Quick one

Just so my Dad has something to read! :)

Underground...

...overground, wombling free.
The wombles of Wimbledon common are we.
Making good use of the things that we find,
the things that the everyday folk leave behind.

The speech writing continues...

Short week, short posts

I'm only in work two days this week. Today and tomorrow. After that we're off up north to see my family and attend a friends wedding. It's this latter fact that limits the size of the posts this week. I'm acting as one of the two best men, and have a speech to finish.

So, that's where my effort now goes.

No news

The announcemment I wanted yesterday didn't come. The word is that it will come today. However, the word is that it will be amiguous, and not provide any clear direction for 6 months. Which will cause more trouble, conflict, and stress than a clear decision would now. You can't have 2 conflicting teams doing the same job. I can't see this being easy, nor fun.

Late, tired, and stressed

The title sums it up. No real post today, there is too much at stake this afternoon. The next stage of my life is being mapped out, and I have no real input. How someone who listened to me for 30 minutes whilst reading mails on his blackberry can decide whether I'm the right person for the job I don't know.

It may be all a worry about nothing, I'm incumbent, I have the systems, the knowledge. I just don't find out until this afternoon.

In other news, thanks to Laurie for the kind comment; Mum, make sure you read the comment attached to yesterdays main post.

Right, hopefully back tomorrow in a better frame of mind. One way or the other I'll know what I'm doing, and that has to be better than this uncertainty.

Hassle

Is it too much to expect that when in a 2 way corridor with room for, maybe, 5 people, and there is a train with open doors waiting at the end of it, that people could move over so that within our half of the corridor there was enough room to allow someone to get past you. Is that too much to ask? Is hugging the wall too much hassle? Is it just me?

Speech

I'm in the process of writing a speech for myself and another friend to give in our dual role as best men. And it's difficult. Suming up a friend's character and life in a short speech that is both funny and evocative is bad enough without having to work out delivery between 2 people as well.

Other than that, life continues as normal; not enough sleep, too much stress.

People around me continue to get too close, although handbags are absent this morning. So far. Can't believe it's only Wednesday, it feels like I've done enough for it to be Friday.

It's my Mum's birthday today. Happy birthday Mum, I'll speak to you a bit later on.

Here comes the crush at Waterloo. Better go.

By popular demand

I have had many requests (with a readership of 7, 2 is many!) for a post with a picture. So here you go. My platform at too early in the morning, from the other end. Enjoy.

Normal post (or as normal as my posts get) to follow soon.

Typing ...

with the headphones plugged into this phone is not easy!

My blog got a real comment from a real person yesterday. Until now, the only commenters have been my friends and family. Much appreciated comments they've been too. However, now my comments have been visited by greatness. Not one of the great unwashed, but the great Richard Madeley (or Dick, as I like to think of him) himself! I know! I was shocked too.

Clearly being the good sheep that I am, and fool for anything new and shiny has payed off. I can only surmise that filling in all that nonsense on blogger stating all the blogs I'm following has actually produced some traffic. And there was me thinking it had just duplicated all my feeds in Google Reader.

The, excellent, advice in the comment will be followed through on. Consider tired and cranky to be my preffered state of being. Being fed up with commuters just comes naturally, and fat women with oversized hand bags deserve everything they get frankly.

Which reminds me of a joke.

A freshman from Texas is lost on Princeton campus and inquires of a senior gentleman, "Excuse me sir, where abouts is the library at?"
The senior looks at the freshman and sneers, "At Princeton we don't finish sentences with prepositions."
The freshman replies, "Ok, where abouts is the library at, asshole?"

And with that, I'll remind you that I'm here all week. Try the veal. Thank you and goodnight.

Right, that's it!

I've lost 2 posts this morning due to being knocked, and I'm getting sick of it.

I guess I'll have to write these outside of the cramped tube.

Weekend: wedding. I had written a lot more, but I'm sick of typing now. I'll pick it up later.

General temprament: tired, and cranky. Sick of inconsiderate commuters. Especially fat women with over sized handbags.

Looking forward to: open spaces, and the ability to type unhindered.

Thursday? Are you sure?

Driving home last night I could have sworn it was Friday. I feel I've done enough this week for it to have been Friday. However, reality dawned quick enough, and, once again, it was Wednesday.

So I did what any sane and normal person would do, I went swimming. 40 lengths or 1km later I painfully pulled / rolled out of the pool and tried to command my muscles to show enough dignity as I made my way to the showers. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt too much this morning.

Went home, and had a late curry before things get a bit blurred. I know little one was up, and I know my wife was sitting with her. I moved some bedding around so they could both go to the spare bed. I'm sure there was a drink involved, but I really wasn't with it. Whilst I know it was late, I can't recall the time, and eventually I must have just crashed.

Next thing I knew the alarm was going off, my wife was asleep next to me, and little one was in her cot. I don't remember any of that happening. I also had a headache. Earlier night called for tonight!

Work continues as always. I have constant meetings today, but should achieve most of what I need to. Ready for working from home tomorrow, and the earlier start to the weekend due to the lack of travelling.

Off again

Almost forgot to post this morning! My mind just isn't with it. I did get up on time, I did manage to get my wife a hot drink for the first time this week, but the old grey matter is working on auto pilot.

Life continues apace. Little one has started responding to me on the phone. She knows it's me, and says "hiya", "dada", and "appy" when prompted. Makes me smile every time.

Two late working nights for me so far this week. 20:00 and 20:30 is when I've got home this week. That, with early mornings is taking its toll. I'm working from home on Friday though which makes things easier. Means I have to go to the dentist though.

The study continues to clear. A small amount of filing has amassed, and the in tray has a few things in it to deal with. Hopefully I'll get away on time today, and sort it out this evening. We can finally aim to have a clear paperwork load.

I have an interesting view on life goals!

Approaching the end of the line for this mornings journey. Not too cramped today. Time to see what meetings I have, and face the deluge of overnight e-mail.

The delights of an early morning in Berkshire

My first pic sent to blogger directly. The view from an Autumn morning on my station's platform.

No post

No real post this morning as I have a couple of e-mails to write. Busy weekend, busy week coming up.

Friday. Finally.

Stressful week! My job seems safe for the time being, which is all that matters at the minute. Tired, worn out, looking forward to the weekend.

Lunch today with a mate, something to look forward to.

Weekend plans : none that I can recall. I plan on getting the stag photos up on the net, and writing a bit of a blurb. Some (a small amount for once) paperwork to do; and, no doubt, the usual jobs for me and my wife.

Just looking forward to getting a days work done, hopefully tying up some loose ends, and going home for the weekend with my wife and child.

Stress and worry

I got a late phone call yesterday from my boss asking me to check a CV out, and conduct a phone interview in 40 minutes time.

I've been having problems recently hiring a BA/project manager for my team; dispite finding the right candidate, and conducting all the HR formalities, weeks ago. So to get asked to look over someone who hasn't been through any of that, and is on the wrong continent, was frustrating to say the least. When it was backed up with the idea that the eventual outcome of my interview may not have any bearing on the procedings just made things worse.

Alarm bells started when I got the CV. This person was not what I wanted, this was someone who would want *my* job! Wary, I went into the interview.

We had a half hour chat during which I was asked as much about what I did as I asked him. Towards the end of the interview it was let slip that he wasn't interviewing for my free role, he was just talking to my team for information, and he and my boss's boss had been talking about another role entirely. A role he didn't expand on.

Call me pessimistic, but I'm not too happy this morning.

Where did it all go wrong?

Over slept this morning. A lot. Vaguely remeber the alarm, but not really. Showered, dressed, and out without even enough time to make my wife a hot drink. missed the train by 2 minutes. The one I got was slow running into Paddington. I'm now waiting for a train underground, and really rather late!

The first

Yesterday I absconded, briefly, from work and visited a T-mobile store. A short while later I left with a new G1. The Googlephone. It cost nothing, they put me on a higher tarrif for nothing, and they left me on an 18 month contract for nothing. I wasn't going to complain.

So, here it is, my first post with a very different keyboard and phone.

What's it like? Easy enough to use, but maybe a little too sensitive on the keyboard. I find myself wondering if I actually pressed a key when I have, and have had some unwanted double hits.

The apps seem good. The browser is better then the blackberry (not hard!), and e-mail / texting is simple enough. It's fantastic to finally be able to sync my calendar, mail, contacts, and RSS feeds automatically. Although I still need an offline feed reader.

Other than that, early days. I seem to have made it through this post easily enough. Now, when I hit send underground will it hold it until I get back to a signal? Only one way to find out.

One of the last

Ok, there should be a stag-do post party review here, but I don't have time, nor technology to do it justice just yet. I'll get something, with the all important pictures, up in the next few days.

Apart from having fun in the Lakes this weekend I managed to get my hands on the plastic demo versions of the G1, and the storm. Form factor wise I liked the storm, but the touch screen puts me off. Yes, it's haptic, butyou can't catch 2 thumbs on there at once, and the screen was a bit small. On the other hand, the G1 is a bit plastic, didn't have the greatest keyboard, and is unproven.

I think it comes down to convergence though. My contacts and e-mail are on g-mail, my calendar is on Google Calendar, my chat program is Google Talk, I search with Google, I know the tricks and shortcuts around their engine. My online photos are on Picasa, and even this blog is on blogger (the last 2 are also Google for those who don't know).

All of the problems I have with my current phone arise because of the compromises I have to make to get Google services to work with a blackberry, and non of that will go away with a storm, or even a bold. Also, the G1 is on T-Mobile which means I don't have the hassle of PAC codes and temporary numbers.

Time to see if I can get a bold through work, and 'fix' my problems by carrying 2 phones!

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