Bumpf

Any Post?

One of the problems with having an employer is that there's 8 hours (10 if you count the commute) that you can't really blog about.  Of course, sometimes work can put you off writing at all.  Then there's the moaniness.  I mean if I sat down to write I could probably moan for Ireland this year but somehow I'm beginning to get the feeling that that would be counter-productive.  It's unlikely to be particularly cathartic either; seeing that whinging in 10 pt Helvetica is likely looking in the mirror on a grizzly day.

Perhaps a good look in the grizzly mirror might just snap me out of it - y'know to show me that I need an emotional shower & shave.

Wow! That is a lame metaphor. Really

Sparkly Star Orbit Realignment

She's done it and we are so proud.

One of the sparkly stars alluded to here has landed a job on the right side of the Shannon. From a work perspective, it's a brave move but from a happiness perspective I think it’s a stellar move! Even though she's moving to the other side of the country, given how hard she works, I don't think we'll see any less of her. She'll still be the same orbit just jiggled to one side a little -- and sparkling a little brighter.

E., well done. We're inspired.

Weather in the Universe

Generally I find that the in the (small) galaxy of people whose orbit I share, the ratio of sparkly stars to noxious bodies is very high. In fact, the number of noxious bodies I encounter is truly miniscule.

At the moment though I've got one spectacularly noxious body orbiting far too close. I also appear to have picked up a fairly smelly nebula as well - you know, an unpleasant cloud but not something that's actually significant.

What's needed now is a gentle cosmic breeze (or someone to press the Hyperspace button, but we know how risky that is)

Tired.

Current state is tired -  Sunday evening blues.

Still quite broke; no , no very broke - but employed.  I've been mostly cycling but not I'm not making much progress in shedding the ballast.  I think now that I'm exercising,  I need to look at the diet too.

I need an injection of altitude.

Too knackered even to write.  Good I hate our (ex-)builder.

The Wheels Keep Turnin'

So having departed my last contract position without a tear in my eye, I've managed to land another contract position.  As usual with contracting, it's reasonably lucrative but more importantly than that, it's a better location.  It's still some distance from home but so far this week I've mangaged to cycle twice.  Cycling doesn't really save me any time but it does save me money and will, hopefully address the 10 or 12 kilos that I've acquired in the last two years.

As for the other wheels on the cart, our builder has our heart broken and despite our best efforts not to go down the litigation route, it seems the only option left open to us.  I'm really hoping that we don't have many more revolutions to go before we're back on a straighter path to change.

Career?  That wheel? Wha, ha, ha.  Its bearings need some greasing but as long as our recalcitrant builder is taking up our time I'm not sure how much attention that will get.  The current contract will keep me tipping along for now.

My poor wee mini is still sitting neglected by the side of the house but it's getting harder to ignore now so I feel like it will be the next big expense I take on.  To get her back on the road will be expensive but having her there will bring a relatively cheap smile to my face every time I turn the key.

I'm blogging from a cafe - not sure about writing from work yet-  and with one eye on the pricey timer, I'm going to sign off now. 

That Helped Settle the Nerves

I just contact the agency who  submitted my CV for this job I'm interviewing for today.  It turns out, that while I was honest and disclosed the fact that I'd interviewed for this role before, they haven't bothered to advise the client of that fact.  Had I not called them this morning, it's quite likely that I'd have walked right into it at the interview.  Nice.

To add insult to injury, the agent then proceeded to ask me if I'm wearing a suit. Someone needs a good slap around the head.

Nervousness...oooh, that's new

I've got an interview today and I've actually got butterflies.   I'm normally quite okay with interviews - I seem to have gotten to a point where I know that I'm more confident when I'm relaxed and so I'm more relaxed knowing I'm going to be confident.  When I get nervous - usually because I really, really, really want the job - I tend to try too hard.  I don't think I go so far as to be fawning but I'm that kid that's trying to hard to be liked - you know the type, too eager, too happy, too talkative.  He's the one that if he'd only dial all of those attributes back a couple of notches he'd actually be good company.  Well, that's me when I'm nervous.

Why today?  Well I interviewed for this job last year and got it.  The problem was, while waiting to find out I'd gotten it, my existing employer offered me a renewal.  I took the renewal - bird in the hand and all that- and a couple of days later I was offered this other job.  I politely declined because having told my employer that I'd stay, I felt it was wrong to go back on my word... even though the new job offered significantly more money.

Today I'm being interviewed by the same guys, for the same job.... for less money.  I don't want the opportunity to pass again

All Change

Seems life's river has hit a sluice gate again.  Swirls and swooshes of turbulent waters abound.  Some are already smoothing out and some are spinning still.  Still waters have no appeal for me, I love the burble and gurgle of flowing water but just now I'd like some steadier streams.

Woohoo ...... boo hisss

I entered a pact in January with a couple of friends to lose weight - 7lbs by Easter in fact.  Now, me and She went to Weight Watchers a few years ago and realised one of the big motivational tricks was the weekly weigh-in.  With this in mind our strategy was to be simple - restraint and exercise and virtual weigh-in on Monday nights. 

The other trick was to set an attainable but, nonetheless, meaningful goal.  That's why we settled on 7 lbs.  We were giving ourselves in the region of 10 weeks to lose 7lbs.  That means that even with a "bad" week or two it would be easily attainable and there's no doubt that being able to say "I've lost half a stone" is a meaningful achievement.

Anyway, tonight I lost another 2-ish pounds.  Woohoo.
On the downside, it appears I've also lost part of the latch on my beloved PowerBook..... boo  hisss.  I've had this  lovely laptop  for 2 years and it has given me  hours of pleasure and no  heartache.  Now it's  broken.

Sniff, sniff

Relax Dear Bank Manager

I'm back on the the payroll.  I started my new job this week.  I'm back DBAing, back commuting (1 hour 2o minutes each way, I weep), back learning and most importantly of all, back earning.

These first two or  three days have been relatively easy.  Nobody's had a great deal of time to talk to me or show me anything.  That suits me just fine.  Me head is bunged up, me eyes watering and my throat is croaking as I write this (I often read aloud as I type).  I've been grateful for the lack of serious training in these early days as I'm not sure that I could drag both my brain and overburdened sinuses up that learning curve right now.

Oh yeah, sure while I'm on the moaning front.  The new job has a "smart-casual" dress code.  There was minimal, due to lack of money, and frantic, due to lack of time, shopping done last week.  I picked up one new pair of trousers and pair of shoes to make up a very tight wardrobe selection for the week.  I'm so glad I bought the new shoes. I have two decent pairs of black shoes, one of which I wore Monday.  The large, bloody  and painful cuts on the back of my heels now remind me why I don't wear those black shoes.  The  slightly less painful and bloody grazings now healing on my big toes remind me why I use the other black ones only for interviews.

We might talk about the job at a later date when I feel less like whinging.  I am glad to have a job .... in case you got the wrong idea.