Ready for change

I have to confess I very nearly resigned today. After 23 weeks of what was supposed to be an 11 week project all boundries and end points have been crossed again and again and there is only so much that one can take. Take the work side of things aside. Dusan is now working. A positive in every way only that his new job was far from what it was promised to be. The Agent that got him the job said how much they look after their staff. Well if looking after your staff means they can help themselves to a cappucino or a coke whenever they want, fine. But in truth the restaurant adds an additional 12.5% service charge to the bill. Only to pocket the entire amount for themselves. The staff are all paid on a salary. Not an hourly wage. They therefore think that its quite acceptable for all staff to work whatever is required. Now I am not one to oppose hard word but this week Dusan has to work four double shifts, 10:00- 2315 and Saturday 16:00 - 23:15. He has special dispensation to leave by that time in order to catch the last train home.

Next week their idea of looking after their staff is to make him work six days. His only rest, Sunday, they day they are closed and albeit only because the owners are strict catholic.

So this week we are both pushed to our wits end as I work from 08:00 - 18:00, meaning I have to be in bed by around 22:30 where he gets home at 12:45. He then gets into bed at around 02:00 and I am fast asleep. When I rise at 0600, his out cold. Its an odd existence. But I believe you have to look at the positives. As of tomorrow I will shift my hours to a later start. We can travel together to the office and I will soon be away from home for a week or more at a time so I have to take the opportunity to spend every special moment with my loving husband.

I think I may have found the solution. Until such time as we sell the house and buy a new one, closer to London, we can possibly sub let a short term let in London. It would at least cut down on our commute. I'm investigating as we speak.

So as the hour approaches 1030PM I am virtually ready for bed so its goodnight from me and its goodnight from him. Goodnight! XX

Weekend Blues

Well the old phrase that you dont truly appreciate what you have until its gone and ironically I feel just like that on these weekends learning to find things to do without Dusan. His away busy working in town while I am trying to find things to occupy myself.

I have been busy searching for our new home online and unpacking the weekly shop.

I went to Tesco's first and while every little may help they certainly dont make meat, fish and chicken like they do at M&S. So it was a double wammy at the brookfield centre.

Halfway around the cold meat isles I bumped into Aunty Janice and second cousin Nicola Evans. Was nice to see them then stone me cold but my cousin's husband walked up. It was a mini family reunion.

Have spent the night in front of the tube and just relaxing at home thanking my lucky stars that my baby has tomorrow off work and we can spend some time together! It was 9 months of having my husband at home and I actually looked forward to coming home at night. While his away at work I sure do miss him but I am blessed with the fact that he comes home every night and we have our love for each other.

He will be home rather late and I dont quite feel I can stay up late enough tonight but tomorrow is another day, another adventure and I am sure we can make it a special day for thats what 2 people that love each other very much do. Find a way to survive, no matter what.

Lat Lackered

To speak in old cockney rhyme I am absolutely lat lackered right now. Despite the fact that I have been staying in a hotel and literally have to travel down one flight of stairs and then continue to train my group. They could be described as a fiesty group. My team is the Irish group and they are rather anxious to say the least. Some bright spark decided they would have a grand ball on the Wednesday and so they arrived yesterday Lat Lackered. We pushed through despite the zest and rebellion against a change. Usually I can talk them around but this version of the software, even though its neiwer has no positves that I can see from a end user point of v iew. Maybe at the back end but not as an end user. That makes it so hard to teach.

Usually I am at breakfast by 0800 but figure I will wash and dress slowly possibly skip the morning meal. I can eat later. I just wish I could sleep all day. Thank goodness its the weekend and tomorrow is my time. Have a nice day :-) X

Quiet Nights, Busy Days

SomehowI managed to clock up 21 hours in the first two days of this week working from the moment the office opens until the questions stop. Monday I shot straight home but last night as we turfed out just after 7PM Gordon and I went downstairs to Revolution for a couple of drinks and a good old catch up after we have been separated in different offices for nearly a month.

Dusan was working till almost midnight and as it was going to be rather cold I promised I woudl pick him up from the station at just after midnight. The last two hours dragged and dragged and I was very bed ready when I finally picked him up.

We had to both be up fairly early to put away clothes and welcome the Estate Agent. We had the house valued and then I had to dash off to Windsor for a meeting all afternoon with Sinead and a chance to do some prep work in readiness for tomorrow's class.

We studied and then went for dinner and a few drinks. The service was okay but the food was absolutely dire. Wont be eating there again. Tomorrow I think we will try the Harvester or the Grill accross the street.

Been back in my room chilling for an hour and looking up fun things on You Tube. I found this clip with some fond memories of my times in Orlando.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BMaJ_ziaO0

Neil

Seasons of Change

Why is it that when you most need the sleep you can never get enough? I was still awake at 1230AM this morning and then instead of waking to my alarm I was awake before 0500. Once I am awake I am awake. So at 545 I climbed downstairs to make the largest pot of coffee before even attempting to get dressed and presentable. One good thing about having to wear a floorwalking Polo shirt is that it needs no ironing and is far less hassle than cufflinks in a my mini comatose state first thing. I had to be extra early today as my travel card had expired at the weekend and queue’s on a Monday can be rather tedious.

Actually managed to purchase my ticket without a line but maybe that was because it was not even 0700 and then found myself on the platform awaiting the 0721. I was almost tempted to take the 0718, which is the faster option, but as today it was even shorter at just 3 carriages. No wonder we are eager to move home as quickly as possible. Why should the blooming Train Companies make masses of money when they don’t even have the courtesy to run a train large enough to hold the people that wish to take it.

Leaving the house I was surprised at how mild it was first thing and at just 7AM was sat 20 minutes on a platform quite warm enough in my suit. My lunchtime the temperature had plummeted and I was shivering on the way back from Marks and Spencer. Now I actually wish I had packed my coat. You can tell the seasons are about to change.

With four of us plus IT support today it seems massively overkill and I am just grateful I am only working two days here this week. I have another gig near Heathrow for the rest of the week and that means no commute. Yeah!


Just counting down the moments till home time and a nice quiet chilled evening and then bed. No more wine tonight! I’m cutting back and think an early night will leave me feeling much better.

Finally, David if the cap fits matey J X

Where did Lucky Bitches come from?

Do you ever remember the French & Saunders sketch for Jackie & Joan Collins? Lucky Bitches was where I got the name from my blog, for I know, am a lucky Bitch.

Just for nostalgia check it out... simply browse to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwYI3U7pkE4 Thanks for reading. Neil

Call me Bubbles Darling

Thursday evening saw us begin the CBT evening's at the next brand with work. This meant leaving the office I have become very friendly with and going over to brave it at a brand new office. The office manager at the previous office invited me to join them after work for a drink. Now that Dusan has started to work, I only have an empty house to go home to and so thought why not?

The new office seemed very friendly and some pretty faces which always makes the day go by a little bit faster.

We were done by 645PM which was quite early and met the others in a bar in Leadenhall Market. We sat and talked and managed to work our way through two bottles of Champange (Lucky Bitches). Call my bubbles Darling everbody does! I should have then called it a day but with the prospect of an empty house and the suggestion of shall we go to the bar that the Huxley lot drink in? I said yes. Here we swicthed to Pinot Grigio which in itsself would have been fine however as the alcohol hit our bloodstream and on an empty stomach the move from fluffy to fuzzy was very sudden. I found myself in the bar talking to two consultants, one who was in University at St Andrews with Prince William. Now where is Surinder when you spot an eligble batcheoleor? Then there was the other one, who's name I will not mention to protect his identity. Obviously straight but after the second bottle of Pinot was opened (Apparantly he bought us two more bottles but I have no recollection of this). When I move from Fuzzy to the 3rd and Final F stage of drunkenness, my flirtatious nature comes over. I do have recollection of grouping him at some stage but I dont remember any resistance. The two girls said as I made my way down the street I was swaying from side to side.

When I got home Dusan wasnt far behind me but I needed to go straight to bed. Waking to a most peculair event. I had gone to bed in our bedroom and woken up in the spare room. The headache that followed was gone by mid morning thankfully, something the girls were rather envious of me for. Why is it that we swear we will "never drink again" and only the next day we are back on the bottle? Thanks to the girls for the fun night out and to mr grope for the Pinot! ;-)

DINKE Vs DINKY

Mikey has corrected me, we should be DINKE - Thats Dual Income No Kids Ever! Emily will like that. She's my fabulous Mortgage advisor who is helping us to get the mortgage sorted. She's totally fabulous and sets up mortgages for the Stars and regular fabulous folk like myself.

Also Get well to Mikey. Poor guys at home with a broken hip. Thats so Queen mother though his more likely the mother of all Queens. I jest of course. His one in a million! Get well Mikey! :-)

Like Animals, unleashed in the wild!

Its funny how territorial & habitual the British people can be. Complete strangers that I see nearly every morning as I leave the house at precisely 0705. I arrive at the car park at 0710 and say good morning to the parking attendant who always greets me with a "Good Morning Sir". I now have a season parking ticket so no longer have to purchase a daily one from him. His is the only real voice I will hear for an hour.

I pass through the ticketing hall, amazed every day by the increasing numbers of people who make such a tedious journey on a daily basis. At any given moment you can count at least 20 people approaching the Station down the Stations drive.

I stop to buy a newspaper from the Newsagent booth at the Station. The same Stationer has stood there and run his small business for over 30 years. Never once does he say Good Morning or smile. He just holds his hand out in anticipation of my coins in return for my morning read.
I step down onto the Platform around 0717. One minute before the fast train is due. I have learned after 20 weeks of this journey that there is never a single seat on the 0717. It’s a four carriage Train (And I pay £265 a month for this service). By the time it pulls into Broxbourne and the doors open with a hiss the Train is already Standing room only. Often there is not even enough room to squeeze on in. A Journey I would have once attempted. No more. The foolish man takes the 0718. The wise man waits till 0721 when the slower train (Stopping at 2 more stops) but has a full 8 carriages arrives. I am guaranteed a seat on the 0721. So I take my usual spot, Carriage 2, door 2 on the platform. Surrounded by the same faces I see every morning. Nobody talks. In fact its almost Taboo to be talking on the train in the mornings. People scowl if your mobile rings and you literally rush to get the person off the phone so as not to break one of socials great taboo’s.

The train arrives, almost 100 people are standing along the length of the platform. Standing where they believe the doors will stop allowing them first entry to the train. It reminds me of an animal about to stalk its prey. Standing motionless, its eyes moving quickly back and forth. Still no one smiling, talking not even acknowledging one another. A recorded voice comes over the tannoy. "The Train now approaching Platform 2 is the 0721 One Service to London Liverpool Street. Calling at Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Enfield Lock, Tottenham Hale & Liverpool Street.
The 0721 One Service to London Liverpool Street". Its seems stupid that they are allowed to call the Train Company One. It makes the announcements rather confusing.

The Train hisses in and pulls to a stop and those that are not aligned directly to the doors shuffle their feet as though a stampeded is about to commence. Its not surprising really. The reward is a seat the full 30 plus minutes into London. Failing your stamped could leave you standing the full journey with nothing but a dirty bar to hold to for support. Sitting down is the only option if you don’t want to arrive at work, stressed, sweaty and worn out. Even in the middle of winter with carriages packed with 300 people the heat is unbearable. No-one dares to open a window, despite nearly everyone sweating in the heat.

I survive my journey by playing my Ipod and blocking out the entire journey and everyone around me as I sit peacefully and read my newspaper. With any luck I am at Liverpool Street on time and can once again, stampede for the exit. 8 Carriages of several hundred people are pouring out onto a platform to then squeeze through an electronic barrier if your ticket is working correctly. Of course, before you can pass the barrier, into what is almost like freedom, you are faced with the miserable faces of the soldiers that man the Berlin Wall. It seems as such. They stand their with a look like a mad man about to make a kill daring anyone to approach without a fully paid ticket. It doesn’t matter if the machine was broken or there was no-one at the ticket office. If you fail to have a vaild ticket "The Mob" will attack you with a minimum of a fine. Of course they now days, due to their brutality are often backed up by the British Transport Police. If they were perhaps less forceful perhaps people would be less aggressive back. Its only in human nature to be defensive when attacked.

I’ve made it. A 5 minute drive, ten minute walk, 35 minute train drive and I’m through the mob and the electric fence (Automatic ticket barrier) into relative safety. The Station is already crowded despite it being not even 0800 in the morning. Thousands of suits walk rush through the terminal building out to offices, trading floors and beyond. I stop to purchase my breakfast at a vendor in the Station and as always are infuriated by the slowness of the tourists that are not only in the way but persistently slow as they reach through their bag sifting through dozens of coins not sure the value of each exactly. "Just hand over a note", I think impatiently. There are 3 people working in the vendor today. The same three as yesterday. Despite the fact that I have bought the same item for the past 20 weeks, I never get a friendly "Hello" or the usual. At least at Starbucks they recognise you. One of the two staff is busy cleaning, despite the growing queue of people waiting for service while the other slowly works the coffee machine. Is there no such thing as customer service anymore?

Finally I shove my breakfast in my bag and climb the escalator to the street ahead. Another mine field as I have to press through the now ever present street trader who is thrusting a free magazine or newspaper into the face of every passer.

I’m now out on the main road where I make a quick left onto a side street and finally, I am alone. My music playing, walking the remaining 10 minutes to my office where I arrive just after 0800. My back is wet, my brow is too despite the chill in the air from the overnight low. The shops are mainly closed at this hour but it’s a peaceful moment in the stressful day. As stressful as this may seem, it’s a dream compared to other offices I occasionally have to work at further into London’s West End and Beyond.

While looking through the schedule yesterday I noticed my three weeks later in the year in Birmingham had been moved. No longer would I be in the Midlands for what I can describe as the "niceties" of the project. When I am provided with a Hotel close to the office and can literally walk to work in less than ten minutes. It’s a pure dream and I arrive stress free. No instead I have been moved to Wimbledon. When I query this I am told, "Don’t you prefer London?". I had to point out that while the City was quite okay, I don’t actually class Wimbledon as London. In fact it is almost about as far away from where I live as you could get. It necessitates me getting off my train after 10 Minutes at Tottenham Hale and fighting my way down on the underground. Despite the fact its only 0730 in the morning and I am boarding a train only 2 stops from the end of the line, it is Standing room only. If you have never been, the London underground is not air-conditioned. The Tunnels and Trains emit heat from friction causing the temperature to rise and as the trains pack fuller and fuller the heat becomes unbearable. Standing for 40 – 50 minutes (If there are no delays) I have to commute to Vauxhall and change for a 20 minute over ground train journey all the way to Wimbledon. Needless to say I was not in the best of moods when I made the call to enquire as to why I had been changed. The lovely lady on Scheduling swapped me forthwith. Phew. A narrow escape.
I’m now dreading the journey in winter. Especially as everyone will be packed into those same trains but wearing bulkier warmer clothes. They cough, they splutter and many do not have the courtesy to even cover their mouths. The germs spread quickly and it is not uncommon for large numbers of any office to go down with influenza at any time. Having said that there is no contingency at work for any sickness.

I may have moaned and groaned in the past about sitting on the M25 for over 2 hours to do just forty miles but at least I have avoided the stress and germs of London Commute. Now all I have to do is last till 6 PM when my reverse journey begins. The only difference being you can actually talk on the return route without the dagger eyes!

I just pray I can move before the end of the year when the weather worsens the journey. To think some people do this everyday of their working life!

An afternoon with Mark P

Managed to sleep in until 1130AM which to me is pure Heaven. In an ideal world I would always work 11:00 - 19:00 so that the hours would better suit my lifestyle. Everytime I am on a contract and they say you have an 0800 meeting I shudder with horror and know that I will most certainly not be at my best.

So we arranged with Mark that we would have a lie in and then would meet up in Town at 1400. Dusan had wanted to look around Casa Armani on Bond Street but ironically the cities most exlusive shopping street, Bond Street, is too exlusive to be open on a Sunday.

So we wandered down to the dilly, taking in the half naked boys in the doorway at Ambercrombie & Fitch (Very nice) and then found our way to the Living Room for a Bottle of Shiraz. This wore us out so we headed to starbucks for a coffee. Why do parents allow their children to scream so loud in cafe's? We all agreed we dont mind Children when they are behaved but when they are left to run riot they are hidious.

Made it home by 1800 and a nice chilled evening in with another bottle of Red. Time to wind down and prepare for a long week ahead in the city.

Today Dusan will meet me in town and is off hunting for a new vacancy somewhere in the City area. Fingers crossed Dusan.

Ant comes to Dinner & Neil's Birthday Bash

Friday evening we invited our friend Ant over to dinner and so stocked up with food. Not just food, M&S food. :-) He works nights so he didnt arrive until 2100 and by then the Chicken was roasted and ready to enjoy.

We all ate, watched Eating Out 2, Sloppy Seconds on DVD. No, its not a porn movie. Its actually a comedy about a sexually confussed boy in the USA. If you like American Pie you will love Eating Out 1 & 2.

Last night we had to head over to Little Baddow for a meal at Russell's restaurant in celebration of Neil C's 38th Birthday. Happy Birthday Neil. We arrived to a Champagne reception and then had 3 courses, dessert and canape's. I was driving so Dusan had my share of wine too. We arrived hom around 1230AM.

Heading off to meet Mark P this afternoon. Wonder what we will get up to in town today?

Half Weekend and Back to the Slog

Somehow it seems mad that I was only on Holiday a month ago. It seems ages ago already.

Saturday most of the day was taken up with Training and then Sunday we chilled at home until around five when I had to pack and hit the dreaded M25 to make my way to my hotel in Chertsey. It being the last weekend before the end of the school holidays the motorway was heaving and it took me 3 hours to get all the way around to Chertsey.

Still from the madness of Europes busiest motorway to the tranquility of an old stately home. Check out www.foxhills.co.uk A 200 year old building with 12 tennis courts, 3 pools, a full gymnasium, squash centre, health suite and choice of 3 restuarnts and 3 Golf courses.

Steph and I relaxed over a bottle of wine in the 19th Hole Clubhouse and had a nice steak dinner before a fairly early night.

Monday was day one in the classroom of my new TTT for another client then back to the hotel for a quick drink and time to chill out in the pool and the steam room. We booked into the more full service restaurant where we dined on 3 fabulous courses for an all in rate of £25 each. That being the companies meal allowance for the evening we felt well chuffed and rather stuffed as we made our way back to my room where we had a bottle of Shiraz we had picked up at the Off License on the way home.

Tuesday had presentation day and the last chance to get ready for the clients launch at the end of the month. Thankfully I have used the software previously. I felt really sorry for the guys that were having to take in all the new capabilities as well as the new way the software works all in a day and a half.

With the day at a close I was shattered and 2 hours further around the M25 seems rediculous. You cant believe in 25 years they have not made any improvement to the road and there is no alternative but to drive. I called my line manager on my other contract and asked on the possibility of having a day off in Lieu of the Saturday worked. We are always allowed a day off if we work the weekend or can work it and get overtime. I was feeling quite whacked and so enjoyed a lie in with the husband and then an afternoon of shopping.

We've now broken the back of the week and only one more day and its the weekend! Roll on Saturday!