent part time employee, I requested a transfer to Chatswood but was blocked by a vaccination mandate imposed at the time which should not have been imposed as there was no vaccination mandate for NSW, asked for a day off but unless I can find someone to cover me for next Friday has been rejected, and now have been asked to start earlier and stay back and work almost every day this week yet am not given the minimal 24 hours of casual work I had specified in my initial employment forms for some weeks. I just wish I could get another job. I have applied for so many and without success - some just waste my time - if I stay sny longer at Myer Warringah I will have no brain cells left! Myer has already killed half my brain cells I estimate.
So Iit's 8.25 am and the door has not opened. I did not use the air phone near the Myer staff entrance/exit because in the past on several ocassions no one answers and it just goes straight to voice mail so I text the customer service manager who I did not know was having a day off as mentioned above.
"Is someone going to let me in?"
"Ring the duty phone I am at home. ********"
"sorry"
As soon as I punch in and dump my bag I go to the dock grab an empty cage , head to the knife cabinet and jot down any knives I need to restock before heading to the hard reserve to get them. I had just finished restocking the knives and locked up the knife cabinets when an extremely needy and annoying customer practically blocked me off by yelling and chasing me down for assistance as I was grabbing my cage with excess knives in it to return to the hard reserve. I described it to the electricals team member who had dealt with her previously and also described this customer as the same except we were describing her in Cantonese ( ensuring she was not still around as she could have understood what we were saying about her) adding in English how she acted as if she was hailing down a taxi - yes a taxi not an Uber! She was so annoying yet I could not just leave her and she wanted me to open up unopened boxes of pots and pans taking them out but not putting them back into the box. I must have spent 1 hour with her and it felt like an eternity! I ended up trying to explain to her that I am not actually on the floor selling but on stock and handed her over ( more like dumped her) to the electricals team member. She had a return so I thought I don't care about the sale I'll just give it to the electricals team member. This customer did question me a bout who gets the sale and she was correct about wanting to give the sale to me which she preferred to do due to my customer service and knowledge but I just wanted to get on with what I was suppose to be doing and told her to see the electricals team member and give her the sale. Finally I could return the knives which are a safety Hazzard being left in a cage on the floor. The customer did not even this until I explained this to her.
It worked out for the electrical team member as she was over -$500 in sal as due to a coffee machine return and this annoying customer's return. The annoying customer was returning a Will eco fry pan as it was too heavy for her and kept telling me about her thinning skin and loss of strength.
I wasn't sure how much stock I was suppose to be doing between 8.30 am - 11 am but after that customer I had no time to do much more stock and I was suppose to be on service from 11 am- 5 pm as originally rostered today.
There was suppose to be another team member on today but there was no sign of her so the team leader had to ting the operations manager - she was off sick. Everyone is off sick even the team member who was off sick in advance. Do all team members have COVID? So desparate for staff team members were bought up from downstairs to help out when they could.
The team leader was busy doing the bar codes for the up and coming stocktake next week ( stupidly called scan count by Myer) so she could not spend time at the counter serving. She also had to have her lunch break between 1.30 pm - 2.30 pm which meant I had to have my lunch either at 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm or 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm taking into consideration I finish at 5 pm today so I ended up making a decision to have lunch in 2 x 30 breaks due to still serving a customer and having to run down to the reserve to look for a mattress protector for a customer. I went to lunch from 1 pm - 1.30 pm and from 2.45 pm - 3.15pm. I forgot my lunch this morning so just purchased a chicken curry pie again from the same place as the previous day ( I had to buy lunch the previous day because I was again asked to stay back until 5 pm instead of leaving at 2 pm - 2 curry pies in a row not exactly the healthiest of lunches but it was a curry cheapen and vegetable pie with a thinner pastry so not as bad as KFC or other fast food choices).
As soon as I finished at 5 pm and punched out and left via the stores front entrance on the ground floor where the cosmetics are as the store is open until 5.30 pm.
A quick wash of my hands and straight on the next 280 bus to Chatswood. It's Friday night the markets are on but food stalls are not all present. So I wanted some teriyaki checken with sweet potato noodles only to be told sold out for today - gee we really are suffering a food shortage - either that or Australia is becoming a communist country or war torn where food is rationed.
I ended up going to the Sushi Hub down the road which I don't even like eating from because there are always flies in the bain marie display - tonight no different. I purchase $13.50 worth of sushi and sit and eat it on a bench on the mall towards Chatswood Station all mind numbingly not even hungry before heading home on another bus. I am so tired , I have worked over 35 hours this week and just did not want to cook when I arrived home tonight.
Home to watch YouTube (catch up), I deliberately missed the news not getting back home in time, watched The Cook Up and then 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown before going to sleep with a cup of black tea.
News headlines today include:
Prince Andrew has had his military honours and patronages stripped by the Queen. Not Your Royal Highness which means he will face rape charges as a civilian and my as a royal.
Tennis stars have hit out about Novak Djokovic visa situation including former tennis star Martina Navratilova. 98% of tennis players are vaccinated and the majority of Australians apparently think that he should be vaccinated in order to stay and play. Spain is apparently also investigating him for possible breaches of entry into their country to play in past tennis tournaments.
Supermarket shelves remain empty due to supplier chain issues as a result of staff isolating due to close contact and negative COVID test results. The government is in discussions into solutions to reduce this problem.
Staff may be able to skip Isolation if in close contact with an infected person but have negative results and return to work for frontline staff in the transport logistics emergency and education sectors.
Sunshine states scraped all travel restrictions - no permits passes quarantine etc
Free RAT tests will be available from Jan 24th from pharmacies for concession holders with a limit number of test kits per customer. Austrians are asking when and why they aren't free for all residents.
Tennis player Bernard Tomic said he would get COVID at a previous tennis tournament and now he has tested positive to it after losing his tennis match.
Ronnie Spector lead singer of The Ronettes died today aged 78.
There were 63018 COVID cases in NSW and 29 deaths today.
Saturday 15th January 2022
Day off today.
It's still wet and grey this morning with bouts of rain overnight and today. I woke at 6 am this morning. It's not stinking hot today which is hood.
I turn the tv on to watch the news. Government advertisements have changed from get vaccinated to get your booster shots if you are eligible ie 4 months since your 2nd vaccination and free PCR or rapid antigen tests from testing centres. Rapid antigen test kits or just rapid antigen testing? who knows but with the conditions only - if you are a close contact, have symptoms or if you have been ordered to get tested. So vague.
I haven't written about vaccination rates in NSW for a while but there is no change in first and second dose vaccination rates remaining at just over 95% and just under 94% respectively. So there is still around 5 - 6 % of residents of NSW excluding those under 12 that are still part vaccinated or remain unvaccinated.
So much to catch up on today - take the rubbish out tomorrow , laundry wash and dry tomorrow , shopping - done, return a whole bag of bottles for recycling done and batteries to Aldi recycling bin done , get change for the laundry done and watch that stupid scan count video otherwise get yelled at again for a third time, apply for more jobs and draft up my transfer request letter as well as pay some more bills.
I really need to go away but would not know to where anymore.
The COVID alerts are going off again on 12th, 13th and 15th January 22. Well I'm still at home today on my own - Am I infecting myself again?
It is very late afternoon and I finally leave to venture out mainly to return and earn the bag of 16 plastic bottles I've managed to accumulate and get change for the laundry. Grocery shopping optional.
I had to wait a while for the bus to Chatswood and the first thing I do is return my bottles before picking up my replacement pair of black jeggings I ordered online from Uniqlo as a click & collect which arrived quicker tgen I thought it would take. Second stop Aldi and Coles to do a shop and only buy what I can find there not necessarily what I need on my shopping list and get change for the laundry.
At Aldi some shelves are empty - but not a lot. There is still plenty of fruit and veg although protein is running a little low but not completely empty. I thought the shelves of tissues and toilet paper would be empty but no there were still a few cartons full of tissue boxes so I grabbed 2 boxes but there was a lady in my way who had dumped her groceries on the tissue box carton therefore I had to wait for her to move in order to get the boxes of tissues.
Next some bottles of sparkling water which there were still plenty of bottles left and finally a roll of garbage bags also plenty of. I did not look at the toilet paper shelves as I don't usually buy toilet paper from Aldi as it does not flush very well and I find it is used up very quickly.
Onto Coles Local. Well what can I say? - grab what you can from what's available - empty shelves everywhere. Back to the toiletpaper gate situation back in March 2020 again - yes back to square one when the COVID pandemic and panic buying began.
Here's a summary of what the shelves were stripped bare of :
Juices - all fresh refrigerated bottled fruit & vegetable juices but large bottles of flavoured Kombucha still available.
Protein - no chicken duck turkey or any type of game meat left . No sausages left. Certain cuts of pork lamb and beef still available although in limited supply. Still quite a range of packaged processed poutry products left such as Southern fried chicken pieces, popcorn chicken, schnitzel, kievs etc as well as packaged marinated poultry pieces left. Seafood such as scallops calamari and a limitd selection of non salmon packaged white fish were left. A few packets of beef mince left and you can get other types of protein such as kangaroo meat. Plant based products still available.
Tissues and toilet paper shelves completely bare. A small amount of paper towels still available. Wet wipes and small pocket packets of tisdues still available in limited supplies. photos of empty shelves below:
Straight home on the bus. Wash my hands and my masks and I unpack my groceries.
News headlines today include:
Short supplies short tempers " Loser Loser, no chicken dinner" food shortages continue as supply chains face problems
Novak Djokovic loses lawsuit and faces deportation today. An announcement was made by the immigration minister yesterday at 5 pm just before the 6 pm news of his decision to deport Novak Djokovic- cancelling his visa and ordering him to surrender to border force A last minute ditch by his lawyers to appeal this decision has been made and it will be a very busy weekend. He is no longer a free man and will be taken to a detention centre until a decision from the appeal has been made today. There has been no sign of him today and if anyone spots him he will be mobbed. Orders for deportation 2 days before the Australian Open begins! A few other less known tennis players have already been deported from Australian which have gone unknown or reported including the Czech tennis player. Only Novak has the status to fight his deportation. There is a chance that Novak may seek an injunction where it may be a few weeks or months before his next hearing which will allow him enough time to play at the Australian Open.
Today all border restrictions into and out of QLD have been removed. These restrictions were suppose to be lifted when the state reached 90% but they are currently on 88%. Restrictions and quarantine still apply to overseas travellers arriving into QLD at least until the state reached 90% vaccination rate.
Norris Johnson has apologised to the Queen for parties thrown at Downing Street on the eve of Prince Phillips death when the nation was in morning and in lockdown. There is still pressure for him to step down as PM. It was reported that the PM wasn't present at the party where it was BYO alcohol and so much alcohol that the Poem's toddler's swing was damaged .
There has been a cyber attack targeted on the Ukraine Government's websites.
There is a search for a 9 year old missing from a Blue Mountains property near Mt Wilson who disappeared on Thursday but only reported overnight.
After the polo and draws , The Magic Millions horse race day is on today on the Gold Coast. (Sport in Australia is not all about the Ashes & BBL cricket happening in the South Eastern states of Australia at the moment!). The first major event on the Gold Coast and a week long celebration. 28 degrees with a refreeze today , It's a perfect day as QLD opens up it's borders again today.
There were 48 768 COVID cases and 20 deaths in NSW today.
Sunday 16th January 2022
Day off today .
I wake around 5 am have a sleep and go back to sleep waking at around 8.30 am to watch the news. It did not rain overnight but it's a calm overcast grey day this morning.
I did absolutely nothing today except sleep, take my rubbish out, watch YouTube, change my bedding, make a Japanese curry, a mango cucumber and capsicum salsa , eat and watch tv
It turned out to be a nice day today but I'll try and venture out tomorrow.
News headlines today include:
A volcanic erruption on a neighboring island has caused tsunsmis in Tonga flooding homes and forcing people to higger ground putting Australia, Lord Howe Isand, Vanuatu, Norfolk island, NZ & Fiji on alert. Lord Howe Island has been evacuated and Australian beaches were and are on Tsunami alert. Last night beaches along the East coast of Australia including Bondi Beach were evacuated last night. Today the waves at Bondi Beach look calm although a little windy. People have been warned to stay away from the water as nobody knows what lurks below the water. Ironman and Ironwoman is suppose to running today however is waiting for the OK to go ahead. Will the event go ahead at midday today?If you plan to go for a swim today hold off the advice is to hold off.
Novak Djokovic has just left his hotel at Carlton for the court to fight his lawsuit against deportation. He is hoping to get a temporary injunction which will allow him to play in the Australian Open. This is causing chaos amongst tennis players and rhe Australisn Open.
Australia has qualified for the Bejing Winter Olympics 2022 with their first ever curling team presently training in Alberta Canada after 12 months unable to train and travel due to COVID. The dual team Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill will represent Australia in curling at the Olympics after qualifying in December 21.
NSW latest COVID cases are 34660 and 20 deaths.
Novak Djokovic has been deported and is out of the Australian Open He is currently detained however unclear if his legal team will now take his visa cancellation to the high court.
Monday 17th January 2022
I made a mistake reading the ever changing roster. I think I am suppose to work today.
I did not take the red bin out today after work as I could not be bothered and Don't have time to bring it back in due to getting home really late tomorrow night.
Myer 10.30 - 4.30 pm service
I didn't have to do any stock duties today just serve customers. A very short shift with only a 15 minute tea break. There is no staff shortage here although a lot of staff are on holidays or away "sick" . It has got to the point where next week I only have 2 x 6 hour shifts each from 11 am - 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday. Myer must be so poor they can't afford to pay casual staff a lunch break. It's just such a wast of my time to travel all the way to and from work for just 2 not even fill day shifts - do the maths it cost $15 per day travel so that's $30 already gone even before starting my 2 days work, then there is a total waste of my time for a whole 2 days where I can't do anything for those 2 days before or after work as it takes me 2 hours to get to and from work due to reduced public transport services during the holiday period where I have to plan my travel and leave at 9 am and get home at 7 pm for the 2 days. I can't even catch the evening news or take the rubbish bin back in on a Tuesday before work.
Myer's opening hours have been reduced commencing Sunday 16th January 2022. Altered trading hours now as follows :
Monday was 9.30 am - 5.30 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday was 9.30 am - 5.30 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday was 9.30 am - 5.30 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday was 9.30 am - 9 pm now 10 am - 7 pm (reduced late night shopping hours)
Friday was 9.30 am - 5.30 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday was 9 am - 6 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday was 10 am - 5.30 pm now 10 am - 5 pm
I am trying so hard to find another job but I still have not been able to find one. If I spend anymore time at Myer I will have no more brain cells left!
I'm fed up with customers such as the one that came up to me with a whole lot of coloured miniature mugs and wanted one more of 2 coloured ones as there were none left on the shelf. I grabbed the 2 of them and begin to look up on the iPad to see if there were anymore in storm of the yellow one and thankfully there were no more . I ignored her comnents and abandoned her and left her to figure out her own problem of how to find someone else to serve her and for her to move all her mugs after she didn't want to be served by me after complaining that I touched the inside of her mugs with my hands - how else was I suppose to pick 2 up without touching them I told the electricals team leader. Was she not going to wash the mugs before using them. How many other people have touched them before I did?
And then there was the cursing customer last week who was so irate, I actually went to the men's youth counter and called the customer service manager who had to leave her break and come down to calm him down advising him that unless he stopped talking to us like that and with some respect she was unable to do anything for him. He did calm down and apologized to us and explained that he was angry with his wife and took it out on us. I think I made the right call by listening to why he wanted to return a Myer bag with some Sheridan sets in it that he had clearly purchased from Myer Macquarie, that Myer Warringah did not stock and were taken out of their packets and therefore unresellable. I advised him about how due to NSW Health Regulations and that he should have been advised by staff at Myer Macquarie that sheets are non returnable especially if they have been taken out of their packaging which he had clearly done and therefore was unresellable. He argued that he was told he was allowed to return it exchange it or get a refund for it if they were not quite right by staff at Myer Macquarie so I said I would call a manager ( doing so away from the customer). In the end when the customer had calmed down and readvised of the conditions of purchase and refund return and exchange policies on all bedding in general , he was given a refund. Then I had to explain to the Sheridan rep the situation and she had to deal with the return the following day. It was a chain reaction making life difficult for all involved.
Finally there was the Asian lady who annoyed the he'll out of the Chinese team member from electricals and I last Friday morning which I have already written about capping off the end of last week's list of crazy customers I had to deal with. There was one more however I forgot what happened- probably another more "needy" customer rather then a pain in the ass or plain out disrespectful rude demanding one.
Another customer I served and sd a quilt to tried to return it today after taking it out of the packet and putting it on their bed. Sorry I advised him we can't take it back as you have taken it out of the packaging. His reason for return it's too thick on the bed. I explained It's polyfill and will compress over time.
Not all customers are like the above examples though. I do get quite a few very appreciative patient happy customers. There was a middle aged guy lkast week who was quite appreciative and the think I remember about him was he carried around a cabin sized wheelie bag with him to put all his shopping in - smart move as that is what I do however he had no grasped the idea of maximising the use of it and was trying to cram all his purchased from Myer in it so I suggested he use the handle of his wheelie bag to hook the handles of his pillow protector cover over it so he would have his hasnds free and not need to use them to carry it - I had to show him how to . He was having a sit down at the cafe and showed me what else he purchased ( some hi all embossed acrylic picnic glasses) and what he was using it for - unconventional but it will work.
The team leader was right when he mentioned how some customers are unconvinced tgat you have given them the correct refund or charged them the correct discount. A couple stood there checking their receipt for quite a while whilst we watched on before they finalky walked off away from the counter. Yep there is a lot of checking of figures going on and It's usually the customer not us that is mistaken. The amount of receipts I have had to check for customers with explanations- now I ensure everything is correct before a customer leaves the counter from counting the number of items to checking all discounts appear on the register screen to checking all breakable items ensuring all items are suitably wrapped up and asking if the customer needed a bag or box or trolley as well as explaining all refund exchange return policies. I won't do any orders which have breakable items to be home delivered anymore as there have been too many returned to the store damaged and broken. I encourage online purchasing by customers and click and collect. Placing orders for customers in store takes too long and I want the customer to take more responsibility for their purchases. It is much easier to process faulty online returns then it is to do a return done via an order via the ipad by a team member in store especially if it is a faulty damaged broken even change of king wrong size or colour etc.
Straight to Chatswood on the next 280 , I was so tired. A stop off to find some chicken any protein for lunch for the next 2 long days at work.
I only managed to find some Maryland chicken at Coles and purchased some more bananas. Home. I catch the end of the evening news The Cook Up and 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown before going to sleep. It is so hot I had to keep the fan on most of the night.
Awake again around 1 am the following morning and catching up on my blog.
News headlines today include:
An Italian tennis player is to replace Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open starting today after he lost his appeal to be deported. He was detained and escorted to the airport by border force/ federal police and put on a late flight last night at 10.30 pm leaving Australia. He now has a 3 year ban into Australia unless he appeals. This don't affect him being banned from entering other countries but his vaccine status may.
Prince Harry has take legal action against the UK government for not continuing to provide his security guards where under UK law he is prevented to privately funding them himself claiming it is unsafe for him not to have them around. Speculation that the Queen may never get to meet her great grand daughter Lilibet due to this situation.
The push is on for the Australian government to roll out a COVID vaccine for pets
There is a push for teenagers to get a booster shot earlier as their vaccinations began back in August and efficacy would have waned by now.
Tsunami alert for QLD and NSW beaches has been cancelled as waves are no longer dangerous however there is another another cyclone alert off the coast of Fiji therefore is a swim with caution warning. The still has not been any communications from Tonga as communication lines are down. Australia has sent a surveillance flight to Tonga in order to assess damage and send aid.
The search along the Hawksbury River continues with no sign of the missing 9 year old girl that went missing 4 days ago from the Blue Mountains area.
Beer sales are down by 50% prompting the need for government to slash beer taxes.
Celine Dion has had to cancel a series of shows due to muscle spasms which are hindering her from performing.
There were 29504 COVID cases & 17 deaths in NSW today
Tuesday 18th January 2022
Myer 10 am - 5 pm service 5 pm - 8.30 pm scan count ( just Myer's stupid name for a stocktake). Yes that is correct a 10.5 hour day!
I got up at 5 am, watched the news & caught the next bused to work. I did not take the red bin out last night as I knew that I would not have time to to bring it back in as I would not get home before 10 pm tonight leaving home for work no later then 8 am this morning when the garbbos may not come by until later.
It was so busy at work. Every customer seemed have some type of inquiry with quite a few holding up the the queue of customers behind them by not having their payments ready or not knowing how to use their payment methods.
I only had a lunch break at 2.30 pm. I staff member is in isolation with COVID. Another 2 went home sick on with "allergies" and another with "gastro". Ut was so busy and i had to ho straight to scan count training session without a break , having to request for a toilet break between finishing at 5 pm and scan count. I ended up misding half of the training session anyway as I had to return the ipad. The train session started at 5 pm.
Allocated to mensware at 8.30 pm I returned my scanning gun and grabbed my stuff - there is no way that I was staying back! I was told that I didn't clock in this morning when I had as the store now opens at 10 am and I have to use the staff entrance/exit prior to the store opening . I clocked off at 8.28 pm according to the My Clock app on the Myer ipads at the staff entrance/exit. I had to find a manager to let me out at 8.30 pm - such a hassle so I never plan to make a certain bus I just get on the first bus that arrives. It was dark outside and pouring with rain . Iooked as if it had been raining heavily for hours - because there is no natural air or sunlight at Myer, I never get to see what the weather is like when I leave work so am always prepared and everyone always asks why I carry such a heavy large backpack! I don't live locally.
I walk though the mall where everything including the supermarket is closed , across to the poedestrian overpass to the other side of the road in the rain and wait for the first Manly bus connecting onto a 144 home (which was quite a wait).
Home around 10 pm I am so tired. I was my hands and my mask before going straight to bed almost after watching the 10 pm encore episode of today's The Cook Up. There is no catch up episode of 8 Out of 10 Does Countdown.
Tomorrow I do it all again!
News headlines today include:
After being deported back to Serbia and back home in Belgrade to a hero's welcome, Novak Djokovic may not be able to play in the French Open in May if he remains unvaccinated.
Eventhough she has passed away recently, today would have Betty White's 100th birthday in the US.
1.2 Million of RAT kits will arrive in NSW today with priority given to essential emergency workers only. The next batch will be going to schools before schools go back. RAT kits won't be available for months to the general public and penioners will miss out as well. Unions want businesses to have access to them for workers in industries such as retail.
Meanwhile in Victoria RAT kits will be available to all residents.
2 trucks in Menai in Sydney crashed this morning spilling truck loads of fresh fruit and vegetables blocking the roads and causing lengthy delays. Nobody was injured except the fruit and vegetables
Number 1 tennis player Ash Barty wins her match. Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal both move on to their next matches - Life in the tennis world moves one in the Australian Open after the drportation of Novak Djokovic.
Pat Cummins stopped the popping of corks from post cricket celebrations so non drinking Khawaja could be called over and included in the celebrations. What a classy act.
Documents show Prince Andrew may have dated Galhane Maxwell who has just been convicted last night of trafficking under aged and young girls for sex and involvement with Jeffrey Epstein's affairs. It has been revealed that she has been seen visiting Buckingham Palace on several ocassions and could have been romantically linked to and or having an affair with Prince Andrew.
Downpours are forecast for 3 states today QLD NSW and VIC.
There were 29830 COVID cases and 36 deaths in NSW today
Wednesday 19th January 2022
Today I wake again to a very wet day. It is pouring with rain again and at almost 8.30 am I walk across the road to the nearest bus stop in the rain as it becomes heavier. I missed the last 144 bus so catch the next bus that arrives transfer at St Leonards Station and again at Neutral Bay for the B line bus. The bus driver stops just before Neutral Bay at a bus stop gets out of his bus to inspect the damage caused from a motor cycle that hit the side of the bus but this time announces to passengers that he is just stopping to inspect the damage not dumpling us at the bus stop to wait for the next bus. What's going on with bus crashes?
I never have much time to do anything if I leave home an hour and a half before I am due to start work so I try to leave an extra 15 minutes to half an hour earlier. I don't even have time to try on a pair of black shoes I desperately need for work to replace the ones I am no longer able to wear as they were infested with the same vicious biting possibly blood sucking bugs from when I was previously bitten from whilst doing stock. The shoes I wore to work had to be big sprayed placed in a garbage bag and sealed to be disposed of. Totally unwearable again.
I don't have much to write about work today as it was the same stuff - being yelled at, given things to do when there is no time to do them, given the wrong information, doing 10 hour shifts, not getting a chance to have lunch until 3.30 pm, annoying customers holding up a queue of customers behind them, a increasing amount of broken dinnerware ( 2 of the same plate today) , faulty items, returns due to delays in deliveries even incorrect online deliveries ( a customer ordered and poaid for 2 quilt sets and paid for them online only to receive 2 European pillow cases in the same range) and loads of in store customer returns etc etc.
News headlines include:
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has gone back to his old tricks again and won his match in the Australian open progressing to the next round entertaining crowds. Meanwhile Tennis Australia is under the spotlight as the Novak Djokovic saga continues with an investigation as to why he was given a medical exemption and visa to enter Australia - wasn't it previous reported that it was time to concentrate on the Australian Open as soon as Novak Djokovic was deported - come on just concentrate on the tennis and let it go!
Melbourne has been asked to host the next Commonwealth Games as no other country wants to host the next Commonwealth Games - talk about desparate! After winning the Olympics where there was very little competition in hosting them as channel 7 commented let's just make Australia a permanent Olympic site.
In cricket news , Ashes celebrations have been interrupted at a hotel in Hobart by police due to a noise complaint reported by a resident from outside of the hotel . Celebrations went into the early hours of the morning.
At 7 pm tonight people may be able to see an asteroid through binoculars or telescopes "wizz" cross the earth. Close enough to Earth but not close enough to hit it and cause Armageddon. There will be other sightings of asteroids but maybe not for decades in the future.
Australia has been lit up showing support for the tsunami disaster in Tonga. Communications is still weak and 3 people have now been reported to have lost their lives from the disaster.
A 39 year old man has been charged in Southern Sydney for the murder of the misding 9 year old girl missing in the Blue Mountains last week.
The AUS$ is just under 72 cents against the US$. Credit card debit is at a high. Property prices are sky high and JB HiFi shares are doing well but January consumer confidence figures are not.
Omicron Omicron Omicron. A rougue MP has been advising parents not to vaccinate their kids on social media.
Nursing homes are struggling with COVID outbreaks.
Private sector healthcare workers have now been transferred into the public sector to fill staff shortages and any non essential medical services have been delayed or cancelled.
Positive rapid antigen test results to be reported
A code brown in now in order in Victoria where Healthcare workers may have their leave cancelled or called back early if they are already on leave in an attempt to curb the staff shortage due to the high rate of COVID infections amongst staff who are away in isolation. Patients requiring emergency services such as an ambulance are being assessed thoughly before being dispatched in Victoria due to staff shortages with one resident faking chest pains just to get to the ER just to receive a PCR test. The last code brown in Victoria was when Thunderstorm Asthma occurred.
Nursing homes have a staff shortage and it was reported that the situation has been so bad residents have been locked in their rooms with no one to attend to them or care for them properly.
Return to school in doubt as COVID cases forecast to spike , 2 free RAT kits for each students , isolation periods and rules for close contact for teachers are changing creating an unhealthy environment with the striking of teachers due to the health risk to teachers and students, there are discussions of bringing in parents, final year teaching students and retired teachers to fill staffing gaps.
Thousands of booster appointments remain unfilled. Why - bkamed on interruptions of Omicron outbreaks, pressures of GPS trying to fit in all their regular appointments and booster appointments. No I don't think so more likely everyone knows that everyone will eventually get Omicron. Health authorities are still urging everyone to get their booster shots.
6 people ( 5 men & 1 woman) have bern arrested on drug cultivation (cannabis) offences in Dubbo.
A bus full of senior golf players caught fire on the Bruce Highway in QLD. All passengers managed to escape uninjured due to a quick thinking bus driver and passengers looking out for each other before the bus erupted into flames and destroyed the entire bus along with all the golf equipment. Only a frame of the bus remained after the flames were extinguished. A very lucky escape for all except the golf equipment.
There were 32 297 COVID cases and 36 deaths in NSW today. Details of these deaths were: 3 people aged in their 40s, 3 people aged in their 60s, 8 people in their 70s, 11 people in their 80s and 7 people in their 90s. (whoever reported these details online can't add up)
Jamaica has 3 bobsled teams that qualified for the Winter Olympics 2022. How many does Australias have 1 possibly 2 now? Jamaica has more bobsled teams then Australia !?
Thursday 20th January 2022
I don't have to start work until noon today according to the ever changing roster but still work around 5.30 am this morning to a grey overcast but not currently raining day.
I left really late for work today after 10.30 am and just missed a 144 and a connecting B line so I just have to wait until another one arrives in 10 minutes.
At Neutral Bay a little after 11 am it is starting to spit rain again already.
By the time I punch out go to the toilet line up to recharge my Opal card which is almost zero balance and not enough to get me home as well as cross the main road it is already 7.00 pm to catch a bus to Manly.
News headlines today include:
( apologies to my readers predictive text is getting worse and changing my text after it is actually correctly spelt to random words now including names after I haves saved , I don't want to turn it completely off as sometimes auto correct helps and it may be affected - I hope it does not decide to change the word "affected" to "infected" as there is enough of that in the news already)
The body of Charlise Mutton the 9 year old girl that went missing from the Blue Mountains area whilst spending the school holidays with her mother and step father on a luxury property, has been found in a barrel. Her step father and her mother have been charged her murder. She was found in the barrel filled with sand with her little hand sticking out. Her mother's partner is known for a history of mental illness and police had been tracking his movements unveiling how he made a trip to Bunnings to purchase a large quantity of sand and how he tried to dispose of the barrel filled with sand into the Colo River but failed. Bail has been refused and tributes have been left in front of Tweedheads school. Her grandmother had allowed her to travel to reconnect with her mother.
Victoria has had a booster blitz where the interval between the 2nd dose of vaccine has been decreased to 3 months in line with SA and ACT. with NSW to follow. Vaccination mandates may be imposed and residents may no longer be considered fully vaccinated without a 3rd booster. The TDG has just given provisional approval for 2 oral treatments ( a Pfizer and Merck treatment). International travelers who are fully vacvinated will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival soon and international touring of artists will resume soon as international borders open up again. Testing requirements for essential workers to ease testing and pressures off staffing as well as shortening isolation periods.
Charges have been laid for a thief of rapid antigen testing kits from a warehouse which had just arrived there.
Prince William has sidestepped questions by the media on Prince Andrew.
HSC results were released this morning after a previous leak in the list of top achievers which was quickly taken down previously. .
World champion surfer Kelly Slater has been told that he no chance in coming to Australia later this year to compete in The Ripcurl Pro in Victoria & The Margaret River Pro in WA in April if he remains unvaccinated. He is anti vaccination. Fellow competitor Gabriel Medina who is also unvaccinated but says he will be getting his vaccination soon although his current vaccination ststus is unclear. " Here we go again" ( Just 2 days ago at work during the Stocktake I was mentioning to a Serbian electrical team member how Australia will have no allies left if they keep upsetting countries over different issues - Australia has already upset China over trade wars, France over the cancellation of submarine contracts, Serbia over Novak Djokovic 's vaccination status and his recent deportation and guessing which country Australia will upset next I guessed either the U.S. or Germany as options - I guess I guessed correctly with the US although this relationship with the US may have been in doubt since Biden could not even remember the Australian PM's name).
Spending in January 2022 is down by 3%. Spending on overseas travel is still low but domestic travel is picking up. Pharmacy spending is up.
A 4 day deluge will start today in South Australia. Today should be the last day of rain in Northern NSW and SE QLD with the wet weather moving to the NT.
There were 30825 COVID cases and 25 deaths in NSW today.
Friday 21st January 2022
Day off.
Today I should be in Whistler Canada enjoying my annual holiday in Whistler but instead it is my 2nd year that I have been unable to be there due to the COVID pandemic and Myer stocktake which was over 2 nights this time and which was a total disaster even with all the preparation that goes on.
It rained most of today and I did absolutely nothing except eat sleep and catch up on things. After the last 4 days I do need to catch up not just on sleep but everything else.
The maintenance person came today before lunch to vacuum up the bugs and leaves inside and outside the common areas of the apartment block. The been bin is full and they have wheeled it out onto the footpath again along with the mini red bin. This is annoying as I have to wheel them back in in the rain as rubbish collection day is not until Tuesdays!!!!
News headlines today include:
Mark McGown has made a major blackflip overnight and announced the delay of the reopening of the WA state border. WA state border won't reopen on 5th February 2022 as planned due to massive mumbers of omicron cases in Eastern states claim it to be irresponsible of him. Travel for compassionate reasons allowed but 14 day quarantine still required.
States and Territories could not reach a uniform plan to back to school
Vic reversed plans to stop IVF treatments
First RAAF planes have landed in Tonga with aid as well as Jap and NZ aid
Reason for his deportation revealed - all about his anti vax stance that "he could adversely influencing Australians" Making AUS gov $6 million for his ill treatment, emotion suffering and loss of earnings.
Nick Kryios has lost his tennis match and smashed his racquet argued with the umpire and had a temper tantrum His opponent winning the match by 4 sets and dealing with a rough crowd booing Kyrios' defeat.
Women's cricket team wins the Ashes match over England. Alice Perry dropped from the match which was the biggest selection controversy.
Sydney forcasted for a top of 26 degrees mostly sunny today.
A space facility is being built in WA to capture the movement of space junk asteroids collisiond etc. A leader in Space survalence
Water from Casino NSW won the best water competition in Tasmania. Water was collected from around Australia. Samples were tested for taste and clarity. No chemical taste from that sample just clear tap water.
Russiain invasion of Ukraine on brink of war. US inrervention. Biden to Sanctions Russia but force to explain Russia has set up huge military presence at border.
Pope Benedict accused of not intervening to stop abuse. He denies the claims.
First a live patient sucessfully transplanted with a genetically modified pig's heart now a transplant of a genetically modified pig's kidney into a brain dead patient both in the US.
Stolen shipment of RAT kits worth .5 million - not fully recovered . 3 courier arrested questioned but released. One a Mr wu due to appear in court at a later date.
Mother of murdered Charlise Mutton is pregnant to her murderer he mother's partner. She is under hospital supervision foirt mental health issues.
Elton John back on tour. In Aust next year..
There were 25168 COVID cases and 46 deaths in NSW today
Saturday
It's a better day outside. I did not sleep very well again last night and was feeling quite sick yesterday. My allergies were flaring up badly.
I take my rubbish out to the red bin which is now full, catch up on paying a massive amount of bills mostly in advance and venture out to Macquarie Shopping Centre for a grocery shop.
It is a little bit of a wait for the next 144 bus and connecting Metro train to Macquarie Shopping Centre. First stop was return my 4 bottles for recycling at City Convenient Store in Chatswood where there was also a queue before shopping at the Aldi followed by Panetta the fruit & vegetable Green Grocer and finally Coles at Macquarie Shopping Centre. I did not go to the Woolworths there instead took the Metro back to Chatswood and stopping at the Woolworths Metro. I expected the shelves there to be more empty then Coles or Aldi but it was was relatively quiet tgere and not many shelves were empty except the cheaper boxes of tissues and cheaper rolls of toilet paper. Plenty of poultry and fruit and vegetables compared to the larger Coles and Aldi at Macquarie Shopping Centre.
Home on the bus and unpack my groceries after washing my hands and mask. I sort my laundry but still have not placed them in the washing machine yet.
Catch up on YouTube watching Food channel and sleep . I am still very itchy. I think my body is desparate for snow. I have not seen snow now for 4 consecutive ski seasons now and my body is suffering.
News headlines today include
After the state premier's decision yesterday WA is continuing to keep it's borders closed to the rest of Australia and the world indefinitely as Omicron continues to spread until at least 3rd booster shots reach 80 - 90% of their residents.
Rock singer Meat loaf dies aged 74.
Singer Adele cancels her tour making an announcement hours before her first show blaming delivery failures and COVID as reasons and is disappointed with the decision.
Matildas Soccer star Sam Kerr wins the Asian Cup for the team by scoring more goals then Tim Cahill's goal scoring record.
Overseas travellers no longer have to quarantine upon arrival into QLD via Brisbane airport only and only have to provide a negative RAT test not a PCR test within 24 hours of landing.
There was a record high of 46 deaths from COVID in NSW today. The government continues to insist that numbers of COVID cases admitted to hospital are not as bad they are and cases are falling.
The Victoria booster vaccine blitz starts today and public sector workers are given half day off to get vaccinated. To avoid another Novak Djokovic saga at the Australian Open there will be no exemptions given at the Australian Grand Prix - no vaccination no entry or no participation in the event.
Weather extremes divide Australia from heat waves in WA and flooding SA.
Aid is arriving in Tonga and there are attempts to save the drinking water in Tonga contaminated by ash and salt water. There is no still no clear communication as lines are stil cut off and the extent of damage is still uncertain. The main airport remains unsafe to land as ash covers it tarmac and has to be cleared away.
Naomi Osaka has lost her match in the Australian Open and will not advance to play against Ash Barry. Meanwhile Ash Barry won her third match in the Australian Open. Also Nick Kyrgios' campaign in the Australian Open is not yet over in the Australian Open as he wins his doubles match with tennis partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
There were 20 148 COVID cases and 30 deaths in NSW today.
Sunday
I woke to the swish of mvs. It's 6 am and it rained again overnight but by 8 am it's a still a grey overcast morning but at least dry for now. Nope I'm wrong it is still lightly raining.
Today is another do nothing day except take more rubbish out to the now full mini red bin which I will have to put out tomorrow night after work and laundry.
Since I have not bern on holidays for over 2 years now. I am trying to plan one domestically in April and again in July . It's really difficult given the cancellation of flights at the last minute , lockdowns and event cancellations and closures. I am just going to have to bite the bullet and book it.
News headlines today include:
The NSW government has announced their back to school plans first and hopes other states will follow. It is impossible to vaccinate every school child aged between 5 and 12 years old before school returns and it is estimated only 1 in 4 children have been vaccinated. Return to school will involve the distribution of more then 6 millions RAT kits to all schools public private and catholic. Every student and teacher will be required to have 2 RAT tests per week. Students and teachers will be required to wear masks especially high school students. There is a call for final year teaching students retired principals and teachers to be called back to fill the gaps of absent teachers with the only conditions of being that they are fully vaccinated and undergo a working with children check to keep schools open and there will not be a return to online remote learning. Meanwhile QLD has delayed the return to school date in anticipation of the Omicron cases peaking. The peak of omicron cases is expected soon in QLD.
Overseas travellers coming into Australia no longer need a PCR test , a negative RAT test 24 hours prior to boarding is now acceptable in order to encourage and increase air travel again. The quantine period is cut to 7 days rather then 14 day quarantine period.
These changes come at the same time as the aviation sector has been hit hard due to staff shortages and lack of passengers, cancelling many of it's flights. One of the main flights effected is the Sydney to Melbourne route.
Missing RAT tests had lead to accusations that the government is stockpiling RAT tests but PM Scott Morrison insists the government is not hiding any RAT tests and the importer has said they are yet to supply any RAT tests to the Australian government when the supply of RAT tests went missing around the same time as the orders were placed.
US support packages have arrived in Kiev. Other countries have sent missiles to the Ukraine although Russia insists they will not be taking military action against the Ukraine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been involved in a MV crash. he was unhurt however the driver of the other MV suffered head injuries.
The Wiggles win JJJ hottest 100 top song of the year with a rendition of elephant and Fruit Salad beating Billy Eilish and Justin Beiber.
Australia now has a dual bobsled team and not just a female only mono bobsled competitor . The mono bobsled will make it's debut at this year's Winter Olympics.
An elderly couple in their 60s from Collingwood Park SW of Brisbane have died in house fire taking fire fighters hours to extinguish. The cause of the house fire are currently under Investigation.
Alex De Minaur advances to 4th round in the men's singles in the Australian Open. He is the last remaining male singles tennis player and it took him just 2 hours to win his match.
5G towers constructed near American airports have ben delayed being switched on due to interference concerns with flight control involving frequency bands from in poor weather conditions and some types of aircraft that are not airbuses. Australia does not have the same problem with their 5G network as they operate on a lower frequency band of 3.7 rather then 4 - 4.2.
There were 20324 COVID cases and 34 deaths in NSW today.
Monday 24th January 2022
Myer 11 am - 5 pm today ( no changes to shift since original roster on whats app from 13th Jan 2022) What a total waste of my time only 2 x 6 hour shifts this week with no shifts for the following week - Myer is meant to give 2 weeks notice of shifts but hey tgey have broken every other employment law so what's one more?)
It rained overnight but this morning it's clear although the skies are not blue.
I wake around 6 am and go down to check the dryer to check if my clothes have dried overnight. No they haven't therefore I dry my clothes for another 20 minutes.
I watch the morning news but It's quite boring this morning with nothing much happening overnight.
Oops I missed the 144 again and managed to catch the next bus to St Leonards to change onto the next 144 bus to Neutral Bay Junction to come t onto the B line which was in 2 minutes but saw a 172X bus stop which is suppose to be an express bus to Warringah Mall. I have only caught the 174X bus before and didn't think out stopped at Neutral Bay Junction at tbis stop but outside the Coles. I hop on. Oops wrong bus it took 30 minutes to arrive at Warringah Mall via a very scenic route. Lucky I don't start until 11 am this morning! Why does it always start to rain when I get to Neutral Bay Junction and hop on a bus?
Today the team leader was on and she copped all the weird and wonderful customers returns and complaints.
There are far too many broken dinners sets and individual crockery pieces being returned broken from online orders. I thought Myer had long term arrangement with Australia Post? Either this has soured or Australia Post is just being Australia Post. Some customers are not happy but most are ok with the inconvenience of it happening and having to return broken items.
One of the older Ipads went misding and I suspect a customer stole it from the counter last week. It is still missing. Which customer - hopefully not the bridal organiser mother who keeps returning to Myer and purchasing stuff. for her daughter who is always working at the hair dresser..
We find out the VM manager has resigned and the new VM manager is from Myer Bankstown who I have met and spoken to. He will probably do a better job as the last VM manager was very quiet and as I described "didn't quite have the Myer vibe" with which a team member responded with " they are just all trying to climb the corporate ladder" - which corporate ladder - not Myer's - don't bother, do your one year at Myer and get out I recommend, It's become a very toxic place to work. I still don't know if all of Myer is the same or if It's just Myer Warringah. It is so disorganised here and there is a very high staff turn over rate.
I wish people would stop buying products from other stores and trying to return them here when the items are non returnable!
Home on the 280 bus with essential items & snack stop at Woolworths - 3 in 1 kids body wash, shampoo & conditioner - toilet paper and a packet of oven baked not fried chips.
News headlines today include:
There were 15091 COVID cases and 24 deaths in NSW today.
Ash Barry advances again in the Australian Open. Dylan Alcott in his final tennis grand slam also advances to the next quad round.
NSW & Victoris have worked together with an.ost identical return to school plans ( except why do VIC get 14 million RAT kits distributed to all school and NSW only gets 6 million ? Numbers don't add up with same all parents and students doing twice weekly testing upon returning to school and why do vIC schools get air purifiers instalked yet NSW schools don't? There's the differences in return to school plans between the states). Schools are to remain open not just for the psychological benefits that students need but if schools and child care centers close down this puts futher pressures on staff shortages and supply chains with more people being absent from work. There is enough supply chain issues at the moment with supermarket shelves empty of tissues toilet paper meat and poultry just to name a few grocery items.
Thousands of RAT kits available free from pharmacies for concession holders from today. Advice to go to findapharmacy.com.au to find out which pharmacy has supplies as not all pharmacies have been able to secure a supply of RATS for today. I went to the site and it came up with various error messages bad gateway or app not found. There are queues already to get RATs
Scott Morrison profile has been hacked by China showing Chinese propaganda.
A military presence continues to increase and be present at the Russian aand Ukrainian border.
The annual ice hockey teddy bear throw was on. where crowds throw hundreds of teddy bears onto the ice rink after the game that are then donated to charity.
Floods cut towns off in SA and WA has broken past heatwave records with temperatures above 40 degrees C for 6 consecutive days in a row with slight relief in temperatures forecasted for later this afternoon.
Australia has named a 44 Winter Olympic team.
Tuesday 25th January 2022
Myer 11 am - 5 pm
I wake at 6 am. The green in is emptied before 7 am but the red bin is still unemptied.
It's a dry day again today although overcast again.
I watch the news which is still dominated by COVID news with the same issues.
I leave home around 9.40 am enough time to pull the green and red bins back in now both emptied. If they were not emptied by this time they would be sitting on the curb until 7 - 8 pm tonight after I arrive home from work.
By the time I reach neutral Bay Junction it is raining and I missed the 172X connecting bus to Warringah Mall and have no choice but to wait for the next B Line bus all because it took so long for a driver swap over the stop before which did not happen at the same time yesterday.
News headlines today include:
Today marks 2 years since the first COVID case arrived from Wuhan into Melbourne that was detected identified and confirmed on 25th January 2020. "Experts"say that some states have reached the peak of Omicron as cases start to plummet and with high vaccination rates COVID is now likened to a cold. Global immunity is catching on. Infections are down to 15091 or so in NSW with the same trend in Victoria and with lower numbers of hospital admissions.
2/3 of SA schools teachers are striking over their return to school plans on 2nd Feb with strike action asking for home based learning , staggered returns after Victoria's return to school plans. Ther is even discussions of legal action over parents keeping their children out of school over concerns of return to school plans.
Tasmania has decrease the period of the 3rd booster shots down to 3 months in line with other states
On Feb 21 the protein based Novavax roll out starts hoping the vaccine hesitant will take up the vaccine targeting the 1 million still unvaccinated Australians.
RAT kits are still difficult to find which have been made free since yesterday to concession holders at pharmacies. The pharmacy guild has set up their own website to assist concession holders in finding some locally however their website crashed from over demand as soon as it was online. The sale of RATS is not regulated hence they can be sold at supermarkets tobacconists and other retail outlets as well as pharmacies. Unlike the vaccines however where pharmacies place their order to the government who then supplies them to the pharmacies, pharmacies have to source their own RAT kits from suppliers and place their orders leaving them to individual deal with suppliers in order to get the best pricing and amounts they require and distributing them free of charge to concession holders before being reimbursed by the government for each kit they distribute to these concession holders. It was reported tgat there isn't even a clear plan in place of how this reimbursement of cost to pharmacies is going to be done.
A homemade bomb explodes in a car in a Melbourne street killing a former soldier putting the area into lockdown. It took police almost 24 hours to remove the bomb and ensure street was safe.
4 year old Cleo Smith's kidnapper, a doll collecting and loner, has confessed and pleaded guilty to having taken the child from a Western Australian campsite so her family and little girl don't have to face court again.
Adblue has been given the go ahead to increase the local production of a fuel additive as supply chain isdues continue from imports from China. The fuel additive shortage has been and is affecting the transport industries who require this to keep their industries running.
Warning for Australians not to travel to the Ukraine and Australian to leave the Ukraine now whilst commercial flights are still available in the event Russia invades the Ukraine and for diplomats to also leave the Ukraine following other country's embassy staff such as the US and Canada who have already left the Ukraine.
Alex de Minaur, the last Australian tennis player standing, has lost his 4th round in the Australian Open. ( In tennis Novak Djokovic is known as The Joker ( except for this year when the joke was on him) , Alex de Minaur The Demon, Ash Barty The Barty Party (as she always refers to her team and not just to herself) now through to the semi finals and new to this year in the men's doubles team Nick Kyrgios & Thanasi Kokkinakis The Special Ks ( get it? they're Greek & Australian of course they're special) who won their match but when Nick Kyrgios accidently hit a boy in the crowd with a ball he made it up to him by giving him one of his racquets before breaking one of his own.
The Australian share market plummets as Wall Street trends downwards with 100 day lows. Interest rates after being so low for so long , are expected to finally rise in August however it all depends on the US markets. Meanwhile the price of Myer shares has risen slightly to 36 cents per share due to .... ummm???? Hardly news worthy!
The Aboriginal flag creator has struck a copyright deal with the Australian government which is tax payer funded so the flag can be free to use and air at sporting and other events. It is 50 years since it was first flown.
Will WA keeps it's borders closed until after the next federal elections? A doctor in WA has asked the WA premier to reopen the border as promised on 5th February 2022 as the risk of infection will increase as it gets closer to Winter the longer he delays a reopening date.
Singer Cody Simpson back in the pool aiming to make the next Olympic team and back in the charts with new music.
There were 18512 COVID cases in NSW and 29 deaths
Wednesday 26th January 2022
Day off ( First of many) . I can't even have days off without being disturbed with text messages from Myer via the what's app group chat about something . This time it was the roster for next week only and complain ts about everyone reading the mcomms regarding the new time clock app.
Happy Australia Day or Invasion Day!
I'm so tired. It's turned out to be a beautiful day today to be out and about for Australia Day but I just don't feel like venturing out. The only spoiler in the weather are the occasional gusts of howling winds great for all the sea vessels out on Sydney Harbour today such as the tall ships.
It's almost 3 pm. I might venture out later as I do want to try and make it to Circular Quay tonight.
I catch the first bus to St Leonards Station transferring onto a train towards Central getting off at Town Hall in search of a decent meat pie that I can walk and eat. No luck everything was closed and Woolworths had no pies as their hot foods section was also closed and what made things worse was the single esculators inside Woolworths was out of order and everyone was waiting for the tiny lift.I made my way out of Woolworths and used the stairs out on street between the subway and street level. I have to find a meat pie as it's just not Australia Day without a meat pie. So I continue walking along George Street towards Chinatown after walking along George Street in search of the Lunar Lanterns. Some of the directions and locations to these Lunar Lanterns were incorrect as there was nothing there when I arrived at the spot. Some of the lanterns were recycled from previous years but there were a few new ones which I found and photographed even stopping st world Square which was suppose to have a few Lunar Lanterns but turned out to not have any except their own giant inflatable ones.
I made my way to where I thought was a Harry's Cafe de Wheels famous for it's 's pies for decades. There is one close to Chinatown but when I reached it , it was no longer a Harry's Cafe de Wheels but a Sydney Pie Cafe still selling pies but other rubbish fast food as well like hot dogs coffee burgers etc. I looked at the prices and the large amounts of dirty pigeons surrounding the food concession and thought no thanks. I wonder if anyone even buys a pie from there anymore. Yuk and a little expensive for what is on offer. I know there is a seven Eleven around the corner and purchase a slow cooked beef pie from there for $5 and eat it as I walk back up George Street. So many people around. It's just past 6.30 pm and I should catch the light rail back to Circular Quay to watch the Australia Day celebrations. I wonder how many poeople will be lining the foreshore opposite the allocation exhausted free ticketed seating area in the Opera House forecourt? I can only go and see. I was going to make a detour to Darling Harbour to see what Australia Day celebrations are on there but can't be bothered.
If there are too many people I will head home. Night celebrations don't officially broadcast until 7.30 pm as it is still light at 6.30 pm.
I took the light rail back to Circular Quay and there were so many people around on all sides of Sydney Harbour foreshore. More then on NYE. I had no idea where I was going and just followed the crowds through security for a bag check towards the Western end of Circular Quay outside the MCA. The lawn was already full of people settled on their spot within this vantage point. I found a spot which was s great spot with a great view of the Opera House but I had to stand and the show didn't start until after 7.30 pm and I thought I maybe able to get a better view at a different vantage point so I took a risk and followed the other half of the crowds still walking around. Closer to the Overseas Passenger Terminal there were food trucks but I did mot need to eat, I wondered if the gates to the Overseas Passenger Terminal Portside were open and whether there was seating there. Yes and No. There was a special area set up with prebooked seating for people who have special access needs with direct views of the Opera House opposite. It was the next best view after not being able to get a ticket in the forecourt of the Opera House. I am so glad I made my way snd found a spot here. Again there were heaps of people. Some sat on any concrete structure they could find. It was a very long show to celebrate the end of Australia Day but worth it standing for up to 3 hours. It was much more enjoyable then the NYE fireworks. They were spectacular but these fireworks were more spectacular as they were synchronised to live music sung by famous Australian artists. I shot so many videos and photos of the event. It was unfortunate I had this annoying and rather itchy guy standing next to me treading on my feet, sticking his elbow out in front of me, yelling and blocking my view when I was taking photos and video footage. A combination of Indigenous and Australian culture, live music, drones, projections onto the sails of the Opera House of the Aboriginal and Australian flags & the outline of the Opera House, the colours of Green & Gold as well as the faces of the the people listed on this year's Australia Day Honours also projected onto the opera House sails, central fireworks and fireworks off the top of the opera house sails, lit up boat parades, lit up tug boat and yacht ballet manovers on the Harbour, jet skiers, wake boarders, water skiers, tall ships, aerial paraglider acrobatics, lights and lasers all synconised to the live Australian music broadcast via speakers and large screens set up around the foreshores vantage points. Spectacular!
The Australia Day celebrations started at dawn with an Indigenous smoking Welcome to Country ceremony at Barangaroo followed by the Opera House sails lit up with Aboriginal art. The annual 10 km wheelchair road race around Sydney Harbour foreshore follows through Circular Quay and The rocks won again by Olympic champion Madison de Rozario in the Women's Open Event coached by Lousie Sauvage former Olympic champion and Jake Lappin in the Mens Open event as well as Cormac Ryan in the Junior event. Throughout the day there were boat parades, a ferrython, flyovers, aerial acrobatics, tug boats and yacht ballet makeovers, tall ships, jet skis and plenty of flag waving of both Australian and Aboriginal. Citizen ceremonies live entertainment stages , bbq including some free sausage sizzles, food trucks and even invasion day protests.
I have uploaded a series of videos onto my YouTube channel between 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm of highlights during the Australia Day celebrations as day turns to night.
A mass exit stats from Circular Quay from just after 9.30 pm after the fireworks finale towards Wynyard. I walk instead of try to get on the crowed light rail system still running. I catch the train from Wynyard to St Leonards hoping to make it home by 10.30 pm at the l a test but the train alternated with trains terminating at North Sydney and Hornsby and when I reached St Leonards the wait for a bus home was long .
Home almost at 11 pm. Sleep after uploading just 1 video. So tired.
News headlines today include:
Today there was less news about COVID and more about Australia Day celebrations.
Elton John has contracted COVID and had to cancel his Yellow Brick Road tour just days after he commenced it.
Boris Johnson is in trouble again for breaking COVID lockdown rules with his birthday bash that happened during 2020.
A new Pfizer vaccine to combat omicron is being trialled in the US but has not been offically approved by the FDA yet. Moderna also set to start it's vaccine trial in a few days.
Dylan Alcott has been named Australian of the year after winning his tennis match yesterday and has became the first disabled person to win the award. He acredits Louise Sauvage and Kurt Fernley as role models he looked upto as a 14 year old teenager for paving the way forward for future disabled athletes like himself. Alcott is retiring from tennis after this year's Australian Open to concentrate on his work as being an advocate for people living with a disability allowing them to live their lives to their fullest by being seen and heard in society - ie inclusiveness via the Dylan Alcott Foundation he has formed.
Meanwhile Grace Tame has given "the side eye" to PM Scott Morrison with an awkward handshake at the Australia Day Honours in her last day in her role as a sexual assault surviver advocate.
A Captain Cook statue in Melbourne has been vandalised yet again being covered in red paint whilst a dawn smoking ceremony near by acted as a distraction. The Australia Day parade in Melbourne has been cancelled for a second year in a row but the state government insists it is not to do with COVID this year with state government giving no explanation as to why it was cancelled speculating a secret boycott of Australia Day celebrations . Other Australia Day Celebrations were also cancelled at other Melbourne venues including a music festival at the Myer music Bowl with indigenous performances.
Sydney started off Australia Day celebrations with the sails of the Opera House lit up in Indigenous Art, a smoking ceremony at Barangaroo and several events such as a tall ship race around lunch time throughout the day around Sydney Harbour ending with a live performance from Australian music artists and fireworks in the Opera House forecourt tonight starting around 6 pm. ( free event tickets sold out days in advance - I tried to purchase one but could not online a few days ago)
There were 29 deaths and 21030 COVID cases in NSW today. An increase from yesterday.
Mark McGowan has been ordered to appear in court in a defamation case against Clive Palmer. His request to not appear in court due to COVID quarantine requirements in WA were rejected.
Thursday 27th January 2022
Day off ( yep another one)
It's a beautiful day today with random gusts of wind throughout the day. I did not venture out today but caught up on sleep, blogging and uploading all my YouTube videos from last night
I sleep in until 8 am this morning just catching the news.
Myer finally has a new time clock system although you can only use it from today to check your roster. You ca not use it to punch in or out until 30th January 2022. I installed the UKG distribution app and log in and set up a new password. The connection crashed as soon as I managed to set it up so did not even get a chance to view my roster. This is probably illegal but Myer pays fortnightly therefore you are meant to see your roster a fortnight in advance. I can only see my roster for next week today despite the following text message posted on the What's App group chat by the customer service manager below
"I have checked to see who has read the me comm on UKG and a lot of you haven't. This is a temporary kronos and needs to be done by end of the day as I will not be sending photos any more. If you have any schedule changes I need to know as I have already done the whole months roster. I will try to be fair bit we cab not have last minute changes. Also if you haven't checked your m comm and metrics straight away. I will be following this up."
which team members is she directing this text message to? So unprofessional snd full of typos? She posted this after I posted a comment in regards to downloading the app and the connection problem I had. The roster has been done a month in advance - it is never done a month in advance let alone a day in advance if I'm lucky. It's not only illegal but unfair for me not to receive my roster a fortnight in advance.
I also had a phone appointment with my new Centrelink employment service provider today. I was unsure if I had to attend at 4 pm in person today or by phone call only so I rang them. They rang me back a little late at 4.30 pm and it was all good and my next appointment is not until 3 weeks. I advised tgem of my work situation and they seem to understand how my roster can change at the last minute at any time and to just notify them if I can't make my next appointment.
News headlines today include :
There were 17316 COVID cases and another 29 deaths in NSW today.
Prince Andrew faces rape charges.
Houses reached a median house price in Sydney of $1.6 million . That's a increase of 33.3 % . The reserve
A a snownado has been seen in Greece and in Turkey as well. Snow is not often seen in these countries.
Victorian studies report that vaccinations did work at preventing severe disease citing that the number of deaths and hospital admissions from severe COVID were not vaccinated.
Melbourne is suffering a bout of wild weather conditions with severe storms and heavy rain fall.
Friday 28th January 2022
Day off ( yep another one)
Another do nothing day. I have heaps to see and do but just don't feel like doing any of it.
Bills to pay, groceries to get ( running really low) , rubbish to take out, laundry to do, bottles to return and attractions to see - instead I'm just too tired and slept a lot. I baked a loaf of bread and updated my blog and watched YouTube and tv most of the day. Tomorrow I will have to venture out.
The wind has been going again most of the day but no rain and it is another nice day outside I wasted.
I didn't get to sleep until late last night and was quite itchy again so slept in this morning.
News heads lines today included
Ash Barty wins her match to advance to the finals of the Australian Open.
Dylan Alcott loses his match in the semi finals with grace to Dutchman Sam Schroder. This was his last game before retiring as a 7 time winner and he thanked everyone for their support in an emotional speech.
It's al all Australians doubles finals thanks to the Special Ks.
Wild weather continues to ravage Victoria where Geelong floods and storms rage in neighbouring suburbs. More wild storms are forecasted. There have now been over 750 calls for help in the past 24 hours from emergency services.
Return to schools today with rapid antigen testing twice a week every week for the first month of returning to school with a review after the first month. Some schools have not even received their RAT kits yet and parents are still arguing they shod have the right to decide when it is safe to return their kids to school and to the classroom. Private & independant schools return today whereas public schools don't return until next Tuesday. Primary students encouraged to wear masks whereas high school students and teachers must wear masks. There will be no parent teacher meetings and students testing positive will transition to remote learning whereas close contact students of students testing positive will continue with classroom learning.
Petrol prices around Australia have sky rocketed and expected to reach $2 per litre. Petrol prices in BSW are around $1.80 plus currently and rising in some areas although there are some petrol stations selling petrol cheaper. Increases in petrol prices are not just a national problem are due to international supply factors.
Pfizee Boosters have been providionally approved for 16 and 17 year olds bringing Australia in line with a hand full of countries the US UK and Israel.
Former tv presenter and formner domestic violence campaigner has been charged for another assault on a woman he was doing a business deal with. He has been seen locked up in the back of a police van kicking and screaming. He will face court today.
With all the space junk floating around , an old space X rocket from 2015 abandoned after mission was completed after launch floating around in space is due to hit the dark side of the moon some time in March not seen from earth making only a small dent on the moon's surface creating an artifical crater.
A world first nasal spray has been developed by an Australian company to combat the common cold although not approved by TGA yet. It kills all viruses? So why isn't it used to kill COVID strains? Isn't COVID a series of viruses? Apparent it has to do with the research and development as well as testing of a formulation specific for COVID. This formulation has only been developed for the common cold.
There were 13333 COVID cases in NSW and 35 deaths.
Saturday 29th January 2022
Day off ( yep another one)
I might have slept in again today waking to as nice sunny day but I did manage to venture out after lunch to Macquarie Shopping Centre, taking the bus to Chatswood then the Metro to Macquarie Shopping Centre.
So much to do. I dropped off my 3 bottles first at Chatswood for recycling. next was recharge my Opal card with $20 so I would have some funds to get to work . I had to use my savings again to fund this recharge. Next was to buy some new black sketchers from Myer - I could not choose between the black Sketchers or Puma leather Carinas. I decided on the basic pair of blacj Sketchers Go walk Joy Gen5 which were on sale for a little over $70 which was roughly the same price as the Pumas. I tried on a few pairs of Sketchers in a size 6 and 7 . There was not a lot in full bllack left so I just chose the pair that fit the best. They are not perfect as they are not the memory foam ones I had before that I am replacing but they will do as they were one of the cheapest pairs.. They are for work and I am paying for them from part of my $100 Myer gift voucher I still have. I seems that any vouchers I earn from work are spent not on myself but on work again. I can't afford to pay for a new pair of shoes for work ( after replacing the 2nd pair of black Uniqlo jeans ripped forgetting caught on a cage from performing stock duties) so the only way I can afford to replace them is to pay for them from vouchers I earned. it took a year to earn that $100 Myer reward voucher and it's 75% spent already just on a work expense! I will not be exchanging or returning these. Done in less then 30 minutes.
Onto my next stop Big W for some baby clothes to send to JJ Time. I scanned it and the cute gumnut babies piece I chose was down from $12 to $5 - the only 12 months and pink playsuit left. I matched it with a pair of white frilled leggings where the frills were higher up so not to make the baby's nappy bum look bigger then it is.
Finally onto do my very essential grocery shop at Aldi then Coles. Woolworths misses out again. It was a massive shop with tissues toilet paper chicken/turkey and other grocery items still unavailable. I grab what i can. I also remember to redeem my knife credits for the Masterchef cleaver at Coles. I still have at l east 3 knife credits left with more accumulated after this shop but the cleaver is all I wanted as I have never owned one to match my santoku knife I redeemed my knife credits for last time. I just wish Coles had the glass containers or cookware offers on again.
I lost track of time and all the shops are well and truely closed by the time I finally finish my grocery shopping and head home. It was a after 7 pm. There is an awful woman on the bus sitting opposite me coughing constantly. Yuk. I put a second mask over my existing mask.
I arrive home around 8.30 pm thinking it was earlier as it was still light when I l eft the shopping centre. I had missed the evening news and there was not much on tv when I arrived home. I wash my hands and put my groceries away before going to b ed after catching up on my YouTube.
It is really late and I am really itchy as my eczema has flared up badly.
News headlines today include:
Son of Omicron is undetectable a much more transmissible variant of Omicron has been detected in Australia already.
Ash Barty is playing her final tonight in the Australian Open
Australia is selling its lamb overseas with a cheeky marketing campaign referencing the past frosty Scott Morrison/Emanuel Macron relationship over the submarine contract incident and the forgetfulness of Biden in remembering Scott Morrison's name referring to him to " the guy from Down Under" with humour only Australians would understand hoping Europeans would get the humour.
It's almost super bowl time again and Superbowl ads are usually memorable
Optus celebrates 3 decades of taking on Telstra as the first mobile phone network competitor to Telstra in 1992. Now there are over 20 mobile phone service provider competitors on the Australian market. An industry now worth $35 billion. Optus has now overtaken Telstra share of the market.
There were 13354 COVID cases in NSW and 49 deaths today.
Sunday 30th January 2022
Day off ( my normal day off)
A beautiful day today but I slept in until 9am today only just catching the morning news. Today is a catch up and prepare for work tomorrow day.
I need to take the rubbish out done and do my laundry at least sorted and in the machines ready to wash.
I prepared my lunch of an apple a banana, 2 x chocolate ripple biscuit sandwiches with a mixture of leftover soaked mixed dried fruit from Christmas and mascapone cheese, some cheese corn chips and a light the sandwich with freshly roared lamb (left to rest overnight included with fresh rosemary basil olive oil garlic chilli flakes salt pepper fennel seeds and mixed herbs) rocket pickles cheese and cucumber.
There are quite a few exhibitions closing today that I will not be going to this year. 1. Wonder dDome @ EQ heavily discounted but not exciting enough for me to travel out to and view a 35 - 45 minute 3D session. 2. The floating artworks on Cockle Bay and Airship Orchestra which are free outdoor art installations by ENESS at Tumberlong Park Darling Harbour because seen one interactive giant inflatable music and light art installation seen them all. The last one I visited at Darling Harbour was just ordinary ( see my YouTube video) and by the same company called Sky Castle. 3. Doug Akin' s New Era on at the MCA closing in as few days because the museum refuses to let anyone that is unvaccinated in yet they will allow unvaccinated teenagers and children in accompanied by their vaccinated parents - isn't this discrimination especially when there is no vaccination mandate in NSW and all restriction for the unvaccinated were lifted on 15th December 2022 and most other galleries museums and attractions are allowing all visitors in regardless of their vaccination status. Vaccination does not even garantee anyone that they will not contract COVID or spread it .
I had to get more change for the laundry so ventured out quite late in the afternoon after all the shops had closed except for the supermarkets. A quick trip to an atm then straight to Woolworths Metro. A few more misding groceries off my shopping list but still no tissues or toilet paper on the shelves. Plenty of poultry and meat and still a good supply of fruit and vegetables. I buy a packet of spinach wraps, some turkey breast fillets, a bottle of sparkling mineral water and the very last bottle of green juice which I could not q quite reach so had to flag whoever was in the supermarket down to assist me with getting it down ( there was almost no one in the supermarket except one customer so I flagged him down to help me). It was off to pay for my purchases at the self check out as there was no one at the manned checkouts serving. Woolworths Metro does not give any change manually so out of a $20 note
News headlines today include:
Ash Barty wins the Australian Open defeating American Danielle Collins. The Special Ks win the doubles and Rafael Nadal is still to play in the finals in the Australian Open.
There were 52 deaths and 13524 COVID cases in NSW today. 94% above 16 years olds double vaccinated - this figure does not have seemed to move. Of all the 52 deaths none died at home and all were in aged care facilities or in hospital and 7 were unvaccinated and none under the age of 60 where the person in their 60s had other medical conditions, onky 2 had booster. Reporting period will change from 8 am to 4 pm daily as of today.isolation period is now 7 days and if no symptoms after 7 days then free to come out of isolation but 3 more days is recommended aand also not to visit vaunable venues such as aged care facilities.
Why is the NSW government still pushing the booster shot when medical professionals around the world know that the vaccine has no affect in combating the Omicron or other variants of COVID and only developed to combat the Delta strain of COVID?
The government has released a multimillion dollar small business rescue package to help businesses stay afloat. the funds are to help return to work of employees supplementing payroll and businesses get rapid antigen test kits. I have to ask where is the money to fund these types of rescue packages coming from? Conditions demonstration of 40% decline in the month of Jan and will continue to decline. $500 - max $5000 payments will be provided for purchase of rapid antigen test kits.
Commercial and residential rental relief continues into February 2022.
There is mass confusion with all the return to work rules and regulations from state to state. Some workers want to return to work whilst others want to stay working remotely from home. it will be a major adjustment for many returning to work.
Students are about to return to school this week with staggered return to school dates for SA. Remote learning and a delayed return to school date until 7th February for QLD and NSW & VIC returning to schools without delays but twice weekly rapid antigen tests for all students and mask wearing as well as installation of air purifiers as well as other measures to limit the spread of Omicron.
50 - 100 mm of rain but more like upto 200 mm will fall in the NT. Defence force is being flown with 20 tonnes of supplies into Coober Pedy cut off from floods .
Is Tom Brady retiring from American football at 44 years of age? He has won 7 Superbowls.
Monday 31st January 2022
Last day of the month of January 2022.
Myer 9 am - pm Markdowns ( again)
As I got off the 144 to try and catch the Bline in front, I tapped off with my Opal card however because I was holding my phone with a bank card on it near it , the machine deducted the fare off my bankcard instead of my Opal card. this has happened to me before. so ow I will be charged the maximum fare on my bank card as there is no way of closing or tapping off on the same bus now that I am on the B line and tapped on again with my Opal card. So if you are travelling on Sydney buses do not have your bank card too close to your Opal card. I will now have to find time to ring Opal and have it refunded.
Today I grabbed the ipads from the office only to have to put them back as I was told that I was doing markdowns all day today. I can't even grab them to put them on the back counter being the first oerson to arrive from he Homewares Department. A scanning gun and label maker is ready for me. I did not check how much charge was on it and assumed it was working as the customer service manager had set it up.
I head to the ground floor to the old online department and then to the personal shopper room. This is how disorganised Myer Warringah management is. They can't even organise the reserves so everything is in the same place. Stock is constasntly bejng moved around from one location to the other. The bedding ( sheets pillow cases and quilt covers) towels pillows quilts toppers mattress protectors and cushions for kids and adults are stored across 3 - 4 different reserves in no particular order or brands kept together. Half the pillows are in the personal shopper room which is not used at all and hasn't been used since I started working at Myer Warringah. The other half are scattered across the old online department and in the shelves that used to stock shoes between the online department and shoe department. A third of the quilts are in the old luggage communication room the other third in the soft reserve with the towels and bedding and the remaining third in the online/shoe department. As for cushions half are in the glassware and decorator reserve and ha if are in the online/shoe Department- I don't believe there are any left in the soft reserve which is bedding and towels mainly as well as Sheridan stock. There are some throws that are in the soft reserve and in the online/shoe Department but this is clearance stock mainly???
So the morning is spent scanning items and tidying up the online/shoe shelves and putting all the cushions in order and together . All pillows that are the same profile and brand same are put together on shelves and all quilts are put together the same way towards the back section. One back wall series of shelves I dedicated to any blue and pink clearance items I found with a label " clearance only shelves". Well what do you know my scanning gun I was given breaks down asbout an hour into my markdowns slowing down my mark down task as I had to walk all the way back up to the office and find a new scanning gun marked symbol and pair it up again with te label printer and I ran out of labels.
The clearance cushions and pillows were easy to locate sort and amalgamate it I shelves however when I got to the quilts these took me the longest to sort and organise as clearance quilts were squished in amongst full priced quilts which looked very similar in packaging. It took me a few hours to sort out the 2 sections in the online/shoe departments but It's so clean now and it is clear where the clearance stock is located. I forgot to take a photo of my work.
Next was the luggage/old communications reserve to sort out the quilts, Vue, Robert Gordon and whatever else there was such as Jamie Oliver ceramicware. There was a bit of confusion as to which were last season's clearance items ( blue) and which were this season's clearance items ( pink). I went to the office to find out but the chart was unclear was Oct 21 included in last season's clearance ie blue or this season's clearance ie pink? The customer service manager was pretty vague asking me when I last did a mark down ( it seemed like didn't I just do one last month?) about it so I asked the team leader and showed her the chart only to be told off from the customer service manager - this is the type of verbal abuse I experience everyday from the customer service manager - yes everyday I am yelled at. I can't even confirm with the team leader about something/anything without being asked a very patronising " what did I just tell you?" response.
I grabbed a roll of last season's clearance stock labels ie blue and after finishing with current season's clearance mark downs changed the printer label roll and went across to the soft reserve to label the batch of throws the team leader had put aside.
Lunch break and I only had 30 minutes thinking I would have the other half later. During lunch break a few things happened.
One of the girls from VM had to ask permission to go home because her brother just found out he tested positive to COVID and she was hoping she would not. She had just come back from her holidays.
Today was the former manager of the online department's last day ( I say former because the operations manager at Myer Warringah could not decide whether to keep the online department open and he decided to close it due to lack of resources to keep it running before deciding to reopening it for Christmas and closing it down again permanently after Christmas). She is going on annual leave before considering any position that comes up out at the Parramatta or Western Sydney Myer stores but she dies not want to continue as a manager. Her ex assistant online manager has already gone on maternity leave.
Myer has a new VM manager who is much more hands on then the one who resigned recently. I had met him before and he is from the Bankstown store.
Lunch break was around 1.30 pm - 2 pm . I decided to split my breaks so I could finish things in blocks and not half do things.
Next was the dock where the team leader was working on marking down clearance Geritage stock. She asked me if I could do the Australian House & Garden stock on the side wall. Done. There was quite a bit of this season clearance stock surprisingly.
Final reserve was the old Salto reserve I think It's called which took the longest to do. Finished just about 20 minutes before store closing at 5 pm.
News headlines today include:
Rafael Nadal wins the men's single final at the Australian Open . 21 grand slams at 35 years old a record equal or beating Novak and Rodger. The crowd cheers. It took him over 5 hours to win the match and the match did not end until after 1 am this morning. Everyone cheered for him putting his opponent a little off his game and he was not expected to win but he Did!
It's back to school for most kids today and health officals are forecasting a spike in COVID cases. It is a wait and see. Compulsory mask wearing in high schools by students and teachers and the encouragement of mask wearing in students in year 3 and up as well as twice weekly rapid antigen testing begins for the next 4 weeks before being reviewed in NSW and VIC. Other states have their own individual back to school COVID plans in place.
Talk of erecting a statute and ticket tape parade for Ash Barty are in discussions for when she returns to her hometown of Ipswich in QLD.
There were 13036 COVID cases in NSW and 27 deaths.
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