Turned out to be a good night last night after all. The weather was great, which helped.
My team had a joint equal overall top score with the Desktop team in the events. We won the competition by winning a tiebreaker (catching thrown eggs - see below).
The events were
Twenty-Pin Bowling
Egg 'n' Spoon Relay
A Load of Balls (team standing in cardboard boxes and throwing 20 different shaped and sized balls from person to person, then into a scoring box).
Five Legged Slalom Race
Welly Chucking
The Yolks on You (Throwing Eggs at each other. Points being scored based on distance and catching the thrown egg unbroken).
The Indian chaps that we work with, being keen cricketers, were brilliant at the last event.
Our prize was a bottle of wine each, and a trophy in the shape of an Ugly Ceramic Frog.
We finished off, using up the remaining eggs by throwing them at the boss, which then turned into an egg-missile free for all.
Friday, 30 June 2006
Thursday, 29 June 2006
Hoyin' a Welly
Tonight's after work - team bonding activity is some "fun" sporting activities in Sefton Park, followed by an outdoor buffet (i.e. a picnic).
The sporting activities include Egg and Spoon Race, Five Legged Race and seeing how far you can throw a Wellington Boot (the subject line is the Geordie description of the last activity).
So if tomorrow the headline is "IT Manager Severely Beaten in Merseyside Park Gumboot Attack", you'll know who the culprit is :-)
The sporting activities include Egg and Spoon Race, Five Legged Race and seeing how far you can throw a Wellington Boot (the subject line is the Geordie description of the last activity).
So if tomorrow the headline is "IT Manager Severely Beaten in Merseyside Park Gumboot Attack", you'll know who the culprit is :-)
Money Matters
Scrapping over on-call allowance, overtime and expenses claims at work yesterday and today.
Won the expenses battle, since I'd bothered to keep a copy of the rules of war.
Lost the on-call standby allowance/overtime battle - can't claim the former if I'm doing the latter, even though the latter is non-callout work.
Cest' la vie - not entirely shafted by the Assassination Bureau Bean Counters (who are now hastily revising the rules), since I've still earned a pretty extra penny this month, but a slight reduction in the expected extra dosh all the same.
Won the expenses battle, since I'd bothered to keep a copy of the rules of war.
Lost the on-call standby allowance/overtime battle - can't claim the former if I'm doing the latter, even though the latter is non-callout work.
Cest' la vie - not entirely shafted by the Assassination Bureau Bean Counters (who are now hastily revising the rules), since I've still earned a pretty extra penny this month, but a slight reduction in the expected extra dosh all the same.
Kelly's Heroes
The subject line is for impworks .
Novelist Supermum told me that he'd forgotten the name of a film last night i.e. "The one with Donald Sutherland as the Nutty Tank Commander".
Novelist Supermum told me that he'd forgotten the name of a film last night i.e. "The one with Donald Sutherland as the Nutty Tank Commander".
Wednesday, 28 June 2006
DarkDwarf Blog
Text from a friend yesterday who's been trying to have children for some time (even a visit by Frodo and Samwise last year didn't put her off). She's in the early stages of pregnancy again, so fingers crossed and hope it all goes well.
Frodo and Samwise really enjoyed their trip to London last year. We took them to see a real dinosaur in a castle (The T-Rex at the natural history museum, didn't seem to phase them too much, but it certainly scared me!). Frodo really enjoyed the "Tunnel Trains" as he called them. We set out from Ealing, which is above ground, and he had everybody in the Tube carriage laughing when he shouted "Daddy, a Tunnel!" on the first underground stretch.
Frodo and Samwise really enjoyed their trip to London last year. We took them to see a real dinosaur in a castle (The T-Rex at the natural history museum, didn't seem to phase them too much, but it certainly scared me!). Frodo really enjoyed the "Tunnel Trains" as he called them. We set out from Ealing, which is above ground, and he had everybody in the Tube carriage laughing when he shouted "Daddy, a Tunnel!" on the first underground stretch.
Tuesday, 27 June 2006
Burned Out
Novelist Supermum called me at work yesterday afternoon suffering from general knackeredness following a disease contracted from a Halfling, and unable to face the Hobbit Harrassment of the early evening asked me to come home early - i.e. on time.
Helped feed Frodo and Samwise, put them to bed then fell asleep on a very comfy couch until 22:00. Took about an hour to wake up - then it was time for bed!
I think I needed the extra rest, as I've been overdoing it on the overtime - feel very refreshed this morning, fit and ready for blogging ;-)
I've just handed in this month's claim form, so They'll probably pull the plug on the "ovies" soon, when they see how much of the project budget has been apportioned to me.
An ex-colleague, who I shall refer to as "Shrek" also called me yesterday. Shrek went off contracting a couple of years ago and has had 3 North West contracts since. One was a real money spinner, 3 office buildngs away from the Assassination Bureau, until the company realised they were in the red, and booted all of the contractors off site on the same day. He's worked for a couple of small outfits since, and is now with a Music/Muzak distributor in sunny Warrington. Swapped gossip on various colleagues and ex-colleagues. Nice to hear that there's life after the Assassination Bureau, and that the grass is not necessarily greener in pastures new.
Helped feed Frodo and Samwise, put them to bed then fell asleep on a very comfy couch until 22:00. Took about an hour to wake up - then it was time for bed!
I think I needed the extra rest, as I've been overdoing it on the overtime - feel very refreshed this morning, fit and ready for blogging ;-)
I've just handed in this month's claim form, so They'll probably pull the plug on the "ovies" soon, when they see how much of the project budget has been apportioned to me.
An ex-colleague, who I shall refer to as "Shrek" also called me yesterday. Shrek went off contracting a couple of years ago and has had 3 North West contracts since. One was a real money spinner, 3 office buildngs away from the Assassination Bureau, until the company realised they were in the red, and booted all of the contractors off site on the same day. He's worked for a couple of small outfits since, and is now with a Music/Muzak distributor in sunny Warrington. Swapped gossip on various colleagues and ex-colleagues. Nice to hear that there's life after the Assassination Bureau, and that the grass is not necessarily greener in pastures new.
Monday, 26 June 2006
Air smiles
Trundling into work this morning in the car I drove past a billboard poster advert for a film.
I was just thinking that Johnny Depp looked a bit clean cut, when I realised that it was an advert for an airline (bmi). They'd done "Pilots of the Caribbean" in the style of a film with a similar name.
Just googled "Pilots of the Caribbean" and found that they're also doing "Chicago" and "Viva Las Vegas". Couldn't find any web versions of the adverts though.
I was just thinking that Johnny Depp looked a bit clean cut, when I realised that it was an advert for an airline (bmi). They'd done "Pilots of the Caribbean" in the style of a film with a similar name.
Just googled "Pilots of the Caribbean" and found that they're also doing "Chicago" and "Viva Las Vegas". Couldn't find any web versions of the adverts though.
Sunday, 25 June 2006
Party Time for Frodo
Managed to survive the sanitisation. My telephone, keyboard and screens are no longer the bio-hazard that they were.
Had a chat with one of the little-old-ladies. She had the same accent as Thora Hird. The whole bunch of them reminded me of Victoria Wood's "Dinner Ladies", they were all cleaning and gossiping away at the same time. I could hear several machine's death throes as they scrubbed away at the keyboards.
Two of them got into a whispering hudlle. The lady that I was talking to said that "You know that they're talking about somebody when their voices go low". She saw Frodo's picture and remarked about how good looking he is, and how we should put him to work as a child model. Then said "He must take after his Mum!".
She also told me that friends of hers had a child at the age of 44. Their 15 and 16 year old children wouldn't talk to them because they'd "Been having sex". "Those children have got a shock coming when their parents are 72", she added.
Yesterday afternoon Novelist Supermum finished painting the spare room at Grandma Gandalf's. I took Frodo off shopping at Asda (he has to buy the ingredients for a fruit salad for school, then we have to take photo's of him making the "juice salad", as he first described it to me).
Then I did a shuttle run, dismantled some a set of long freestanding Ikea shelves and turned them into two sets of shelves, wrestled them out of the house, pressed the button on the car that turned it into a van (I wish, in reality there's 6 tags to pull, 6 buttons to press, 3 seats to fold up and remove and one bar to remove), wrestled the shelves into the back of the "van", round to Grandma's only to discover we couldn't get them up the stairs. Break to watch Dr Who. Dismantled them again, up the stairs, reassembled them. Both Hobbits acting up by this point, as it was 21:30. Drove home, commiserated with neighbour over the road, who has had his front window stoved in by passing yobbos, Hobbits to bed. Flopped about knackered, read paper bed ZZZZZZZZZ.
7am Sunday and back at work for the morning. No big ships out on the Mersey this morning. It looks like the river is at low tide. I can see the ferry landing stage that we watched sink earlier this year, stuck in the silt.
Have to take Frodo to a kid's party in a Church Hall this afternoon. He's been getting excited about it all week. Should finish by about 15:30, since the Engerland match is at 16:00.
9am - work interrupted by a fire alarm. Rushed out of the fire exit and down the stairs. Two fire tenders turned up. Half an hour of standing about chatting before we were allowed back in. As suspected the workmen tiling the reception floor this weekend have raised so much dust that they've set the alarm off. None of them are wearing dust masks - one of them has an extensive beard which he must be using as a filter.
11 am - Tide has come in now, and a bunch of little sailing boats with red sails are beetling about on the Mersey.
Off to take Frodo to the party soon. Called home earlier: Frodo was singing "Amarillo". Samwise was joining in with the "Boom Boom's!" in between Frodo's "Sha la la, la la la, la la's".
Had a chat with one of the little-old-ladies. She had the same accent as Thora Hird. The whole bunch of them reminded me of Victoria Wood's "Dinner Ladies", they were all cleaning and gossiping away at the same time. I could hear several machine's death throes as they scrubbed away at the keyboards.
Two of them got into a whispering hudlle. The lady that I was talking to said that "You know that they're talking about somebody when their voices go low". She saw Frodo's picture and remarked about how good looking he is, and how we should put him to work as a child model. Then said "He must take after his Mum!".
She also told me that friends of hers had a child at the age of 44. Their 15 and 16 year old children wouldn't talk to them because they'd "Been having sex". "Those children have got a shock coming when their parents are 72", she added.
Yesterday afternoon Novelist Supermum finished painting the spare room at Grandma Gandalf's. I took Frodo off shopping at Asda (he has to buy the ingredients for a fruit salad for school, then we have to take photo's of him making the "juice salad", as he first described it to me).
Then I did a shuttle run, dismantled some a set of long freestanding Ikea shelves and turned them into two sets of shelves, wrestled them out of the house, pressed the button on the car that turned it into a van (I wish, in reality there's 6 tags to pull, 6 buttons to press, 3 seats to fold up and remove and one bar to remove), wrestled the shelves into the back of the "van", round to Grandma's only to discover we couldn't get them up the stairs. Break to watch Dr Who. Dismantled them again, up the stairs, reassembled them. Both Hobbits acting up by this point, as it was 21:30. Drove home, commiserated with neighbour over the road, who has had his front window stoved in by passing yobbos, Hobbits to bed. Flopped about knackered, read paper bed ZZZZZZZZZ.
7am Sunday and back at work for the morning. No big ships out on the Mersey this morning. It looks like the river is at low tide. I can see the ferry landing stage that we watched sink earlier this year, stuck in the silt.
Have to take Frodo to a kid's party in a Church Hall this afternoon. He's been getting excited about it all week. Should finish by about 15:30, since the Engerland match is at 16:00.
9am - work interrupted by a fire alarm. Rushed out of the fire exit and down the stairs. Two fire tenders turned up. Half an hour of standing about chatting before we were allowed back in. As suspected the workmen tiling the reception floor this weekend have raised so much dust that they've set the alarm off. None of them are wearing dust masks - one of them has an extensive beard which he must be using as a filter.
11 am - Tide has come in now, and a bunch of little sailing boats with red sails are beetling about on the Mersey.
Off to take Frodo to the party soon. Called home earlier: Frodo was singing "Amarillo". Samwise was joining in with the "Boom Boom's!" in between Frodo's "Sha la la, la la la, la la's".
Saturday, 24 June 2006
Missed the Golgafrinchan "B" Ark
Help! This is surreal
A gang of 5 little-old-ladies dressed in blue smocks have charged through the door of the office and, starting with the first set of desks are madly sanitising all of the telephones, PC's and other equipment.
They're getting closer... I could be swept away in the frenzy...
Swish! Swash! Mop! Wipe! Aaaaarghhhhh!
A gang of 5 little-old-ladies dressed in blue smocks have charged through the door of the office and, starting with the first set of desks are madly sanitising all of the telephones, PC's and other equipment.
They're getting closer... I could be swept away in the frenzy...
Swish! Swash! Mop! Wipe! Aaaaarghhhhh!
Early Start
Early morning start for a half day at work again today.
Only me up, and the sailors in a huge container ship going past, heading out to sea.
Didn't catch it's name, otherwise I would have found a pic.
It looked a bit like this, but without the helicopter landing pad. I think the name on the side was the "Stena Tekay" but I've probably got that wrong - it was too early in the morning and the lettering was only 30 feet tall!
Only me up, and the sailors in a huge container ship going past, heading out to sea.
Didn't catch it's name, otherwise I would have found a pic.
It looked a bit like this, but without the helicopter landing pad. I think the name on the side was the "Stena Tekay" but I've probably got that wrong - it was too early in the morning and the lettering was only 30 feet tall!
Friday, 23 June 2006
Samwise First
Another milestone event to celebrate yesterday was that Samwise did his first wee in a potty. Clever lad.
He's had is photograph taken at Nursery School today, and they managed to get a good one for a change - he usually cries about the flash, but didn't this time.
Not much to report today after the euphoria of yesterday. The news is out on the rumour-mill, so I've had a few words of congratulations with several people.
It'll take a few weeks before I switch across to the new role.
Nice sunny day, so a quick stroll in front of the Liver Buildings and around the Albert Dock at lunchtime. A small gang of schoolkids, some Japanese Beatles fans and a few elderly couples about, but not the usual summertime hordes.
Discovered a card crafts shop where for an outlay of fifty quid or so you can buy the materials to make a card that would cost you 2 quid in the shops. Looks like it's the latest hobby-fashion because the shop was huge and all it sold was various greetings card making materials.
They're currently revamping the city centre. A shopping centre and loads of new buildings going up. Counted about 30 cranes on the way back, one building site looks like a crane forest. It'l like the early stages of Sim-City at the moment. Hopefully it'll look better when they've finished. All this urban renovation is completely screwing up the journey home through the traffic.
He's had is photograph taken at Nursery School today, and they managed to get a good one for a change - he usually cries about the flash, but didn't this time.
Not much to report today after the euphoria of yesterday. The news is out on the rumour-mill, so I've had a few words of congratulations with several people.
It'll take a few weeks before I switch across to the new role.
Nice sunny day, so a quick stroll in front of the Liver Buildings and around the Albert Dock at lunchtime. A small gang of schoolkids, some Japanese Beatles fans and a few elderly couples about, but not the usual summertime hordes.
Discovered a card crafts shop where for an outlay of fifty quid or so you can buy the materials to make a card that would cost you 2 quid in the shops. Looks like it's the latest hobby-fashion because the shop was huge and all it sold was various greetings card making materials.
They're currently revamping the city centre. A shopping centre and loads of new buildings going up. Counted about 30 cranes on the way back, one building site looks like a crane forest. It'l like the early stages of Sim-City at the moment. Hopefully it'll look better when they've finished. All this urban renovation is completely screwing up the journey home through the traffic.
Thursday, 22 June 2006
DarkDwarf DBA!!!
The main interviewing manager, who's off on Holiday tomorrow has just informed me that I've got the job!
Official confirmation, terms and conditions, transition from current position etc to follow when he's back from his hols in a week's time.
Methinks that a rebel yell will not be out of place here ...
YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
and since I'm not from the Southern States of the USA, here's a similar celebratory exclamation in my own vernacular
"WHEYYERBUGGAMAN!"
Can't blog any more today, much too busy bouncing around the room.
Official confirmation, terms and conditions, transition from current position etc to follow when he's back from his hols in a week's time.
Methinks that a rebel yell will not be out of place here ...
YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
and since I'm not from the Southern States of the USA, here's a similar celebratory exclamation in my own vernacular
"WHEYYERBUGGAMAN!"
Can't blog any more today, much too busy bouncing around the room.
DBA Interview 2
Thanks for the well wishes from Dr Denzil Dexter.
As for Novelist Supermum - I was somebody else today. Turning up for work in a suit rather than the usual shirt, tie, trousers and coat resulted in about 7 "what's the occasion" comments, so I can't have been my normal self.
Interview all done and dusted by 12 noon.
I was given a 3 person grilling by 2 managers and a DBA, all of whom already know me (so that's probably a point against me).
They waived the technical test! All that swotting gone to waste - I've just pulled the knowledge retention plug on my brain - there it goes, forgotten already. I suspect this could have been because they'd been lazy and were still using last years technical test - which I did quite well on.
Think I told them what they wanted to hear. Will just have to wait and see....
As for Novelist Supermum - I was somebody else today. Turning up for work in a suit rather than the usual shirt, tie, trousers and coat resulted in about 7 "what's the occasion" comments, so I can't have been my normal self.
Interview all done and dusted by 12 noon.
I was given a 3 person grilling by 2 managers and a DBA, all of whom already know me (so that's probably a point against me).
They waived the technical test! All that swotting gone to waste - I've just pulled the knowledge retention plug on my brain - there it goes, forgotten already. I suspect this could have been because they'd been lazy and were still using last years technical test - which I did quite well on.
Think I told them what they wanted to hear. Will just have to wait and see....
Too much Peppa Pig
Quick call to Novelist Supermum and a brief chat with Samwise.
Samwise has been watching "Peppa Pig" and has decided that today he is to be called "George", after one of the characters. Novelist Supermum will have to warn the Nursery, in case they get confused.
Samwise has been watching "Peppa Pig" and has decided that today he is to be called "George", after one of the characters. Novelist Supermum will have to warn the Nursery, in case they get confused.
DBA Interview
Got into the Assassination Bureau bright and early this morning ready for a 9:00 am interview, only to discover that due to one of the interviewers not being available first thing (perhaps he was working late last night) my interview time has been moved to 11:00 am.
Also due to the lack of available rooms at short notice the interview is now in the lobby of a nearby hotel.
At least this gives me 2 hours extra swotting up time. All that I can remember at the moment is that DBA stands for "Does Bu**er All", which may not help!
Also due to the lack of available rooms at short notice the interview is now in the lobby of a nearby hotel.
At least this gives me 2 hours extra swotting up time. All that I can remember at the moment is that DBA stands for "Does Bu**er All", which may not help!
Wednesday, 21 June 2006
Week Old Blog
A week old blog for a weak old blogger :-)
I've been blogging for a whole week now.
Not much to report today. Trying to combine work with swotting for the
DBA Interview, here at the Assassination Bureau tomorrow.
Novelist Supermum has
caught a raging cold, therefore I was in the bad books for not getting
back from work early last night. Unfortunately I'd already promised the
Project Obermeister that I would complete the section of work I was doing
that night. No late shift tonight, if that's any compensation
Packed Frodo off to School this morning. He's getting excited about a
Birthday Party that he's going to on Sunday. He was telling me about the
wedding that we went to a few weeks ago - his concept of this event is
that it was a party with "no candles" (i.e. no Birthday Cake).
Tuesday, 20 June 2006
Unlosable Pen - Lost
Looks like I've finally lost my "Unlosable Pen".
It was small, gold coloured Parker Biro that I'd been given as a gift for being Best Man at my Brother's wedding.
I didn't use it for a couple of years for fear of losing it, then I thought what's the point of having a pen that never gets used, so I decided to use it for work.
I've lost it in and around the office on numerous occasions, but because it looks like a decent pen it usually finds it's way back to me, despite having no identifying markings.
I think this time it's slipped from my pocket during a trip to the shops. I tried a couple of shops that I visited, but nobody's handed it in.
Looks like it's a gonner.
C'est la vie.
It was small, gold coloured Parker Biro that I'd been given as a gift for being Best Man at my Brother's wedding.
I didn't use it for a couple of years for fear of losing it, then I thought what's the point of having a pen that never gets used, so I decided to use it for work.
I've lost it in and around the office on numerous occasions, but because it looks like a decent pen it usually finds it's way back to me, despite having no identifying markings.
I think this time it's slipped from my pocket during a trip to the shops. I tried a couple of shops that I visited, but nobody's handed it in.
Looks like it's a gonner.
C'est la vie.
Mirror Mirror 3...
I reported the incident at my local police station, which is only a stones throw from our house. Hopefully it wasn't the police who were throwing stones!
The copper on the desk took the details, asked a few questions, then asked if I needed a crime number.
I decided to say yes, to ensure that the incident was logged. If crime's aren't recorded then there are no stats, and stats is what they base the number of bobby's on the beat required etc.
He told me that the computer was down and he would call back in half an hour or so with the crime number.
3 days later Novelist Supermum get's a call from another Plod, asking much the same questions and in addition "are you sure it wasn't another car?".
Only if the other car was driving up the pavement at the time! It was the passenger side mirror and I was parked against the kerb.
I suspect that they don't want to do the paperwork...
The copper on the desk took the details, asked a few questions, then asked if I needed a crime number.
I decided to say yes, to ensure that the incident was logged. If crime's aren't recorded then there are no stats, and stats is what they base the number of bobby's on the beat required etc.
He told me that the computer was down and he would call back in half an hour or so with the crime number.
3 days later Novelist Supermum get's a call from another Plod, asking much the same questions and in addition "are you sure it wasn't another car?".
Only if the other car was driving up the pavement at the time! It was the passenger side mirror and I was parked against the kerb.
I suspect that they don't want to do the paperwork...
Monday, 19 June 2006
Job Interview
In the pursuit of earning more pennies, I've been thinking of changing jobs. I had an interview a month or so ago, and was offered a new position, but although the money was good, the travel wasn't, and the opportunities seemed a little limited.
Therefore I decided to stay at the Assassination Bureau.
An internal position (Data Base Administrator) that I applied for last month has resulted in an interview on Thursday, so much swotting to do between now and then.
Therefore I decided to stay at the Assassination Bureau.
An internal position (Data Base Administrator) that I applied for last month has resulted in an interview on Thursday, so much swotting to do between now and then.
Mirror Mirror 2...
VW's price for the mirror glass is 25 quid (includes VAT), plus 15 quid to fit it. So with a total cost of 40 quid, my earlier guestimate wasn't far out was it?
Looks like I'll probably have to go back to Halfords. I've just thought - these mirrors have a demister. Not sure how this works - hopefully they don't need special glass? Can't find much on the web on the subject.
Looks like I'll probably have to go back to Halfords. I've just thought - these mirrors have a demister. Not sure how this works - hopefully they don't need special glass? Can't find much on the web on the subject.
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