Boxy

I passed my licence test today , im fully certified and just need some damn insurance now incase i break a car.

I'll edit in the story later, heading out tonight.

I was totally wrong about vicroads...

Its not a cashcow. ITS A GOD FORSAKEN CASHFARM.

$23 to book and take your hazard perception test.
$43 to book your P's test.
$50 for a warmup lesson.
$140 for the actual damn test.
$42 for your licence IF you pass.

I feel my back account getting smaller already. I so better not get screwed over in this test and i pray to whatever gods i must that i pass. At least my driving instructor said im pretty much driving perfect.

On a sidenote i need more internet bandwidth. Why oh why is this seasons anime pretty much all fucking awesome and gnawing at me if i dont download it. My 20gb used to do me fine with plently to spare, now its like pissing into the wind. 800mb to last me 10 days...

First and foremost i've been working pretty hard to get my licence lately. I'm pretty tired of not having it holding me back from working properly, and well i just want the damn thing so im less of a damn invalid. So anyway, i've been taking regualr lessons (at least once per week) and driving places with my parents when i can.

Last week my instructor tells me im ready for my final test and that i should go take my hazard perception test asap so he can book the final one (which btw will be in 3 weeks). Now the hazard test as i've come to understand from taking it is a giant cashcow/crock of shit. Who the hell takes a test with a passmark requirement of 53%! seriously? You can practically guess the test and have a decent chance of getting this right.

The test format is in video form. No sound, just a still frame, then a question (either when would you slow down or when would you turn, sometimes your not supposed to do anything), then they just throw you right into it. There was a question in the practise batch i could not for the life of me get right, no matter where i slowed down. So it was with a decent amount of apprehension that i started the first main test question. The first situation puts me behind a tram going 60k's, its a video i cant watch my mirrors for cars/bikes/UFO's ect so i concentrate on the shit in front of me expecting wacky pedestrians or the tram to stop suddenly. Oh boy was i wrong. I kid you not when i say a guy (passenger of the tram) merged through its doors (the tram was in motion at over 40k's still and jumped out to try n high five my winscreen, i wasnt pleased. Okay sure thing Vicroads the next time i see a man merge through a wall to attack my car from a moving tram i'll send you a full letter of apology.

Needless to say i dont think i passed the first question, and their were many questions that were equally bullshit. But i did somehow pass the stupid test with a 64% passrate, here's to hoping i pass my P's test in about 3 weeks.

Well i've neglected this long enough and now that i have some significant news i guess i can revive it!

I've been looking for decent work since late last year when my contract ran out an melton shire council. I did pretty well on most of the jobs i applied too, got through alot of the rounds of endless interviews only to be snuffed before i crossed the finish line. My latest adventure at Bok Choi Hill (Box Hill) deserves an artice of its own if i ever get around to it, but anyway today i wound up with a (hopefully) interesting job.

Last week Cherrypopper hooked me up with the detials for a job at Microhire in Port Melbourne, and after a few phone chats i was booked for an interview at 11am today. After all the walking i did today getting my licence in a couple of months is looking fucking sweet as i think i did about 12k's all up. Anyway i missed the street sign for Ingles St that the light rail crosses because it runs inbetween wall of its own fucking little forest. People just pop out of the tram stops from this forest thing like a swarm of hippies or something. I missed my stop and ended up at the sea (good thing i planned this with alot of time to spare) and ended up trying to get directions from a tram driver that doesnt speak english (Quick question: Has anyone ever encounterd one that does speak the native language?). Anyway i manage to get the rough location of Ingles St on the line out of him and i hop back aboard.

Anyway to cut out some of the boring shit, i arrived at Microhire, was taken on a little explination/tour thing and then sat down and interviewed for 15 mins. Basically i was offerd the job on the spot which is a whole lot better than waiting a week for someone to call. I get another call on monday telling me when i start, props again to Mark and Johno for recomending me to them and pushing my name forward. If i learnt anything from my last few months of un-employment its that job interviews are a crock of shit, its all about who you know i guess. My role there will be mainly at the store until i get my licence, they desperately need someone to help with the preperation of orders and stock.

Microhire is for anyone who wants to know, basically a Computer and AV rental store but alot more complicated. To put it another way its like a video store where the staff rewind the tapes for you, deliver them, put them into your machine and press the play button. Most of the Computer work seems fairly straight forward, I'm looking forward to getting to use some of the equipment in there and learning about all their AV stuff.

MonsterLAN 12 was a fairly resounding success, as the forum responses attest. We seem to have pretty much the right combo settled in, with only a few kinks to be beaten out. Rogue pulled a massive effort on the comps, so much so he didnt get in much gaming at all . I totally enjoyed playing with friends in the COD and UT comps, and sitting out some of the late hours listening to some music and reading up on a little Manga (The graveyard shift is good for this). Anyway, big shout out to my fellow admins who pulled an awesome job in running a spectacular LAN.

I picked up some more Anime at the start of the month again. The second DVD of Stellvia followed much like the first, sweet ass animation and the story is picking up a bit. The second DVD of Scrapped Princess (A DVD i would never have considerd were it not for the funsubs being so awesome) is also coming along nicely. I also apprehended the start of the Burst Angel boxset (Gonzo animation again <3), the plots pretty blase but it delivers in mecha/chick action. A good one for when you just want to watch instead of think about whats going on.

I'm looking forward to Dawn of War: Winter Assult coming this weekend. I hope to pick it up at TAFE on saturday, I'll let you know when i get my hands on it.

- Boxy