My Online Diary

23/12/09

Wow, exactly one month since I last wrote a diary entry! First of all, merry Christmas to everyone who takes the time to read this! So what's been happening with me over the last month? Well, basically just more and more work, that's what's been happening. I finally finished my year's work at about 4 pm this afternoon. The funny thing is, you get used to having to spend many hours of the day working, so now I have to find something to occupy myself with over the Christmas holiday. That will probably involve producing more web pages for this website. But that's fun, and enjoyable too. So happy holidays everyone, an d here's to some more interesting diary entries next year!

23/11/09

Oh dear, the work just keeps piling on - the next big "date in the diary" is November 30th when two more pieces of work need to be delivered. I sometimes think that I must be earning a fortune for Serco! On other matters, I hope the weather improves here a bit, especially for the poor folk in the Lake District, who are really suffering at the moment.

18/11/09

Well I've now finally finished the LLWR deliverables that have been keeping me occupied for the last few weeks. Got the last report our yesterday, but still have another one to finish by the end of November. I have some help for that one though, which is good. Now I just need to get my strength back and then I can focus on some of the other work that has been neglected for the last few weeks!

11/11/09

I must admit that, as I'm writing this, I am absolutely whacked. Luckily the end of this last batch of work is in sight, as the final of my deliverables has to go to the customer on Monday. The question is, can I finish the work on time! We managed to get to the arboretum on Sunday, but the weather wasn't so good and we were about two weeks late to the see the autumn colours at their best.

01/11/09

Spent much of this weekend working on deliverables for LLWR, I got a lot done and hopefully will be able to submit everything on time tomorrow. I intend to take a few days off next week, and I hope the weather is good as my mother and I want to see the arboretum at Moreton-in-Marsh, which with any luck will be showing lots of lovely autumn colours on the trees.

30/10/09

Ha, I see that I have managed to go through virtually the whole of October without adding anything to the diary. That's probably because most of October has been taken up working very hard, getting deliverables ready for the LLWR, the UK's national low level waste repository. I went to Toronto for a week towards the end of October, working as part of an international peer review group for the Canadian DGR concept. That was good fun, but very hard work too and it didn't leave too much time for sightseeing, though I did manage to take a few photos and there will be a Toronto web page up in due course! I had hoped to make it to Niagara for a visit, but my work schedule didn't permit it. The next few days will be exclusively work, preparing yet more deliverables for the LLWR. Wish me luck in getting it done, I might need it!

02/10/09

The end of another very busy week. I worked from home Wednesday and Friday this week, to try and push on with a project that has to deliver results by October 15th. Normally at this time of the year we would be taking a holiday down to Exmoor, but that will have to wait until next spring.

30/09/09

Wow, so it's been over three weeks since I last wrote a diary entry! The last couple of weeks have been quite tough. Two weeks ago we were pre-occupied with looking after my mother while she was in hospital and after she came out. All went well with her operation and luckily she is now heading back to full fitness. Last week was spent catching up on work that I missed while I was away, and also I had to make a trip to Bradwell power station and then attend an important meeting with a customer. Now I am pre-occupied with delivering a piece of work in two weeks' time, before I go to Canada. Never mind, life could be far worse!

06/09/09

Not much to report really at the moment. My mother goes in for her treatments a week Monday and Tuesday, and I now have it all cleared at work that I can work away from the office during that week. We're having our best weather of the year at the moment down here in the south of England - it has an early autumnal feel to it, which means pleasant temperatures and lots of sunshine. I'm sure it won't last, though!

27/08/09

Today was the first anniversary of my father's passing, and while not an upsetting or distressing day, it has been a day to remember what happened this time last year. One thing that has become apparent over the last year is that time really is a great healer, and you do indeed come to terms with a loss and move on. On other matters, it looks like I will get a trip to Paris in late September, which is something to look forward to.

24/08/09

The good and the not so good this weekend. First the good well done to England for regaining the Ashes from the Aussies - great stuff and hopefully we can carry on this winning streak against other opposition. On the not so good side, my mother now has dates for her treatment and mastectomy - 14th September for radioisotope treatment and the following day for the mastectomy itself. Having said that, now we know the dates we can start preparing for the operation.

16/08/09

A lovely sunny weekend here, it seems that maybe we will get some sort of a summer here after all! The major downside is that my mother must have a mastectomy to get rid of pre-cancerous cells present in her breasts. She also needs further tests to see if such cells are present elsewhere. The timing of this is ironic, since it is almost a year since my father died. Connie has also had a not very good weekend - hopefully things will improve for both of us from here!

09/08/09

My mother and I had a really nice day out at Blenheim Palace on Saturday, so see a number of other family members. The weather was great, and it was nice to see them all again - the last time we all met was either at my father's cremation or before he died. I think it will become an annual meeting now, I think we all would like to stay in touch. On other matters, England capitulated in the cricket - looks like the Aussies are now on a role and could win the series.

02/08/09

Yesterday was my birthday, which passed without any great drama, though I was pleasantly surprised to receive a card from Marion. This coming week begins a fairly hectic period at work, as we begin work on a formal programme of assessment of the LLWR, the UK's low-level waste repository in Cumbria. Luckily the swine flu has still only got a single victim in the building where I work, and hopefully it will stay that way!

27/07/09

Pretty lousy weather over the last week or so, hopefully it will clear up for the third test match between England and Australia, which starts next Thursday. Good news today at work today, we won a big piece of work that will keep us busy for a while! On the downside, swine flu has now made it to our building and office at work, so the chances that I will get the swine flu have gone up quite significantly.

19/07/09

Have made excellent progress in the last week on getting my new Washington DC pages online. They'll be up and live tomorrow, following testing to make sure that they work OK. My brother Rob came to visit this weekend, but just for once we managed an alcohol-free weekend. Instead we had an excellent carvery meal at a pub in Moreton-in-Marsh for Sunday lunch. Carvery meals really do provide good value for money!

12/07/09

Tomorrow will be a fun day at work, as I have a major work proposal to submit before 2:30 pm. We should make it though. As I'm writing this, England are on the verge of losing the first test of the Ashes series to the Aussies - never mind, there are four more tests to come! Had a nice tea this evening, a slice of gala pie and a scotch egg. Very bad for you, but also very tasty and a nice change from sandwiches!

03/07/09

Lots of good hard work this week, trying to write a proposal to assess the safety of the national low-level radioactive waste repository in the UK. The other news is that I will be getting a trip to Canada in October, as part of a review team to review a Canadian radioactive waste disposal concept. Hopefully it will be possible to stay on for a few days to do some sightseeing! On other matters, we have had quite a heat wave here this week, but it seems to be cooling down a bit now, which is good.

24/06/09

Serious embarrassment today as I was due to attend a 9 am meeting - but didn't wake up this morning until 9:40 am! After offering profuse apologies I got into work at 10:10 am and had to take the sarcastic "good evening" comments with good grace! The reason for oversleeping was delayed jetlag after getting back from the USA, but the moral of the story is that if you are suitably apologetic and take your "punishment" in good spirit, people will always forgive you.

23/06/09

.I got back from Washington yesterday afternoon, tired, but having had a fantastic time. The weather was pretty well perfect, the sights were great, and I think the only thing that was missing really was some company to enjoy the trip with me. The ESTA process seemed to make getting into the USA easier than previously, which was good. I took about 750 photos, and I anticipate getting another 30 or so web pages in the not-too-distant future! All in all the trip was a fantastic experience and one that I would love to repeat at some stage in the future. It's a pity that I have lots of work to keep me occupied in the coming months!

08/06/09

The excitement is starting to build for my holiday in Washington next week. I have my excursions booked, I have my ESTA travel authorisation, and I think I've done all the other things that one is supposed to do these days before travelling to the USA. I expect to have a great time there.

05/06/09

Somewhat belatedly, I can report that I had a lovely time in the Lake District last week. Too bad that my visit coincided with school half term, meaning that the place was crowded. Nevertheless, the hills and lakes were just as pretty and spectacular as ever, and so the holiday was a success. I'm off to Washington next Saturday, which I am very much looking forward to. I have a fair amount of work to do before I can go, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem! I booked up some excursions last night, and I should have a great time.

26/05/09

Had a great time in London, helped in no small measure by the fabulous weather. I especially enjoyed just sitting on the banks of the Serpentine (in Hyde Park) listening to music, watching the people go by and enjoying a few beers in the sunshine. Life doesn't really get better than that! I'm off to the Lake District for a few days tomorrow, and it has a lot to live up to, especially as the weather forecast is not good!

18/05/09

Had my annual appraisal today and all went well - in fact the whole appraisal took less time than in previous years, even though it is supposedly more complicated than the old system. I can't help thinking that our appraisals are rather like getting your school report, including a score to indicate how well you've done. Oh well, it's a bit more scientific than being given an A, B, C or something like that.

15/05/09

Next Wednesday I'm off to London for a few days, and I hope that the weather improves a bit from what is has been over the last few days - wind and rain. One thing that's been very nice over the last couple of weeks is that there have been no rushes at work, so I have been able to actually think about what I'm doing, instead of thrashing out project work as quickly as possible. I have my annual appraisal on Monday morning, which hopefully will go OK!

08/05/09

I'm very relieved to see that the swine flu has not been in the news very much over the last few days, which means that perhaps it is under control now and that I will get off on my holidays without any trouble. Serco is taking it all very seriously - yesterday we were all given a box of tissues, to make sure that we use a tissue when sneezing! I don't approve of the "nanny state" this country has become, but I think in health issues such as this it is as well to take all reasonable precautions.

29/04/09

Booked up the Washington and Lake District holidays today, and am looking forward to them. As I'm typing this, the news is reporting the escalation of the swine flu outbreak - I hope that doesn't affect my travel plans! Also had fun building my new lawnmower and giving the back garden a much-needed mow!

27/04/09

Well we had a lovely holiday in Lincolnshire. The weather was just perfect, and Lincolnshire is a very pretty county - though not necessarily geared up properly to cater for visitors. It was very peaceful and quiet though, and that was just what I needed after many months of hard work. I've just booked a few days' holiday in London for the end of May, and I expect those few days to be a bit noisier! Also on the radar for the next few months are trips to Washington DC and the Lake District, and I intend to try and book those up fairly soon.

17/04/09

Today I achieved something that I have been looking to achieve since about November last year - I managed to send off the final report of the last of the batch of projects that has been on my plate since last November. I can now look forward, at least for the time being, to a slightly easier time at work. But first things first - we are off to the Lincolnshire Wolds for a week tomorrow - keep your fingers crossed that the weather stays fine for us! I actually feel quite "empty" at the moment. Thrashing through projects is hard work, but not without its pleasures, not least the satisfaction of finishing and delivering a good piece of work.

13/04/09

Hmm, nearly two weeks since the last diary entry! Hard work as usual last week, when one of our customers decided that they wanted us to submit a piece of work earlier than we were expecting to have to do it. I have to deliver another project this Friday, and then - hopefully - the work rush will be over for while! In the next couple of months I intend to take some holiday. A few days in London, the Lake District and Washington DC should do nicely! I hope all my readers had a good Easter, mine was very pleasant, even if I did have to do some work!

01/04/09

The work continues this week, and I have a feeling I will be asking for a further extension on the project that is currently occupying me. Installed my Bluefin ECU upgrade at the weekend, and was astonished when Superchips called up to say that they couldn't modify the engine maps further as the car had already been upgraded! I think I may take the Audi to Superchips' rolling road, to see just what power and torque it is developing. Finally, am looking to book a holiday in Washington DC for the end of May / beginning of June.

25/03/09

Last Sunday was Mother's Day here in the UK, and luckily I remembered it this year and got my mother a card! We went out for Sunday lunch, marred only by the fact that it took 40 minutes to drive the five miles into Moreton, due to the fact that they had decided to dig up Moreton high street on that particular day. More good customer feedback this week, and another piece of work submitted. I'm now on the last piece of work, which has to be done by Easter. This will be a challenge, but the task could be much harder than it is.

20/03/09

Quite a good day today as I managed to get another piece of work submitted on time. That now leaves two items to cover before the end of March! Last night I bought a Bluefin ECU upgrade for the Audi, so I will loo forward to that arriving in a few days time, and the Audi becoming an even better can than it already is. Mother's Day is this Sunday in the UK, and I could only find a horrible lovey-dovey card for my mother. Oh well, she'll see the funny side when I explain it to her!

18/03/09

Lots and lots of work over the last few days - after all, we are approaching the end of the financial year here and so most work has to be complete by then. Had some nice feedback on a piece of work we strained to get submitted a few weeks ago, which makes it all worthwhile. I have a house inspection tomorrow, where the letting agency comes to see that all is well with my rented house. So I've been doing plenty of cleaning this evening and the house looks as good as new! I hope I pass the inspection! I usually do, so there shouldn't be a problem.

08/03/09

Long weekend for me this weekend, while the car was serviced in Stratford. Rob and Wendy came down to visit too, which of course meant plenty of beer (plus Rob nicking many of my smokes!) and a slightly sore head as I'm writing this! Have an awkward job to do at work first thing on Monday, which I put off from doing on Thursday last week. Now of course I wish I'd done that job on Thursday instead - it just goes to show that procrastination is never a good thing!

02/03/09

Quite a good week at work last week, I had three projects to finish and I managed all of them - though we will wait and see what the various customers think of my efforts! March promises to be busy too, as I have four projects to finish. That means no meaningful holiday this month. Other than work, there isn't very much to report from my little part of England. The weather is good, and my car goes in for a service and MOT on Friday - I wonder how much that will cost!

23/02/09

Yesterday was a special day, as it would have been my father's 70th birthday. To commemorate, my mother and I went out for Sunday lunch to a restaurant that he always enjoyed visiting. Luckily the weather was near perfect - in fact, it was so nice that you could easily have believe that spring had arrived. I always enjoy spring time, since it reminds me of holidays and trips to London or the USA.

16/02/09

The snow has now finally cleared away from the southern part of the UK, and life is now back to normal. It was very nice to see the snow, but I am glad to be able to see the green grass in my garden once again! Not too much happening here at the moment, work is progressing in a steady manner, without the ridiculous load that was present a few weeks back. I still have seven projects to finish by the end of March, but I think we will make it without too much trouble.

06/02/09

The prediction in my previous entry turned out to be correct - the last couple of days here have shown almost unprecedented levels of snow here in the south of England and Oxfordshire. The snow has been so bad that I have not been able to go into work for the last couple of days, though some people were brave and made the effort to go in. Luckily I can work from home, so it's not a big deal for me. The forecast is for a couple of clear days over the weekend, and then more snow on Monday and the early part of next week!

02/02/09

After a mad rush and something of a strain last week, we got our report submitted to the customer by the end of Friday - literally! The report went in at 10:30 pm, and then we could all go home, feeling very tired but satisfied that we had done the best we could under the circumstances. For those who are interested, the report is about the probability of a criticality event in a radioactive waste repository. Interesting, huh? Things will be slightly easier this week, but the talk of the country at the moment is the weather - we are gripped by Arctic conditions and snow, and it is supposed to get worse before it gets better!

26/01/09

Had a very pleasant weekend, we had lots of rain but it all came down on Friday and Saturday nights, leaving us with sunny days. Had some fun chopping down a tree for my mother - I intend to see what else there is to chop down next weekend! Today and for the rest of this week I am going to be very busy with work. This seems to have been going on for months now, but it keeps me out of mischief, and since my current project MUST be delivered on Friday, I should get some relief after the end of this week.

21/01/09

We're rapidly approaching the crunch point on the major project I am working on at the moment. It has to be finished by the end of January, but will we make it? The answer is yes we will, but whether we will produce a piece of work to be proud of, well that's another matter! Just had a good idea for this website - I will record a "video introduction" for it, but I'll do that tomorrow!

18/01/09

A beautiful day today here in England, with blue skies and reasonably warm temperatures. Funny, but we had storms yesterday and will get more of the same tomorrow. How fickle the English weather can be! Intended to do some work this weekend, but as yet haven't got around to doing it - and I have the strong suspicion that I probably won't. A few glasses of cider have put paid to that idea!

12/01/09

Well at last the cold weather has departed and we have slightly warmer temperatures here in the UK. The only problem is that the wind and rain has also come with those higher temperatures! At least I had a good day at work today, in spite of the weather. I have lots of projects to finish before the end of January, and I got one of them out of the way today, and I can now see the way through another of them, so young David and I will be able to get through that quite quickly. I hope the rest of the week proceeds in a similar vein!

09/01/09

Not much to report at the end of this week, apart from the fact that there is some respite from the cold weather coming up over the weekend. It looks as though wind and rain is going to replace the cold though, so I'm not sure if that's better or worse! Work was quite hectic this week, so no easy ride for me after the Xmas holidays!

06/01/09

First of all, a VERY belated happy new year to everyone who reads this page! I hope you all had a good Christmas. My Christmas was very low key and quiet. My brother came down from Leeds and he and I spent it with my mother. On other matters, the UK is in the grip of Arctic weather at the moment, and I saw -8 degrees Celsius in Blewbury this morning on my way into work. We're expecting the same again this evening. I've been back at work for two days now, and have got straight back into the swing of things, with plenty to do and a new colleague to work with.