Early Risers.

[AndyB]

Jam, just to agree with Mick and Andrew.

 

It's far easier to find a job when you have one; you have time and income on your side.

You really never know when you might need to refer to previous work, or ask a former colleague for a reference.

 

Employers never mind if you leave - and will wish you well and all their support - if you say you are leaving to pursue a dream, be it doing VSO or starting your own company. 

 

Also, make a list of all the roles and responsibilities you had, along with dates, training you received etc. In about 5 years time you'll struggle to remember specifics and it really is important to have an up to date CV. 

 

Good luck. Andy

[bluebottle]

Jock, as you say, McIndoe's "presence" continues to loom large in his field. When I was doing ODA training in the 70s I often handled instruments designed by him, and when I was acting as floor nurse for a surgeon whom I'd met at another hospital I was able to gain brownie points with the scrub nurse by murmuring " When Doctor ------ asks for "the McIndoes", she means those scissors, not the forceps".

[The Lurker]

Matthew appears to be in South Island, NZ now. Latest beer review," Made of lies and deceit, tastes like a sub standard lager".

Suggest he sticks to NZ sauvignon blancs. Lovely grassy, gooseberry notes. And no gas!

[Tony_S]

I popped into Tesco's last evening for a bit of last minute shopping. I was surprised to see a woman walking about breast feeding her baby.  I know its only natural and if a baby needs feeding it needs feeding but a little discretion I think is called for. Some other parents with school age children were clearly embarrassed.

I think some branches of Tesco ban people in pyjamas or men without upper body clothing. If the Tesco you went to was the big one in Pitsea I did see a sign once asking people im muddy clothing not to enter but I really am surprised that people especially parents of school age children were embarrassed by a baby being fed.

[The Lurker]

Well the blokes were embarassed because they wanted to stare at the woman's breasts but it was somehow wrong.....and if the school age children are there, the questions go along the lines of "what's that lady doing?...did you feed me like that?....why did you stop?....can I have some milk?"

[Ian Abel]

On this bright and pleasant Autumn day I'll be persuading spreadsheets to do what I want and prior to that, persuading people that what they have is what they asked for.

John. wait a minute...are you doing my job before I wake up !?!?!!? I'm busy working on exactly the same tasks/scenarios - added to which is the occasional "...no, what you THINK you were doing is in fact not correct - here's the system log I quoted that shows what I SAID you were doing IS CORRECT!!" <sigh>

 

Working on some system performance remediation efforts and various users of the system (there's about 6,000 of which a couple of hundred are targeted as creating issues at present) aren't "convinced" they are doing what we've outlined as not best-practises. Usually responding to my twice-daily usage notifications with "...no, I'm doing it the right way I'm sure..." - once I forward them system data and cc their managers it's remarkable how quickly I then get a "...oh, yes looks like you're right..." DUH!!!

 

On to today - started out 12 and raining, remaining that way ALL day, and it looks like the seaweed twiddlers will be right! Didn't see THAT coming! 

 

HUMP day with all that entails, basically me actually driving in to the office. Since this is the first gloomy, rainy, cool day in months, apparently everyone forgot how to drive when they woke up. We're NOT experiencing a blizzard mind, but they all are driving in light rain as if it's a bloody tornado/apocolyspe - assclowns (to quote Andrew!!!)

 

Also have the exceeding pleasure (arrghhh!!!) of stopping in at IKEA on the way home, as I pass right by the place, to return something the Mrs decided she didn't want/need, "could you just pop in on the way home and return this as I don't want to make a special trip??" The place will likely be diabolical time I get there in late afternoon

[Tony_S]

 

Also have the exceeding pleasure (arrghhh!!!) of stopping in at IKEA on the way home, as I pass right by the place, to return something the Mrs decided she didn't want/need, "could you just pop in on the way home and return this as I don't want to make a special trip??" The place will likely be diabolical time I get there in late afternoon

Do the US IKEA stores have little footprints on the floor to suggest how you should move through the store? I thought that it was a silly idea for the UK. Our nearest one now has "suggestions" including all the short cuts people had discovered.

[Ian Abel]

Do the US IKEA stores have little footprints on the floor to suggest how you should move through the store? I thought that it was a silly idea for the UK. Our nearest one now has "suggestions" including all the short cuts people had discovered.

Tony - remember this IS the US - most folks here want/need guidance to find their own bloody front door most of the time it seems!!! (Ducking...)

 

So, YES, there are footprints all over the place, direction arrows and placards EVERYWHERE, and maps showing your progress/shortcuts in every other section as you "progress" through the store.

Add to that the fact that this particular IKEA is adjacent, literally a 100 yard walk, to the "Mall of America", http://www.mallofamerica.com/  largest shopping mall in the US, which attracts a zillion tourists both nationally AND internationally thanks to the adjacent international airport  (over 400 stores, employs more than 12,000 people, 35-40 million visitors a year - to quote the guide)!!!

I'm surprised they don't have guide-dogs you can rent to help you navigate both places. You've not seen crowds until you are STUPID enough (yes I've done it myself of necessity extremely occasionally) to visit either place at a weekend, especially around a public holiday!!! This is ridiculous as it's NOT in one of the top 5 US cities but here in the northern tip of the bloody cold mid-west - no-one should want to come here to SHOP, EVER!!!

[DonBradley]

Good day all, Its Tim,

 

The op went well i guess considering.

 

He is still in the high care ward under close observation, he says he is feeling better daily but it seems to me that the op hit him harder than either of us had expected.

 

Hopefully the healing process will start to speed up now. Will keep you updated.

 

Tim

[BoD]

Thanks for that Tim.

It sounded a big op, so really glad (and relieved) that he's feeling better each day.

 

Pass on our best wishes and let him know he's in our thoughts.

[The Lurker]

Yes, best wishes to Don - and thanks for the update, Tim

[Tony_S]

Tony - remember this IS the US - most folks here want/need guidance to find their own bloody front door most of the time it seems!!! (Ducking...)

 

 

I'm surprised they don't have guide-dogs you can rent to help you navigate both places. You've not seen crowds until you are STUPID enough (yes I've done it myself of necessity extremely occasionally) to visit either place at a weekend, especially around a public holiday!!! This is ridiculous as it's NOT in one of the top 5 US cities but here in the northern tip of the bloody cold mid-west - no-one should want to come here to SHOP, EVER!!!

Matthew once went 5 hours on a bus to Edmonton to visit the big mall there to buy something from the Microsoft temporary "holiday season" store. The journey to Edmonton was on a shopping trip organised for overseas students and they went up on a yellow school bus. Matthew had planned to stay overnight with someone he had been chatting to on the internet since he was 12 but at the last minute his friend's girlfriend didn't want anyone from the "internet" visiting their apartment. Earlier in the day Matthew had met another internet contact for coffee. He had always known this person as female but s/he was part way through gender re-assignment surgery and just wanted to talk about coping with multiple personality disorder. However he didn't have to sleep in the bus station as his Chinese friends (staying over for more shopping) had told him which hotel they were staying at in case he had any problems. They all came back on a Greyhound bus to Calgary the next day.

I've been to US shopping malls in Boston and Houston. Considering how smart some of shops were, the food courts seemed very basic. Perhaps there were nicer places to eat that I didn't find!

Edited September 10, 2014 by Tony_S

[Jock67B]

Thanks Tim,

I'm sure that it will be good news to all his friends on here that the 'old dog' still has plenty of fight in him! I am quite a few years younger but can speak from experience about how much a major op takes out of you!

Please convey our regards and tell him to take his time getting back to fitness,

Thanks again and kind regards,

Jock.  

[Jock67B]

So Montezemolo has gone then - not the best kept secret in the F1 paddock! Question is, did he resign or was he pushed - just as was predicted on Ian (Olddudders) favourite F1 site 'Pit Pass'.

I suspect that he may be the 'fall guy' for the abysmal recent performance. I still struggle to get my head round the fact that they haven't been an autonomous company for years, being fully owned by Fiat. His replacement will of course be a Fiat man, whereas Luca was like one of Enzo Ferrari's sons! He looks like he might be well enough off in retirement but I bet he'll miss the day to day involvement.

Interesting to see if his replacement makes much difference during the rest of the season?

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Shedman5]

Afternoon, late today, simply enjoying the sunshine with a good book in the garden!

 

Nice to have a update on Don, fingers crossed he will be back soon.

 

Had a great day yesterday took the train from Preston to Grange Over Sands which meant going over Arnside Bridge, photo below is not mine just sourced it over the net!

 

Weather was sunny and warm and indeed we arrived at Grange in time for high tide, the sea used to come right in to the wall at least it did some 45 years ago but silt and tide directions changing have meant it retreating further out leaving salt marsh ( lamb tastes very good!) so it was a surprise to see it right in up to the wall. 45146 will understand Im sure.

Brought back happy memories of my youth and a girl called Vicky. Didn't go there with swmbo!

 

 

[trisonic]

I don’t eat in Malls, refuse to vista IKEA in case I get lost (but their products suck anyway) and would refuse to have someone I met on the internet home without really getting to know them face to face first.

Seems quite sensible, really!

 

Best, Pete.

[Jock67B]

Thought it might amuse you to see that I once did model railways (risking the wrath of Debs here!). I posted this in the 'lounge' as my grandson dug it out of the loft for me. I made it for my son Stuart around 1982, but when he went off to public school, it went into storage and has been there ever since! I hope, over the coming year to renovate it for great grandson Freddie who is train mad at the moment. At three and a half he is obviously too young but once its done, his parents can take over responsibility for it! The Jinty's running time is minutes rather than hours and so a good service will be necessary and the scenery will need a complete makeover as it has faded despite being under cover. Not looking forward to the track cleaning and I'll have to buy a modern and safe controller. Might just play at extending it a bit if I get the bug and if the current Peco track is still compatible!

Any comments would be gratefully received,

Kind regards,

Jock. 

[SouthernRegionSteam]

Thank you all so much for the advice (and brilliant video!), it really means a lot. I knew I could count on you all.

I've known a lot of the staff there for years (even before I worked there) and believe it or not, most of them are genuinely lovely/funny people. I would hate to ruin this, particularly as I like to visit the pub with friends and family. There are multiple reasons for deciding to leave, not just the poor management and people skills - another major reason being that the job is so mind-numbing and I feel I am wasting my life doing it. It's just so sad that I put in so much effort, only to have it thrown back in my face!

 

I'm looking to build up a repertoire of music between jobs, and also relevant skills to become a music composer for media (in particular gaming). I'm still keeping my options open though. But like I say, I hope to leave my workplace with a good relation, particularly as they know that I've worked hard, and thus hopefully will give me a good reference for when the time comes. There have been ups and downs as with any job, but I've just gotta remember that I'm not at fault. They have lost a valuable and apparently "indispensable" (their words!) member of the team... time will tell I guess.

 

Anyway enough about me, I'm glad that Tim has been able to keep us up-to-date RE Don. I wish them all the best! (Makes my problems seem trivial!) I too have had a couple major ops in my lifetime, but I can only guess how hard it has been on him, taking age into consideration. (I was pretty young when I had my operations).

[Tony_S]

I don’t eat in Malls, refuse to vista IKEA in case I get lost (but their products suck anyway) and would refuse to have someone I met on the internet home without really getting to know them face to face first.

Seems quite sensible, really!

 

Best, Pete.

All the people Matthew is meeting up with on his Antipodean jaunt are people he studied and lived with in Calgary. He did do some more trips round Alberta in a campervan with the three Chinese friends so they must have liked him. He has only made one IKEA reference this year. Aditi asked if he would like a Swedish Hockey shirt purchased while we were in Stockholm. He declined the offer saying if he wore it in London everyone would think he worked at IKEA.

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

First a comment about breast feeding in public - in this case on a train.  The train was a local service in Tunisia and the lady concerned was so heavily veiled and shrouded that all one could see was her eyes.  However junior demanded a feed so some of the shrouding was pushed aside and babe was put to the duly exposed breast; said lady was sitting exactly opposite me and her husband was alongside her, equally dressed for the desert - and nobody batted so much as an eyelid.

 

Now to my day today - a picture clue is attached below and although it is hardly indicative of why I was there our Mr Sidecar Racer will now know where it was - even if no one else does.  Nothing should be read into anything at all which can be seen in the picture apart from the two pretty little interloper engines sitting on top of a proper job GWR stop block - for those who don't recognise certain details they are SR Class O2 0-4-4 tank engines in Isle of Wight condition and are the latest version of that class in EP form to arrive (today) with KMRC, and very nice they are too.  For anyone interested I will be posting further picture of them in either a Kernow or DJM thread in a while - yes, I have permission to so so).  As usual click on the pic to enlarge it.

 

There were also some other goodies sitting on top of the same stop block and I did take a pic or two of them but I am not permitted to post it - the objects concerned will get their first public showing at RMweb Live at Coventry this coming weekend and they are rather nice too.

 

Anyway that apart it was a nice sunny day, regrettably a certain piece of technical equipment failed (fairly totally) which rather spoilt the party for some folk but it was an interesting day for all that, and all the trains I travelled on were on time.  Arrived home to a delightful aroma of new chutney so herself had clearly not wasted her time while I wasn't here to supervise. 

 

[trisonic]

Oh, I thought you said he hadn’t actually met in person the one who’s friend refused to have him stay the night or the trans - gender pal. Sorry.

 

I still think IKEA sucks and would get lost in it... Should my Wife insist we visit at some point (doubtful) I’ll take along a large ball of twine.

 

Best, Pete.

 

All the people Matthew is meeting up with on his Antipodean jaunt are people he studied and lived with in Calgary. He did do some more trips round Alberta in a campervan with the three Chinese friends so they must have liked him. He has only made one IKEA reference this year. Aditi asked if he would like a Swedish Hockey shirt purchased while we were in Stockholm. He declined the offer saying if he wore it in London everyone would think he worked at IKEA.

Edited September 10, 2014 by trisonic

[Ian Abel]

Good day all, Its Tim,

 

The op went well i guess considering.

 

He is still in the high care ward under close observation, he says he is feeling better daily but it seems to me that the op hit him harder than either of us had expected.

 

Hopefully the healing process will start to speed up now. Will keep you updated.

 

Tim

Thansk for the update TIm - give our best to Don, and speedy recovery...

 

Matthew once went 5 hours on a bus to Edmonton to visit the big mall there to buy something from the Microsoft temporary "holiday season" store. The journey to Edmonton was on a shopping trip organised for overseas students and they went up on a yellow school bus. Matthew had planned to stay overnight with someone he had been chatting to on the internet since he was 12 but at the last minute his friend's girlfriend didn't want anyone from the "internet" visiting their apartment. Earlier in the day Matthew had met another internet contact for coffee. He had always known this person as female but s/he was part way through gender re-assignment surgery and just wanted to talk about coping with multiple personality disorder. However he didn't have to sleep in the bus station as his Chinese friends (staying over for more shopping) had told him which hotel they were staying at in case he had any problems. They all came back on a Greyhound bus to Calgary the next day.

I've been to US shopping malls in Boston and Houston. Considering how smart some of shops were, the food courts seemed very basic. Perhaps there were nicer places to eat that I didn't find!

Tony- the Edmonton mall was/is (not sure if they still own it) owned/built by two brothers who are the ones "responsible" for building it's newer/bigger brother here in Minnesota!! This one actually does have many quite nice restaurants in it as well as the normal "food court crap/slop". They've even a Hard Rock Cafe - not that the "chain versions" are a patch on the original, when it WAS original!!! Whilst the restaurants have changed some over the years one original the "Rainforest Cafe" is still quite a nice place to eat.

 

Oh and they are presently ADDING to this behemoth for some silly reason, making it even larger than it already is!!

[Barry O]

 

Now to my day today - a picture clue is attached below and although it is hardly indicative of why I was there our Mr Sidecar Racer will now know where it was - even if no one else does.  

Looks like GWS Didcot to me but I may be totally wrong... if the Prince of Wales still Open opposite the station Mike?

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Looks very near to where I took my avatar pic Mike.

Edited September 10, 2014 by grandadbob

[45156]

In reply to post 72438 from Shedman5

 

I know exactly what you mean here - the viaduct in question is on the Kent estuary, and at Arnside (South end) a siren sounds before high tide - and when it comes in, by golly, it comes in - I have seen an incoming tide at that location which looks like a river in spate going in the reverse direction - which is impressive indeed if you know the normal direction of the flow.  Also, there is a car park on the sands at Arnside, and it is not unknown for cars to be swamped by the tide, which also happens at the strangest village for many many miles around - Sunderland Point, and the village website has the following warning

"Tide tables should be consulted before visiting. Both the Causeway and car park are likely to be under several feet of water for 1 to 2 hours before and after high tide.
DO NOT RISK IT!"

This is a mysterious and interesting place and has serious flooding and tidal issues frequently - Google it to find out more. 

http://www.sunderlandpoint.org/

 

Oh yes, and good to get some news on one of ERs longest standing members - Don B, and like the others, I do hope that a speedy recovery ensues, but as Jock has said, and I can verify (as probably can many others) recovery from major surgery can be slow.

Edited September 10, 2014 by 45156