exiting the job
The last day of my first ever real job is nearly over.
The last (nearly) six years have been good and bad (but more good than bad), and exhilarating and frustrating (but more exhilarating than frustrating) and I’ve both looked forward to coming to work and dreaded it on occasion (but mostly looked forward to it).
Thank you to the many people who have made the stay in one place more than worthwhile.
In particular to Jacqualine, Kathy, Miriam, Richard, Trish, Yulia and Michael, my thanks for being such warm-hearted and generous workmates.
And to Georgina – I hope you love it as much as I have done. I think we have both been really lucky to begin our working lives in a place which, despite its flaws, has done much to bring sunshine into my life anyway.
It is very quite in here today – I’ll miss the captive audience and the roars of laughter that seem so heart felt after my rather unfunny utterances – I hesitate to call them jokes.
Best of luck on the dark side Marita – or as sweety gourgeous darling called you today CLARITA and not Moritail as others might have it.
January 5th, 2004 at 8:57 amI also just noticed that you are still on the washing up roster so I expect you in for the rest of January.
January 5th, 2004 at 11:32 amWhy do you think she left in January? 🙂
January 5th, 2004 at 3:02 pmI admit I had my suspicions.
Have you noticed that Marita seems to be less attentative to maintaining her blog now she has a new job??? What might this suggest I wonder?
January 6th, 2004 at 10:29 amDear, oh dear. Slight inattention to one’s blog for a couple of days and the comments section goes wild.
January 6th, 2004 at 7:08 pmWas going to reply something along the lines that my new workplace could do with the addition of a little bit of levity along the lines abley supplied by Mr Michael however, I have now changed my mind. Also I will remind you that the washing up in late December was largely completed by another HTAV employee whose name starts with an ‘M’ but is NOT Michael (charade that if you will!?) I had never noticed before but you write ‘an’ M not ‘a’ M even though M is not a vowel.
Ooooh, forgot to say, even though she thinks my name’s Clarita she still gave me a free latte AND a muffin on my last day and told me that I was one of Nick’s favourites because he could always remember my name (for what it’s worth, I don’t think any of them know what my name is but free coffee an’ a muffin IS free coffee an’ a muffin!)
January 6th, 2004 at 8:00 pmDear Miss M
Apropos your discussion of an/a M it would seem therefore akin to H and L. That said given that it is a word starting with a letter – as indeed most do – there is probably no need to include a reference to the singular. IE you could simply have said a name starting with M. This of course would make the charade so much easier.
PS I’ll come in to do some make up dishes for you
January 7th, 2004 at 7:31 amActually, it has to do with the way that the name of the letter is pronounced. E.g. M is pronounced “em” and (for those of us who aren’t Catholic) H is pronounced “aich”. Thus when you write “an M” you are in fact merely following standard English practise of using “an” instead of “a” for the indefinate article preceding a noun (or adjective) beginning with a vowel. Possibly slightly pedantic – but true.
January 8th, 2004 at 11:09 amThanks Jus
January 8th, 2004 at 2:54 pmA pedant is always useful in such situtations. Am I therefore incorrect in the assumption that one could do without the indefinate article in this situation?
(Sorry to have turned your blog into a linguistic babel Marita)
Well you might be a pair of pedants but I have to tell you, “indefinite” was still spelled with a final “i” last time I checked.
January 8th, 2004 at 5:12 pm(Gold Medallist in Pendantry, me).
I only spelt indefinite indefinate ‘cos I figured Justine – or should that be Justane – is more of a pedant that I.
Having excused myself might I suggest Kathy that it may be a while since you last checked and that perhaps the spelling has changed somewhere along the line
January 9th, 2004 at 8:43 amMichael, are you going to also start arguing that there should be that extra “t” in situtations ?
January 9th, 2004 at 9:00 amI may be a grammar pedant but a spelling pedant I am not. ‘I’s, ‘e’s and ‘a’s are usually somewhat haphazardly interchanged in anything I write. I blame inadequate primary schooling.
In answer to Michael’s question, I believe the indefinite article is optional in the situation you describe, however, if used, it should be “an M”.
January 9th, 2004 at 9:22 amI’d be more than happy to allow for more tea in most “situtations” but there is, as I’m sure you will agree, a saturation point
January 9th, 2004 at 12:41 pmOh good! Mine’s white with one, thanks.
January 9th, 2004 at 12:44 pmI was just about to grab one – do you want a cupping or mugging
January 9th, 2004 at 1:51 pmWith the email and the blog comments – I feel like I haven’t left my old workplace!
January 9th, 2004 at 3:43 pmI’m very interesting in the (alleged) Catholic pronunciation of ‘h’ as referred to earlier in the comments. Shall run a straw poll via my blog next week when I work out how to enter material onto my blog from my new workplace.
HAve a lovely weekend everyone!