This is getting silly. I just spent an hour writing an update and the new LJ format has eaten it. I really hate the new look of everything is white and the page has no sections.
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I get the blues 'most every night
02 January 2022 @ 11:21 pm
I find Christmas quite stressful these days. Ma and I had already decided we wouldn't go to Bro's on Christmas Day. So when SiL tested positive for Covid late om 23rd, I'd already catered for cooking for the two of us. Pa's place are following the guidelines on visitors, so as one of his named people, I saw him on Christmas Eve after I dropped pressies of at Bro's front door.
I went back to Dav to de-stress, then back to Ma's on NYE. SiL is still +ve, although the rest of the household are all still -ve. Bro's 10 day isolation period ends tomorrow, but he's still avoiding people until he's required to go back to work (you can't deliver fizzy pop products to foodstores while WFH)
Saw Pa again this afternoon. He seems pretty well settled in and now he's there permanently, we need to clear the flat and sort out what he needs and what he wants to be more at home. I've ordered assorted name labels and will have to sew tapes into his socks, as he's complaining of them going missing. Considering how poorly and sorry for himself he was in the summer, it's good to see him looking so well. Probably a lot to do with him eating more because he's not forgetting to make meals. But however well and settled he is, it was utterly gut wrenching when he said - perfectly conversationally - "I really don't want you to leave". Then he ate a bowl of strawberry yoghurt with his tea and declared it "not disgusting". All the things he hasn't eaten in the last 50 or more years are now fine because a) someone sticks it in front of him b) he's not overly sure what it is and c) he's forgotten he ever decided he didn't eat it. As someone who claimed to eat anything, he had a very distict list of things he wouldn't eat if he was aware of what they were!
Home tomorrow, werk on Tuesday. Now the heating is fixed, I will have to tidy my desk so I can WFH, although due to training requirements, it would be better if I can be in the office for at least the next week. And as far as MH goes, WFH is not the best option.
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I went back to Dav to de-stress, then back to Ma's on NYE. SiL is still +ve, although the rest of the household are all still -ve. Bro's 10 day isolation period ends tomorrow, but he's still avoiding people until he's required to go back to work (you can't deliver fizzy pop products to foodstores while WFH)
Saw Pa again this afternoon. He seems pretty well settled in and now he's there permanently, we need to clear the flat and sort out what he needs and what he wants to be more at home. I've ordered assorted name labels and will have to sew tapes into his socks, as he's complaining of them going missing. Considering how poorly and sorry for himself he was in the summer, it's good to see him looking so well. Probably a lot to do with him eating more because he's not forgetting to make meals. But however well and settled he is, it was utterly gut wrenching when he said - perfectly conversationally - "I really don't want you to leave". Then he ate a bowl of strawberry yoghurt with his tea and declared it "not disgusting". All the things he hasn't eaten in the last 50 or more years are now fine because a) someone sticks it in front of him b) he's not overly sure what it is and c) he's forgotten he ever decided he didn't eat it. As someone who claimed to eat anything, he had a very distict list of things he wouldn't eat if he was aware of what they were!
Home tomorrow, werk on Tuesday. Now the heating is fixed, I will have to tidy my desk so I can WFH, although due to training requirements, it would be better if I can be in the office for at least the next week. And as far as MH goes, WFH is not the best option.
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22 December 2021 @ 09:15 pm
I'm NIW until the new year. Walking home at 5.30, I got a call from my previous boss about my last audit report he's trying to get finalised. It's 6 weeks since I ladt looked at it, and there's not much I can do about it now, so it is what it is.
Since gettjng home, I've put the Christmas Eve stew in the slow cooker, hung up the laundry, changed the dishwasher, sorted the bins and watched Sewing Bee. I'd be quits happy to find Patrick on the end of my bed on Christmas morning.
Last bits of shopping tomorrow and the pack all the stuff into the car.
I may have to sample some more of the Gin advent calendar to get me sorted!
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Since gettjng home, I've put the Christmas Eve stew in the slow cooker, hung up the laundry, changed the dishwasher, sorted the bins and watched Sewing Bee. I'd be quits happy to find Patrick on the end of my bed on Christmas morning.
Last bits of shopping tomorrow and the pack all the stuff into the car.
I may have to sample some more of the Gin advent calendar to get me sorted!
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20 December 2021 @ 10:29 pm
Apart from a couple of weddings and assorted births, today is the anniversary of the purchase of my first house in 1991. We can gloss over the events of the next couple of weeks, as they have a different set of memories associated with them.
It was a small house, with one door and three windows and a very damp cellar, but it was mine. And after 2 years living in a council flat, I realised how much of a difference going upstairs to bed makes. Of course, these days I dream of living in a bungalow and not having to haul my aching bones upstairs at the end of the day.
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It was a small house, with one door and three windows and a very damp cellar, but it was mine. And after 2 years living in a council flat, I realised how much of a difference going upstairs to bed makes. Of course, these days I dream of living in a bungalow and not having to haul my aching bones upstairs at the end of the day.
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18 December 2021 @ 11:34 pm
I went up to Sheffield last weekend and saw Pa for the first time in over a month. He's now moved permanently into a care home, so we are allowed to visit him in his room. All visitors must take a LFT before they are allowed to see residents. I was glad to see how well he's settling in and the staff seem quite fond of him!
Bro has invited me & Ma round for Christmas Day. Ma is in two minds about this, as Younger Adorable Niece (tm) won't be home until Christmas Eve. Elder has recently had a (mild, fortubately, as she is asthmatic) case, but is WFH anyway (and has just moved into her newly purchased abode on her own).
I have been to 2 Christmas outings in the last 2 days - work and Jado - and have been taking daily tests to make sure I haven't got anything to pass on to the people I am in the office with or train with, and that I haven't picked anything up from the restaurants we've been to. So far, so good. Apart from the office and the shops, I won't be going be giing anywhere else before I go to Sheffield again.
I saw West Side Story on Tuesday and Spiderman: No Way Home today. Both pretty darn good, but I admit to being more partial to the latter - which takes nothing away from my enjoyment of the former. The way they handled the whole multiverse thing was excellent and I'm looking forward to the next Dr Strange movie.
Work is going well. I'm enjoying the new job sufficiently that I was rather miffed I had to leave at 5.30 last night so I could get home in time to go out. I'm sure there will come a time when I'm sufficiently stressed to feel differently, but until that time, I'm enjoying trying to work out how all these spreadsheets work. I've been nominated for several project working groups that are going to end up being a PITA, but if I can't influence them away from the old methods, we're no more screwed than at present. Until senior managers realise that the reason NCC went bust is the crap systems and attitudes that they are carrying forward into the new organisation, WNC doesn't stand a chance of surviving. I just hope they work that out before all the good people leave and we're left with those who don't care.
Tonight's test is still negative, so I can carry on with the festive plans for another day.
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Bro has invited me & Ma round for Christmas Day. Ma is in two minds about this, as Younger Adorable Niece (tm) won't be home until Christmas Eve. Elder has recently had a (mild, fortubately, as she is asthmatic) case, but is WFH anyway (and has just moved into her newly purchased abode on her own).
I have been to 2 Christmas outings in the last 2 days - work and Jado - and have been taking daily tests to make sure I haven't got anything to pass on to the people I am in the office with or train with, and that I haven't picked anything up from the restaurants we've been to. So far, so good. Apart from the office and the shops, I won't be going be giing anywhere else before I go to Sheffield again.
I saw West Side Story on Tuesday and Spiderman: No Way Home today. Both pretty darn good, but I admit to being more partial to the latter - which takes nothing away from my enjoyment of the former. The way they handled the whole multiverse thing was excellent and I'm looking forward to the next Dr Strange movie.
Work is going well. I'm enjoying the new job sufficiently that I was rather miffed I had to leave at 5.30 last night so I could get home in time to go out. I'm sure there will come a time when I'm sufficiently stressed to feel differently, but until that time, I'm enjoying trying to work out how all these spreadsheets work. I've been nominated for several project working groups that are going to end up being a PITA, but if I can't influence them away from the old methods, we're no more screwed than at present. Until senior managers realise that the reason NCC went bust is the crap systems and attitudes that they are carrying forward into the new organisation, WNC doesn't stand a chance of surviving. I just hope they work that out before all the good people leave and we're left with those who don't care.
Tonight's test is still negative, so I can carry on with the festive plans for another day.
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04 December 2021 @ 12:19 am
My new car finally arrived. I went to pick it up on Tuesday. The old one, at 6 years 3 months, had done 45,044 miles when I handed it over. The new one had done 13. Considering the £200 a year difference in VED, I'm a bit miffed they wanted to get it into November's sales figures, but they gave me a free boot liner, so not too bad. At least having the tax due at the beginning of November means it's not quite in the middle of Christmas shopping.
I booked it in to have dash cams fitted on Wednesday. It's handy that Halfords is right across the road from the office, as I had several meetings during the day and could just nip out to pick it up. All I need to do now is transfer all the bits & pieces from the old car, like the electric pump, cold weather kit, pen, tissues and furry dice and then take it out for a bit of a run. I'm sure we'll be very happy together for the next 3 years or so.
I'd put a photo in, but it's so long since I've done it, I can't work out how to link to link to google photos.
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I booked it in to have dash cams fitted on Wednesday. It's handy that Halfords is right across the road from the office, as I had several meetings during the day and could just nip out to pick it up. All I need to do now is transfer all the bits & pieces from the old car, like the electric pump, cold weather kit, pen, tissues and furry dice and then take it out for a bit of a run. I'm sure we'll be very happy together for the next 3 years or so.
I'd put a photo in, but it's so long since I've done it, I can't work out how to link to link to google photos.
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29 October 2021 @ 06:37 pm
Four years, eleven months and a few days ago, I started work at the council. Today was my last day in the Audit team. I start in Finance on Monday.
My boss was in the office yesterday, but he's having a couple of days off, so that was our last day together. I will miss working with him, as we get on well together, and I know he doesn't have the same relationship with the other members of the team. The move to tne new unitary set up hasn't been easy and he's been dealt a pretty crappy hand. Our team transformation process never got going and he's been struggling with a lack of management and support, whilst trying to hold the rest of us together. We've had a lot of frank discussions recently and I know he feels as though he's been stitched up all ways round and is not a happy camper. Unless we can find a way to move him into Finance, I'm pretty sure he'll apply for VR. But as he's not a qualified accountant, he's not in the best position. It would be an utter shame to lose all his knowledge, experience and insight.
He bought me a bottle of gin.
I still have one audit report to finish off and my files to tidy up. My new boss has agreed to give me some time next week, and I'm hoping I can sort it all out on Monday. I had great plans to get everything done this week, but apart from having to clear my desk and sort out all the admin tasks for moving teams, we've had a few distractions with a colleague's mum being taken into hospital, being discharged and then going back in again. She has MS, so you'd think her family might have been wary of getting too close to her, but one of the grandchildren has caught Covid at college and managed to pass it around, so Gran's got it. All I can do is try to support my friend. I didn't want her to drive down to MK the other day, as she was far too upset. I would have driven her, but she managed to get hold of her otner half, who works in a prison so is not easily contactable, who came home and they went together.
My plan for the weekend involves packing up and posting 4 cardigans for 4 small boys, sewing up a cardigan for another small boy, ghen working out how I can adapt a pattern to make a set of small boy sized Marvel jumpers. And drinking gin.
In other news, I managed to crack the screen of my tablet while I was away. After claiming on my travel insurance, it is now fixed, but I need to work out how to get refunded for the cost of tne repair.
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My boss was in the office yesterday, but he's having a couple of days off, so that was our last day together. I will miss working with him, as we get on well together, and I know he doesn't have the same relationship with the other members of the team. The move to tne new unitary set up hasn't been easy and he's been dealt a pretty crappy hand. Our team transformation process never got going and he's been struggling with a lack of management and support, whilst trying to hold the rest of us together. We've had a lot of frank discussions recently and I know he feels as though he's been stitched up all ways round and is not a happy camper. Unless we can find a way to move him into Finance, I'm pretty sure he'll apply for VR. But as he's not a qualified accountant, he's not in the best position. It would be an utter shame to lose all his knowledge, experience and insight.
He bought me a bottle of gin.
I still have one audit report to finish off and my files to tidy up. My new boss has agreed to give me some time next week, and I'm hoping I can sort it all out on Monday. I had great plans to get everything done this week, but apart from having to clear my desk and sort out all the admin tasks for moving teams, we've had a few distractions with a colleague's mum being taken into hospital, being discharged and then going back in again. She has MS, so you'd think her family might have been wary of getting too close to her, but one of the grandchildren has caught Covid at college and managed to pass it around, so Gran's got it. All I can do is try to support my friend. I didn't want her to drive down to MK the other day, as she was far too upset. I would have driven her, but she managed to get hold of her otner half, who works in a prison so is not easily contactable, who came home and they went together.
My plan for the weekend involves packing up and posting 4 cardigans for 4 small boys, sewing up a cardigan for another small boy, ghen working out how I can adapt a pattern to make a set of small boy sized Marvel jumpers. And drinking gin.
In other news, I managed to crack the screen of my tablet while I was away. After claiming on my travel insurance, it is now fixed, but I need to work out how to get refunded for the cost of tne repair.
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18 September 2021 @ 09:09 pm
One of the things about not having a TV licence is that you are no longer allowed to watch things on iPlayer. As I currently have a licende (it's actually very hard to cancel after 1 quarter unless you call them the day after the first payment goes through) I'm seeing what's available. Compared to other streaming services, the player itself is clunky. In order to find the schedule, you have to go to the specific channel page, then scroll right down to the bottom. I seem to remember the schedule was easier to find. But, more annoyingly, the search facility is crap. If you search for a programme by name - e.g. Pointless - the first items in the list are other programmes where the letters at the start of the search - e.g. "poi" - appear in the name of an episode. If I'm looking for Pointless Celebrities, I really don't care that an episode of Doctor Who hsd the word "Poison" in the title.
Trawling through iPlayer, I've tried a few things which are allegedly popular. Both Fleabag and The A Word made me wonder if I'm the one out of line. I get that life can be hard in some circumstances, but The A Word had me ready to slit my wrists after the first 30 minutes. I got to within 5 minutes of the end before deciding I'd rarher poke my eyes out than finish it. It merely confirmed my previius view that most contemporary British drama is just miserable and shouty, and I'd rather give £12 a month to charity than watch it.
On the other hand, the documentaries about Bush on 9/11 and Jill Dando's murder were excellent, as is A House Through Time. And the combination of Richard Osman's House of Games and Only Connect are hilarious. But I can actually live without these at the price.
I'm wringing the most I can out of my licence fee and have discovered Ghosts. Definitely a stand out for me from the general misery and well worth binge watching over a weekend. There are only 19 half hour episodes so far, all worth it.
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Trawling through iPlayer, I've tried a few things which are allegedly popular. Both Fleabag and The A Word made me wonder if I'm the one out of line. I get that life can be hard in some circumstances, but The A Word had me ready to slit my wrists after the first 30 minutes. I got to within 5 minutes of the end before deciding I'd rarher poke my eyes out than finish it. It merely confirmed my previius view that most contemporary British drama is just miserable and shouty, and I'd rather give £12 a month to charity than watch it.
On the other hand, the documentaries about Bush on 9/11 and Jill Dando's murder were excellent, as is A House Through Time. And the combination of Richard Osman's House of Games and Only Connect are hilarious. But I can actually live without these at the price.
I'm wringing the most I can out of my licence fee and have discovered Ghosts. Definitely a stand out for me from the general misery and well worth binge watching over a weekend. There are only 19 half hour episodes so far, all worth it.
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14 September 2021 @ 06:34 pm
I finally got the official offer letter for my new job at the end of August, so I could put in my resignation and arrange a start date. I leave Audit on 31 October and start in Finance on 1 November. If I actually manage to finish any of the 3 audits I'm doing at the moment, I think I will deserve a medal.
I graded for my purple sash on Sunday. Apart from our second degree grading last December, this is the first grading we've done in person since September 2019. We've moved to the Daventry community centre, so it's nice and close for me, rather than having to trail over to Towcester, Tiffield or Flore, which I've done for the last 5 years. Although we all graded in one group, they haven't given us the official results yet. I didn't have to redo any of my bits, so I'm more than pretty confident that I've passed (and so did everyone else). Last night we were doing paired and partner work with actual partners and I have the bruises to prove it.
Dad has moved into a rehab centre. It's not far from where Bro lives, which is handy. But they quantantine hospital transfers for 2 weeks, so Bro couldn't visit to help him settle in. He fell a couple of times in the first few days, mostly due to the fact that he still isn't mobile, but if they leave him on his own, he will get up. They've put an alarm under the cushion in his chair, so at least now they can get in to catch him.
As soon as the 2 weeks were up, I rang to ask if I could arrange a visit. Due to an outbreak of Covid in the centre, they had locked down again for at least 2 weeks, which should have ended today. They don't like visits evenings and weekend, as there are no admin staff there to supervise. So I can't visit until I can get time off. And it means Bro can't go after work. He'll have to try and arrange to go on a Monday, which is his NWD.
I'm going to Greece next week. Or should I say I'M BLOODY GOING TO BLOODY GREECE NEXT WEEK!!! I missed out on my Greek beach in September 2019 due to Thomas Cook going bust and 3 times in between due to Covid, so nothing's stopping me now. I booked my tests at the weekend. They arrived today. I was utterly confused this morning when I got a text from DPD saying I would be getting a parcel today and it wasn't until I got home I realised what it was. At least I managed to get a pre-return and a Day 2 test for less than £70 in total, due to some handy discount codes from Easyjet.
I fly out at OMG Early on Tuesday, so I'm driving down to Gatwick the night before. So far, I'm in work on Monday. I need to get this audit report done, or at least nearly done, so I can see if I can scrounge some flexitime on Monday afternoon and get away earlier than 5pm. I've made a vague stab at deciding what I need to take with me. I have a packing list and I've located some of it and done some laundry. All I have to do now is assemble it all in one place and cram it in a suitcase. I'm thinking I should follow the example of a guy I met a few years ago and just take 2 shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of trousers, some sandals, a swimming cossie, wetsuit and snorkel gear. But I won't need a wetsuit and snorkel, so I can leave those out.
Ma has got me hooked on Richard Osman's House of Games, so while I have a TV licence, I'm binge watching that and Only Connect. I feel like sitting in front of the telly and getting pissed tonight, but I need to do admin-y stuff and finish off a cardigan I'm knitting for a small friend. And maybe even sort out some stuff to pack.
In other news, I'm getting a new car. Another Kia Rio, but a higher spec than the current one. I took mine in for it's service last month and had a chat with the sales guy. At 6 years old, it still has a year left on it's warranty and they'll give me £4,500 trade in for it. Yes, I was quoted more than that on an online site, but it's just easier this way. They also give £1,500 deposit contribution, which makes the repayments for 3 years less than £250/month and then I have the option to give it back or pay the final settlement. I'm banking on the fact that in 3 years, electric cars will be sufficiently more numerous, relatively cheaper and have a better range and the charging infrastructure may be better. In which case, I can trade up to something electric. I'm going for a mild hybrid, which is just a fancy name for smaller ICE and small self charging electric motor. It's a 3 cylinder 1 litre engine and has allegedly better fuel consumption than the current car. I don't do huge mileage, so with the rising cost of petrol, I won't save anything, but I'll have a newer, fancier, bluer car. I have to wait until November, as blue is a premium colour and they don't make that many of them, but that's OK. My new pay kicks in then and I can afford the payments!
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I graded for my purple sash on Sunday. Apart from our second degree grading last December, this is the first grading we've done in person since September 2019. We've moved to the Daventry community centre, so it's nice and close for me, rather than having to trail over to Towcester, Tiffield or Flore, which I've done for the last 5 years. Although we all graded in one group, they haven't given us the official results yet. I didn't have to redo any of my bits, so I'm more than pretty confident that I've passed (and so did everyone else). Last night we were doing paired and partner work with actual partners and I have the bruises to prove it.
Dad has moved into a rehab centre. It's not far from where Bro lives, which is handy. But they quantantine hospital transfers for 2 weeks, so Bro couldn't visit to help him settle in. He fell a couple of times in the first few days, mostly due to the fact that he still isn't mobile, but if they leave him on his own, he will get up. They've put an alarm under the cushion in his chair, so at least now they can get in to catch him.
As soon as the 2 weeks were up, I rang to ask if I could arrange a visit. Due to an outbreak of Covid in the centre, they had locked down again for at least 2 weeks, which should have ended today. They don't like visits evenings and weekend, as there are no admin staff there to supervise. So I can't visit until I can get time off. And it means Bro can't go after work. He'll have to try and arrange to go on a Monday, which is his NWD.
I'm going to Greece next week. Or should I say I'M BLOODY GOING TO BLOODY GREECE NEXT WEEK!!! I missed out on my Greek beach in September 2019 due to Thomas Cook going bust and 3 times in between due to Covid, so nothing's stopping me now. I booked my tests at the weekend. They arrived today. I was utterly confused this morning when I got a text from DPD saying I would be getting a parcel today and it wasn't until I got home I realised what it was. At least I managed to get a pre-return and a Day 2 test for less than £70 in total, due to some handy discount codes from Easyjet.
I fly out at OMG Early on Tuesday, so I'm driving down to Gatwick the night before. So far, I'm in work on Monday. I need to get this audit report done, or at least nearly done, so I can see if I can scrounge some flexitime on Monday afternoon and get away earlier than 5pm. I've made a vague stab at deciding what I need to take with me. I have a packing list and I've located some of it and done some laundry. All I have to do now is assemble it all in one place and cram it in a suitcase. I'm thinking I should follow the example of a guy I met a few years ago and just take 2 shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of trousers, some sandals, a swimming cossie, wetsuit and snorkel gear. But I won't need a wetsuit and snorkel, so I can leave those out.
Ma has got me hooked on Richard Osman's House of Games, so while I have a TV licence, I'm binge watching that and Only Connect. I feel like sitting in front of the telly and getting pissed tonight, but I need to do admin-y stuff and finish off a cardigan I'm knitting for a small friend. And maybe even sort out some stuff to pack.
In other news, I'm getting a new car. Another Kia Rio, but a higher spec than the current one. I took mine in for it's service last month and had a chat with the sales guy. At 6 years old, it still has a year left on it's warranty and they'll give me £4,500 trade in for it. Yes, I was quoted more than that on an online site, but it's just easier this way. They also give £1,500 deposit contribution, which makes the repayments for 3 years less than £250/month and then I have the option to give it back or pay the final settlement. I'm banking on the fact that in 3 years, electric cars will be sufficiently more numerous, relatively cheaper and have a better range and the charging infrastructure may be better. In which case, I can trade up to something electric. I'm going for a mild hybrid, which is just a fancy name for smaller ICE and small self charging electric motor. It's a 3 cylinder 1 litre engine and has allegedly better fuel consumption than the current car. I don't do huge mileage, so with the rising cost of petrol, I won't save anything, but I'll have a newer, fancier, bluer car. I have to wait until November, as blue is a premium colour and they don't make that many of them, but that's OK. My new pay kicks in then and I can afford the payments!
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26 July 2021 @ 10:36 pm
It's been a long couple of weeks since the European Championship final. I spent the night at Dad's "sleeping" on 2 arm chairs pushed togethervand waiting for an out of hours GP, who turned up at 3am. Dad was diagnosed with a UTI and I left the next morning to find someone has managed to knock a temporary road sign through the bqck window of my car.
Fast forward 2 weeks which have included a birthday, a couple of days in That London, a new telly a few days off to finally (FINALLY) clear out Dad's house, a day's emergency leave and Dad spending a night trapped after falling into his bath. He's currently in hospital with an unexpected chest infectiom - I suppose being stuck for12 hours and struggling to breath has some downsides - but is eating more than he has for a while.
I was back at work and mostly dog tired after getting home at 10.45 and putting the laundry on before collapsing into my pit. Before I went away, I saw a couple of pairs of shoes in the Ckark's sale. I went in at lunchtime and although the sale racks had gone, they still had what I wanted. So I bought a pair of blue shoes like my current black work shoes and some blue nubuck boots for £75, less 9%. Bargain.
After a pair of Teams meetings, the Finance Manager came up to tell me the results of two interviews I had last week. Despite being woefully under prepared due to making sure Dad was eating and ready for bed, they decided to offer me a job as the new Senior Finance Business Partner for Collection Fund and Treasury (longest job title I've ever had). I'm pretty chuffed, as I know I didn't necessarily perform at my best, but the experience I have in dealing with data migration and implementing new systems clinched it. I'm also sad to be leaving Audit, potentially leaving my boss a bit screwed, just as the CFO decided an externally hosted shared audit service is a pointless pile of cack not the best option for good governance and assurance. I could have (and did) told anyone who asked this 2 years ago. I was quite vocal about it at several Q&As with the project board. But the planned reorg of audit will be at least 6 months in the planning and if someone wants to give me a job 2 grades higher than my current one now, why would I hang around to see what might be on offer after Christmas. This job will have a major impact on my earnings in the 11 years to retirement, not to mention the boost to my pension.
After work I went to visit a new local care home. We're of the opinion that Dad is going to need residential care sooner rather than later and as long as he's close to one if us, there's no reason for him not to be here. It's a simple 15 minute walk from my house and, if he's fit to go out, he can visit my allotment.
I'm dog tired. I haven't unpacked the car and I have a 50" telly sitting in the middle of my living room. But it's been a reasonable day and I have new shoes and a new job, and Team GB won a bucketload of medals today. The Yorkshire contingent are doing well in Tokyo, so we'll take that as a Win.
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Fast forward 2 weeks which have included a birthday, a couple of days in That London, a new telly a few days off to finally (FINALLY) clear out Dad's house, a day's emergency leave and Dad spending a night trapped after falling into his bath. He's currently in hospital with an unexpected chest infectiom - I suppose being stuck for12 hours and struggling to breath has some downsides - but is eating more than he has for a while.
I was back at work and mostly dog tired after getting home at 10.45 and putting the laundry on before collapsing into my pit. Before I went away, I saw a couple of pairs of shoes in the Ckark's sale. I went in at lunchtime and although the sale racks had gone, they still had what I wanted. So I bought a pair of blue shoes like my current black work shoes and some blue nubuck boots for £75, less 9%. Bargain.
After a pair of Teams meetings, the Finance Manager came up to tell me the results of two interviews I had last week. Despite being woefully under prepared due to making sure Dad was eating and ready for bed, they decided to offer me a job as the new Senior Finance Business Partner for Collection Fund and Treasury (longest job title I've ever had). I'm pretty chuffed, as I know I didn't necessarily perform at my best, but the experience I have in dealing with data migration and implementing new systems clinched it. I'm also sad to be leaving Audit, potentially leaving my boss a bit screwed, just as the CFO decided an externally hosted shared audit service is a pointless pile of cack not the best option for good governance and assurance. I could have (and did) told anyone who asked this 2 years ago. I was quite vocal about it at several Q&As with the project board. But the planned reorg of audit will be at least 6 months in the planning and if someone wants to give me a job 2 grades higher than my current one now, why would I hang around to see what might be on offer after Christmas. This job will have a major impact on my earnings in the 11 years to retirement, not to mention the boost to my pension.
After work I went to visit a new local care home. We're of the opinion that Dad is going to need residential care sooner rather than later and as long as he's close to one if us, there's no reason for him not to be here. It's a simple 15 minute walk from my house and, if he's fit to go out, he can visit my allotment.
I'm dog tired. I haven't unpacked the car and I have a 50" telly sitting in the middle of my living room. But it's been a reasonable day and I have new shoes and a new job, and Team GB won a bucketload of medals today. The Yorkshire contingent are doing well in Tokyo, so we'll take that as a Win.
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03 June 2021 @ 12:51 am
I'm NIW this week. The idea was to get down to the allotment and start the work I should have done 3 months ago. But as the last 3 months have been mostly wet when I was available, the work hasn't happened. And as I'm currently knitting baby outfits, it hasn't happened this week either.
I had to go for a blood test thismorning. I had it in my brain that the blood tesf was Tuesday. But as it didn't happen yesterday, today must be Tuesday. As I was walking down to the surgery, former Mrs End of the Block texted to say she qas painting her fence and did I want to drop round for a cuppa in her garden. For some reason, I managed to get roped in to play walking football at lunchtime, so by the time my test was delayed 15 minutes, I only managed a half hour visit before I had to get home and change.
An hour of walking football in the midday sun was a killer. Apart from my friend Hazel, I was probably the youngest there and I was struggling. There were only 9 of us and I'm told it's easier with more players. By the time I got home, my knee had pretty much gone on strike and I had to have a bit of a nap after lunch. They've asked if I'd like to play again. I would, but the times don't fit with my work ljnchtime and I'd need to take the car and shower afterwards. And I'd probably not be much use for the rest of the day.
On the knitting front, I've almost finished the second of 4 cardigans. One of the guys at work had a baby girl yesterday and I'm trying to adapt patterns to make Avengers onesies. I have a Captain Marvel logo I need to incorporate into a pattern, amd then sort out Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk. Now that I've got the hang of knitting in the round, I'm trying to make all the patterns that way as far as possible to save on sewing up afterwards.
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I had to go for a blood test thismorning. I had it in my brain that the blood tesf was Tuesday. But as it didn't happen yesterday, today must be Tuesday. As I was walking down to the surgery, former Mrs End of the Block texted to say she qas painting her fence and did I want to drop round for a cuppa in her garden. For some reason, I managed to get roped in to play walking football at lunchtime, so by the time my test was delayed 15 minutes, I only managed a half hour visit before I had to get home and change.
An hour of walking football in the midday sun was a killer. Apart from my friend Hazel, I was probably the youngest there and I was struggling. There were only 9 of us and I'm told it's easier with more players. By the time I got home, my knee had pretty much gone on strike and I had to have a bit of a nap after lunch. They've asked if I'd like to play again. I would, but the times don't fit with my work ljnchtime and I'd need to take the car and shower afterwards. And I'd probably not be much use for the rest of the day.
On the knitting front, I've almost finished the second of 4 cardigans. One of the guys at work had a baby girl yesterday and I'm trying to adapt patterns to make Avengers onesies. I have a Captain Marvel logo I need to incorporate into a pattern, amd then sort out Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk. Now that I've got the hang of knitting in the round, I'm trying to make all the patterns that way as far as possible to save on sewing up afterwards.
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29 May 2021 @ 11:07 pm
For the second time, I've typed in a longish entry and DW has failed to save it. Which is annoying. Especially when it asks if I want to restore from draft.
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26 May 2021 @ 06:25 pm
Hormones - they make us who we are. We suddenly start producing loads of them and then we stop. All the while, our moods are at their mercy.
Five years ago when I spoke to one of our practice GPs, the options were HRT or deal with things yourself. That was pretty much the entire conversation. No information on the pros and cons, just pick one and go with it. So I went with no HRT.
Five years down the line, when I'm pretty cheesed off with still getting hot flushes and night sweats and all the other fun effects, I've changed my mind. I had an appointment with my GP last week to follow up on some tests I'd had done and said I wanted to discuss HRT options. She sent me a load of info and I made another appointment for yesterday and now I have some nice patches that are going to pump me full of hormones again and hopefully, I might see some improvements.
As she said, things have changed a lot in the last few years, not least the fact that people are beginning to realise that if half the workforce go through a period of being sleep deprived, moody and confused and there's something that can be done about it, then let's do it. If it reduces my brain fog and means I can actually write a report without forgetting what I'm trying to say every 5 minutes, so much the better.
Meanwhile, work is a PITA. The move to the new unitary councils has been a mixed bag, but our particular corner of it is getting to be a complete joke. So much so that my boss has gone off sick with stress, as we have mo idea what is happening about our jobs, and I'm seriously considering applying for the various vacancies about to come up in Finance. I'd rather be stressed about being overworked on 20% more than I'm on now than stressed about having no clue what I'm supposednto be doing and the possibility of a higher grade position if and when the various people who think they are in charge of us get their acts together and work out who is actually the boss. I know who my money is on, but they are both unknown quantities and I'm not holding my breath that the shared services model is going to stand up to the arguments.
To make up for a tedious day, I'm blowing my calorific intake for the week on a pizza and copious amounts of booze.
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Five years ago when I spoke to one of our practice GPs, the options were HRT or deal with things yourself. That was pretty much the entire conversation. No information on the pros and cons, just pick one and go with it. So I went with no HRT.
Five years down the line, when I'm pretty cheesed off with still getting hot flushes and night sweats and all the other fun effects, I've changed my mind. I had an appointment with my GP last week to follow up on some tests I'd had done and said I wanted to discuss HRT options. She sent me a load of info and I made another appointment for yesterday and now I have some nice patches that are going to pump me full of hormones again and hopefully, I might see some improvements.
As she said, things have changed a lot in the last few years, not least the fact that people are beginning to realise that if half the workforce go through a period of being sleep deprived, moody and confused and there's something that can be done about it, then let's do it. If it reduces my brain fog and means I can actually write a report without forgetting what I'm trying to say every 5 minutes, so much the better.
Meanwhile, work is a PITA. The move to the new unitary councils has been a mixed bag, but our particular corner of it is getting to be a complete joke. So much so that my boss has gone off sick with stress, as we have mo idea what is happening about our jobs, and I'm seriously considering applying for the various vacancies about to come up in Finance. I'd rather be stressed about being overworked on 20% more than I'm on now than stressed about having no clue what I'm supposednto be doing and the possibility of a higher grade position if and when the various people who think they are in charge of us get their acts together and work out who is actually the boss. I know who my money is on, but they are both unknown quantities and I'm not holding my breath that the shared services model is going to stand up to the arguments.
To make up for a tedious day, I'm blowing my calorific intake for the week on a pizza and copious amounts of booze.
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19 May 2021 @ 12:02 am
Cineworld are opening again tomorrow. I've just booked my seat for Judas and the Black Messiah tomorrow night. There are a bunch of things I want to see, but Peter Rabbit 2 is going to have to wait a couple of days.
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16 May 2021 @ 05:18 pm
There's some cracking old British telly on the UKTV channels. I watched Peak Practice a few months ago and in the last couple of weeks, I've been watching Judge John Deed. Although the primary purpose is to gaze at Martin Shaw, the dialogue is actually fairly progressive for the time, especially with 25 years of hindsight.
Today I watched an episode of Dalziel & Pascoe. There was a seige in the village pub. The body count was pretty high and it ended with two of the hostages dying in the lounge, two dying in a fire in the cellar and Dalziel getting shot in the chest at close range by the police tactical team. Yet in the final scene, when he's being put into the ambulance, he's still fully clothed - wearing a light coloured aran jumper and a green jacket, there's not a drop of blood in sight. So unless he somehow managed to slip Peter's bullet proof vest on under his coat while no one was looking, it's either a medical miracle, or even post-watershed programmes weren't allowed to be gory. There was more blood in a episode of JJD where somebody punched a guy in the face.
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Today I watched an episode of Dalziel & Pascoe. There was a seige in the village pub. The body count was pretty high and it ended with two of the hostages dying in the lounge, two dying in a fire in the cellar and Dalziel getting shot in the chest at close range by the police tactical team. Yet in the final scene, when he's being put into the ambulance, he's still fully clothed - wearing a light coloured aran jumper and a green jacket, there's not a drop of blood in sight. So unless he somehow managed to slip Peter's bullet proof vest on under his coat while no one was looking, it's either a medical miracle, or even post-watershed programmes weren't allowed to be gory. There was more blood in a episode of JJD where somebody punched a guy in the face.
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16 May 2021 @ 12:14 am
I'm currently taking a break from social media (obv doesn't include DW). When the football teams decided to boycott it for a long weekend, I joined in and decided not to go back. I'm really not missing the massive time suck and am getting on nicely with the knitting, although I don't seem to be doing much else, mostly due to the weather being manky when I'm not at work.
We go back to in person training next week. We're still distancing as we were before Christmas, but at least we can talk to each other.
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We go back to in person training next week. We're still distancing as we were before Christmas, but at least we can talk to each other.
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09 May 2021 @ 09:32 am
I just spent half an hour writing an entry, accidentally hit the back button, and now find it hasn't auto saved anything other than the title. So, short version, I was off last week, my cousin's family is moving to New Zealand, I've sent a load of books to the chafity shop, polling day happened, I got a haircut, and I'm knitting for 3 new babies and a big brother.
I'm taking a break from twitter and I can now do 10 proper press ups.
You'll have to make up the bits in between.
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I'm taking a break from twitter and I can now do 10 proper press ups.
You'll have to make up the bits in between.
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06 May 2021 @ 10:47 pm
Back from another election. We didn't have a huge turnout this time around - pretty much a third of our list of voters came along in person and about a sixth applied for postal votes. So up to 50% if everyone sent in their postal vote.
We were electing a whole set of councillors for our new unitaries, the Police, Fire & Crime Commisioner and assorted parish councils. In our area, the Parish elections were uncontested.
I had to be at the polling station for 6.15 am. So although I set 4 separate alarms, I struggled to get to sleep. Finally dropped off, then woke up vor a pee at 4ish and may have managed another half an hour sleep before the first alarm went off at 5.15. I was up, dressed and out at 6 and at the hall by 6.10.
I did a lot of the setup last night, as we had to make everything Covid compliant with a one way system lots of ventilation and social distancing markers. All ready to open at 7 am.
We had a slow and steady trickle through the morning and early afternoon, that turned into a positive flood between 3 and 5, then slowed down a bit again and another push 7-8. We gave our 100th voter a standing ovation when he came in.
Ballot box sealed bang on 10pm, left at 10.14 to deliver the ballot box to the colle tion centre, where a troop of very polite young men were available to help carry everything in. I was home by 10.32 and in bed by 10.48. I'm off tomorrow, so can have a bit of a lie in.
My Poll Clerk is working on the count at Silverstone, so she has to be there for 11 am tomorrow, then 9am Saturday and Monday. The money is nice, but I'd rather have the sleep.
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We were electing a whole set of councillors for our new unitaries, the Police, Fire & Crime Commisioner and assorted parish councils. In our area, the Parish elections were uncontested.
I had to be at the polling station for 6.15 am. So although I set 4 separate alarms, I struggled to get to sleep. Finally dropped off, then woke up vor a pee at 4ish and may have managed another half an hour sleep before the first alarm went off at 5.15. I was up, dressed and out at 6 and at the hall by 6.10.
I did a lot of the setup last night, as we had to make everything Covid compliant with a one way system lots of ventilation and social distancing markers. All ready to open at 7 am.
We had a slow and steady trickle through the morning and early afternoon, that turned into a positive flood between 3 and 5, then slowed down a bit again and another push 7-8. We gave our 100th voter a standing ovation when he came in.
Ballot box sealed bang on 10pm, left at 10.14 to deliver the ballot box to the colle tion centre, where a troop of very polite young men were available to help carry everything in. I was home by 10.32 and in bed by 10.48. I'm off tomorrow, so can have a bit of a lie in.
My Poll Clerk is working on the count at Silverstone, so she has to be there for 11 am tomorrow, then 9am Saturday and Monday. The money is nice, but I'd rather have the sleep.
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02 March 2021 @ 11:29 pm
I went in to the office today. I have 3 audits to complete before DDC ceases to exist on 31 March and it was easier to discuss the Non Domestic Rates system and controls where I could see things. On the way in I tripped over a pothole in the underpass next to the office. Apart from relatively minor grazes and bruises, and a bent lever arch file, no harm done. But my bruised knee doesn't like stairs.
When I got home there was some exciting post. Nothing yet inviting me to get vaccinated, but I've had my letter saying where I'll be eorking for the elections (same polling station as the last 2 years, but a new Poll Clerk) and my census letters. I get 2 census letters because my house has 2 addresses. I'm not sure whether to fill them both in or if I can be bothered to ring and explain it is all one property.
This will be the fourth census I've completed on my own account, and the third in this house. I never did one at my last house as although I owned it for more than 10 years, I didn't buy it until December 1991 and wasn't living there on census day 2001.
I've been doing quite a bit of family history of late, so I'm wondering who might be trawling the records in 100 years from now. There are no males with our family name in the next generation left in the UK, so unless my cousin's son moves back, or the Adorable Nieces (tm) pass on their name to any future offspring, it's going to disappear in this country.
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When I got home there was some exciting post. Nothing yet inviting me to get vaccinated, but I've had my letter saying where I'll be eorking for the elections (same polling station as the last 2 years, but a new Poll Clerk) and my census letters. I get 2 census letters because my house has 2 addresses. I'm not sure whether to fill them both in or if I can be bothered to ring and explain it is all one property.
This will be the fourth census I've completed on my own account, and the third in this house. I never did one at my last house as although I owned it for more than 10 years, I didn't buy it until December 1991 and wasn't living there on census day 2001.
I've been doing quite a bit of family history of late, so I'm wondering who might be trawling the records in 100 years from now. There are no males with our family name in the next generation left in the UK, so unless my cousin's son moves back, or the Adorable Nieces (tm) pass on their name to any future offspring, it's going to disappear in this country.
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02 January 2021 @ 06:33 pm
My boiler hasn't been in the best of health for some years. When Homeserve messed me about over service dates, then doubled the cost of my annual plan, I told them where to go and the boiler hadn't been serviced for nearly 2 years. In mid December it started misbehaving and some days I had to reset it to get it to fire. I rang a local company that someone at work had recommended previously, but they were all booked up until January. So I used Checkatrade to get some local firms to call me.
Three guys got in touch and the first one came round that evening to have a look. He diagnosed the cause of the intermittent fault and put a bit of insulating tape round the damaged wire that was shorting out. We discussed the fact that a service would require several new parts and would be fairly costly. We also discussed a new boiler and the option of plumbing the heating in the flat into it, which could be done at a later date, but it was getting close round Christmas. I paid him for the call out and repair and he said he'd send me a quote for a new boiler over the weekend (this was Wednesday 9th).
I didn't hear from him over the weekend, but on Monday 14th, the boiler stopped working altogether. I sent him a text on Tuesday saying the boiler had packed in and I hadn't heard from him with the quote. He said he'd sent it, but it arrived about lunchtime. It was about 30% higher than one I'd had from Eon a couple of weeks earlier when I was having a speculative look at their prices. So I went online and asked for quotes from a boiler replacement place. They contacted 3 firms, 2 of which contacted me. One did a phone discussion and quoted straight away, the other sent a guy out to do a survey. He was massively irritating and condescending, and I could have happily punched him several times. Both these quotes were pretty similar and around what Eon had come up with, so Mr Repairman didn't get a look in. I went with Mr Irritating, as they could fit it when I got back from visiting Ma.
So, on Weds 30th a nice lad came and fitted my new boiler. I asked if, while he was doing it, he could swap over the Hive controls so that the hot water was linked to the upstairs zone, rather than the downstairs. The guy who fitted them originally never asked which way I wanted them. He said he wasn't sure and then didn't do it. All was well until later that night after the footy finished it was rather chilly and the boiler was giving error messages.
I rang the office next morning (NYE) and left a message when no one answered. I got a text a bit later asking if the installation had gone OK. I replied to say it had been fine until it stopped. They sent a lad round who diagnosed the pump had burned out at some point. Office lady rang to say they could get a replacement and fit it (hurrah for a local branch of Screwfit) and they'd add it to the bill. So he fitted it and left. They sent the bill and I paid it.
Since then, everything has been toasty. But while I was upstairs earlier I decided to have a look at the valve controls and see how they connect to the Hive controls. The junction box is a mass of spaghetti, but it was easy enough to find the only 2 wires that didn't have a common connection to the valves. So I swapped them over (yes, I turned the power off first) and now I have the Hive controls the way I want them. It took longer to rename the Hive devices and change the schedules than it did to change the wires over.
Next I need a plumber to patch the heating & hot water in the flat to the boiler in the house and get rid of the dead boiler next door.
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Three guys got in touch and the first one came round that evening to have a look. He diagnosed the cause of the intermittent fault and put a bit of insulating tape round the damaged wire that was shorting out. We discussed the fact that a service would require several new parts and would be fairly costly. We also discussed a new boiler and the option of plumbing the heating in the flat into it, which could be done at a later date, but it was getting close round Christmas. I paid him for the call out and repair and he said he'd send me a quote for a new boiler over the weekend (this was Wednesday 9th).
I didn't hear from him over the weekend, but on Monday 14th, the boiler stopped working altogether. I sent him a text on Tuesday saying the boiler had packed in and I hadn't heard from him with the quote. He said he'd sent it, but it arrived about lunchtime. It was about 30% higher than one I'd had from Eon a couple of weeks earlier when I was having a speculative look at their prices. So I went online and asked for quotes from a boiler replacement place. They contacted 3 firms, 2 of which contacted me. One did a phone discussion and quoted straight away, the other sent a guy out to do a survey. He was massively irritating and condescending, and I could have happily punched him several times. Both these quotes were pretty similar and around what Eon had come up with, so Mr Repairman didn't get a look in. I went with Mr Irritating, as they could fit it when I got back from visiting Ma.
So, on Weds 30th a nice lad came and fitted my new boiler. I asked if, while he was doing it, he could swap over the Hive controls so that the hot water was linked to the upstairs zone, rather than the downstairs. The guy who fitted them originally never asked which way I wanted them. He said he wasn't sure and then didn't do it. All was well until later that night after the footy finished it was rather chilly and the boiler was giving error messages.
I rang the office next morning (NYE) and left a message when no one answered. I got a text a bit later asking if the installation had gone OK. I replied to say it had been fine until it stopped. They sent a lad round who diagnosed the pump had burned out at some point. Office lady rang to say they could get a replacement and fit it (hurrah for a local branch of Screwfit) and they'd add it to the bill. So he fitted it and left. They sent the bill and I paid it.
Since then, everything has been toasty. But while I was upstairs earlier I decided to have a look at the valve controls and see how they connect to the Hive controls. The junction box is a mass of spaghetti, but it was easy enough to find the only 2 wires that didn't have a common connection to the valves. So I swapped them over (yes, I turned the power off first) and now I have the Hive controls the way I want them. It took longer to rename the Hive devices and change the schedules than it did to change the wires over.
Next I need a plumber to patch the heating & hot water in the flat to the boiler in the house and get rid of the dead boiler next door.
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01 January 2021 @ 06:33 pm
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emperor
I was given giles; swfc; west wing
Giles - Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers' very English Watcher. I think he found USian teenage girls more mind boggling than any of the monsters, demons and gods he encountered.
SWFC - As the saying goes - there are two teams in Sheffield, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield Wednesday reserves. Currently bottom of the Championship, due to having points deducted for some infringement of the league rules. But they have scored more points than the Red Scum on the other side of town, who haven't won a game so far this season and are bottom of the Premier League. Pa isn't interested in football, so I wasn't brought up with any allegiances and made my own choice. At the time I first took any notice of football, Wednesday were somewhere in the lower reaches of the league and United were in the (old) first division. The only team in the first who played in all blue were Chelsea, so I picked them to support. But even though I lived on the red side of town and several utd players lived on our estate (one had a kid at the same junior school i went to and came to parents' evenings and open days), I only ever supported teams in blue, so it had to be Wednesday.
The West Wing - Aaron Sorkin's second TV series was born out of the left overs from one of my all time favourite films - The American President. Set in the White House, it was supposed to be about the staff who worked there and the President wasn't going to be a major character. I was too busy to watch when it first came on uk telly, then it was only on channels I didn't have access to in Daventry. When C4 finally showed it at a time I could watch, the first episode I saw was about a bunch of staffers getting left behind on the campaign trail (S4E1) and falling foul of the fact that Indian didn't observe daylight savings time. Quite apart from it being well written, well acted and funny, I was hooked because I worked for a company based in Indiana and had had the same problem when flying home from Cincinnatti and not changing the time when crossing the state line.
TWW finished in 2006, but I would still argue it's one of the best tv shows of all time. It struggled in S5 after Sorkin left the show and John Wells butchered the characters, but it picked up again in S6 with the campaigns for the next POTUS. It's pure fantasy politics, but does reflect a lot of USian political life. Mostly, it has an awesome cast, characters you want to root for, and a quote for pretty much every occasion.
I own 2 copies of the DVDs, but most of the single season boxes have disappeared on loan. I haven't watched it for some years, as I find S5 too depressing to wade through and have to be in the right mood. But I can, and do, quote it at every opportunity. And I tend to watch most things that the main cast members crop up in, when I get the chance. This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2050164.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
emperor - Comment on this entry saying Cows!, and I'll pick three things from your profile interests or tags.
- Write about the words/phrases I picked in your journal and link back here. Spread the love.
I was given giles; swfc; west wing
Giles - Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers' very English Watcher. I think he found USian teenage girls more mind boggling than any of the monsters, demons and gods he encountered.
SWFC - As the saying goes - there are two teams in Sheffield, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield Wednesday reserves. Currently bottom of the Championship, due to having points deducted for some infringement of the league rules. But they have scored more points than the Red Scum on the other side of town, who haven't won a game so far this season and are bottom of the Premier League. Pa isn't interested in football, so I wasn't brought up with any allegiances and made my own choice. At the time I first took any notice of football, Wednesday were somewhere in the lower reaches of the league and United were in the (old) first division. The only team in the first who played in all blue were Chelsea, so I picked them to support. But even though I lived on the red side of town and several utd players lived on our estate (one had a kid at the same junior school i went to and came to parents' evenings and open days), I only ever supported teams in blue, so it had to be Wednesday.
The West Wing - Aaron Sorkin's second TV series was born out of the left overs from one of my all time favourite films - The American President. Set in the White House, it was supposed to be about the staff who worked there and the President wasn't going to be a major character. I was too busy to watch when it first came on uk telly, then it was only on channels I didn't have access to in Daventry. When C4 finally showed it at a time I could watch, the first episode I saw was about a bunch of staffers getting left behind on the campaign trail (S4E1) and falling foul of the fact that Indian didn't observe daylight savings time. Quite apart from it being well written, well acted and funny, I was hooked because I worked for a company based in Indiana and had had the same problem when flying home from Cincinnatti and not changing the time when crossing the state line.
TWW finished in 2006, but I would still argue it's one of the best tv shows of all time. It struggled in S5 after Sorkin left the show and John Wells butchered the characters, but it picked up again in S6 with the campaigns for the next POTUS. It's pure fantasy politics, but does reflect a lot of USian political life. Mostly, it has an awesome cast, characters you want to root for, and a quote for pretty much every occasion.
I own 2 copies of the DVDs, but most of the single season boxes have disappeared on loan. I haven't watched it for some years, as I find S5 too depressing to wade through and have to be in the right mood. But I can, and do, quote it at every opportunity. And I tend to watch most things that the main cast members crop up in, when I get the chance. This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2050164.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
01 January 2021 @ 05:26 pm
Mostly cut & pasted from last year
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Video called my parents. 2020 was the year everyone discovered Zoom and used it for any and (almost) every form of social interaction. TBH, we didn't do a lot of family Zoom calls, as it's complicated for Pa and really, phonecalls are just as easy. I did originally buy 4 Amazon Shows, but the setup is way too complicated, so we sent them back. Even at e reduced price, it was an overly expensive unnecessary fix.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yet again, I don't do NY resolutions. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing regardless of the time of year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. My Gorgeous Goddaughter's parents are expecting 3 new grandchildren in 2021. I may even get to see them.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately not. I seem to be one of the lucky ones in that respect.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. Apart from 4 trips to Sheffield, I haven't been further than Leamington.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Yet again, time to sort out and sell Pa's house. Plus an actual holiday away from home. My original plan for 2021 was totake extended leave and go to Australia for a month in April / May (just as the new unitary authorities are formed), but that won't happen and I'll have to pick another suitable date in the future, but possibly not until after 2023 now.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
23 March. I went from work to the osteopath and arrived home to the news of the first full national lockdown. Also 31 December. The last day of being European.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my second degree grading after it had been postponed twice. Although training was all online until September, we had prepared to do it then. When the second date of 14 November was scuppered by lockdown 2.0, we weren't sure when it was going to happen and it was hard to keep focus and learn new techniques while keeping it all going.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping in touch with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The virus I caught in September 2019 lingered for a long time. I went back to see the GP in February, who diagnosed sinusitis, gave me a steroid spray and cleared it up in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, other than a summer cold, and more migraines than normal ,I've been pretty well all year
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nothing massively exciting. Possibly the two holidays I got in 2021 for not much more than I paid for the one I couldn't go on in 2020. Still waiting to see if travel will be possible by the end of May.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Jado instructors for keeping classes going online and Master Ogden and the grading instructors for managing to arrange all the in person black belt gradings and coping with all the online gradings.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Same answer for the fifth year running. Just about anyone involved in politics, specifically the fiasco that is the UK government. I get that the Covid pandemic was completely out of the blue, but there are supposed to be preparedness drills and contingency plans in place. But by undermining the civil services - of all kinds, not just the Whitehall mob - and failing to listen to or follow any kind of coherent expert advice, coupled with leaking of stories through "Downing Street sources" and regular U-turns after every announcement, the Tory shower have shown that their power grab last December was all fur coat and no knickers. And now that Rat Cummings has fled the ship, they are left with noone to even pull their strings.
14. Where did most of your money go?
New tech for WFH. I really need to claim some tax back. And I just had a new boiler installed, as the old one died a couple of weeks before Christmas, just as the cold weather arrived.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to the pictures over the summer to see a load of re-released films. I just wish they'd shown all of the original Star Wars trilogy.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Nothing specific. I don't listen to much music these days.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Mostly happier - passed my black belt and there's a new POTUS due in less than 3 weeks.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. I put on half a stone, realised I needed to do something about it and lost a stone. I've mostly managed to keep it off, even over Christmas.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same until the boiler died, and I'm about to fork out for some new windows and doors.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Work on the allotment. Since the end of July, I've not spent much time up there, due to other things going on. Then it was either too wet or too dark.
Sparring. Even when we went back to in class training, we couldn't do any partner work. I really miss hitting an actual person.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about work - specifically trying to fill in my timesheet.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Chez Ma. Just the two of us.
21. What LJ users did you meet?
None. I was mostly poorly until March, then nobody met anybody.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
No
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Hard to say. I enjoyed The Mandalorian, but it could have done with being longer. Probably Sewing Bee for it's lack of nastiness, misery or fighting. It's just fun, and the judges are always positive. Plus Patrick Grant is utterly delectable and Joe and Esme are hilarious.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't really do hating people. And I wasn't that keen on the Tory Party last year. My opinion of them hasn't improved.
26. What was the best book you read?
I can't remember most of the few books I have read. I enjoyed rereading Pigeon Post over the holidays as part of a short Swallow & Amazons retrospective.
This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049926.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Video called my parents. 2020 was the year everyone discovered Zoom and used it for any and (almost) every form of social interaction. TBH, we didn't do a lot of family Zoom calls, as it's complicated for Pa and really, phonecalls are just as easy. I did originally buy 4 Amazon Shows, but the setup is way too complicated, so we sent them back. Even at e reduced price, it was an overly expensive unnecessary fix.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yet again, I don't do NY resolutions. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing regardless of the time of year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. My Gorgeous Goddaughter's parents are expecting 3 new grandchildren in 2021. I may even get to see them.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately not. I seem to be one of the lucky ones in that respect.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. Apart from 4 trips to Sheffield, I haven't been further than Leamington.
6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
Yet again, time to sort out and sell Pa's house. Plus an actual holiday away from home. My original plan for 2021 was totake extended leave and go to Australia for a month in April / May (just as the new unitary authorities are formed), but that won't happen and I'll have to pick another suitable date in the future, but possibly not until after 2023 now.
7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
23 March. I went from work to the osteopath and arrived home to the news of the first full national lockdown. Also 31 December. The last day of being European.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my second degree grading after it had been postponed twice. Although training was all online until September, we had prepared to do it then. When the second date of 14 November was scuppered by lockdown 2.0, we weren't sure when it was going to happen and it was hard to keep focus and learn new techniques while keeping it all going.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping in touch with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The virus I caught in September 2019 lingered for a long time. I went back to see the GP in February, who diagnosed sinusitis, gave me a steroid spray and cleared it up in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, other than a summer cold, and more migraines than normal ,I've been pretty well all year
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nothing massively exciting. Possibly the two holidays I got in 2021 for not much more than I paid for the one I couldn't go on in 2020. Still waiting to see if travel will be possible by the end of May.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Jado instructors for keeping classes going online and Master Ogden and the grading instructors for managing to arrange all the in person black belt gradings and coping with all the online gradings.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Same answer for the fifth year running. Just about anyone involved in politics, specifically the fiasco that is the UK government. I get that the Covid pandemic was completely out of the blue, but there are supposed to be preparedness drills and contingency plans in place. But by undermining the civil services - of all kinds, not just the Whitehall mob - and failing to listen to or follow any kind of coherent expert advice, coupled with leaking of stories through "Downing Street sources" and regular U-turns after every announcement, the Tory shower have shown that their power grab last December was all fur coat and no knickers. And now that Rat Cummings has fled the ship, they are left with noone to even pull their strings.
14. Where did most of your money go?
New tech for WFH. I really need to claim some tax back. And I just had a new boiler installed, as the old one died a couple of weeks before Christmas, just as the cold weather arrived.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to the pictures over the summer to see a load of re-released films. I just wish they'd shown all of the original Star Wars trilogy.
16. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Nothing specific. I don't listen to much music these days.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Mostly happier - passed my black belt and there's a new POTUS due in less than 3 weeks.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. I put on half a stone, realised I needed to do something about it and lost a stone. I've mostly managed to keep it off, even over Christmas.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same until the boiler died, and I'm about to fork out for some new windows and doors.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Work on the allotment. Since the end of July, I've not spent much time up there, due to other things going on. Then it was either too wet or too dark.
Sparring. Even when we went back to in class training, we couldn't do any partner work. I really miss hitting an actual person.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about work - specifically trying to fill in my timesheet.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Chez Ma. Just the two of us.
21. What LJ users did you meet?
None. I was mostly poorly until March, then nobody met anybody.
22. Did you fall in love in 2020?
No
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Hard to say. I enjoyed The Mandalorian, but it could have done with being longer. Probably Sewing Bee for it's lack of nastiness, misery or fighting. It's just fun, and the judges are always positive. Plus Patrick Grant is utterly delectable and Joe and Esme are hilarious.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I don't really do hating people. And I wasn't that keen on the Tory Party last year. My opinion of them hasn't improved.
26. What was the best book you read?
I can't remember most of the few books I have read. I enjoyed rereading Pigeon Post over the holidays as part of a short Swallow & Amazons retrospective.
This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049926.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
06 December 2020 @ 08:39 pm
The black belt gradings were supposed to be 12 September, then they were postponed to the middle of November. Lockdown v2 put paid to that and we were all expecting they would be put off until the new year. Then last Monday I got a call asking if I was free today.
The black belt gradings finally happened. The first degrees went in at 9am and came out just after 1. We were in for an hour and a half and the threes were still in when we left at 3pm.
It was a very different grading from usual. We did the first part, with the basics and combinations all together, then they split us into 4 smaller groups and the grading examiners rotated round asking us to do different techniques.
We couldn't spar or do lots of big movement, but we covered all the things that we've never been graded on before. At the end Master Ogden said they were happy with our performance, so I'm taking that as we've all passed. I haven't had a phonecall to the contrary, which is another positive sign.
It's sad that we couldn't go for a drink afterwards to celebrate, but when we finally have the presentation ball, it's gonna be a good one.
Tomorrow we are back to proper classes and learning blue syllabus for the March grading. This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049762.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
The black belt gradings finally happened. The first degrees went in at 9am and came out just after 1. We were in for an hour and a half and the threes were still in when we left at 3pm.
It was a very different grading from usual. We did the first part, with the basics and combinations all together, then they split us into 4 smaller groups and the grading examiners rotated round asking us to do different techniques.
We couldn't spar or do lots of big movement, but we covered all the things that we've never been graded on before. At the end Master Ogden said they were happy with our performance, so I'm taking that as we've all passed. I haven't had a phonecall to the contrary, which is another positive sign.
It's sad that we couldn't go for a drink afterwards to celebrate, but when we finally have the presentation ball, it's gonna be a good one.
Tomorrow we are back to proper classes and learning blue syllabus for the March grading. This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049762.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
03 November 2020 @ 10:57 pm
For the first time in I don't know how many years, I really CBA with the election. It's not that I don't care deeply about the result, but I can't do anything about it and I can't cope with the weeks of wrangling and legal battles that are bound to happen. There's no way the Idiot in Chief is going to let go without a HUGE fight and there will be much wailing, gnashing of teeth, civil unrest and rioting the longer it continues.
The BBC have got their maps and results pages ready. And while there may be indications of how things are going, there will be a lot of states that can't even call the House seats until all the absentee ballots have been counted, argued over, re-counted etc. Some states have already started counting the postal votes, while others will accept ballots received up to a week later, as long as they are post marked by today.
I've always been interested in the process of elections, and USian elections have got more process than you can shake a stick at. But there's enough aggro in the world at the moment without this making a crisis out of a drama. For an allegedly developed country, their electoral system could sure do with bringing into the 20th century.
In other news, I got an email today about working the elections on May 6th, which will cover the postponed Police, Crime & Fire Commissioner and the first council elections for our new unitaries as well as anything else they can think of that we didn't do this year.
Not sure what I'm going to do about the radio. I usually have it on overnight and get the World Service once R4 closes down. I don't want to listen to music stations, so I may have to go to R4Extra and see what delights that can conjure.
Tomorrow morning, I have a team meeting at 9.15, followed by the Corporate Procurement & Efficiencies Working Group at 10.30, both on Zoom. By lunchtime, I'm going to be ready to slit my throat! This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049508.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
The BBC have got their maps and results pages ready. And while there may be indications of how things are going, there will be a lot of states that can't even call the House seats until all the absentee ballots have been counted, argued over, re-counted etc. Some states have already started counting the postal votes, while others will accept ballots received up to a week later, as long as they are post marked by today.
I've always been interested in the process of elections, and USian elections have got more process than you can shake a stick at. But there's enough aggro in the world at the moment without this making a crisis out of a drama. For an allegedly developed country, their electoral system could sure do with bringing into the 20th century.
In other news, I got an email today about working the elections on May 6th, which will cover the postponed Police, Crime & Fire Commissioner and the first council elections for our new unitaries as well as anything else they can think of that we didn't do this year.
Not sure what I'm going to do about the radio. I usually have it on overnight and get the World Service once R4 closes down. I don't want to listen to music stations, so I may have to go to R4Extra and see what delights that can conjure.
Tomorrow morning, I have a team meeting at 9.15, followed by the Corporate Procurement & Efficiencies Working Group at 10.30, both on Zoom. By lunchtime, I'm going to be ready to slit my throat! This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049508.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
03 November 2020 @ 10:32 pm
Last night was my last in person training session for a while. From Thursday, we're back on Zoom. In the real world, on a Thursday I would normally do an hour assisting at the kids' class, an hour of the adults class and an hour of Levels practice while the Black belt class is on (where "an hour" is actually 50 minutes of activity. On Zoom, I'll probably just get 45 minutes in the adults' class. Mondays will continue to be Levels on Zoom.
The good news is that although the Degree gradings will be postponed, most likely until after Christmas, we will be starting on the syllabus for the next level (Blue sash), with the aim of being ready to grade for Blue as normal in March, possibly on Zoom, if necessary. The plan from Head Office is that Degree timescales shouldn't be compromised, and that anyone scheculed for Degree gradings in 2020 will continue on the same timeline unless they miss a coloured grading for any other reason. So, third degree in 2023 is still on the cards.
The only thing that will be out of synch is my Notch. I have one that says "First Degree 2018" and during a sale over the summer I got a "Second Degree 2020" Notch. I'm wondering if I can get them to strike through the 2020 and add 2021 (CV-19). This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049079.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
The good news is that although the Degree gradings will be postponed, most likely until after Christmas, we will be starting on the syllabus for the next level (Blue sash), with the aim of being ready to grade for Blue as normal in March, possibly on Zoom, if necessary. The plan from Head Office is that Degree timescales shouldn't be compromised, and that anyone scheculed for Degree gradings in 2020 will continue on the same timeline unless they miss a coloured grading for any other reason. So, third degree in 2023 is still on the cards.
The only thing that will be out of synch is my Notch. I have one that says "First Degree 2018" and during a sale over the summer I got a "Second Degree 2020" Notch. I'm wondering if I can get them to strike through the 2020 and add 2021 (CV-19). This entry was originally posted at https://hooloovoo-42.dreamwidth.org/2049079.html. Please comment there using OpenID.