Yesterday evening we went to see Barry Cryer perform at The Palace Theatre in Redditch. Barry is probably best know now for his utterances on Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue but he has spent the best part of 50 years writing material for, and working with, some of the biggest names in British Comedy. As a result he has a huge amount of material and anecdotes to draw from and that was how his set was assembled.
Basically he used the alphabet as his framework, going from A through to Z, reeling off jokes, stories and songs associated with each letter. He was joined on stage by pianist Colin Sell who is also a regular on "I'm Sorry ...". It was a great evening in a real gem of a Theatre.
I am no great fan of Redditch and this was my first visit to The Palace. It was a delight. It is a tiny venue seating an audience of maybe 400 people and it's diminutive stature means that it is very intimate. It dates back to just before the first World War and has recently been refurbished and provided with a modern glass fronted entrance. Prior to this encounter I would have said that there was absolutely no reason to visit Redditch. I can now think of one very good one.
Barry was very good and it was a shame that there were so many empty seats. A chap sat next to us in the front row had booked less than 24 hours before the show and there were 350 seats available including a number in the front row of the stalls. Mind you , if you have ever visited Redditch, the lack of Radio 4 listeners in the general populace will come as absolute no surprise.
It is probably worth mentioning that many of the jokes were older than 30% or me and it was interesting to see TP roaring with laughter at a Comedian who is nearly as old as his Grand Father. I thought Barry might be seen as a bit "past it" by TP but it just goes to show what I know.
A consequence of Barry's age is that this was described as a "sit down" rather than a "stand up" routine. Mind you the old devil did get up just before the interval for a couple of numbers sung to a different tune. This included the Laughing Policemen sung to the Dam Busters March and My Old Man's a Dustman sung to the melody of Heartbreak Hotel.
All in all it was a fab night out and the venue added to the experience giving it an old Music Hall feel.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
A Chance Encounter
Lunchtime today found me frantically rushing around the kitchen knocking up a Shepherd's Pie for Supper. The reasons for the frantic rushing was that I had a conference call in the diary at one o'clock and the reason for supper being prepared in advance was that we are out this evening to see Barry Cryer at The Palace Theatre in Redditch.
Five minutes before the conference call I answered a knock at the door and was engaged in conversation by a Gentleman in his late 60's...
"Hello" says I. "Hello" he replied, rapidly followed by "I'm lost". At this point I expected him to ask for a particular road in the Village or perhaps a local Hamlet that is a little off the beaten track. I certainly wasn't expecting the next couplet in this conversation...
... "Where are you trying to get to?" says I. "Birmingham" says he.
At this point my brain took time out to consider the situation. I was stood talking to a man who was having problems trying to find Britain's second largest city. If he couldn't manage to locate Birmingham I could see him having some serious challenges locating a particular suburb, street or building in the aforementioned city. How many of us actually head out to an unknown location apparently without either map or satellite navigation unit these days? I know that I can be a little flippant about my preparations for a journey but even my minimalist approach includes noting down the destination address and taking either an Atlas or a Sat Nav. Sometimes, if I am really keen, I will plan out the route before I leave AND take a mobile 'phone and contact numbers in case I get lost.
This chap appeared to have taken none of these preparatory activities and seems to be relying on luck to get there. He was at least twenty five miles from his destination city and had got lost already. It is not as though he was just having problems with the final mile. This chap was obviously seriously out of his depth.
I suggested that he follow the main road and then take a turn and follow the signs for Redditch. Once in Redditch he would then pick up signs for Birmingham. He didn't look convinced so I advised that he could follow the same road towards Alcester and then pick up the A453 that would take him to the Motorway. "Which Motorway?" he asked. I nodded in jaded confirmation when posited the M42.
"Ah. OK. How will I know that I am going in the right direction as I have a habit of going the wrong way". At this point my incredulity level is off the scale. He added that he was heading for the airport so I suggested that he look for signs towards Solihull to keep him on the right track. He seemed reasonably satisfied with this and pottered back towards his car.
As he wandered off I pondered his obvious lack of planning, lack of resources and blind faith in support from chance encounters along the way.
A few months ago a Chap went missing on a journey along the M25 and was eventually found 30 hours later, safe and sound, but a little confused, parked in a London suburb. I remembered reading this and wondered who would let their elderly relatives drive journeys that are beyond their abilities? Apparently it is far more common than I thought and is definite evidence that there really are some bloody stupid people around.
Five minutes before the conference call I answered a knock at the door and was engaged in conversation by a Gentleman in his late 60's...
"Hello" says I. "Hello" he replied, rapidly followed by "I'm lost". At this point I expected him to ask for a particular road in the Village or perhaps a local Hamlet that is a little off the beaten track. I certainly wasn't expecting the next couplet in this conversation...
... "Where are you trying to get to?" says I. "Birmingham" says he.
At this point my brain took time out to consider the situation. I was stood talking to a man who was having problems trying to find Britain's second largest city. If he couldn't manage to locate Birmingham I could see him having some serious challenges locating a particular suburb, street or building in the aforementioned city. How many of us actually head out to an unknown location apparently without either map or satellite navigation unit these days? I know that I can be a little flippant about my preparations for a journey but even my minimalist approach includes noting down the destination address and taking either an Atlas or a Sat Nav. Sometimes, if I am really keen, I will plan out the route before I leave AND take a mobile 'phone and contact numbers in case I get lost.
This chap appeared to have taken none of these preparatory activities and seems to be relying on luck to get there. He was at least twenty five miles from his destination city and had got lost already. It is not as though he was just having problems with the final mile. This chap was obviously seriously out of his depth.
I suggested that he follow the main road and then take a turn and follow the signs for Redditch. Once in Redditch he would then pick up signs for Birmingham. He didn't look convinced so I advised that he could follow the same road towards Alcester and then pick up the A453 that would take him to the Motorway. "Which Motorway?" he asked. I nodded in jaded confirmation when posited the M42.
"Ah. OK. How will I know that I am going in the right direction as I have a habit of going the wrong way". At this point my incredulity level is off the scale. He added that he was heading for the airport so I suggested that he look for signs towards Solihull to keep him on the right track. He seemed reasonably satisfied with this and pottered back towards his car.
As he wandered off I pondered his obvious lack of planning, lack of resources and blind faith in support from chance encounters along the way.
A few months ago a Chap went missing on a journey along the M25 and was eventually found 30 hours later, safe and sound, but a little confused, parked in a London suburb. I remembered reading this and wondered who would let their elderly relatives drive journeys that are beyond their abilities? Apparently it is far more common than I thought and is definite evidence that there really are some bloody stupid people around.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Its all coming together
Debbie called this morning to let me know that the rear seats and sundry items for the Defender will be available for collection by next Monday at the latest. This was great news. Her next statement was music to my ears when she went on to say that if I paid cash there would be no VAT... Result !
Next item on the list was a call to the Vehicle Trimmer and the seats will be dropped off next week and he should turn them round in a few days ...
... this was followed by a call to Marc at The Defender Centre and he can take the car in for the refurbishment and repairs in the following week so by Easter she should be magnificent.
Next item on the list was a call to the Vehicle Trimmer and the seats will be dropped off next week and he should turn them round in a few days ...
... this was followed by a call to Marc at The Defender Centre and he can take the car in for the refurbishment and repairs in the following week so by Easter she should be magnificent.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Progress
A couple of weeks back 30% arranged for Steve* to call round to give us a couple of quotes. One of these was to put a skim of plaster over the walls of the stairs and landing. Basically this part of the house is long overdue for decoration but had reached that point where all of the prep jobs take longer than the time available at a weekend and consequently just weren't getting done.This is now back on track with S&A coming at the end of the month for the aforementioned skim leaving 30% and me to spend our Easter holiday with some serious sanding to do. S&A will then return a few weeks later to apply paint to the now smooth walls and woodwork.
So what, one might ask, has this got to do with Sunday 11th March? Well today all three of us spent a good chunk of the day stripping off patches of wall paper and the gloss paint on the stairs to allow the aforementioned plastering to progress.
Breaks were taken for Rugby**, Dog Walking and also a trip down the Village to link up with Matt & Philip who are sons of one of 30%'s colleagues. M&P both own Land Rovers too and I had arranged to borrow a driver's seat for a couple of weeks while my seats are at the Car Trimmers.
** The England v France International rather than TP's escapades, of which there were none this week.
So what, one might ask, has this got to do with Sunday 11th March? Well today all three of us spent a good chunk of the day stripping off patches of wall paper and the gloss paint on the stairs to allow the aforementioned plastering to progress.
Breaks were taken for Rugby**, Dog Walking and also a trip down the Village to link up with Matt & Philip who are sons of one of 30%'s colleagues. M&P both own Land Rovers too and I had arranged to borrow a driver's seat for a couple of weeks while my seats are at the Car Trimmers.
---
* as in Andy & Steve; The Decorators** The England v France International rather than TP's escapades, of which there were none this week.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Am I sitting comfortably?
There is not a huge amount to report for today. After breakfasting with 30% we went our separate ways; she towards Stratford for some proper shopping and me just down the road for some Land Rover seat "shopping". After winning the seat covers I needed to obtain two rear seat frames and there is a very well known Internet retailer that is conveniently based a stone's throw away. I called yesterday evening and they were more than happy to have a look over what I had acquired and ensure that I bought the correct seat type...
... So I spent a happy 40 minutes in the company of Debbie discussing dogs, Land Rovers, Kids and erm Land Rovers and my order was placed. The parts should be here within a week and she even said she would "see if she could do something about the VAT if I paid cash". I now need to see if I can borrow a driver's seat from anyone or my car will be off the road for a week or so while the Trimmer does his stuff.
The rest of the morning was filled with a walk around the Three Miler a which then meant that the afternoon was free. This allowed me to watch the Wales v Italy Rugby International, have a short kip on the sofa and then remove the passenger and centre seat from the Defender...
... and surprisingly these activities were all completed without swearing.
... So I spent a happy 40 minutes in the company of Debbie discussing dogs, Land Rovers, Kids and erm Land Rovers and my order was placed. The parts should be here within a week and she even said she would "see if she could do something about the VAT if I paid cash". I now need to see if I can borrow a driver's seat from anyone or my car will be off the road for a week or so while the Trimmer does his stuff.
The rest of the morning was filled with a walk around the Three Miler a which then meant that the afternoon was free. This allowed me to watch the Wales v Italy Rugby International, have a short kip on the sofa and then remove the passenger and centre seat from the Defender...
... and surprisingly these activities were all completed without swearing.
Friday, 9 March 2012
C is for Canon ...
... yes and c is for c**ts too but I'm going to do my damnedest to get this down in chronological order so I'll get to that multinational in a few paragraphs ...
... The day started early with a quick run up to The Defender Centre which sits in Banjo Country between Bromsgrove and Stourbridge. My initial reception was definitely one of disinterest until the Mechanic released that their absent salesman had not invited along a customer who wanted a sows ear turned in to a silk purse. Once they had take a look at the car and the wish list they realised it was all doable and turned positively enthusiastic about the job and a few other odds and ends that would really tidy up the appearance of the car.
At this point I'll just get back to the Defender Centre Salesman for a couple of observations. I had arranged to see him on Friday morning and so was somewhat surprised to have to talk to him via a mechanic's mobile because he was at home "watching an auction" and wouldn't be in for about half an hour. Now I have an expectation of a car salesman. I expect them to be unreliable, and he had definitely ticked that box, I also expect them to be creative in their Bullshit and I think he had totally failed by telling me the obvious truth here. The stupid bugger was sat at home with his trousers round his ankles looking at porn on the Internet whilst he waited to place a bid on an eBay auction during the final 40 seconds.
Anyway, moving on, they agreed to work up a quote and I left to get back to my working day. At home sat in front of the laptop I heard T&M announce the arrival of the Postman. I wandered out to pick up the post and spied a letter addressed to me. I opened it to find a letter that appeared to indicate that Canon want me to pay for the repairs of my camera despite a) being under a US warranty and b) having offered to undertake reasonable repairs on a goodwill basis. The letter was a standard quotation with no reference to my complaint or any previous communications so I phoned them for clarification...
... it transpires that they will not repair my camera on a good will basis and their previously undefined reasonable costs now seems to vary between £30 and £50 depending on which Customer Service Manager I spoke to. At present the repair quote sits at £170 and I pointed out that £72 of that was an inspection cost i.e. a Service that they had already agreed to undertake free of charge and a further £9 was to clean a lens that was less than 9 months old. I pointed out that approximately 50% of their quote was for stuff I either didn't need or stuff they had already agreed to do free of charge. In other words it was, and their is now other way of stating this, artificially inflated.
The current situation is that they have agreed to revise the quote, I will then pay for the work and then claim the costs back from Canon US. I may go with this plan or alternatively I may go to their Director as, after three requests, they agreed to provide his name and address. At this point I think it fair to say that the customer service offered by Canon is absolutely fucking appalling as they have reneged on their promise and provided an artificially inflated quote in an attempt to support their position. They are fucking charlatans.
Having finished my rant at Canon I then decided to chase up the location of my Land Rover Seat covers so I phoned the Second Hand Car Dealer in Coventry that had sold them to me. I asked for "John" as that was the name on the e-mail advising that they had been "lost". I was told, in a somewhat suspicious tone, that there was no-one called John there. At this point I changed tack and advised that I was calling about the Land Rover Seat covers. The chap also changed tack, went in to full on sales mode and started telling me what a fantastic set they were and that I could have them for £150. I let him ramble on for a while before advising that I had won them in an eBay auction for £25, had already paid for them and had now been told they were "lost"...
... There was a tumbleweed moment whilst the Salesman shifted a few mental gears before advising that a) some mistake had been made and b) I could not have them for £25. We both knew that the covers, if they were as described, were a steal at £150 so I really didn't want to upset the apple cart and end up with a refund so I let things play out. The chap was a true salesman and told me I could have them for £100. After a bit of tooing and froing we agreed on £80 and I climbed in to the car to pick them up before he changed his mind.
Once home I examined the goods and I think it fair to say that I have a very good deal. Lord knows how this chap came across these covers but there are three front seat covers and eight rear seat covers. They are all in "as new" condition and the only issue is that some of the seams have been cut where they were removed from the original vehicle. As a consequence I will need the services of a Car Trimmer but there is one just down the road who has quoted £150 to fit them.
So today has been one of ups and downs. I am really very cross with Canon and really very pleased with the seat cover deal. I suppose on balance things are heading in the right direction.
Oh, and I did some work too.
... The day started early with a quick run up to The Defender Centre which sits in Banjo Country between Bromsgrove and Stourbridge. My initial reception was definitely one of disinterest until the Mechanic released that their absent salesman had not invited along a customer who wanted a sows ear turned in to a silk purse. Once they had take a look at the car and the wish list they realised it was all doable and turned positively enthusiastic about the job and a few other odds and ends that would really tidy up the appearance of the car.
At this point I'll just get back to the Defender Centre Salesman for a couple of observations. I had arranged to see him on Friday morning and so was somewhat surprised to have to talk to him via a mechanic's mobile because he was at home "watching an auction" and wouldn't be in for about half an hour. Now I have an expectation of a car salesman. I expect them to be unreliable, and he had definitely ticked that box, I also expect them to be creative in their Bullshit and I think he had totally failed by telling me the obvious truth here. The stupid bugger was sat at home with his trousers round his ankles looking at porn on the Internet whilst he waited to place a bid on an eBay auction during the final 40 seconds.
Anyway, moving on, they agreed to work up a quote and I left to get back to my working day. At home sat in front of the laptop I heard T&M announce the arrival of the Postman. I wandered out to pick up the post and spied a letter addressed to me. I opened it to find a letter that appeared to indicate that Canon want me to pay for the repairs of my camera despite a) being under a US warranty and b) having offered to undertake reasonable repairs on a goodwill basis. The letter was a standard quotation with no reference to my complaint or any previous communications so I phoned them for clarification...
... it transpires that they will not repair my camera on a good will basis and their previously undefined reasonable costs now seems to vary between £30 and £50 depending on which Customer Service Manager I spoke to. At present the repair quote sits at £170 and I pointed out that £72 of that was an inspection cost i.e. a Service that they had already agreed to undertake free of charge and a further £9 was to clean a lens that was less than 9 months old. I pointed out that approximately 50% of their quote was for stuff I either didn't need or stuff they had already agreed to do free of charge. In other words it was, and their is now other way of stating this, artificially inflated.
The current situation is that they have agreed to revise the quote, I will then pay for the work and then claim the costs back from Canon US. I may go with this plan or alternatively I may go to their Director as, after three requests, they agreed to provide his name and address. At this point I think it fair to say that the customer service offered by Canon is absolutely fucking appalling as they have reneged on their promise and provided an artificially inflated quote in an attempt to support their position. They are fucking charlatans.
Having finished my rant at Canon I then decided to chase up the location of my Land Rover Seat covers so I phoned the Second Hand Car Dealer in Coventry that had sold them to me. I asked for "John" as that was the name on the e-mail advising that they had been "lost". I was told, in a somewhat suspicious tone, that there was no-one called John there. At this point I changed tack and advised that I was calling about the Land Rover Seat covers. The chap also changed tack, went in to full on sales mode and started telling me what a fantastic set they were and that I could have them for £150. I let him ramble on for a while before advising that I had won them in an eBay auction for £25, had already paid for them and had now been told they were "lost"...
... There was a tumbleweed moment whilst the Salesman shifted a few mental gears before advising that a) some mistake had been made and b) I could not have them for £25. We both knew that the covers, if they were as described, were a steal at £150 so I really didn't want to upset the apple cart and end up with a refund so I let things play out. The chap was a true salesman and told me I could have them for £100. After a bit of tooing and froing we agreed on £80 and I climbed in to the car to pick them up before he changed his mind.
Once home I examined the goods and I think it fair to say that I have a very good deal. Lord knows how this chap came across these covers but there are three front seat covers and eight rear seat covers. They are all in "as new" condition and the only issue is that some of the seams have been cut where they were removed from the original vehicle. As a consequence I will need the services of a Car Trimmer but there is one just down the road who has quoted £150 to fit them.
So today has been one of ups and downs. I am really very cross with Canon and really very pleased with the seat cover deal. I suppose on balance things are heading in the right direction.
Oh, and I did some work too.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Is that Rat I can smell?
At the beginning of the week I spotted a company selling a full set of half leather seat covers for a Defender on eBay. Now these would really improve the luxury rating of the Land Rover so I watched them with interest ...
... yesterday evening they were still at 99p so I placed my bid about 40 seconds before the end time and waited with baited breath ...
... Result! I was the winner for a little under £25 plus postage. I promptly paid and started dreaming of how the car would look with half leather seats. I couldn't believe my luck as the auction had a "Buy it Now" price of £150 and I had won it for a sixth of that price...
... in the corner of my mind a niggle started ...
... this evening I received an e-mail from the seller advising that I should refrain from paying as the set of covers had been misplaced during a relocation to new storage facilities and they would contact me once the items had been found.
My cynical mind translates this as "we really expected to get more fore these items and are hoping to fob you off with this excuse allowing us to re-post them at a later date". I have replied advising that I have already paid and asking for them to contact me to progress this matter to a satisfactory resolution.
The realist in me is seeing taking this through an eBay Dispute process ultimately ending with me getting a refund rather than a set of seat covers worth the best part of £400.
Watch this space to learn which Coventry Car Dealer to avoid like the plague.
... yesterday evening they were still at 99p so I placed my bid about 40 seconds before the end time and waited with baited breath ...
... Result! I was the winner for a little under £25 plus postage. I promptly paid and started dreaming of how the car would look with half leather seats. I couldn't believe my luck as the auction had a "Buy it Now" price of £150 and I had won it for a sixth of that price...
... in the corner of my mind a niggle started ...
... this evening I received an e-mail from the seller advising that I should refrain from paying as the set of covers had been misplaced during a relocation to new storage facilities and they would contact me once the items had been found.
My cynical mind translates this as "we really expected to get more fore these items and are hoping to fob you off with this excuse allowing us to re-post them at a later date". I have replied advising that I have already paid and asking for them to contact me to progress this matter to a satisfactory resolution.
The realist in me is seeing taking this through an eBay Dispute process ultimately ending with me getting a refund rather than a set of seat covers worth the best part of £400.
Watch this space to learn which Coventry Car Dealer to avoid like the plague.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Tyson's Bumper Book of Crime. Number 2 in a totally unexpected series
I've been on a bit of a mission today. First task on the "to do" list was to prepare a Bolognese sauce for Supper. I managed to combine this with listening to an hour long team call so that definitely counted as work.
Lunch was hastily prepared and eaten and I then nipped down the road to pick up a Defender "A Bar" that I had won on eBay last night. There is no way that I can pass this off as work so I'll explain that trip away as my lunch hour.
T&M were frantic for a walk upon my return so I went straight out again for a circuit of the Three Miler. The weather is beautiful and I would have lingered but I had spent less time than normal in front of the Laptop today and really needed to make sure nothing urgent had arisen.
I therefore didn't need "30%'s Best Girl" to roll in fox shit necessitating a bath before we could re-enter the house ...
... Thanks Tyson!
Lunch was hastily prepared and eaten and I then nipped down the road to pick up a Defender "A Bar" that I had won on eBay last night. There is no way that I can pass this off as work so I'll explain that trip away as my lunch hour.
T&M were frantic for a walk upon my return so I went straight out again for a circuit of the Three Miler. The weather is beautiful and I would have lingered but I had spent less time than normal in front of the Laptop today and really needed to make sure nothing urgent had arisen.
I therefore didn't need "30%'s Best Girl" to roll in fox shit necessitating a bath before we could re-enter the house ...
... Thanks Tyson!
---
* It is interesting to note that Tyson's last criminal escapade was almost 12 months ago and bears a striking similarity to today's event.
Monday, 5 March 2012
My Luck was in
I spent a brief while perusing that Global Marketplace of stolen goods and Chinese fakes that is commonly known as eBay today...
... I couldn't believe my luck when I found a Defender "A-Bar" being auctioned. It was only a few miles down the road and was half the price that these are normally sold for. No-one had bid on it and the auction ended this evening.
My luck didn't run out and I can pick it up tomorrow.
With the simple addition of a couple of 8" Spots she will have a little more "presence" and I might be able to see where I am going at night.
... I couldn't believe my luck when I found a Defender "A-Bar" being auctioned. It was only a few miles down the road and was half the price that these are normally sold for. No-one had bid on it and the auction ended this evening.
My luck didn't run out and I can pick it up tomorrow.
With the simple addition of a couple of 8" Spots she will have a little more "presence" and I might be able to see where I am going at night.
Catching Up
It is Monday morning and a quick glance show that I have jotted nothing down since last Thursday. I suppose I had better rectify this lack of output.
Friday: Hanging Around
On Thursday evening I received a snotagram from an American Delivery Director querying some of my recent deliverables and requesting a call. You will note that "requesting" was presented in italics and was therefore optional in the way that pouring water on yourself is optional if your shoes are on fire. I therefore politely responded making myself available for a call, clarifying my position and hung around all afternoon for him to ring or respond ...
... he didn't.
Saturday: Out and About
Saturday morning saw me take the Defender over to Liverage 4x4 to let them give it a once over and then discuss refurbishment options. They seemed a friendly bunch and had some fine looking machinery over there but my shopping list will result in a very big bill. I am assured that she would look like she just left the production line and that her general sound condition definitely makes it a worthwhile venture. It is just whether I am prepared to take the financial hit. I await the quote with interest.
The afternoon saw a walk with T&M and then a visit to Bad Man Senior's residence for dinner. This was very pleasant as he had taken it upon himself to roast a leg of lamb and, as is traditional, had prepared a trifle for 30%. We mentioned that his supreme trifle expertise had made it's way in to The Journal and he smiled and advised that he felt his finest trifle was one based on Sloe Gin that had put my mother to sleep for many hours. Anyone unlucky enough to have ever encountered my mother in the second half of her life will appreciate that she was far more tolerable in repose.
It is rarely a late night at BMS's now and we were home before the ten o'clock news.
Sunday: Frozen Fish
TP had a rugby match this morning and the weather was foul. It was bitterly cold and a steady rain was falling. 30% took pity on T&M and decided that I should walk them before the match, get them home and dried so that they were not shivering on the touch line for the best part of a couple of hours.
Did you see what she did there? She kindly arranged for me to get wet and cold before the match so that T&M could spend the morning snoozing on their beds, having been exercised and towelled dry, whilst I then froze my proverbials off in rain that was turning to sleet*...
... You can see where I come in the pecking order.
The match was against TP's original Rugby Club and we were hoping for a win but that was not to be in a very muddy match that had the backs bogged down and frequently had a tendency to slip from rugby to mud wrestling as tempers frayed on both sides.
At home and thawed I took it easy for a couple of hours before rattling the pots and pans in the kitchen. We had an early supper planned as we were out to see Richard Herring's** What is Love, Anyway? show at the Warwick Arts Centre that evening. 30%'s Mum, Dad and Sister joined up for both the show and supper and seemed to enjoy the show at the very least.
Herring was very good; intelligent, constantly witty and incredibly fast paced. We saw his "Christ on a Bike" tour last year and whilst the subject of religion tickled more of my funny bones this was still a great piece of work.
* that is the "Frozen" part of the title dealt with
** and that is the "Fish"
Friday: Hanging Around
On Thursday evening I received a snotagram from an American Delivery Director querying some of my recent deliverables and requesting a call. You will note that "requesting" was presented in italics and was therefore optional in the way that pouring water on yourself is optional if your shoes are on fire. I therefore politely responded making myself available for a call, clarifying my position and hung around all afternoon for him to ring or respond ...
... he didn't.
Saturday: Out and About
Saturday morning saw me take the Defender over to Liverage 4x4 to let them give it a once over and then discuss refurbishment options. They seemed a friendly bunch and had some fine looking machinery over there but my shopping list will result in a very big bill. I am assured that she would look like she just left the production line and that her general sound condition definitely makes it a worthwhile venture. It is just whether I am prepared to take the financial hit. I await the quote with interest.
The afternoon saw a walk with T&M and then a visit to Bad Man Senior's residence for dinner. This was very pleasant as he had taken it upon himself to roast a leg of lamb and, as is traditional, had prepared a trifle for 30%. We mentioned that his supreme trifle expertise had made it's way in to The Journal and he smiled and advised that he felt his finest trifle was one based on Sloe Gin that had put my mother to sleep for many hours. Anyone unlucky enough to have ever encountered my mother in the second half of her life will appreciate that she was far more tolerable in repose.
It is rarely a late night at BMS's now and we were home before the ten o'clock news.
Sunday: Frozen Fish
TP had a rugby match this morning and the weather was foul. It was bitterly cold and a steady rain was falling. 30% took pity on T&M and decided that I should walk them before the match, get them home and dried so that they were not shivering on the touch line for the best part of a couple of hours.
Did you see what she did there? She kindly arranged for me to get wet and cold before the match so that T&M could spend the morning snoozing on their beds, having been exercised and towelled dry, whilst I then froze my proverbials off in rain that was turning to sleet*...
... You can see where I come in the pecking order.
The match was against TP's original Rugby Club and we were hoping for a win but that was not to be in a very muddy match that had the backs bogged down and frequently had a tendency to slip from rugby to mud wrestling as tempers frayed on both sides.
At home and thawed I took it easy for a couple of hours before rattling the pots and pans in the kitchen. We had an early supper planned as we were out to see Richard Herring's** What is Love, Anyway? show at the Warwick Arts Centre that evening. 30%'s Mum, Dad and Sister joined up for both the show and supper and seemed to enjoy the show at the very least.
Herring was very good; intelligent, constantly witty and incredibly fast paced. We saw his "Christ on a Bike" tour last year and whilst the subject of religion tickled more of my funny bones this was still a great piece of work.
---
* that is the "Frozen" part of the title dealt with
** and that is the "Fish"
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Shopping List
The recent trip to Wales in the Defender made us realise that, whilst it is a truly great car, it could definitely do with a few tweaks to give it a few more home comforts and an even greater load carrying capacity.
Initially we were thinking along the lines of a roof rack and a couple of rear seats but before long 30% was suggesting that I look for an upgrade to a County Station Wagon. A quick look at used Land Rover prices made it apparent that they were selling for silly money at present and that investing some of this year's bonus on a refurbishment of the current Defender was probably the best way forward.
There is a local company who specialise in this type of work and I made a call and arranged to go an see them on Saturday to discuss my options and get some idea of cost. I am now drawing up a shopping list with the aim of sprucing up the 90 and making her a little less "van" and a little more "capable tourer".
I wonder how much of my shopping list will make it to reality?
Initially we were thinking along the lines of a roof rack and a couple of rear seats but before long 30% was suggesting that I look for an upgrade to a County Station Wagon. A quick look at used Land Rover prices made it apparent that they were selling for silly money at present and that investing some of this year's bonus on a refurbishment of the current Defender was probably the best way forward.
There is a local company who specialise in this type of work and I made a call and arranged to go an see them on Saturday to discuss my options and get some idea of cost. I am now drawing up a shopping list with the aim of sprucing up the 90 and making her a little less "van" and a little more "capable tourer".
I wonder how much of my shopping list will make it to reality?
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Is it me?
Covering letter written - Check
Camera carefully packaged - Check
Royal Mail website investigated for postage options- Check
Suitably prepared I wandered down to the local Post Office and requested that my parcel be sent on a recorded, signed for, next day delivery basis with a with Compensation capped at a value of £1,000.
The chap in the Post Office carefully weighed my package and then gave me the cost of sending it using the Standard Parcel Service which is only suitable for items with a value of no more than £46. I pointed out that the contents were worth considerably more than £46 and reiterated my request for the compensation cover of up to £1,000. He then responded by telling me that it could be sent "next day" with cover up to £500 for £9.05...
... at least we were heading in the right direction. I pointed out that I wanted it covered for the higher level of compensation and he advised that I would incur an additional ninety pence in charges. I told him that was exactly what I wanted.
I am fairly certain that I had told him exactly what I had wanted when I first walked in to the Office but for reasons totally unknown to me he decided to try to sell me a totally different postal service. I appreciate that he might have felt that he was doing me a favour by starting with the cheapest options first but I had come in and asked for a specific service and then had to spend a good few minutes coaxing the chap to give me what I had asked for in the first place.
Is it me?
Camera carefully packaged - Check
Royal Mail website investigated for postage options- Check
Suitably prepared I wandered down to the local Post Office and requested that my parcel be sent on a recorded, signed for, next day delivery basis with a with Compensation capped at a value of £1,000.
The chap in the Post Office carefully weighed my package and then gave me the cost of sending it using the Standard Parcel Service which is only suitable for items with a value of no more than £46. I pointed out that the contents were worth considerably more than £46 and reiterated my request for the compensation cover of up to £1,000. He then responded by telling me that it could be sent "next day" with cover up to £500 for £9.05...
... at least we were heading in the right direction. I pointed out that I wanted it covered for the higher level of compensation and he advised that I would incur an additional ninety pence in charges. I told him that was exactly what I wanted.
I am fairly certain that I had told him exactly what I had wanted when I first walked in to the Office but for reasons totally unknown to me he decided to try to sell me a totally different postal service. I appreciate that he might have felt that he was doing me a favour by starting with the cheapest options first but I had come in and asked for a specific service and then had to spend a good few minutes coaxing the chap to give me what I had asked for in the first place.
Is it me?
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Result ?
I wasn't quite sure how to view Tuesday.
My toothache had diminished but it still needed looking at. I suppose the optimist would say that the lack of pain was a good thing but the realist in me said that a trip to the Dentist really needs to happen and I rarely exit that establishment with a smile on my face.
My camera was still broken but at least I had a detailed complaint sat in someone's in-box at their Service Centre. I can but hope that sense prevails on that issue.
My working day looked to be fairly uneventful with very little in my diary ...
... all in all the word "Meh*" really summed up how I felt this morning.
I breakfasted and then prepared to start the day and this is when the sun started to peep through the clouds. First I rang the dentist and they advised that they had an appointment at eleven which was perfect as the only scheduled work call of the day would be finished by ten.
Fifteen minutes before I was due to leave for the Dentist the phone rang. I picked it up and was asked if I was Mr Badman. I confirmed that I was and the caller advised that she was Vicky from Canon. She advised that she had reviewed my complaint and had decided that, as a good-will gesture, Canon UK was prepared to repair my camera provided that costs were "reasonable". All I needed to do was package it up and send it with a covering letter to their service centre in Hertfordshire.
Obviously buoyed by this news I trundled over to the Dentist where I was prodded and probed and advised that the tooth's future is uncertain but a course of antibiotics might sort out the problem. I was stunned as I climbed from the chair and my Dentist advised that there was no charge for the consultation.
By this point I was wondering whether I had slipped in to some alternative universe as today seemed to have taken a complete change in direction.
In the afternoon things settled in to a more normal plane of existence when the Americans came on line and started asking some very vague questions. I spent the best part of a hour trying to get some clarity on what they wanted and what they were planning to do but I might as well have been talking to the cats.
In the end I picked up the 'phone and had a chat with a US colleague who worked on the previous project and has now been assigned to the current one. This Good Shepherd advised that the US team were in such deep water that they had given up on using a snorkel, had progressed beyond scuba gear and were now looking at using a bathysphere to try and get themselves out of the shit they now found themselves in.
The requests for me to review some of my costs was going to have the same effect as trying to take a pee in the middle of a hurricane; pointless, having little effect other than now being soaked in both rain and piss.
The day ended with 30% suggesting that I consider replacing The Defender rather than spending cash on the upgrades I had in mind.
Hmmm?
My toothache had diminished but it still needed looking at. I suppose the optimist would say that the lack of pain was a good thing but the realist in me said that a trip to the Dentist really needs to happen and I rarely exit that establishment with a smile on my face.
My camera was still broken but at least I had a detailed complaint sat in someone's in-box at their Service Centre. I can but hope that sense prevails on that issue.
My working day looked to be fairly uneventful with very little in my diary ...
... all in all the word "Meh*" really summed up how I felt this morning.
I breakfasted and then prepared to start the day and this is when the sun started to peep through the clouds. First I rang the dentist and they advised that they had an appointment at eleven which was perfect as the only scheduled work call of the day would be finished by ten.
Fifteen minutes before I was due to leave for the Dentist the phone rang. I picked it up and was asked if I was Mr Badman. I confirmed that I was and the caller advised that she was Vicky from Canon. She advised that she had reviewed my complaint and had decided that, as a good-will gesture, Canon UK was prepared to repair my camera provided that costs were "reasonable". All I needed to do was package it up and send it with a covering letter to their service centre in Hertfordshire.
Obviously buoyed by this news I trundled over to the Dentist where I was prodded and probed and advised that the tooth's future is uncertain but a course of antibiotics might sort out the problem. I was stunned as I climbed from the chair and my Dentist advised that there was no charge for the consultation.
By this point I was wondering whether I had slipped in to some alternative universe as today seemed to have taken a complete change in direction.
In the afternoon things settled in to a more normal plane of existence when the Americans came on line and started asking some very vague questions. I spent the best part of a hour trying to get some clarity on what they wanted and what they were planning to do but I might as well have been talking to the cats.
In the end I picked up the 'phone and had a chat with a US colleague who worked on the previous project and has now been assigned to the current one. This Good Shepherd advised that the US team were in such deep water that they had given up on using a snorkel, had progressed beyond scuba gear and were now looking at using a bathysphere to try and get themselves out of the shit they now found themselves in.
The requests for me to review some of my costs was going to have the same effect as trying to take a pee in the middle of a hurricane; pointless, having little effect other than now being soaked in both rain and piss.
The day ended with 30% suggesting that I consider replacing The Defender rather than spending cash on the upgrades I had in mind.
Hmmm?
---
* Meh: an expression of indifference or boredom
Monday, 27 February 2012
Don't you hate being right
It was another Red Letter Day today when my Manager pinged me to let me know how much bonus I was to be awarded after a hard year of pushing rocks uphill. I was pleasantly surprised and the news couldn't have come at a better time as one of my teeth is starting to ache, my Land Rover needs some love and attention and ...
... as predicted last Thursday, my suspicions about Canon's customer service were proved right today when Canon UK confirmed that they had absolutely no interest in the faulty camera I bought in America and that I should bugger off and annoy their US colleagues. After some choice invective I decided to attempt this and found that Canon's US web-sites will only allow US residents to raise Service Requests and that non-residents should contact their local Canon Group ...
... Urghh! This was starting to go round in circles. My local Canon Group had already expressed a complete lack of interest and when I phoned again the Customer Service Representative could not grasp the issue and suggested that I use "snail mail" to link up with the US to open my warranty claim. My remonstrations that I could not be the first person to have this issue and the fact that their web applications would not allow me to open a US warranty claim fell on deaf ears and they simply gave an insincere apology and advised that they would be more than happy to fix the camera if I was prepared to pay.
By now I was fucking fuming. Rather than ruin my evening I sat down and wrote a long, detailed and in some places illustrated e-mail of complaint that pointed out the deficiencies of their Global Operating model, their lack lustre Customer Service and their crappy product quality. I hit send safe in the knowledge that someone at Canon was going to wince when they opened that one.
To be fair, the legitimate punishment for poor customer service should be to be flayed and then dipped in a warm salt bath while the recipient of the poor service watches and occasionally shoots vinegar at you from a Super Soaker water pistol.... Too strong?
... as predicted last Thursday, my suspicions about Canon's customer service were proved right today when Canon UK confirmed that they had absolutely no interest in the faulty camera I bought in America and that I should bugger off and annoy their US colleagues. After some choice invective I decided to attempt this and found that Canon's US web-sites will only allow US residents to raise Service Requests and that non-residents should contact their local Canon Group ...
... Urghh! This was starting to go round in circles. My local Canon Group had already expressed a complete lack of interest and when I phoned again the Customer Service Representative could not grasp the issue and suggested that I use "snail mail" to link up with the US to open my warranty claim. My remonstrations that I could not be the first person to have this issue and the fact that their web applications would not allow me to open a US warranty claim fell on deaf ears and they simply gave an insincere apology and advised that they would be more than happy to fix the camera if I was prepared to pay.
By now I was fucking fuming. Rather than ruin my evening I sat down and wrote a long, detailed and in some places illustrated e-mail of complaint that pointed out the deficiencies of their Global Operating model, their lack lustre Customer Service and their crappy product quality. I hit send safe in the knowledge that someone at Canon was going to wince when they opened that one.
To be fair, the legitimate punishment for poor customer service should be to be flayed and then dipped in a warm salt bath while the recipient of the poor service watches and occasionally shoots vinegar at you from a Super Soaker water pistol.... Too strong?
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Weekend Round Up
Saturday: Overdue Tasks
For the first time in a fortnight I am at home for the weekend and my stated aim was to have some "down time". The preceding week had been demanding and I really didn't feel like running around. As a consequence much of the morning was spent clipping Tyson & Marauder. This was a job that was regularly interrupted for coffee breaks whilst the clipper blades cooled and were oiled. We had let the dogs coats grow over the Winter and, with Spring approaching, it was time for them to be shorn. It is amazing how skinny they look after their 3" long coats are reduced to 1/8th of an inch.
The shearing was followed by lunch and then a walk. I then set about connecting a first generation Apple TV* to the television in the bedroom. This was a fairly straightforward exercise and we now have access to the video library upstairs too.
As an aside, I needed to buy an HDMI lead to install the Apple TV. I had bought a couple of these a few weeks ago when I installed the 2nd Gen ATV in the living room and literally winced at the cost of these cables which can easily exceed £20 depending on the cable length. It is possible to pay silly money for these leads. With Christmas credit card bills still fresh in my mind I therefore bought a 1m HDMI cable from Amazon for the princely sum of £1.59 including postage. It was so cheap I worked on the principle that if it was rubbish I was prepared to loose a couple of quid and step out and pay a tenner for a replacement...
... No Need! The cable was perfect; well manufactured and did exactly what was required of it. I am now wondering what the profit margin is on some of these cables and how their manufacturers would attempt to justify the price differentials.
Sunday: Red Letter Day
TP had Rugby practice this morning so 30% and I made best use of the time by taking T&M for a good walk around the fields and woods just over the road from the club. The weather was splendid and we covered the best part of four miles while TP got muddy diving in to tackle bags.
In the afternoon I had another go at the dogs and clipped their faces. I just need to do their feet now but they are not that keen on having their toes clipped; ticklish perhaps?
After that I settled in front of the TV to watch the Scotland:France match but couldn't keep my eyes open and ended up snoring on the sofa. It seemed like I had spent a good chunk of the day avoiding watching rugby.
The title of today's entry comes from the fact that a long awaited e-mail finally arrived in my in-box this morning...
... hopefully Tigger got one too.
For the first time in a fortnight I am at home for the weekend and my stated aim was to have some "down time". The preceding week had been demanding and I really didn't feel like running around. As a consequence much of the morning was spent clipping Tyson & Marauder. This was a job that was regularly interrupted for coffee breaks whilst the clipper blades cooled and were oiled. We had let the dogs coats grow over the Winter and, with Spring approaching, it was time for them to be shorn. It is amazing how skinny they look after their 3" long coats are reduced to 1/8th of an inch.
The shearing was followed by lunch and then a walk. I then set about connecting a first generation Apple TV* to the television in the bedroom. This was a fairly straightforward exercise and we now have access to the video library upstairs too.
As an aside, I needed to buy an HDMI lead to install the Apple TV. I had bought a couple of these a few weeks ago when I installed the 2nd Gen ATV in the living room and literally winced at the cost of these cables which can easily exceed £20 depending on the cable length. It is possible to pay silly money for these leads. With Christmas credit card bills still fresh in my mind I therefore bought a 1m HDMI cable from Amazon for the princely sum of £1.59 including postage. It was so cheap I worked on the principle that if it was rubbish I was prepared to loose a couple of quid and step out and pay a tenner for a replacement...
... No Need! The cable was perfect; well manufactured and did exactly what was required of it. I am now wondering what the profit margin is on some of these cables and how their manufacturers would attempt to justify the price differentials.
---
* Purchased from TiggerSunday: Red Letter Day
TP had Rugby practice this morning so 30% and I made best use of the time by taking T&M for a good walk around the fields and woods just over the road from the club. The weather was splendid and we covered the best part of four miles while TP got muddy diving in to tackle bags.
In the afternoon I had another go at the dogs and clipped their faces. I just need to do their feet now but they are not that keen on having their toes clipped; ticklish perhaps?
After that I settled in front of the TV to watch the Scotland:France match but couldn't keep my eyes open and ended up snoring on the sofa. It seemed like I had spent a good chunk of the day avoiding watching rugby.
The title of today's entry comes from the fact that a long awaited e-mail finally arrived in my in-box this morning...
... hopefully Tigger got one too.
Friday, 24 February 2012
Contact
After a text and two voicemails I finally managed to grab Tim Hyett's attention today. The Ducati has been in his workshop since last October and I wondered whether he had got round to the light refurbishments we had planned. He sent a text advising that the exhausts had been polished and the engine cases were about to be painted. All being well she should be ready for collection in a couple of weeks.
Other than that, the day was fairly uneventful. The project deliverable was finally sent to the Lead Team in the US and I made a few loose plans to occupy my time over the next couple of weeks.
I also found a few minutes to download the holiday photos and was quite pleased with this one.
Other than that, the day was fairly uneventful. The project deliverable was finally sent to the Lead Team in the US and I made a few loose plans to occupy my time over the next couple of weeks.
I also found a few minutes to download the holiday photos and was quite pleased with this one.
 |
| Pwll Du Bay, February 2012 |
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Finishing things ... and starting things
The weather today was quite astonishing. Yesterday I had to hold on to my hat as I climbed the hill to stop the wind blowing it clean away. The skies were grey and it felt cold and damp. Today is the complete opposite; the skies are blue and I wish I had left my fleece at home as the temperature climbed in to the high teens.
There are no work tales today as my plan is to now have a very gentle second half to the week. There is still a final, tedious task to be done but it is a one man job and I, fortunately, am not that man. All being well Friday will be a very early finish.
I finally got around to finishing off the bacon that I started curing a few weeks back. It had spent the past two weeks wrapped in muslin and hanging from the rafters in the garage. There was no specific reason for this. It was just that I needed somewhere cool to keep it while I was occupied by work and our holiday in Wales. The belly joint has now been sliced and I have just over two pounds of Streaky Bacon to freeze. The cured cheeks have been cubed and these produced nearly three pounds of lardons. Most of these have been batched, packed and frozen but I held back half a pound and made Spaghetti Carbonara for Supper this evening. This culinary effort was judged a success by TP and 30%* and I must admit I was quite pleased with it myself.
I also need to give warning of a possible rant about Canon in the near future. After a week away in Wales with the EOS Rebel T2i that I bought in the States last year I can confirm that it is most definitely not right. On occasions the mirror will lock up when taking a shot and this can only be rectified by turning it off, removing the battery and then replacing and turning it back on. It also doesn't seem to like being used in a "portrait" mode and has a tendency to do nothing but tell me to replace the battery pack. I rang the Canon Customer Service Desk to lodge a warranty claim and they advised that I need to send it back to the US as that is where I bought the camera. I pointed out that they were a global company and that was not acceptable adding that the only reason I bought the camera out there was because my EOS 350D's shutter failed on the first day of my holiday. They chap on the Service Desk took pity and raised a ticket and I now need to wait to see if Canon UK will take pity on me and repair the faulty camera...
... I found it quite ironic that I was being told that I needed to progress this with Canon in the US rather than the UK when Canon UK uses a Dutch Service Desk. It seems to support my view that they are a Global Organisation and should operate as one. Rant not yet started.
There are no work tales today as my plan is to now have a very gentle second half to the week. There is still a final, tedious task to be done but it is a one man job and I, fortunately, am not that man. All being well Friday will be a very early finish.
I finally got around to finishing off the bacon that I started curing a few weeks back. It had spent the past two weeks wrapped in muslin and hanging from the rafters in the garage. There was no specific reason for this. It was just that I needed somewhere cool to keep it while I was occupied by work and our holiday in Wales. The belly joint has now been sliced and I have just over two pounds of Streaky Bacon to freeze. The cured cheeks have been cubed and these produced nearly three pounds of lardons. Most of these have been batched, packed and frozen but I held back half a pound and made Spaghetti Carbonara for Supper this evening. This culinary effort was judged a success by TP and 30%* and I must admit I was quite pleased with it myself.
I also need to give warning of a possible rant about Canon in the near future. After a week away in Wales with the EOS Rebel T2i that I bought in the States last year I can confirm that it is most definitely not right. On occasions the mirror will lock up when taking a shot and this can only be rectified by turning it off, removing the battery and then replacing and turning it back on. It also doesn't seem to like being used in a "portrait" mode and has a tendency to do nothing but tell me to replace the battery pack. I rang the Canon Customer Service Desk to lodge a warranty claim and they advised that I need to send it back to the US as that is where I bought the camera. I pointed out that they were a global company and that was not acceptable adding that the only reason I bought the camera out there was because my EOS 350D's shutter failed on the first day of my holiday. They chap on the Service Desk took pity and raised a ticket and I now need to wait to see if Canon UK will take pity on me and repair the faulty camera...
... I found it quite ironic that I was being told that I needed to progress this with Canon in the US rather than the UK when Canon UK uses a Dutch Service Desk. It seems to support my view that they are a Global Organisation and should operate as one. Rant not yet started.
---
* 30% did have an ulterior motive in getting me to cook supper as she knew it would prompt me to replace the blown light bulb over the cooker.
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
And Relax
The title of this Journal entry would more normally be seen heralding the weekend but it seems appropriate for today too.
As may be guessed, the Review Call went quite well and I have been given a green light to send my materials and costs over to the US to be built in to a Global response for the client. I did think the Senior Daemon's comments about lacking a unique selling point were a little churlish in view of the fact that a) my scope was incredibly restricted and b) the Americans dictate the overall design. Never mind, at least he said "Yes".
All I need to do now are some housekeeping duties and get everything sent out to The States. The pressure is obviously considerably reduced and I can, as the title states, relax a little. I found time this afternoon to step away from the desk and take T&M for their first walk around the Three Miler since returning from Wales last week. I also finished work at a civilised hour and was able to fall in to a persistent vegetative state on the sofa until bed beckoned and sleep followed rapidly after the News at Ten.
As may be guessed, the Review Call went quite well and I have been given a green light to send my materials and costs over to the US to be built in to a Global response for the client. I did think the Senior Daemon's comments about lacking a unique selling point were a little churlish in view of the fact that a) my scope was incredibly restricted and b) the Americans dictate the overall design. Never mind, at least he said "Yes".
All I need to do now are some housekeeping duties and get everything sent out to The States. The pressure is obviously considerably reduced and I can, as the title states, relax a little. I found time this afternoon to step away from the desk and take T&M for their first walk around the Three Miler since returning from Wales last week. I also finished work at a civilised hour and was able to fall in to a persistent vegetative state on the sofa until bed beckoned and sleep followed rapidly after the News at Ten.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Pre-match Jitters
Today is the day before my Project Review call with the Vice President of our Organisation. He is a very senior Daemon indeed and it is he that gives the ultimate thumbs up before I can package my deliverables and send them over to my American colleagues. As a consequence much of today has been spent tweaking my Presentation Deck and chasing up fragments of information just in case a tricky question is asked.
I have done a few of these review calls now and I can honestly say that they get better as you do more of them but I am most definitely not at all comfortable with them. It is fair to say that I just want to leap forward fifteen or sixteen hours and get this damned call out of the way.
I recall the first review I presented where the pre-call adrenaline had me jumping around like a maniac and I can definitely confirm that they don't call it a "fight or flight" reflex for nothing. I suppose just wanting to get it out of the way is a definite improvement and I wonder how many more I need to do before a) the stress does me in or b) I see it on the same level of annoyance as taking the wheelie bin out in the rain.
As a diversion I did end up pouring oil on waters that had been troubled by Judge Dread. He had managed to totally alienate a European colleague from whom he required an approval. As a result I had to step in, get a call arranged, provide a slide deck and then host the call as JD felt that it was best if he kept quiet ...
... it's not like I had anything else to do!
As I make this Journal entry I know that everything is as it is. There is no time to make any further changes. I just hope that I have done enough and there are no glaring errors.
Roll on eleven o'clock tomorrow morning.
I have done a few of these review calls now and I can honestly say that they get better as you do more of them but I am most definitely not at all comfortable with them. It is fair to say that I just want to leap forward fifteen or sixteen hours and get this damned call out of the way.
I recall the first review I presented where the pre-call adrenaline had me jumping around like a maniac and I can definitely confirm that they don't call it a "fight or flight" reflex for nothing. I suppose just wanting to get it out of the way is a definite improvement and I wonder how many more I need to do before a) the stress does me in or b) I see it on the same level of annoyance as taking the wheelie bin out in the rain.
As a diversion I did end up pouring oil on waters that had been troubled by Judge Dread. He had managed to totally alienate a European colleague from whom he required an approval. As a result I had to step in, get a call arranged, provide a slide deck and then host the call as JD felt that it was best if he kept quiet ...
... it's not like I had anything else to do!
As I make this Journal entry I know that everything is as it is. There is no time to make any further changes. I just hope that I have done enough and there are no glaring errors.
Roll on eleven o'clock tomorrow morning.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Chiefs & Indians
Monday involved a trip to the nearest Circle of Hell to perform a Hand Back with Tigger. Most of the day was spent in a windowless room staring at a PowerPoint Presentation projected on to one of the walls. Tigger had done a fine job of keeping the ship on a steady course and all being well we should be in to Port some time on Wednesday.
That is not to say that there aren't a few last minute activities that need to be completed and tomorrow's agenda seems to be mostly chasing for stuff that should have been completed a good few days back.11th Hour changes are common place in this job which means that we are all kept on our toes right until the very last minute.
This is why I was somewhat miffed to find that Judge Dread had managed to annoy one of his European colleagues to the point of them declining to discuss an issue any further and I was being dragged in to sort out his problems...
... talk about spilling milk and then just wandering off!
By five o'clock my head refused to take in any more information and it was time for home. TP had completed his first day of work experience at a local Engineering firm and was almost* vociferous in recounting tales of his first day at work. 30%, like me, had returned to work after a week away and had a mountain of unread mails in her in-box. I'm not sure what she did with hers but I just filed mine and relied on Tigger to point out the nasty ones.
The title of today's entry comes from the saying "Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians". There were times today when four of us deliberating over a problem tended to make it bigger rather than solve it faster. It was so much easier on the last project when it was just Tigger and Pooh bumbling along, each knowing the best time to stop for lunch and elevenses, twelvses and threeses and who was best at sharpening the sticks or counting all the numbers...
...Happy Days, I really miss the old team. In fact I think I may demand a return to the Hundred Acre Wood if the client wants us to take our wet finger out of the air, dry it and do stuff properly.
That is not to say that there aren't a few last minute activities that need to be completed and tomorrow's agenda seems to be mostly chasing for stuff that should have been completed a good few days back.11th Hour changes are common place in this job which means that we are all kept on our toes right until the very last minute.
This is why I was somewhat miffed to find that Judge Dread had managed to annoy one of his European colleagues to the point of them declining to discuss an issue any further and I was being dragged in to sort out his problems...
... talk about spilling milk and then just wandering off!
By five o'clock my head refused to take in any more information and it was time for home. TP had completed his first day of work experience at a local Engineering firm and was almost* vociferous in recounting tales of his first day at work. 30%, like me, had returned to work after a week away and had a mountain of unread mails in her in-box. I'm not sure what she did with hers but I just filed mine and relied on Tigger to point out the nasty ones.
The title of today's entry comes from the saying "Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians". There were times today when four of us deliberating over a problem tended to make it bigger rather than solve it faster. It was so much easier on the last project when it was just Tigger and Pooh bumbling along, each knowing the best time to stop for lunch and elevenses, twelvses and threeses and who was best at sharpening the sticks or counting all the numbers...
...Happy Days, I really miss the old team. In fact I think I may demand a return to the Hundred Acre Wood if the client wants us to take our wet finger out of the air, dry it and do stuff properly.
---
* ALMOST. He is 15 and usually manages a grunt at best. In this instance almost vociferous means a limited number of complete sentences
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
