Catch up from Cornwall

Well, it’s not really Cornwall, it’s not even Devon, it’s Somerset but it’s only about 20 miles from Cornwall, 12 miles from the south coast and 5 miles from Devon. I don’t think there is a part of Somerset that is further away from Milton Keynes. Anyway, it’s a bloody long way! And I hate being away from home. Claire and I have been together every day and night, with very few exceptions, for over 10 years now, and the last few months we have been together 24-7 so it’s a real shock to the system. Also I haven’t worked 5 days a week for years now, well not for anyone else other than Claire. I’m not used to it. I was whacked on Friday when I finally got home and by Saturday afternoon after working around the flat was already starting to think about going back to work again early Monday morning. I was real bad company after poor Claire was really looking forward to me coming home. Never really got any chance to relax or recover from the previous week. It will be even worse next weekend as I have my first Open University tutorial in Oxford on Saturday and I have to lay the tiles in the bathroom over the weekend. I had better get some sleep while I am here this week as I won’t have time when I get home.

You will be pleased to know that I am well on the way to being a proficient Inventor user. I knew it wouldn’t take long as I have used so many other similar programs for years. The hard bit was not using the help as other people could see my screen and would wonder why I needed such basic tutorials or help. After all, I did tell them I could walk straight in and use it otherwise I wouldn’t have been here in the first place. As a contractor, you have to exaggerate or lie a bit; otherwise you would always use the same software and be designing the same stuff all your life. That’s why a lot of the old school didn’t get off the drawing board; they never had the confidence to “have a go”.
Driving down here at 5am on a Monday morning, staying and working all week and then driving back after work on a Friday, in the rush hour, is not going to work long term for me. In fact when I left work on Friday I was full expecting to talk with Claire over the weekend and give my 1 week’s notice this Monday. However, I had 4 hours to think about it on the way home whilst queuing on the M25. If I could get them to agree to me working the same number of hours in 4 days and come home on a Thursday after work, I might just be able to stick it out for a longer term. Especially as I am quite enjoying the work at the moment and we do need the money. I have nothing to lose as the alternative is to give a week’s notice anyway. Of course, waiting for the right moment to make such a suggestion is critical, especially as they don’t really want me anyway. That moment arose on Tuesday, and to my surprise, it went down a lot better than I expected. My boss has to ask his boss and will get back to me this week. Only trouble is that his boss is the one that doesn’t like me and everyone seems afraid of. Not sure how long he has been there or how much stick he is getting from above or maybe he is a natural but I should find out in time.

Anyway if it comes off I might be here for a while longer and even find time to take some local photos. If I am here for any length of time there are a few things I need to sort out that aren’t working for me. I have no internet connection at work and people that have are too frightened to use it anyway. I can’t get the internet in my room either so the only way I can get online is by taking my laptop downstairs in the lounge or going to Witherspoons. I went to the local Witherspoons on Tuesday after work and was very pleasantly surprised. I had a daily Tuesday special, a 10oz rump steak with a large mushroom, tomato, chips and peas all washed down with a pint of Cools light for £6.10 a real bargain. Shame they don’t do accommodation.