Dudes!
In trying to unlock my phone so I have a temporary handset to use on my travels before I get a new shiny one, I have inadvertently erased my contacts list. Whoops.
I'm not sure what disappoints me more - my failure in the unlocking or that it didn't go wrong better - I've heard of people's displays going upside down and the menu language being locked to French. Some people have all the luck!
Following the success of my pole-disposal via ebay, I am now selling my digital piano (Trying not on ebay first, due to the extortionate listing rates).
Mmmmn, shiny rosewood piano...
Oi! Pay attention!
I have handed in my 2 month notice at work. My last day will be the 28th March. I will be leaving London on the 30th March. I will be leaving the country on 12th April.
So, anyone wishing to go for coffee, drinks, food or just hang out needs to be in London before then - I am accepting bookings!
Hehehehehehehehhe.
Evenin' all.
I am all sorts of busy this week, being as I am moving this weekend. In an attempt to save money, I'm moving in with my bulter, Will. However, all the banks doing ridiculous things have thwarted this theory somewhat.
Still, we have a shiny new flat, very close to work. See a map here! (Please note that arrow does not show exact location of flat. I'm not planning to live on a yacht. Well, not in the winter anyway!)
More news soon! Maybe.
This week has been officially crazy busy(TM).
On Monday, I got to go to glamorous Banbury and was up for around 20 hours. I don't think I really recovered from that for the rest of the week, but I was working late every night at the office, until Friday when I was sent to even-more-exotic Stourbridge. Oh, and tomorrow I'm flying out to Munich.
Still, it would appear that 1) I love my job and 2) my job might quite like me too. Well, being referred to as "the posh bird from London" is enough to make anyone smile (even if you are secretly a man). And if that doesn't, a couple of hours in a Virgin 1st class carriage certainly will.
Right, off to buy some clear plastic bags and small plastic pots (grumble grumble baggage restrictions grumble grumble).
Last night was the first SUCS Christmas party I missed in 7 years. But I think I had a good reason. See here and here for a clue.
In other news, I was just on my way home from the office and a small girl approached me in the tube station. She was headbutting my bag as she sat next to me and I said I didn't want her to hurt herself on it. Turns out she wanted me to take her photo on my phone, so I did. She was unbelievably cute, and was very excited about having her photo taken. As a result, it came out a bit blurry, but she was very happy with it and it also made her Mum smile. Then my train came and I had to leave, but she started going threw her pockets and gave me one of her milk chew sweets. I missed that train, but after I said goodbye to her I walked along the platform wondering if she'd been a decoy for someone to pick my pockets or something. It was just a really nice experience to have in London, and when I got home and saw the picture I'd taken properly, I wanted to show it to everyone. So here it is.
That is all.
Oh, I am a bad bad, neglectful girl! In my defense, I've only gotten my home web connection set up in the last few days. But anyway, better late than never.
London is continuing to be highly agreeable to my brain - there's always something to do or see. Last week I managed to go out 4 nights in a row straight from work which I don't think is too shabby. Mind you, thanks to the rules preventing laptops from being taken into bars or restaurants it has meant that I've had to stumble back via the office on my way home a few times. Hehehehehhehe.
I've now pretty much settled in my flat. Everyone is arguing over who isn't supplying me electricity (it would appear the suppliers think my supply is disconnected, which it obviously isn't as I'd be typing far worse if it were dark), so for now that seems to be free. Hehehehe.
Work is lots of fun. I get paid for the first time this week - my xbox360 is already on order. I now seem to be almost fully decked out in corporate regalia - the most exciting of which appears to be my business cards (I've been given lots of shiny electronics too, but for some reason I really like my business cards)
I've yet to solve the problem of poling up my flat. I'd be tempted to go for some lessons but I'm not sure when I'd currently have time and it seems a little pointless if I have nowhere to practice. Sigh. I'll figure something out soon.
Meantime, I have the wonders of ironing to contend with. And no Top Gear either! Curses!
So, it's the end of my first week of work. I'm exhausted, but happy.
I seem to be about to fall asleep and ++lots has happened but I can't talk about any of it, so I'll just say that I am having ridiculous amounts of fun, London is still excellent fun (even the commute, or in fact, especially the commute), and it only took 2 days for my coworkers to start moaning about me being too happy and chirpy. Well, it only took one day for me to get stuck in a corridor and have to call my boss to come rescue me. Hehehehehe!
Moving into my new flat tomorrow, lots to do but really looking forward to it. If I could be bothered I'd tell the story of my imaginary and mystery interweb connection, but I can't so you'll have to make up instead.
I should get permission to install miktex and texnicCentre on my shiny shiny new work laptop next week, so my thesis polishing can begin proper... Probably. :) Selling conciousness in exchange for money, its great.... zzzzzzzzzzzzz!
[this should have appeared last night. But some part of the interweb broke and I fell asleep. So here it is, a day later where it makes less sense]
Evening all.
Today I came back to London for the final time. Ok, well, I am sure I'll leave London at some point during the rest of my life and thus have to return again, nullifying my previous statement, but I digress. What I meant is that today I moved myself to London, with no immediate plans for leaving. Unfortunately I did just move myself and none of my belongings due to various logistical hiccups. There should be some wurly birkmen bringing my stuff up next weekend.
I got the keys to my new flat today and also went out exploring the local area. I got all sorts of excited. There's an organic market every Saturday just round the corner from my flat, which itself is still as nice as I remember it being. I can't see myself having any major problems living there for the next year. Well, almost. Not only does it have ++high ceilings, but the ceiling is false (to allow for the sunken spotlights) meaning it wouldn't support a pole even if I could get one that long. Curses! Thwarted again! Still, I'm working on a solution.
And finally, tomorrow morning I'm due to start work. After spending so long in education it's actually odd to think that I'll be spending time doing things in exchange for money. But definitely odd in a good way. And meanwhile in the back of my head I hear my thesis calling, begging to be proof-read before binding. I'll be getting back to that tomorrow evening no doubt, I'm actually starting to miss working on it.
Wow, I can't believe I just said that.
Well, today I have been flat hunting in London, it would appear rather succssfully.
I've found some kind of nice little 1 bedroom flat very near to the Archway tube station, but on a very quiet and residential road. It's a good size period building with an insanely bright stainned glass front door. Wooden floors throughout, giant windows and ceilings over 12 foot. Honestly, it's a giant ceiling, I've got no idea how I'm going to find a pole to fit, or rather, how I'm going to fit a pole. That said, the tenants underneath might not be best pleased if I keep falling off it when practising, so I guess we'll see how it goes.
I can move in Sunday, work starts on Monday so I've lots to go home and organise. But yes, all very exciting, and a lovely sunny day. Hurrah!
So, just before going out pirating on Wednesday night, I was standing in Will's garden at 7pm when I got a phone call. And a job. Hurrah!
My official title is going to be "Associate Manager, Forensics and Fraud", which to me sounds like I should have some kind of police badge to whip out and flash at people. I'll be based in central London (just off Fleet Street, near Farringdon Tube station), starting on the 9th October, working for one of the big 4. (Or, as I prefer to think of them, the big-not-sure-how-many-of-them-are-left) There's lots of foreign travel involved, mostly in Europe plus all sorts of other fun things like fully funded training and certification. Well, they seem like fun to me, I just like getting letters after my name! So, it's going to be all business suits, security clearance cards and little suitcases on wheels from next month.
Of course, another perk is the location, I can finally get some regular pole dancing lessons, visit my parents more frequently and have some semblence of a normal love life. Well, location wise anyway.
But I digress, collecting the van later today to move all my furniture back to my parent's house this weekend. It's a 600 mile round trip, and I'm a little nervous that not everything will fit in the back of the van. It's a good job I have +skill in the packing! Right, I'm off to fax off my qualifications and contract. Tally ho!
Phew. I'm still here.
Last week and the beginning of this week was as manic, draining and stressful as expected. But there was some fun along the way. And now everything job-hunting wise has died down a little, I can enjoy the fruits of my labours. So far, I've had one rejection (the academic job, so no tears there), an offer for my perfect job in the wrong place and working for peanuts (slightly vexing), and now I'm just waiting to hear about a job in London which wasn't originally my first choice, but comes out on top when you look at the job/prospects/money graph. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd much rather do the ideal job for less money, but they were literally offering me half what I'm expecting to be offered for the slightly-less-perfect London job.
I returned to the lab from all my interviews to find on my desk a draft thesis, carefully annotated by Chen. Since I've been back, I think he's been off sick (must remember to attach health warning to the abstract in future) so I haven't had chance to talk to him about it yet, but I'm pretty happy with the comments he's made on paper. Meanwhile, my brain is still in full Prolog mode, whilst I try to make sense of the code I wrote last week. So, I guess I should get back to it.
Ah, and I forgot to say, my flat is now almost entirely made of boxes. The big move is T - 3 days, but I'm trying hard to only think about things one day at a time unless my head explodes. The pole is still up and should get some use tomorrow night, I just hope I'm not so out of practice that I fall on my head. I should probably do some more packing tonight, but instead I think I'll be running around Wind Street dressed as a pirate. Don't you just hate it when that happens? ;)
Right, one down, one to go. Today's interview was pretty uneventful, got my qualifications photocopied, gave my presentation, answered some questions, asked some questions, got a tour, left. Think it went well. Don't know when I'll hear, but I'm not too worried. There were 5 candidates in total (I think) and it turns out I actually knew one of the other applicants - though we didn't meet I recognised his name on the visitor list. I hope he gets it. :)
Popped into Glamorgan uni on the drive home to deliver a small present to one of my referees - not just to sweeten him up on the job application process but also for his help over the last couple of years.
So, tomorrow, 300 mile round trip. Oh, I wish I had GPS... (This is one interview I really *really* don't want to turn up late for) At least I'm in the RAC.