Tuesday 22 October 2013

Head down and aim for Christmas

We are back at school and I am getting my head down and planning for Christmas. I always get my cards and start writing by the 1st of November. I have my stamps and various gifts already put aside, and I have some idea what I still need.

This all might sound very organised but if I don't so much gets forgotten, one year I forgot to send cards, another I forgot presents! With my increased work load I need to be organised more than ever. I have used the increase to do an big throw out, things I wanted to do but not now, stuff I kept in case I wanted, and old information out of date but unchecked till now. I threw away over 2 cubic meters of paper work, more if I count what had to be shredded. The shelves and desk look so much clearer, I hope to keep it that way, and it allows me scope to change things and set up work for my cover to do when I am away!

My tidy mania got taken home, and i sorted a third of a very full dump ground garage out so my car has a home when the temperature drops below freezing, and I found I was ditching the kids toys from over ten years ago :-( but they were moldy and manky which was sad, but I was ruthless. I let them keep the odd item if they could tell me why, otherwise it went in the bin or if decent off to a friends kids who are smaller and will have fun. I didn't get very far into it but managed to get my husband to do a bit later. So between us we will clear the garage.

I also had to sort all my clothes out, we had a leak in the roof above my bedroom, well we had a damp patch when bought and moved in 20 plus years ago. two or three years ago the damp become more a drip, and finally a trickle, and when it rained a pour! We have got used to living with buckets, sleeping to a gentle rainfall inside, wrapping up to keep the damp out of the bed at night, and emptying the buckets regularly in rainy times. We finally found the part needed to fix the wee flat roof and earlier this month husband climbed up and fixed it. We waited with bated breath and the ceiling dried out, the rain fell and the buckets stayed dry as did the ceiling! Success, then the realization that I needed to go through all my clothes and dry them out too. I have a smallish pile of clothes, oh all right a great big pile of very little used clothes. I bribed my daughter and we spent the best part of ten hours turning out and sorting the mass, I generated four very full bin bags of clothes for the local charity shops (as my daughter had the gall to say "some fat women will be very happy with you mum.") I didn't know had so many clothes. I am will not need to buy any for ages and already have an expanded work wear selection.

I saw this post about web apps and was intrigued and now have some new ones to play with. I tried the IFTTT which seems to be a bit complicated but was actually easy to follow and to make seamless, I hope that this post will appear in my blog post with out me having to add it! Another blog to catch my eye was a short but telling post from Ian Clark about how Cameron says you should check for the best deal online for power! but no allowance for those who have no computers. A nice reply from Ned Potter about how he works, which I tired and found that when I need to get some things done and focus on a good music playlist really helped!

My new job is making me more aware of my own time and things I waste it on, I love some of them so will be keeping them but others are not worth it, in the same idea I saw a note from Brian Solis, pointing out that change happens to you and because of you. I strive to be a good manager, to make working with me and for me as smooth and supported as I can, but as Brian says you must also be aware of your legacy, I would hate to not be remembered or dismissed easily, 'oh her, yes she was okay!' so I must be bolder and may be put my head above the parapet, or make a stand occasionally. Life is hard standing up for your beliefs but ultimately very rewarding.
Smokey standing for what she believes in, which is extra loves!


Monday 14 October 2013

Deep breath time

I am on holiday! I have a week off, and have plans to sleep in eat well and knit often! I am also trying and getting the world in balance. I am very guilty of burning the candle at both ends to get things done, I let things happen as its easier then fighting for my own rights. I am all for compromise but I need to get this in balance, I am now someone who sorts out others issues and I can't be seen to be accepting one situation while stopping this in other places. I am having to reassess my world and work, which is not so much fun but I did get a load of old paper work thrown out, some form my predecessor pre-2000, while a lot was from my early times and things I tried to get more library use from departments. That worked too well and I ended up being swamped and getting grumpy folks who couldn't get booked in, I am currently on the opposite but I now appreciate it is a passing thing and I have too much on my plate to worry about it. Some things do have to be let go and I can change.

I generated enough paperwork in the bin to fill a 2m by 3m bin by nearly a meter of stuff! as well as a full bag of shredding and a black bin bag of regular trash! I didn't get finished in the time so I will be dropping in and out to get some semblance of order back before Monday. I went through a two foot high stack and a 10 foot shelf area, I still have more to do, but I am now away form my desk regularly and need to have work for my cover to do if they can, and this can't be myself running round last minute grabbing things, so we do ahead!

I am so behind all my 'fun' things, my blogs I follow are in the three figures! my 'work' things that I follow for my own development are looking dusty and forgotten, but I am getting back through them.
I finally got back my computer and had a new drive but no info! all lost at that time, my IT person managed to find 80% eventually and if I wanted to send it off and pay lots it could all be found, sadly it isn't worth it to me, the first time my computer died and I lost info I sat and cried my heart out! The next time wasn't so bad and now I have a 'meh' attitude, I have things I would be sad to lose, but it isn't life threatening and it isn't life destroying. If I lost my work computer and my home computer at the same time I would be more upset, mainly due to lack of internet access. Now all I have to do is work out Firefox, after chrome was stripped out and not reinstalled due to it causing some of my problems!

If change is due you can sit back and complain or get out and change with it!
Just a quick pic of my lovies kitten, loving me while I had my camera out to take shots of her sister and mum!
She is a little monster and I love her, this morning she climbed my shelves and knocked the whole top shelf off, to get attention as I had slept in! some landed in her water bowl but she had knocked it over during the night in a fight with her sister! so no damp books (this time).

I am looking forward to the Highland Wool and Textile Fair at the Eden Courts Bishops Palace! I adore this venue and this event, I have a hotel booked for the night before and will take pics to share of the wonderful wool! I just hope my Lovies doesn't have a go at more shelves when I am away, to spite me!
Come and see if your any where near it :-).

Sunday 6 October 2013

Apologies for late posting, but so much happening!

I have been so busy and my home computer gave up the ghost, after repeat visits to my IT Guru whose is a star but sadly not psychic we have found the physical disc drive is needing replacement! but only after we have reinstalled all the software side and been back and fore a few times...

Work has been hectic, I have been promoted to a temporary part time acting senior post, which has already meant twice the paper work, and more meetings away. I am thrilled to be put forward for the highland representative on a new digital inclusion style group starting Scotland wide! which is scary and fun but also travel and higher thought then my usual desk job. And the new North Cilips branch is being discussed to up here very soon.

I spent two and a half days at my desk last week and may get less this coming week, so didn't get time to post last week end, nor during the week.

Normal posting will return very soon as I will be getting back my tower, and hopefully more time to get the new work done in the week. I live in hope.