New job, new era

Okay, for those of you living on a planet not in our solar system, it may come us news that I started a new job this week. Not only a new job, but also a new career. Scary stuff.

So, first week. Was fun.

Got email telling me to turn up at 10.30. Yay, like that idea muchly. Now, outside the rush hour, home to new work is an hour, pretty much on the nose. Inside the rush hour I had this idea that at least doubling that would be a fair estimated as there is to contend with, lemme see;

Getting out of Ashford (mostly okay)

M20 at Maidstone (slow but okay)

M26/25 junction (slow)

Clackett Lane (slow to standstill)

Purley Cross (guaranteed queuing time of one hour)

So, I thought I’d leave home at 8am.
Got there 9.30, surprising everyone, including myself. Chatted with Receptionist, Director and IT boy until boss came in at 10.30. looked around the place and met everyone.

Boss was in receipt of new computer. I was in receipt of Very Old computer, an interim machine until Old computer was ready for me, an interim machine until New machine is authorised and purchased. Went for lunch with boss whilst both new and Very Old computers were being persuaded to work.

Nice local pub with decent lunch menu.

Came back to find new computer throwing tantrums and Very Old computer failing to get out of bed.

Managed a little bit of computer time to play around and got first assignment issued to keep me occupied Tuesday when boss was out. Got home in one hour ten.

Decided to leave home at 7.30 and see what time that got me in. Arrived 10.00. Hmmm. Did assignment and struggled with writing first assignment due to uncontrollable urge to write comedy which was fuelled by Very Old computers unwillingness to wake up and do anything. IT boy assures me that Old machine is almost ready and that its much better. Got home in one hour forty five.

Weds was one hour thirty in, and two hours home due to M25 standstill. Arrived to find Old machine installed. Excellent. Much more spry than Very Old machine. Lots of quirks and foibles but am able to type more than three words a minute on it. Serioused up Tuesdays assignment and started sub-editing other peoples stuff. And playing with pictures. Am sure that at some point I will learn how to make a picture of a loo seat look interesting.

Am learning about all sorts of things that I am deciding that I want in my house. Whilst sitting in the outside lane of the M25 going nowhere, compiled potential shopping list of things I’d like done to my house. After shopping list had grown to the length of a large redwood, gave up. Baby car’s cabi heating element also gave up.

Thurs was two hours in. Nice colleague volunteered to show mw short way to M23/25 junction on way home. Played with new machine, learned about forklifts, u-bends and health and safety issues. Received second assignment to play with on Friday when boss not in. Followed colleague down to M25 via every tiny little humped road and leafy suburb in south London, only to run into standstill on M25. However, the back roads were so quick, that despite standstill at Maidstone due to very nasty accident and stopping for petrol, I was still home in one hour thirty. Replicating route? Even using sat nav, multimap and ordnance survey? Don’t think so.

On Friday, had dive club dinner, so left at 7.05 with the idea of getting in for nine so that I could leave at five. Arrived 08.15. Hmmm. Meant I could leave at 4.15, but took two hours to get to Chris. *snerk!*

Now I have benchmarks for timing, next few weeks will be spent exploring short cuts.

Dive club meal was excellent at the George Vaults in Rochester,an event Chris organised. Zippy got the Albatross (booby) award (sighs of relief from both Chris and myself who were also contenders!). In classic Christmas party tradition, the sprouts bounced, but there was no food fight this year.

Christmas is approaching way too fast this year, I’m not at all prepared and still awaiting presents arrival. And, oh sh*t, I should probably do something about xmas cards. But at least my tree is up.