Alex's even longer post thread.

[Alex]

Finished all the paperwork for clearing from my workplace today. Much earlier than I had expected, but it is all good. I am now not allowed to work at my work. All I can do for the rest of the week is give training and advice. Work did come in while I was in the office alone. I sat there and watched it, before ignoring it and leaving it for the nightshift to complete. I doubt he will, but if I am in by myself tomorrow then it will be waiting for them again and again until we get to the end of the week and I won't be there anymore.

It isn't a matter of not being willing to do the work. Legally I no longer have the authority for it. Were I do to do it, I'd be committing a criminal offence.

I'll take some cakes in on Friday for everyone. Not decided if they'll be spiked with laxatives or not yet. 

Looking forward to my new job. It has been what nine years in various offices in that building. Be nice to have a different view out of the window. Of course, it is nice to just have a view out of any window. The new building I will be working in at least also has windows. I know it quite well. Six years ago I'd to organise shipping 22 tonnes of paperwork out of it.

Will I miss anyone from my old work? Anyone I might is generally also leaving shortly. It has been around a decade since I last worked with anyone I hung around with outside of work hours. They were good days working with Scott and Baldy.

[Alex]

Tonight I have an amazing non-sleeping toddler who refuses to sleep. He had been incredibly tired all day with lots of tears, but wouldn't take a nap. Now he is just happy and full of beans.

Training Dave more today. I have a week to train him in every eventuality that only comes up once in a blue moon. By the time one of these scenarios does occur he isn't going to remember what I've told him. On the plus side, after being in the role for over a year, my immediate boss actually did some of the work we need him to do, and managed to do it without any mistakes.

Civilisation is safe then.

Joe and Dave will both be competent enough though, they just lack some experience. Max... well Max is a really nice guy who tries hard and I have a lot of time for him. I guess it will be enough. Dave keeps asking me if I approve of things he wants to change and I keep saying to him that I am not really a stakeholder in the processes anymore. I can tell you if something has been tried before, and if it failed why it failed, but they have to change the processes to what works for them. I do not own the way we work and I am not going to be offended if they alter it when I am gone.

I really wish Ash would sleep tonight. It is over five hours past his bedtime.

Increasingly, this year is feeling like we are all trapped in some Sims type game and someone keeps putting in mods for various disasters. At least the Murder Wasps seem to have disappeared. For the moment anyway. Got to say, 20 years into this millenia I am not impressed so far. I liked the major issues we had in the last one more.

Plus the music was better.

[Alex]

Found out today that Dave's name is actually Derek.

Since I finish up tomorrow I am not sure if there is any point to remembering that. On the plus side, it does save me from having to think about another Dave nickname.

It's been warm and wet this week. Tomorrow though is supposed to be in the high 20's (that's Celcius for you folks in countries that still cling on to Fahrenheit).

I was looking a game of HH Holmes Murder Hotel. Apparently the idea is you explore it, trying to find proof of his crimes with the man himself hunts you down. Not decided if I like the idea or not.

[Alex]

It is half six in the morning and all is quiet. It is much cooler today after we had the hottest day of the year so far yesterday. I love these peaceful times. Soon the rest of the house will wake up and I love spending time with them too, but right now is my time.

So my nine years in EOS came to an end yesterday. Apparently they had a whip-round for me, but they put Barry in charge of picking up a leaving present, so I might get that at some unspecified point in the future and I might not. I didn't really feel any care about it. There are some good people working there, but no one I will overly miss. Anyone I would is leaving around the same time anyway.

I've switched from buying figures for wargaming to collecting up some terrain to make the battlefield more interesting. For some reason model trees are hideously expensive so I haven't picked up any of them yet. I do have plenty of assorted buildings, walls, hedges and a river (as well as a bridge to go over it). Ordered some hills yesterday.

Had the latest pair of missionaries around for dinner last night. One is from Layton in Utah, the other from Houston, Texas. I found them hard to make conversation with, but I did my best if only for Kristi's sake.

Planning on heading into Elgin today and visiting the cemetery. This year has not been conducive to popping over there regularly.

Hmm, I should add some Transvision Vamp to my playlist. They had a couple of ok songs for forgettable pop music. Mostly though I guess it is because Wendy James looked hot. It would make a lighter change to the Powerwolf (terrible name), and Sabaton I've been listening to recently.

Oh well, I guess I should grab some breakfast and do stuff like get clothes on.

[chefzombie]

what's a whip-round? congrats on a happy ending leading into a new beginning, my friend! 

[Alex]

That's when they do a collection to get someone a leaving present. Ironically, normally it is me who has to organise them (although when someone who will only be referred to as "The miserable b***h" left I refused to do one for her as all she'd ever done was complain about everything.

[Alex]

If a government declared it was mandatory to breathe, would some people refuse on the basis that it is their right as an idiot not to?

Rhetorical question there. Pretty sure the answer is yes.

I had my first "day" in my new job today. Turned up at 08:00. Apparently the rule is that if you have no work to do then you go home. I was out of there just after 10:00 and I don't need to go back in until Wednesday. I cannot complain about those hours.

It also takes me a few minutes less to walk to work each day, so I can stay in bed slightly later in the mornings. Extra cuddle time should never be refused. I guess I should be upset that it gives me less time to think about stuff, but these days that might be a good thing. Besides, I enjoyed that more when my thoughts were darker. These days my meanderings seem to be pink, fluffy and saccharine sweet.

Comparatively.

Trying to put on something to watch on the TV, but I have music playing and damn good tunes keep coming on.  Right now I have
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1
and there is just no way I can put that song off. I also can't listen to it without thinking of that scene in 'Shoot 'Em Up' with the skydiving fight.

Damn, but that movie is fun and has a great soundtrack.

[RCMerchant]

 ^ AC/DC! You the man!  
And Bon Scott at that!

[chefzombie]

"comparatively" bwahahahaaaa!

[Alex]

Have another one RC.


Error 404 (Not Found)!!1


I got into work this morning. The guy training me said "I have a hangover, so just check your emails and if there is nothing important there, then just go home."

Fair enough. Was a lovely warm day today, so when I got home Kristi suggested we head into Inverness for the day. When I was last down visiting my mum she gave Ash £100 to spend on toys, so we went around a few toy shops today with him and spent about £60 of that (two Paw Patrol cars (Rubble and Zoom for anyone who is familiar with the show) with accompanying pups and dinosaurs), a box of 10 Hot Wheels cars and a track for them), all on cars and car related things. We figured out what we wanted to get him for xmas and I picked up another present for Kristi as well as deciding what her big present is going to be. Ash did not want to walk today, preferring instead to be carried. Putting that down to the heat (it was supposed to be 19 degrees today, turned out to be 27 degrees instead).

In contrast to the other places I have been recently, almost everyone was wearing masks in Inverness, even while outside. Aberdeen on the other hand has went back into lockdown after an outbreak centred on one of the pubs in the city. Honestly, I can't help but think that places serving alcohol should be the last to reopen. Drunk people do not socially distance.

We had a walk along the River Ness and took some photos.









By the time we got back home Ash was just done. We fed him, gave him a cool shower and he collapsed into bed, sleeping within minutes.

If only we could do that to him every day. 

We should have a short day tomorrow again, if not quite as short as todays was lol.

[Alex]

As it turned out today was just as short as yesterday.

The weather started out really nice, but as the day went on it cooled down and we got some rain. Not an entirely bad thing as the heat can be quite oppressive.

This has been the easiest first week in any job I have ever done. I don't imagine it will stay this way though.

I am not often happy with my paint jobs on models, but this DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps) command group seem to have worked out well.
Its a medic, officer, radio operator and a dogsbody type guy.



I have a bunch of infantry I am getting a friend to paint up professionally. When I get them back we'll be doing some African desert fights with the LRDG (forerunner to the SAS).

[chefzombie]

that bridge is gorgeous, any idea on the age? it must be awesome to live in a place with so much amazing architecture...i love my little city on the prairie, but there's nothing here that even hits 200 years old.

[Alex]

Those bridges are in Inverness city centre and aren't too old. I'd guess no more than 50 years but most likely a lot more recent.  It gets lit up in all different neon colours at night.

[chefzombie]

interesting that they're that "young", they remind me of some of the bridges in new england that are 300ish now. 

[Alex]

If you are really interested, I'll find you some pictures of seriously old bridges.

Picked up our new kitten today. Kristi had tasked me with coming up with a name. Since it is a patchwork of colours, I first thought of naming it Franky (for Frankensteins Monster), but since the cat is female I decided to go with Elsa, after Elsa Lancaster. Speaking of Elsa Lancaster, I was today years old when I found out she was in Mary Poppins.

The new job is going ok. Working with a couple of boardgame geeks so I think I might fit in well there. I tend to get on better with smaller groups and there only being 3 of us in there definitely counts for that.