The Chat Thread II: Chat Harder

I spent far too much time working during December and start of January. My usual 35 hour week was increased to 45-55 hours during that month and a half because of the amount of overtime I was doing. Was quite happy at the time doing it because I had an agreement with the bosses where I basically got to decide what I wanted to do (or not do) - plus I needed the money.

But it seriously burnt me out which is why I'm so glad to have this holiday in place. Don't think I'll be doing that again.

Dead Lemon wrote:

I spent far too much time working during December and start of January. My usual 35 hour week was increased to 45-55 hours during that month and a half because of the amount of overtime I was doing. Was quite happy at the time doing it because I had an agreement with the bosses where I basically got to decide what I wanted to do (or not do)  - plus I needed the money.

But it seriously burnt me out which is why I'm so glad to have this holiday in place. Don't think I'll be doing that again.

I know how that feels. You don't mind doing it if you are rewarded, appreciated and enjoy what you are doing, but even then, it will burn you out. Just prior to Christmas I was working fly-in-fly-out and worked 22 out of 24 days, 10 days on, 2 days off, 12 days on. This was staying in hotels, on plains, and in one case, an 8 hour drive. At the end of that I was exhausted. I was missing home, and I was getting sicker, as I was sick before I started it - an allergic reaction to medication that saw me covered entirely in blotches, except my face and hands. It took me a couple of weeks to recover.

Completely ready to be shot right down because of this, but I'll try it anyway: anyone up for a Cricket World Cup sweepstake?

I know it's not the most interesting sport in the world (understatement), so the prizes will need to be a bit bigger than they were for the wrestling one. I'm thinking two teams per participant, a good one and a rubbish one, with the overall winner winning £20 and the best lower-half team winning £10.

Possibly free money, and you don't even have to follow the sport. What's not to like?

Damn it I have the perfect gif as an answer but I can't host it from my phone..

EDIT:

Eh this one will do

Don't worry, Shanks: I'm sure lots of other people will have laughter .gifs to post up.

oldschool wrote:

I don't understand people who spend ridiculous hours at work, treating it as life itself.  I am not much of a socialiser, in fact the opposite is true, I don't like many people at all and prefer my own company after the company of Debbie, but I love a good debate with people who have some knowledge and don't take opposite views personally.  I think I just need to find 'my' people.  

I love other people, but only other people who I'm comfortable around. It can take me a couple of years to become entirely comfortable in the company of new friends, and some people don't have the patience to get to know me over such a length of time. Once you've cracked it, though, they're friends 'til the end.

I'm the same with new people. I'll be extremely quiet and even a bit shy of sorts until I get to know them then my personality comes out swinging

Balla, I'm in - provided you change the 'other' prize to 'wooden spoon'.

As for social situations, I've noticed that I enjoy being in small groups - six, maybe seven, tops - but anything above that and I'll go quiet as a mouse. In terms of making friends, I've become good at deciding on who will be a good friend very quickly. It's getting harder to keep up the pretence with the others...

ZeroJones wrote:

It's getting harder to keep up the pretence with the others...

I'm rubbish at feigning interest in people I'm not interested in. Really rubbish.

Thank you, Zero!

I can't be bothered with trying to be interested in uninteresting people. It's a big reason why I'm bad at small talk, and especially "networking". "Oh, so you're a banker with three children and no passions outside work whatsoever? Super! Erm, is that another plate of cocktails sausages I spy?"

As for large groups, my approach is to break it down into smaller ones. I like to arrive early at larger parties and get to know people before there are too many of them: that way, later on, I can approach a small group containing (say) two people I know and one I don't, to get to know the third person.

I'm never in any social situations long enough to know whether I'm good at them myself.  Never had anything in common with my peers when I had peers, so I just kept to myself and now I'm pretty much the definition of the term loner.  Honestly I think the fact my highlights from my high school years are ditching class to read at the local library says all that really needs to be said about me and socializing.  

Balladeer wrote:

Completely ready to be shot right down because of this, but I'll try it anyway: anyone up for a Cricket World Cup sweepstake?  

I know it's not the most interesting sport in the world (understatement), so the prizes will need to be a bit bigger than they were for the wrestling one.  I'm thinking two teams per participant, a good one and a rubbish one, with the overall winner winning £20 and the best lower-half team winning £10.

Possibly free money, and you don't even have to follow the sport.  What's not to like?

Much as I'd like to participate I'm afraid I'll have to decline, every single cent of expendable money at the moment is tied up with preorders and orders for stuff I can't afford to sit on (lest I want to chance never having the chance to get them, without breaking the bank at any rate) and with the dollar sapping any leeway I had, yeah, no spare money right now.  

And I can think of several more boring sports than cricket, although I'd probably be lynched by the rest of the forum for one and by Shanks for the other if I named them out loud.  They both start with "f". . .

Erm, you don't have to pay anything to enter...

Also, is the first time the Chat Thread's discussion has actually been about chatting?

Balladeer wrote:

Also, is the first time the Chat Thread's discussion has actually been about chatting?

Yeah! Let's stay on topic, people.

Oh, not that one! I've only ever seen you use it, Jas, and it's already old.

I think it's great & I'd rather see that more than anything related to cricket.

The_Jaster wrote:

I think it's great...

I never would have guessed!

I'm in for the Cricket World Cup Stakes.

I'm not very good with the social aspects of life as I live at work preety much it seems but I do get on with everyone as I can kinda talk about everything.

Cheers Mas!  I think that, assuming Athrun's fine with entering when he won't be paying, four is a decent enough number to get this thing started.  Maximum of seven for anyone else still... erm, "interested".

And my lack of sporting knowledge is a big weakness in conversations, as is my lack of running prowess.  Can't talk about the football, can't bring myself to be interested in colleagues' times and distances.

People talk about their running?! You have my full permission to fake yawn as 'loudly' as you can manage in front of such folk.

I'm up for the cricket racket, sounds just the ticket, not an expert but I'm sure I can track it for the duration and if I concentrate I can crack it.

I'm the same as Mas; everyone I'm introduced to* loves me. I've been called a social chameleon by people who know me; I can really easily adjust my topics of conversation and my sense of humour to fit any group. I think it's a combination of working in a supermarket for seven years and the fact that I'm pretty much a sociopath who can lie through his teeth with ease.

*as I'm sure you can guess from my stories, this doesn't always apply to strangers; in my #bantz with friends I can rub others up he wrong way. That said, I can almost always talk my way out of it and befriend people if I try.

Yeah must be Drunka, supermarkets do it to you.

They really do, it forced me to come out of my shell and now I'm noticing it do it to the younger generation who I'm coaching. You basically have a choice between learning to deal with people or letting it break you.

oldschool wrote:

Treesmurf wrote:

Hippy for life man, you sold out, screw the big corporations. :flower:

There is a big part of me that wishes I didn't have to conform, because the reality is, we all have to in some way.  Truth is, I like money, it buys me things I like and it is amazing what how much we all conform in some way to earn it.

I kid although I dread the day I have to go clean shaven again, I've grown quite attached to the bearded look. [insert beard smilie here]

Wait, there's a Cricket World Cup now? Aren't England, Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies the only countries that play cricket? And I'm not even sure if that last one is even a country. Ah what the hell, put me into the sweep and give me a country to cheer on and pretend to care about.


Regarding social situations I am awful at any of that kind of thing. I'm quite socially awkward, find it difficult to tolerate others a lot of the time and never have anything worthwhile to say. Plus I can often come across as being a dick or make wildly inappropriate or offensive comments.

I have a small group of good friends, I get along with loads of other people (people I work with for example) but doubt I could call them friends in the sense I don't see them out with work. My lack of Facebook probably doesn't help with the anti-social-ness. Who needs real friends when I have the internet. You guys can be my friends... Please.