Just a quick one to sign off the week.
As I reach the end of week 2, things are starting to return to normal.
Weekend-wise, fairly quiet. Maggot 1 is on cub camp Friday to Sunday, so will be wet, hungry and feral by the time we pick him up.
This means we have some "quality time" with Maggot 2, not sure what precisely but he is generally never happier when he has the complete attention of his parents. There will be a bit of DIY, but also plenty of fun time.
That is, sad to say, about it for this week. I hope you have a fantastic weekend etc etc.
Oh, and a Pompey* win at the weekend would be quite good as well.
--------------------------------------
* Lower league team, Google it for more info.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Is the my holiday glow disappearing over the horizon?
Not actually as negative as it may sound, just an honest realisation that I am starting to get in to the swing of this work thing.
With many miles of driving under my belt getting to and from the holiday accommodation, and a car full of dozy passengers*, I did have a few moments to ponder life, the universe and everything, and indeed I did make myself something of a plan of action for the final third of the year.
On return to planet Earth, as I think I may have already told you**, I had a meeting with my manager for a mid-year*** review, and it was quite refreshing that his assessment of what I needed to do for the final third matched my own.
So, I have a plan, and I have the means to execute on it, and I am starting to generate the enthusiasm to actually start. Now that, by any chap's standard, deserves a glass of sherry or two.
I had an infrequent trip to London this week, and it just acted as a reminder of how much better I am liking working where I am now. The buzz of London is undeniable, but I am benefiting greatly from not staying away all week. The rest of the family may not be so sure.
I read on the train up to the smoke a story that you may also have seen. The chap who had written a list of 50 things he wanted to do before he died, and he had started the first on his list, which was to drive to the summit of Snowdonia. Needless to say that his Frontera 4x4 did not make it, and he is now facing a criminal record and a bill for thousands of pounds for the recovery of the vehicle. Apparently this is the most sensible thing on his list, so he is rethinking the whole thing.
Quite where you start with this story is hard to say. Is it an example of British eccentricity, or simply human stupidity. On the hero to zero scale I think I have him down just below zero.
Anyhow, enough of that, back to work. Hope you are having a good week, and speak tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------
* The UK's slander laws being what they are, I should clarify that this is due to the soporific nature of driving, not intellectual capabilities. Although...
** At least I know I am repeating myself.
*** It has not escaped the irony police that the mid-year review happens two thirds of the way through the year.
With many miles of driving under my belt getting to and from the holiday accommodation, and a car full of dozy passengers*, I did have a few moments to ponder life, the universe and everything, and indeed I did make myself something of a plan of action for the final third of the year.
On return to planet Earth, as I think I may have already told you**, I had a meeting with my manager for a mid-year*** review, and it was quite refreshing that his assessment of what I needed to do for the final third matched my own.
So, I have a plan, and I have the means to execute on it, and I am starting to generate the enthusiasm to actually start. Now that, by any chap's standard, deserves a glass of sherry or two.
I had an infrequent trip to London this week, and it just acted as a reminder of how much better I am liking working where I am now. The buzz of London is undeniable, but I am benefiting greatly from not staying away all week. The rest of the family may not be so sure.
I read on the train up to the smoke a story that you may also have seen. The chap who had written a list of 50 things he wanted to do before he died, and he had started the first on his list, which was to drive to the summit of Snowdonia. Needless to say that his Frontera 4x4 did not make it, and he is now facing a criminal record and a bill for thousands of pounds for the recovery of the vehicle. Apparently this is the most sensible thing on his list, so he is rethinking the whole thing.
Quite where you start with this story is hard to say. Is it an example of British eccentricity, or simply human stupidity. On the hero to zero scale I think I have him down just below zero.
Anyhow, enough of that, back to work. Hope you are having a good week, and speak tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------
* The UK's slander laws being what they are, I should clarify that this is due to the soporific nature of driving, not intellectual capabilities. Although...
** At least I know I am repeating myself.
*** It has not escaped the irony police that the mid-year review happens two thirds of the way through the year.
Monday, 5 September 2011
This is the first day of the rest of our lives, so make the most of it
This may well be of a mantra I am repeating, rather than a state of mind that I have already achieved, but it is something I want and need to put in place. "That holiday feeling" is lingering much longer than usual, and the work landscape is such that I really need to be somewhere near the top of my game to make a success of the rest of the year.
This has become the important element arising from my recent mid-year review with my boss, and by boss, I mean my personal development manager rather than my task manager(s), Starfleet being as it is a proponent of matrix management*. I need to really make a success of my current role. What I have observed of myself is that I am good at being a success with my peers and those to whom I team-lead, but not always to the powers that be. This is something I think has two factors: the first is I like to be liked, so work hard at being so, and second that in our large, multi-agenda organisation I do sometimes feel that (task) managers do ask for silly things in silly timescales. Having given myself a still talking to, I now appreciate that there is no point doing the stuff I think is important if I am neglecting the stuff that my (task) manager thinks is important, because he in turn gives his feedback on me to my (personal development) manager as part of my end of year review.
I think I am gonna need a lot of Vaseline if I am to keep my lips from going dry with all the @$$ kissing.
On Friday, had a good chat with Golfy, who apart from an alarming change of hair colour, is as he always is. He is enjoying his work and has given SWK some food for thought. Oh, we also did a Facetime call, which is, as both Maggots attested, "cooool".
------------------------------
* "Who is your manager?" is a question that needs to be answered the with IT Architect's universal answer "it depends".
This has become the important element arising from my recent mid-year review with my boss, and by boss, I mean my personal development manager rather than my task manager(s), Starfleet being as it is a proponent of matrix management*. I need to really make a success of my current role. What I have observed of myself is that I am good at being a success with my peers and those to whom I team-lead, but not always to the powers that be. This is something I think has two factors: the first is I like to be liked, so work hard at being so, and second that in our large, multi-agenda organisation I do sometimes feel that (task) managers do ask for silly things in silly timescales. Having given myself a still talking to, I now appreciate that there is no point doing the stuff I think is important if I am neglecting the stuff that my (task) manager thinks is important, because he in turn gives his feedback on me to my (personal development) manager as part of my end of year review.
I think I am gonna need a lot of Vaseline if I am to keep my lips from going dry with all the @$$ kissing.
On Friday, had a good chat with Golfy, who apart from an alarming change of hair colour, is as he always is. He is enjoying his work and has given SWK some food for thought. Oh, we also did a Facetime call, which is, as both Maggots attested, "cooool".
------------------------------
* "Who is your manager?" is a question that needs to be answered the with IT Architect's universal answer "it depends".
Friday, 2 September 2011
And . . . relax
It is Friday already. Horray to that. Euro Lottery tonight.
But enough of this pipe-dream, back to reality. LO's first day at work today, which really does mark the end of the summer. The Maggots are out with the outlaws for the middle of the day, although they are both not feeling 100%, which is not a good start to the busiest term of the year. For anyone who has children, I know I am singing to the vicar*, but illness-induced childcare is a nightmare for the parents, and we do rely heavily on our extended network of friends and family to fill in wherever possible, but it can be a hand-to-mouth existence that does nothing to improve the stress levels of busy working parents.
Otherwise, we have a fairly quiet weekend, where I will do a bit of DIY, a bit of quality time with the maggots, and an evening out Saturday to friends for dinner.
I hope you have a good weekend also.
-----------------------
* or is it preaching to the choir?
But enough of this pipe-dream, back to reality. LO's first day at work today, which really does mark the end of the summer. The Maggots are out with the outlaws for the middle of the day, although they are both not feeling 100%, which is not a good start to the busiest term of the year. For anyone who has children, I know I am singing to the vicar*, but illness-induced childcare is a nightmare for the parents, and we do rely heavily on our extended network of friends and family to fill in wherever possible, but it can be a hand-to-mouth existence that does nothing to improve the stress levels of busy working parents.
Otherwise, we have a fairly quiet weekend, where I will do a bit of DIY, a bit of quality time with the maggots, and an evening out Saturday to friends for dinner.
I hope you have a good weekend also.
-----------------------
* or is it preaching to the choir?
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Anyone got a spare five mill?
So I am at the start of Day Three*, and I am reminded of what I said to my mum when I was five, having done the first two days of Infants School. Striding out of the school I declared "Well, I have tried this school thing, and I don't think it is for me". I don't recall mum's response, but it would no doubt have included something about it being the law.
So this is what I am feeling somewhat today. I have tried this work thing, and I am not sure that it and I are suited. I don't usually have this feeling after a holiday, but this one really seems to have got me. Provence is really something, and while I am not sure I would spend all Summer docked in St Tropez, I could manage a week or two just getting used to the upper-deck leisure seating, testing the wine cellar and keeping an eye on the deck hands to make sure they are keeping the boat shiny. Well I assume that shiny is how it should look, so I shall also be reading the style mags to be sure.
Anyway, this plan is all coming together nicely. I have selected my short-list of boats to trial, I am fairly sure I know what colour scheme for the deck hands' uniforms - simple blue polo shirts and beige shorts seems to be de rigueur, but I am tending towards orange. I have read that St Tropez is best in early summer, Monte Carlo for the end, and maybe somewhere in between for the hot middle bit.
The final piece in the puzzle, just a little piece really, is the five mill I need to fund the purchase. I have a few ideas, but only an idiot would give away their secrets, and only an even bigger idiot would base their plan on the Lottery.
Does anyone have Peter Mandelson's number?
-----------------------------------------------
* Not sure these days now it has moved to Channel 5, but this always used to be said with a Geordie accent.
So this is what I am feeling somewhat today. I have tried this work thing, and I am not sure that it and I are suited. I don't usually have this feeling after a holiday, but this one really seems to have got me. Provence is really something, and while I am not sure I would spend all Summer docked in St Tropez, I could manage a week or two just getting used to the upper-deck leisure seating, testing the wine cellar and keeping an eye on the deck hands to make sure they are keeping the boat shiny. Well I assume that shiny is how it should look, so I shall also be reading the style mags to be sure.
Anyway, this plan is all coming together nicely. I have selected my short-list of boats to trial, I am fairly sure I know what colour scheme for the deck hands' uniforms - simple blue polo shirts and beige shorts seems to be de rigueur, but I am tending towards orange. I have read that St Tropez is best in early summer, Monte Carlo for the end, and maybe somewhere in between for the hot middle bit.
The final piece in the puzzle, just a little piece really, is the five mill I need to fund the purchase. I have a few ideas, but only an idiot would give away their secrets, and only an even bigger idiot would base their plan on the Lottery.
Does anyone have Peter Mandelson's number?
-----------------------------------------------
* Not sure these days now it has moved to Channel 5, but this always used to be said with a Geordie accent.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
I'm Back
Well, that was a very enjoyable and relaxing holiday. As usual, some time off the treadmill really does give you a bit of perspective on things, and add in fantastic weather, a pool five metres away and a fantastic view, and you cannot really find a better way to spend a couple of weeks.
The biggest surprise to me was how much I enjoyed Provence. I expected hot, and I guess some good scenery, but the locale was fantastic. We were in the Var region, the hilly region to the north of Cannes, which, in contrast to the wealth and decadence of the coast, a tough and uncompromising environment. I did not particularly see it, but the guide books tell us that life is pretty hard in the hills. Certainly the up and down, twisty turny roads test ones driving, and the nerve of a chap's passengers, makes for a rugged landscape, however the up side is that there villages, mostly built on the top of hills, mostly centering round a church, look fantastic from a distance, and provided delicious "proper" French villages that were delightful without being chocolate box, if you know what I mean.
Normally, after mid-August, the temperatures would expect to drop to a reasonable 27 degrees centigrade, but our stay coincided with an extended heatwave where the temperatures stayed between 35 and 40 degrees, and boy did we feel it. While the outside temperatures did drop overnight, a combination of us wanting security so keeping the windows locked, and also the fact that the bricks of the building act as a radiator of the heat absorbed during the days, meant that the inside was very hot, to the point that we slept naked with fans on us all night.
If you need to try and remove that image from your mind, then consider Cannes, or St Tropez, or even Nice, and some of the amazing ships berthed along the ports of each city. We have decided we would like one of them, at some stage of our lives, and of course that will require a lottery win, or two, but that is mere detail.
So, I am back, and feeling much sadder than usual to not be on holiday, and I guess that time will slowly change that feeling. We do have some things to look forward to between now and Christmas, and they will keep us going in what is my least favourite phase, the after-the-summer-running-in-to-Christmas phase, when there is usually little time off, the days shorten and the weather worsens. Oh joy.
The biggest surprise to me was how much I enjoyed Provence. I expected hot, and I guess some good scenery, but the locale was fantastic. We were in the Var region, the hilly region to the north of Cannes, which, in contrast to the wealth and decadence of the coast, a tough and uncompromising environment. I did not particularly see it, but the guide books tell us that life is pretty hard in the hills. Certainly the up and down, twisty turny roads test ones driving, and the nerve of a chap's passengers, makes for a rugged landscape, however the up side is that there villages, mostly built on the top of hills, mostly centering round a church, look fantastic from a distance, and provided delicious "proper" French villages that were delightful without being chocolate box, if you know what I mean.
Normally, after mid-August, the temperatures would expect to drop to a reasonable 27 degrees centigrade, but our stay coincided with an extended heatwave where the temperatures stayed between 35 and 40 degrees, and boy did we feel it. While the outside temperatures did drop overnight, a combination of us wanting security so keeping the windows locked, and also the fact that the bricks of the building act as a radiator of the heat absorbed during the days, meant that the inside was very hot, to the point that we slept naked with fans on us all night.
If you need to try and remove that image from your mind, then consider Cannes, or St Tropez, or even Nice, and some of the amazing ships berthed along the ports of each city. We have decided we would like one of them, at some stage of our lives, and of course that will require a lottery win, or two, but that is mere detail.
So, I am back, and feeling much sadder than usual to not be on holiday, and I guess that time will slowly change that feeling. We do have some things to look forward to between now and Christmas, and they will keep us going in what is my least favourite phase, the after-the-summer-running-in-to-Christmas phase, when there is usually little time off, the days shorten and the weather worsens. Oh joy.
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Thursday Thursday here again
The last working day before my holiday and I cannot wait. As for the Maggots, well you could run a small town off the energy they are giving off. Next task is to get the roofbox on the car, so we can start to pack the light stuff. Better go and do it then.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Mid-week update
'Tis midweek, in the office, so lots of people to talk to, and boy are they talking.
Otherwise, an ordinary day, the end of which will signify it nearly being my holiday. Roof box goes on the car tonight and the basic light elements going in there will be packed, and we can also cross off another day on the holiday countdown chart, which is now taking pride of place on our new blackboard wall in the new extension, where else.
Otherwise, an ordinary day, the end of which will signify it nearly being my holiday. Roof box goes on the car tonight and the basic light elements going in there will be packed, and we can also cross off another day on the holiday countdown chart, which is now taking pride of place on our new blackboard wall in the new extension, where else.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Tuesday
Due to my upcoming holiday - did I mention I am going on holiday soon? - I thought I would do something that I have hitherto been unable to do; write my blog every day. I know, totally unheard of, how will you find to time to analyse and absorb my deep and humourous words? A question that we should probably leave lingering like a bad smell, in the hope that it will dissipate in time.
Not so much to report today. We did do the final coat on the blackboard wall, and have now removed the masking tape, and it does look fantastic. Bit of touching up to be done with the white round the edge where the tape has pulled the top layer of paint off, but rather that than a low-tack tape that allows the paint to bleed underneath the line.
We have also started packing, or to be precise, putting the clothes and other items in piles ready to be packed. The clothes-we-don't-need-until-we-are-there suitcase is packed, the clothes-to-wear-in-the-car-on-the-first-day pile is ready, as is the clothes-we-will-take-in-to-the-hotel-for-day-2 pile. We also have several lists, the shortest of which is the list detailing where we have put all the other lists, and all in all we are in pretty good shape. The top box is going on the car today, and the light-and-not-needed-until-we-get-there stuff will be packed in there probably today and tomorrow. This will include a couple of toppers (you can never be too soft when it comes to a bed*) and various beach and pool items such as sun shelters, buckets & spades, snorkel & masks, inflatables, you know how we love our inflatables, and various other ephemera**.
As I mentioned yesterday, the inside of the car has been cleaned*** and today or tomorrow I will give the outside a little wash, and another thing can be ticked off the list.
We spoke to the owner last night who had sent an email saying "we have not received the cheque" only to find in the evening when she rang that the deposit cheque had been stuck to the back of the payment cheque. Doh! Too late, we had already cancelled the cheques and paid by electronic transfer, so hopefully that will all go through OK. The lady sounds very nice, and has just returned from the place, and was able to give us various bits of advice, including the fact that there are lots of mozzies, and that it is as hot as Hades there. It looks like we will not be doing much during the day. Lovely.
That's all for now folks, speak againsoon tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------
* ... or a Mister Whippy ice cream, one thing to which the French really have not mastered, or actually even tried to master
** very likely not the correct use of the word, but it just popped in to my head, and does have a pleasing sound to it
*** Apart from a few drips of something unspeakable on the passenger side console, as high-lighted by LO.
Not so much to report today. We did do the final coat on the blackboard wall, and have now removed the masking tape, and it does look fantastic. Bit of touching up to be done with the white round the edge where the tape has pulled the top layer of paint off, but rather that than a low-tack tape that allows the paint to bleed underneath the line.
We have also started packing, or to be precise, putting the clothes and other items in piles ready to be packed. The clothes-we-don't-need-until-we-are-there suitcase is packed, the clothes-to-wear-in-the-car-on-the-first-day pile is ready, as is the clothes-we-will-take-in-to-the-hotel-for-day-2 pile. We also have several lists, the shortest of which is the list detailing where we have put all the other lists, and all in all we are in pretty good shape. The top box is going on the car today, and the light-and-not-needed-until-we-get-there stuff will be packed in there probably today and tomorrow. This will include a couple of toppers (you can never be too soft when it comes to a bed*) and various beach and pool items such as sun shelters, buckets & spades, snorkel & masks, inflatables, you know how we love our inflatables, and various other ephemera**.
As I mentioned yesterday, the inside of the car has been cleaned*** and today or tomorrow I will give the outside a little wash, and another thing can be ticked off the list.
We spoke to the owner last night who had sent an email saying "we have not received the cheque" only to find in the evening when she rang that the deposit cheque had been stuck to the back of the payment cheque. Doh! Too late, we had already cancelled the cheques and paid by electronic transfer, so hopefully that will all go through OK. The lady sounds very nice, and has just returned from the place, and was able to give us various bits of advice, including the fact that there are lots of mozzies, and that it is as hot as Hades there. It looks like we will not be doing much during the day. Lovely.
That's all for now folks, speak again
--------------------------------------------
* ... or a Mister Whippy ice cream, one thing to which the French really have not mastered, or actually even tried to master
** very likely not the correct use of the word, but it just popped in to my head, and does have a pleasing sound to it
*** Apart from a few drips of something unspeakable on the passenger side console, as high-lighted by LO.
Monday, 8 August 2011
What a fantastic weekend
We had a great weekend, with Brad and Angelina down to stay and a Meal for Eight on Saturday evening. Needless to say that we were v. v. tired Sunday, and so it was a slow day of little chores, tidying up and generally starting to prepare for our holiday. The car internals got a clean and I was ably assisted by the two Maggots who, to be fair, did a fantastic job polishing and hoovering their respective rear seat areas.
We then extracted all our holiday gear from the loft, and inflated the inflatables to check which had lasted the long cold winter, and which had fallen by the wayside. I can report, with some sadness, that the crocodile and my favourite armchair have both bitten the dust. This fits with our need to pack less this year, but is still an event of sadness that will stay with me through until my coffee break at eleven o'clock.
On the first call of the week, which is meant to be a "what's hot for this week" kind of call, but descends in to a painful and boring run through a couple of lists of things that are going to be done. #
This week will be a time of loose end tying, and the offloading of tasks that will run in to the following weeks, including my team-lead role.
Have a good week, and let's catch up before I go on holiday.
We then extracted all our holiday gear from the loft, and inflated the inflatables to check which had lasted the long cold winter, and which had fallen by the wayside. I can report, with some sadness, that the crocodile and my favourite armchair have both bitten the dust. This fits with our need to pack less this year, but is still an event of sadness that will stay with me through until my coffee break at eleven o'clock.
On the first call of the week, which is meant to be a "what's hot for this week" kind of call, but descends in to a painful and boring run through a couple of lists of things that are going to be done. #
This week will be a time of loose end tying, and the offloading of tasks that will run in to the following weeks, including my team-lead role.
Have a good week, and let's catch up before I go on holiday.
Friday, 5 August 2011
And . . . relax
It is Friday, the sun is shining, and this weekend we are having the "Meal for Eight". As part of this, Brad and Angelina, and their pair of offspring, will be staying with us for the weekend. We are very much looking forward to the weekend and I have had to tidy up all over the place.
Hope your weekend is as good as ours will be.
Hope your weekend is as good as ours will be.
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