I had a meeting with my Human Resources contact at work today: the woman whose maternity I've been covering is coming back to work in April and they've decided not to renew my contract. In terms of my career this is probably the best thing that could have happened (assuming I capitalise on it and move forward into a new job) The whole idea of taking this job was that it gave me a six month corporate "rubber stamp" on the four years' DTP experience I already had (not to mention, dare I say it, some natural ability!) and it will do just that...
... the thing is, I wasn't counting on ending up in such a great office. With very few notable exceptions, the people I've been working with for the last five months have been some of the best I've ever worked with - I worked with some deeply cool people at Watson's too but in that environment I didn't have so much scope for interacting with them so in most cases it took most of the four years I was there to get to know them, with this lot at BG I'd made some really good friends within weeks. People I've looked forward to seeing each morning (and I hope you know who you are)
So when HR Hazel told me (exactly as I was expecting) that time's up on the 17th of April, my heart sank: I have a month left of these people's company day in and day out. I know that in a couple of cases that thought's going to help me get through the day more than once between now and X Day, but the vast majority of my daily interactions are going to be tinged with sadness from here on in because most of these great people are soon going to disapear from my life.
I really hope I can keep in touch with at least a few of them.
...
and the little voice in my head that belongs to my folks reminds me that I'm a big part of what worked so well here, I get to carry me to the next office and (if I'm VERY lucky) meet some more people half as wonderful as those I'll leave behind in a few short weeks.
So long, and thanks for all the monkeys.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
bzzzzz
I'm going on holiday at the end of the month.
I can't wait.
Life is good, but also busy, and hard. There are a lot of things I'm tired from figuring out, dealing with, setting up, building or planning. All of them are things I'm a good place about: my career (I have a job I love), my home (I've made something really special of which I'm proud), my love life (still nowhere, and yet I feel the best about it that I have in years) but all of them are drawing a lot of emotional amperage. Even my friends have been hard work of late. Just keeping up with everything feels like a lot of effort recently, and I feel like I'm starting to flag a little.
This weekend I had no plans for the first time in months, but I had a hundred little jobs demanding my attention... I got to about twenty of them, not through lack of time, but lack of energy. I got things done, but I also spent a lot of time curled up on my sofa wishing there was a way to just skip all the journeys, and be at the destinations. That's not like me: I like the journeys.
I figure I'm just due a recharge. Happily the last week of March I'm going spend doing just that, I'm sure the old batteries can hold out that long.
I can't wait.
Life is good, but also busy, and hard. There are a lot of things I'm tired from figuring out, dealing with, setting up, building or planning. All of them are things I'm a good place about: my career (I have a job I love), my home (I've made something really special of which I'm proud), my love life (still nowhere, and yet I feel the best about it that I have in years) but all of them are drawing a lot of emotional amperage. Even my friends have been hard work of late. Just keeping up with everything feels like a lot of effort recently, and I feel like I'm starting to flag a little.
This weekend I had no plans for the first time in months, but I had a hundred little jobs demanding my attention... I got to about twenty of them, not through lack of time, but lack of energy. I got things done, but I also spent a lot of time curled up on my sofa wishing there was a way to just skip all the journeys, and be at the destinations. That's not like me: I like the journeys.
I figure I'm just due a recharge. Happily the last week of March I'm going spend doing just that, I'm sure the old batteries can hold out that long.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
bloomin' spring
Just a quick 'un. Might manage a real post later in the week, especially if I get chance to take any pictures: my house now has a passably civilised back yard for the first time ever, thanks to a lot of hard work by me and Liz this weekend. Needs part of one wall apinting and a bit more gravel though so no pictures yet.
's good though. I'm very pleased.
Night!
's good though. I'm very pleased.
Night!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
how'd that happen?
it's February already?
hmph.
OK rattle gun update because I have no time (still)
I now have a nephew! (more on him when I've met him), the house now is almost ready to be sold (more on that when I have a schedule and advert to point to) ... as soon as I find a buyer of course (plenty more on that no doubt when I need to vent later this month), my job is still keeping me busy, paid and happy on the whole (though April and the end of my contract are looming a bit) my lovelife is a mess (nothing new there then) I've been to see some incredible films lately, have lots to say about them all and no time to type it all up, (sorry). Keep discovering new music too, same problem there.
Last night I saw some pretty good live comedy, in spite of the evening being hosted by (possibly) the most intensely unpleasant... being who I've ever encountered: namely a <cough> "comedian" called Bruce Devlin. I've suffered him before at The Stand but he wasn't supposed to be there last night or I'd not have gone. However, once Bruce got off the stage and let the comedians out, the night picked up. Three of the acts in particular were very funny and worth looking out for again... but they were all very new, so even if I could remember their names, I couldn't direct you to them... ask Liz she's much beter at that sort of thing than me.
What else? oh yes! new car joy! well joy so far, in advance of its first service anyway. That's tomorrow. <bites nails in anticipation of possible huge repair bill>
The insurance company decided that it would cost too much to pay for fixing Bags after the crash. I cried. He is however (as far as I could tell) being repaired, just not for me. Anyway, distraught and having been given the impresison I'd get next to nothing back from the insurers*, I set about finding the best way to spend a tiny budget on a reliable car, that would be up to the job of helping me commute for (hopefully) no more than the next six months or so. After some careful homework I decided an old SAAB 9000 looked like a good bet for the job and set about finding one. I did. look:
He's a 1996 SAAB 9000 CD, 2.0 litre turbo called Frank, and unless I'm mistaken (in which case I'll find out when the garage look at him tomorrow) he's in good enough order that he and I will be happy together for the remainder of my car-owning career**. Here's hoping anyway. Frank's also quite unlike anything else I've ever driven - fun but also really relaxed. There's this odd air about him that makes it hard to feel like you're in a hurry. In spite (or possibly because) of the huge engine and ability to go very fast should you want to, there's never any rush about driving that car and (I gather) I drive him even more sensibly than I did Bags. Which is good I suppose.
So that's my news just now, such as I have time to type - like I said there are lots more important things happening (nephew! nephew! nephew!) but they'll have to wait until I have time to do 'em justice...
*it now appears the claim on Bags will pay out considerably more than I spent on Frank... which will be really nice if and when the insurers actually cough up
**note: I plan on ceasing to own a car once I can move back to Edinburgh. That holds for the forseeable future unless I somehow become rich enough to own a car in spite of the massive financial burden they all are. In which case I will return to the land of car ownership with glee... 's much more likely however that Frank will be my last car for quite some time. Possibly even forever?
hmph.
OK rattle gun update because I have no time (still)
I now have a nephew! (more on him when I've met him), the house now is almost ready to be sold (more on that when I have a schedule and advert to point to) ... as soon as I find a buyer of course (plenty more on that no doubt when I need to vent later this month), my job is still keeping me busy, paid and happy on the whole (though April and the end of my contract are looming a bit) my lovelife is a mess (nothing new there then) I've been to see some incredible films lately, have lots to say about them all and no time to type it all up, (sorry). Keep discovering new music too, same problem there.
Last night I saw some pretty good live comedy, in spite of the evening being hosted by (possibly) the most intensely unpleasant... being who I've ever encountered: namely a <cough> "comedian" called Bruce Devlin. I've suffered him before at The Stand but he wasn't supposed to be there last night or I'd not have gone. However, once Bruce got off the stage and let the comedians out, the night picked up. Three of the acts in particular were very funny and worth looking out for again... but they were all very new, so even if I could remember their names, I couldn't direct you to them... ask Liz she's much beter at that sort of thing than me.
What else? oh yes! new car joy! well joy so far, in advance of its first service anyway. That's tomorrow. <bites nails in anticipation of possible huge repair bill>
The insurance company decided that it would cost too much to pay for fixing Bags after the crash. I cried. He is however (as far as I could tell) being repaired, just not for me. Anyway, distraught and having been given the impresison I'd get next to nothing back from the insurers*, I set about finding the best way to spend a tiny budget on a reliable car, that would be up to the job of helping me commute for (hopefully) no more than the next six months or so. After some careful homework I decided an old SAAB 9000 looked like a good bet for the job and set about finding one. I did. look:
He's a 1996 SAAB 9000 CD, 2.0 litre turbo called Frank, and unless I'm mistaken (in which case I'll find out when the garage look at him tomorrow) he's in good enough order that he and I will be happy together for the remainder of my car-owning career**. Here's hoping anyway. Frank's also quite unlike anything else I've ever driven - fun but also really relaxed. There's this odd air about him that makes it hard to feel like you're in a hurry. In spite (or possibly because) of the huge engine and ability to go very fast should you want to, there's never any rush about driving that car and (I gather) I drive him even more sensibly than I did Bags. Which is good I suppose.
So that's my news just now, such as I have time to type - like I said there are lots more important things happening (nephew! nephew! nephew!) but they'll have to wait until I have time to do 'em justice...
*it now appears the claim on Bags will pay out considerably more than I spent on Frank... which will be really nice if and when the insurers actually cough up
**note: I plan on ceasing to own a car once I can move back to Edinburgh. That holds for the forseeable future unless I somehow become rich enough to own a car in spite of the massive financial burden they all are. In which case I will return to the land of car ownership with glee... 's much more likely however that Frank will be my last car for quite some time. Possibly even forever?
Friday, January 13, 2006
quickie
I have a head full of stuff to blog about, and no time to actually write them... bah! expect proper posts about Brokeback Mountain, New Year stuff and the ongoing car saga (and hopefully nothing about noises from next door!) soon, but in the meantime YAY! I can finally play with Google Earth!
...
Just as soon as I get some free time that is. Ha!
...
Just as soon as I get some free time that is. Ha!
Friday, January 06, 2006
drums fingers
OK so yesterday someone finally came and took Bags away to be fixed, and tomorrow my loan car is supposed to arrive* which means that this stupid car accident business has neatly wiped out my entire week's holiday. Or at least it has in as far as being able to go anywhere is concerned. Nice.
Also I'd deliberatley left all Bags' stuff in Bags - most particularly Serengeti and Antoine (the orange girraffe and yellow frog who've lived on Bags' dashboard since I got him) were supposed to stay there and keep him company**. However the man who came to take Bags away took them out "in case it doesn't come back" - I'd gone back to bed at the time because I'd had very little sleep and thought the tow-truck had already gone, Justin answered the door (totally confusing the poor guy) otherwise I'd have had to have told him there's a load more stuff in the boot... I'm not sure I'm quite sentimental enough to have tried to make the tow-truck guy leave Bags' friends on the dashboard to keep him company... but now I'm fighting off the stupid feeling that this is in some way a bad sign. Besides which it's pointless having taken two soft toys and a pair of sunglasses out of the car when (if he doesn't come back) there's a bunch more stuff I would have to go and collect anyway.
*sulks*
I just hope they can mend my car.
*actually it was "supposed" to arrive yesterday according to the insurance company but according to the garage who have the car I won't get it until tomorrow because that's the soonest it's available. bah.
**yes I know: I'm a sentimental sap, surely this isn't news to any of you?
Also I'd deliberatley left all Bags' stuff in Bags - most particularly Serengeti and Antoine (the orange girraffe and yellow frog who've lived on Bags' dashboard since I got him) were supposed to stay there and keep him company**. However the man who came to take Bags away took them out "in case it doesn't come back" - I'd gone back to bed at the time because I'd had very little sleep and thought the tow-truck had already gone, Justin answered the door (totally confusing the poor guy) otherwise I'd have had to have told him there's a load more stuff in the boot... I'm not sure I'm quite sentimental enough to have tried to make the tow-truck guy leave Bags' friends on the dashboard to keep him company... but now I'm fighting off the stupid feeling that this is in some way a bad sign. Besides which it's pointless having taken two soft toys and a pair of sunglasses out of the car when (if he doesn't come back) there's a bunch more stuff I would have to go and collect anyway.
*sulks*
I just hope they can mend my car.
*actually it was "supposed" to arrive yesterday according to the insurance company but according to the garage who have the car I won't get it until tomorrow because that's the soonest it's available. bah.
**yes I know: I'm a sentimental sap, surely this isn't news to any of you?
Saturday, December 31, 2005
not my problem
I just had an interesting bit of role reversal: My neighbours came and banged on my door angrily in the middle of the afternoon*. It seems that someone finally ran out of patience with the noise and reported them to Environmental Health, who duly sent the Police round last night. I can't imagine who that might have been, but I suspect they might have done so a lot sooner if they'd known who to contact before now. Seeing as how nextdoor don't seem to give a damn when any of us ask them nicely if we can please get some sleep at 2am, and the nice people at Environmental Health are there to deal with exactly that kind of infantile anti-social rubbish.
Anyway, true to form, instead of taking the hint that their behaviour is out of order and needs to change, the children who inhabit next door were angry that someone had called the Police. I told them that it seemed about time someone had, but that otherwise I didn't see how it was my problem. Then I listened to a few more minutes' worth of angrily agressive and indignant tripe before smiling, wishing them a happy new year and closing the door.
As I understand it, if the nice people from Environmental Health haven't got their message across (and it seems they might not have) then they can (and will) simply take away the noise-making equipment.
To all my fellow taxpaying friends who've ever commented that they didn't feel they got anything for their money, can I just say a really big "thank you" for helping to fund the best new year present ever.
:)
* It's been the other way round, and the middle of the night most weekends since they moved in.
Anyway, true to form, instead of taking the hint that their behaviour is out of order and needs to change, the children who inhabit next door were angry that someone had called the Police. I told them that it seemed about time someone had, but that otherwise I didn't see how it was my problem. Then I listened to a few more minutes' worth of angrily agressive and indignant tripe before smiling, wishing them a happy new year and closing the door.
As I understand it, if the nice people from Environmental Health haven't got their message across (and it seems they might not have) then they can (and will) simply take away the noise-making equipment.
To all my fellow taxpaying friends who've ever commented that they didn't feel they got anything for their money, can I just say a really big "thank you" for helping to fund the best new year present ever.
:)
* It's been the other way round, and the middle of the night most weekends since they moved in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)