So we decided to take a week off and have a holiday in the all-inclusive Iberostar Costa Calero. It came out top in the reviews on Tripadvisor, and the rate including flights, transfer, coach, food and hotel was pretty reasonable.
Iberostar Costa Calero - not too bad
Jeff wanted a 'floppy' beach holiday, especially after the very hectic and busy weeks in April. The whole idea was that we would just flop on the beach or by the pool and do nothing. Well guess what, we found out that we weren't the 'beachy' type, and it wasn't long before we got quite bored.
I did work on my book though, and Jeff bought a PSP game that he was trying to complete. We also brought along loads of movies and tv series, and managed to watch the whole Season 3 of Prison Break (oo Schofield is such a cutie) as well as some movies including 'Cloverfield' and 'I Am Legend'. We did a lot of workout in the gyms almost every day, which made us feel that we were allowed to eat like a pig the rest of the day :)
Our hotel was in Costa Calero, very near a cute little marina with some restaurants and shops, and lots of sailing boats where I presume rich people parked their trophies.
The hotel itself is nice, very immaculately clean - the staff definitely works really hard to make sure that the place was spotless. The housekeeper for our floor made sure that our room was always very clean, and we were so pleased that we left a thank-you gift. However, the hotel is a bit soul-less, with a lot of german and british tourists, mostly retirees who really want to get skin cancer.
They all booked their sun loungers, and spent the whole day browning and sizzling under the sun, many of whom did not even venture into the water. Granted, the pool was a tad chilly, but after a few laps, they were fine. We did go swimming, and enjoyed one of the four pools they had. Not so for the other guests, who appeared to be more concerned about their tan and bellies than they did about exercising.
We ate at a couple of restaurants at the marina but they were nothing to shout about, the food was quite salty but I guess you pay for the environment.
We ate at this restaurant but it wasn't that great
I bet some of these boats are more expensive than our house!
Another marina picture.
We also did a lot of walking, especially into the nearest town in Puerto Del Carmen which was about 2 miles away. We underestimated the sun and didn't put any sun block on - so Jeff ended up with a sun burnt neck and my shoulders took the brunt of the sunlight. Sigh. What a way to start the holiday.
Our sun shiny walk to Puerto Del Carmen
The beaches near our hotel in Puerto Calero was quite rocky and lava-ry, and you could just jump into the clear waters very quickly.
The rocky lava-ry beach near our hotel.
Oh, we also did a day of scuba diving, which was quite pleasant although I keep forgetting how anxious I get before a dive. Diving really stresses the body quite a bit, with underwater pressure pressing on the body and lungs. Also, because I am so crap at charades and sign language, I always worry about getting into trouble and not being able to signal to Jeff or the divemaster my problem. The second dive of the day was a bit better as I acclimatised. We saw a cuttlefish, and stingray and the resident garoupa called 'Felix'.
The only excursions we took was a trip to Teguisa Market, which was a touristy trappy thing, and a bus ride around the Timanfaya National Park. I had expected a lot of trees and forests but it's actually a lava field. The Canary islands are made up of quite a few volcanos, and in 1780's something, a massive one blew, and spewed lava everywhere. Lanzarote is very very barren, with lots of lava fields around - acres of it.
We had dinner at Volcan Grill, where they cooked our meal over the natural heat of the volcano. The chicken was really nice and tender though, but everything else was far too salty.
It was a lovely trip, but we probably won't go back. There's a lot more in the world to see, and we've ticked off Lanzarote. The weather was gorgeous though, and it was a really nice change from our schedule, but it's very touristy. I saw a lot more British and Germans than I did the locals. There wasn't very much authenticity at the place, but some people like it. We met quite a lot of people who go there, 3-4 times a year. Not for us I don't think. Been there, done that. Next.
Funny Customer Wanted sign on a restaurant window
Lovely Lava landscape
The hot Jeff on the lava volcano
That's our dinner sizzling on a volcano fired furnace
And our flaming volcano dessert, which was toffee flambe
The only photo I took of our hotel was this one, bu Jeff turned out a bit black
Posted at 22:50 PM
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Iberostar Costa Calero - not too bad
Jeff wanted a 'floppy' beach holiday, especially after the very hectic and busy weeks in April. The whole idea was that we would just flop on the beach or by the pool and do nothing. Well guess what, we found out that we weren't the 'beachy' type, and it wasn't long before we got quite bored.
I did work on my book though, and Jeff bought a PSP game that he was trying to complete. We also brought along loads of movies and tv series, and managed to watch the whole Season 3 of Prison Break (oo Schofield is such a cutie) as well as some movies including 'Cloverfield' and 'I Am Legend'. We did a lot of workout in the gyms almost every day, which made us feel that we were allowed to eat like a pig the rest of the day :)
Our hotel was in Costa Calero, very near a cute little marina with some restaurants and shops, and lots of sailing boats where I presume rich people parked their trophies.
The hotel itself is nice, very immaculately clean - the staff definitely works really hard to make sure that the place was spotless. The housekeeper for our floor made sure that our room was always very clean, and we were so pleased that we left a thank-you gift. However, the hotel is a bit soul-less, with a lot of german and british tourists, mostly retirees who really want to get skin cancer.
They all booked their sun loungers, and spent the whole day browning and sizzling under the sun, many of whom did not even venture into the water. Granted, the pool was a tad chilly, but after a few laps, they were fine. We did go swimming, and enjoyed one of the four pools they had. Not so for the other guests, who appeared to be more concerned about their tan and bellies than they did about exercising.
We ate at a couple of restaurants at the marina but they were nothing to shout about, the food was quite salty but I guess you pay for the environment.
We ate at this restaurant but it wasn't that great
I bet some of these boats are more expensive than our house!
Another marina picture.
We also did a lot of walking, especially into the nearest town in Puerto Del Carmen which was about 2 miles away. We underestimated the sun and didn't put any sun block on - so Jeff ended up with a sun burnt neck and my shoulders took the brunt of the sunlight. Sigh. What a way to start the holiday.
Our sun shiny walk to Puerto Del Carmen
The beaches near our hotel in Puerto Calero was quite rocky and lava-ry, and you could just jump into the clear waters very quickly.
The rocky lava-ry beach near our hotel.
Oh, we also did a day of scuba diving, which was quite pleasant although I keep forgetting how anxious I get before a dive. Diving really stresses the body quite a bit, with underwater pressure pressing on the body and lungs. Also, because I am so crap at charades and sign language, I always worry about getting into trouble and not being able to signal to Jeff or the divemaster my problem. The second dive of the day was a bit better as I acclimatised. We saw a cuttlefish, and stingray and the resident garoupa called 'Felix'.
The only excursions we took was a trip to Teguisa Market, which was a touristy trappy thing, and a bus ride around the Timanfaya National Park. I had expected a lot of trees and forests but it's actually a lava field. The Canary islands are made up of quite a few volcanos, and in 1780's something, a massive one blew, and spewed lava everywhere. Lanzarote is very very barren, with lots of lava fields around - acres of it.
We had dinner at Volcan Grill, where they cooked our meal over the natural heat of the volcano. The chicken was really nice and tender though, but everything else was far too salty.
It was a lovely trip, but we probably won't go back. There's a lot more in the world to see, and we've ticked off Lanzarote. The weather was gorgeous though, and it was a really nice change from our schedule, but it's very touristy. I saw a lot more British and Germans than I did the locals. There wasn't very much authenticity at the place, but some people like it. We met quite a lot of people who go there, 3-4 times a year. Not for us I don't think. Been there, done that. Next.
Funny Customer Wanted sign on a restaurant window
Lovely Lava landscape
The hot Jeff on the lava volcano
That's our dinner sizzling on a volcano fired furnace
And our flaming volcano dessert, which was toffee flambe
The only photo I took of our hotel was this one, bu Jeff turned out a bit black
Posted at 22:50 PM
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After the stint in Manchester, I was shuttling to and from Cardiff, running workshops with Alison and Kevan. I've never worked with them before because Alison's from the Siebel team and Kevan's a BI dude - they are top notch people though. It never ceases to amaze me how much joy I find working with highly professional and really cool people.
We stayed at The Barcelo Angel hotel, which is a far far cry from The Four Gables. At one time, it MUST have been grand, but it had fallen into much disrepair. The room I had on the first night was on the main road, and the non-double-glazed window meant that I could hear all the traffic including conversations of passers-by. I could even make out the arguments of couples after their stint at the pub, and at one point I wanted to shout out that I agreed with the girl that her boyfriend was a nasty bully, but I kept myself to myself. It was hard enough not being able to sleep.
I did have a lovely view of the castle from my room though, but the room was dire. Absolutely. The shower came off in my hand during my morning shower, and the 'coffee table' broke apart when I placed my files on it. The furniture was old, worn and dirty and the bed was incredibly uncomfortable. Not to mention the noise!
It was indeed the worst night I have ever had! I wrote in the feedback form my 'disgruntledness' and disappointment in the room and services, and if I could find another place to stay - I would. When I mentioned this to reception the following day, she asked me to request a 'quiet room'. Why should I? The reason why anyone wants to book a hotel is to rest. I cannot imagine anyone requesting a 'noisy room'. What a load of bs. In fact, I rather drive the 150 mile round trip to Jeff's parents in Cicencester back to Cardiff.
Saying that - for my next trip there, I could not find another hotel that was as cheap and as close, so had to re-book in the same place. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find that I had been upgraded to a posher, 'refurbished' room, complete with a plate of fruits as well as a loyalty card granting me 10% off food and beverage at the hotel. There was also an abject letter of apology from the general manager, Mr Platt.
Whilst this was a nice touch, it felt very much 'too little, too late'. Especially since it had garnered very mixed review and bad press on Tripadvisor. I don't think I will be going back if I can help it. And any way, we are at the end of our workshop sessions and we are into design mode at the moment. I don't think there are any more overnight sessions in Cardiff any more for the moment. Phew.
It must have been quite grand at one point
Lovely view of the castle from my window - in daylight.
And at night
Posted at 18:43 PM
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We stayed at The Barcelo Angel hotel, which is a far far cry from The Four Gables. At one time, it MUST have been grand, but it had fallen into much disrepair. The room I had on the first night was on the main road, and the non-double-glazed window meant that I could hear all the traffic including conversations of passers-by. I could even make out the arguments of couples after their stint at the pub, and at one point I wanted to shout out that I agreed with the girl that her boyfriend was a nasty bully, but I kept myself to myself. It was hard enough not being able to sleep.
I did have a lovely view of the castle from my room though, but the room was dire. Absolutely. The shower came off in my hand during my morning shower, and the 'coffee table' broke apart when I placed my files on it. The furniture was old, worn and dirty and the bed was incredibly uncomfortable. Not to mention the noise!
It was indeed the worst night I have ever had! I wrote in the feedback form my 'disgruntledness' and disappointment in the room and services, and if I could find another place to stay - I would. When I mentioned this to reception the following day, she asked me to request a 'quiet room'. Why should I? The reason why anyone wants to book a hotel is to rest. I cannot imagine anyone requesting a 'noisy room'. What a load of bs. In fact, I rather drive the 150 mile round trip to Jeff's parents in Cicencester back to Cardiff.
Saying that - for my next trip there, I could not find another hotel that was as cheap and as close, so had to re-book in the same place. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find that I had been upgraded to a posher, 'refurbished' room, complete with a plate of fruits as well as a loyalty card granting me 10% off food and beverage at the hotel. There was also an abject letter of apology from the general manager, Mr Platt.
Whilst this was a nice touch, it felt very much 'too little, too late'. Especially since it had garnered very mixed review and bad press on Tripadvisor. I don't think I will be going back if I can help it. And any way, we are at the end of our workshop sessions and we are into design mode at the moment. I don't think there are any more overnight sessions in Cardiff any more for the moment. Phew.
It must have been quite grand at one point
Lovely view of the castle from my window - in daylight.
And at night
Posted at 18:43 PM
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We have both been working non-stop, all hours. It is not conducive to having a baby. I spent the last couple of weeks Up North, training around 60+ customer service agents on how to log calls in MSCRM. It turned out to be a fascinating observation of human psychology.
The organisation is a very large, old institution, rooted deeply in the British Heritage, and if I told you who it was, you would recognise the name instantly. People who worked there have been in their jobs since forever. I am not kidding. The IT Manager in charge has been in the organisation for 30 years, moving around in different roles. The customer services team have been there for many decades, whose ages ranged from about 30+ to 60+. Job for life apparently.
These people were very very set in their ways, and although they have had MSCRM for the last 2 years, they have never used it properly. Most were against it, many feared the 'New fangled technology' and allowed the fear to spread malignant negativity everywhere they go.
Mind you, there were people who were very excited about the new system (well, not new per se, but it was new to them only because they have never used it). Others were convinced that this would cause them so much work and be such a bane on their existance that they wanted nothing to do with it.
There was this manager, Kate, who had already decided that this was an evil evil thing. She was beligerant and loud and ranted against it. And she was in the first of the 9 training sessions I had to run. Fortunately I had Shelley and Sue with me, the two managers driving the change in the organisation. They were present in all the training sessions, mostly to answer business process questions but also to do 'Crowd Control'.
There was a strict class level - the people were banded in Grades. I assumed that Grade C's were the managers and Grade E's were the 'underlings'. I think that some 'managers' progressed to Grade C only because they have been in the job for so long. It was definitely not based on aptitude and certainly not on attitude. What a shame. There are a few very promising people in there, but I think it wouldn't take long for their spirit and enthusiasm to get crushed.
What was telling, was that a lot of the folks there had a very narrow-minded outlook. This is from what I observed. They had their little patch of area which they were responsible for, and did not care about any one else. Very much a 'It's not my job' culture, or rather, 'That job's for the higher grades'.
Pushing change in such an organisation can be very frustrating, especially for the more outward looking managers in there. It was also a charity, which did not believe in kicking people out, so you have the deadwood and the negative elements hanging on for a dear life in the place, knowing full well that they would not be able to survive any where else.
It was really a fascinating insight into how people perceived their life and their worth. Some were a joy to train - especially Maxine and Kay who took on the new training with much gusto and enthusiasm, requesting more and more exercises so that they could nail them down and get it right in their heads. Some others refused to do any exercises, angrily dismissing me and directing their anger and barbed negativity against Sue and Shelley, whom the probably feel are to blame for their feeling out of their comfort zone.
I found it incredibly draining, my energy levels running on empty. Training users is already an exhausting task, but having to field negativity and answer questions on why the system worked this way, why it was so difficult, why did the system not do x, y and z just took its toll on me. Fortunately today is the last day of training, and I can look forward to other tasks.
The people whom I interact with normally, such as John, the IT manager and Graham in his team, are really nice, as are Sue, Shelley and Sandra. It's just that the training was a particular exercise of tolerance and endurance for me.
I am now involved in two pretty large projects. My own MS CRM project for which I am the project manager, and another much much bigger one - with integration with BI cubes and other clever bits. On that one, I am the CRM lead, mainly because the project is one of 470 days with a very large building society in Wales.
This actually means that I am going to have to go to Cardiff quite a bit, starting from next week. I am not quite looking forward to it, especially since those who have done the Discovery and initial project kick-off meetings have said that the hotel is a bit dingy, and the food dire. Alison, who have gone for the initial design workshops have crunched her car in the car park bays. All in all, not a great sign.
But it will be a good project for me in terms of expanding my experience and career. I had thought that I would be due for a promotion this year, especially looking at the kinds of things I have been working on and having responsibility for. However, I think that may still be quite a while a way, because there are loads of very very good people internally who are still in the Principal Consultant band (as am I). Whilst I may believe I am doing very well on my own path, I think there is still a way to go before I am as good as some of them.
I have, however, found one of the best kept secrets up north in Wetherby, where I had to spend some time to complete the training. I stayed in the Four Gables quite a few times now, and Anne and David Watts have done a superb job of creating a really beautiful B&B.
My first impression of The Four Gables from the outside when I first arrived was that it is such a beautiful property. The inside was even more impressive - beautifully restored, immaculately kept and wonderfully warm.
The decor, interior finishings, furniture and little touches shows just how much love and pride that Anne and David Watts had in the house. Due to my job, I have been to loads of B&B and hotels, but this one ranked up there amongst the most delightful surprises, and I am comparing it to 4 star hotels.
Anne makes home made jams, compote as well as special daily breakfast every morning such as cinammon french toasts, and fluffly cheese/mushroom omelettes to name a few. I normally only have cereal and fruit, as I did not want to have too heavy a breakfast and thus, unable to concentrate at work!
On my very first visit, I was given a lovely little double bed room with en-suite. However, that night for some reason I found my mattress a little lumpy and did not sleep well. When I told Anne of this, she apologised and gave me a jar of marmalade 'with a dash of gin', and hoped that I would return despite my rough night.
I did indeed return, to find that she had replaced the mattress with one of superb quality! Suffice to say that I had a really good night sleep after that, and have stayed there a few more times since then.
It is really a beautiful place, with an air of peace and calm, and I will definitely return. I only hope that other B&B or hotels can learn from the Four Gables, especially when it comes to commitment to quality and personal pride in delivering excellent customer service.
Four Gables from the outside
That's my cow on the new bed
The welcome sign
Posted at 14:41 PM
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The organisation is a very large, old institution, rooted deeply in the British Heritage, and if I told you who it was, you would recognise the name instantly. People who worked there have been in their jobs since forever. I am not kidding. The IT Manager in charge has been in the organisation for 30 years, moving around in different roles. The customer services team have been there for many decades, whose ages ranged from about 30+ to 60+. Job for life apparently.
These people were very very set in their ways, and although they have had MSCRM for the last 2 years, they have never used it properly. Most were against it, many feared the 'New fangled technology' and allowed the fear to spread malignant negativity everywhere they go.
Mind you, there were people who were very excited about the new system (well, not new per se, but it was new to them only because they have never used it). Others were convinced that this would cause them so much work and be such a bane on their existance that they wanted nothing to do with it.
There was this manager, Kate, who had already decided that this was an evil evil thing. She was beligerant and loud and ranted against it. And she was in the first of the 9 training sessions I had to run. Fortunately I had Shelley and Sue with me, the two managers driving the change in the organisation. They were present in all the training sessions, mostly to answer business process questions but also to do 'Crowd Control'.
There was a strict class level - the people were banded in Grades. I assumed that Grade C's were the managers and Grade E's were the 'underlings'. I think that some 'managers' progressed to Grade C only because they have been in the job for so long. It was definitely not based on aptitude and certainly not on attitude. What a shame. There are a few very promising people in there, but I think it wouldn't take long for their spirit and enthusiasm to get crushed.
What was telling, was that a lot of the folks there had a very narrow-minded outlook. This is from what I observed. They had their little patch of area which they were responsible for, and did not care about any one else. Very much a 'It's not my job' culture, or rather, 'That job's for the higher grades'.
Pushing change in such an organisation can be very frustrating, especially for the more outward looking managers in there. It was also a charity, which did not believe in kicking people out, so you have the deadwood and the negative elements hanging on for a dear life in the place, knowing full well that they would not be able to survive any where else.
It was really a fascinating insight into how people perceived their life and their worth. Some were a joy to train - especially Maxine and Kay who took on the new training with much gusto and enthusiasm, requesting more and more exercises so that they could nail them down and get it right in their heads. Some others refused to do any exercises, angrily dismissing me and directing their anger and barbed negativity against Sue and Shelley, whom the probably feel are to blame for their feeling out of their comfort zone.
I found it incredibly draining, my energy levels running on empty. Training users is already an exhausting task, but having to field negativity and answer questions on why the system worked this way, why it was so difficult, why did the system not do x, y and z just took its toll on me. Fortunately today is the last day of training, and I can look forward to other tasks.
The people whom I interact with normally, such as John, the IT manager and Graham in his team, are really nice, as are Sue, Shelley and Sandra. It's just that the training was a particular exercise of tolerance and endurance for me.
I am now involved in two pretty large projects. My own MS CRM project for which I am the project manager, and another much much bigger one - with integration with BI cubes and other clever bits. On that one, I am the CRM lead, mainly because the project is one of 470 days with a very large building society in Wales.
This actually means that I am going to have to go to Cardiff quite a bit, starting from next week. I am not quite looking forward to it, especially since those who have done the Discovery and initial project kick-off meetings have said that the hotel is a bit dingy, and the food dire. Alison, who have gone for the initial design workshops have crunched her car in the car park bays. All in all, not a great sign.
But it will be a good project for me in terms of expanding my experience and career. I had thought that I would be due for a promotion this year, especially looking at the kinds of things I have been working on and having responsibility for. However, I think that may still be quite a while a way, because there are loads of very very good people internally who are still in the Principal Consultant band (as am I). Whilst I may believe I am doing very well on my own path, I think there is still a way to go before I am as good as some of them.
I have, however, found one of the best kept secrets up north in Wetherby, where I had to spend some time to complete the training. I stayed in the Four Gables quite a few times now, and Anne and David Watts have done a superb job of creating a really beautiful B&B.
My first impression of The Four Gables from the outside when I first arrived was that it is such a beautiful property. The inside was even more impressive - beautifully restored, immaculately kept and wonderfully warm.
The decor, interior finishings, furniture and little touches shows just how much love and pride that Anne and David Watts had in the house. Due to my job, I have been to loads of B&B and hotels, but this one ranked up there amongst the most delightful surprises, and I am comparing it to 4 star hotels.
Anne makes home made jams, compote as well as special daily breakfast every morning such as cinammon french toasts, and fluffly cheese/mushroom omelettes to name a few. I normally only have cereal and fruit, as I did not want to have too heavy a breakfast and thus, unable to concentrate at work!
On my very first visit, I was given a lovely little double bed room with en-suite. However, that night for some reason I found my mattress a little lumpy and did not sleep well. When I told Anne of this, she apologised and gave me a jar of marmalade 'with a dash of gin', and hoped that I would return despite my rough night.
I did indeed return, to find that she had replaced the mattress with one of superb quality! Suffice to say that I had a really good night sleep after that, and have stayed there a few more times since then.
It is really a beautiful place, with an air of peace and calm, and I will definitely return. I only hope that other B&B or hotels can learn from the Four Gables, especially when it comes to commitment to quality and personal pride in delivering excellent customer service.
Four Gables from the outside
That's my cow on the new bed
The welcome sign
Posted at 14:41 PM
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I'd just got back from a marathon driving session to see a customer in Didsbury (375 miles round trip) last Friday night and felt a stomach ache which I thought was just constipation.
So the next day (Saturday), I went and waited in the Reading flat for Mr Sky man to come and install Skybox at the flat. The stomach pains got progressively worse until I could no longer stand or walk without being bent double. Jeff took me to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) ward of Berkshire Royal Hospital in Reading where we spent Saturday night.
I had expected a long wait as the last time I was at an A&E was with Suzi in Brighton where her endometriosis attack (eerily with the same symptoms as mine - making me suspect it was the same thing) caused her excruciating abdominal pains. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was admitted reasonably quickly into the ward and they took urine and blood samples. Nurse Cirah took my details and was really nice. As usual, my deep skinny veins made it really hard for nurse Sally to extract blood so after two attempts, she called onto Dr Jenny to do it.
Dr Jenny is a lovely young lady doctor who was really sweet and caring. She tried once at the back of my hand and got no joy, and then decided to get a skinner needle and tada! Got the vein. However because it was a skinny needle, the blood was coming out and a very slow drip drip rate, so it stayed in there for a bit longer than normal.
Dr Jenny inspected my belly and ordered x-rays, which was done by a nice Philipino chap called James who took both a chest and an abdomen x-ray. In the end, Dr Jenny diagnoased me with gallbladder inflammation which may be caused by a gall stone, but not necessarily so.
I was given the choice of staying at the hospital for observation or going home. Although they are all very kind people, I wanted my own bed, so it wasn't long before I was discharged with some antibiotics.
It really was quite a positive experience, as I had read quite a lot of horror stories on the medical blogs out there, so I am quite relieved that it all went ok. I will work from home tomorrow as I don't think I am fit enough to drive quite yet - especially since I will be driving 4.5 hours to Whetherby on Tuesday night and staying over until Friday. Jeff will be in Madrid this coming week, and I will be up north, so I will hopefully be fine.
I've now got to do my month end billing so I better get to it.
Posted at 20:21 PM
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So the next day (Saturday), I went and waited in the Reading flat for Mr Sky man to come and install Skybox at the flat. The stomach pains got progressively worse until I could no longer stand or walk without being bent double. Jeff took me to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) ward of Berkshire Royal Hospital in Reading where we spent Saturday night.
I had expected a long wait as the last time I was at an A&E was with Suzi in Brighton where her endometriosis attack (eerily with the same symptoms as mine - making me suspect it was the same thing) caused her excruciating abdominal pains. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was admitted reasonably quickly into the ward and they took urine and blood samples. Nurse Cirah took my details and was really nice. As usual, my deep skinny veins made it really hard for nurse Sally to extract blood so after two attempts, she called onto Dr Jenny to do it.
Dr Jenny is a lovely young lady doctor who was really sweet and caring. She tried once at the back of my hand and got no joy, and then decided to get a skinner needle and tada! Got the vein. However because it was a skinny needle, the blood was coming out and a very slow drip drip rate, so it stayed in there for a bit longer than normal.
Dr Jenny inspected my belly and ordered x-rays, which was done by a nice Philipino chap called James who took both a chest and an abdomen x-ray. In the end, Dr Jenny diagnoased me with gallbladder inflammation which may be caused by a gall stone, but not necessarily so.
I was given the choice of staying at the hospital for observation or going home. Although they are all very kind people, I wanted my own bed, so it wasn't long before I was discharged with some antibiotics.
It really was quite a positive experience, as I had read quite a lot of horror stories on the medical blogs out there, so I am quite relieved that it all went ok. I will work from home tomorrow as I don't think I am fit enough to drive quite yet - especially since I will be driving 4.5 hours to Whetherby on Tuesday night and staying over until Friday. Jeff will be in Madrid this coming week, and I will be up north, so I will hopefully be fine.
I've now got to do my month end billing so I better get to it.
Posted at 20:21 PM
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A couple of days ago, I went to see Nick, the resident tech-daddy who was working from home in Newbury. I was attempting to write up my entry for the Microsoft DesignIT competition and needed his assistance in some technical SharePointy details of my solution for the NSPCC IT Challenge.
Whilst there, I also got him to have a look at my 'draft book' for some feedback. Ok, it's only got about 75 pages, but the skeleton was there and I wanted to get his feedback. He came up with some brilliant ideas but it meant quite a lot of re-write. One key feedback was that I didn't have to include everything I planned to - such as stuff around customising and extending MSCRM with client side and server side scripting. I was to concentrate on what I was good at, on what I knew - and that was the business process side.
That was what I needed, it jolted me into activity because the format was getting there - it was feeling more right by the day. So today, I just went ahead and did quite a bit of writing.
I am really very pleased with myself - the two things that I did today was to complete my DesignIT entry and progress the book.
It may sound very trivial, but I've struggle with procrastination for quite awhile, and the day with Nick and a very insightful conversation with Mads today just unlocked stuff and things just flowed. It's a good feeling. Tony would have asked me to anchor myself, but I forgot.
I guess I will just have to remember my peak state and try and get back to it tomorrow. Today is my last 'sick day'. Actually that's not true - the surgeon had given me 10 days off but I doubt my client could wait that long for me to continue my workshops. Besides, I am feeling loads better - almost back to normal with the exception of slight pain in the abdomen area when I bend over, or sneeze or laugh too hard.
Oh yes - I am back 'Up North' tomorrow, a 3 and half hour drive up to Manchester. It really isn't that bad - Emma (the PM on the client side) is lovely, and she knows about my op, and is doing everything she can to prep her team for the design workshop. She will already have done tons of legwork for me - sitting down with the engineers and customer service staff to walk through their processes.
My job tomorrow is to clarify and understand what they need so that I can write up the Functional Specification Design (FSD) for re-estimation and sign-off. I couldn't have asked for a more understanding client.
Another really lovely thing that happened today was Stefan - he went up to this client's place for a Tech Arch Design meeting this Monday and he sent his draft document to me for review. It was such a massive improvement from the time I reviewed his work that I just had to call and tell him. His work and confidence had improved by leaps and bounds, and it has been such an enormous pleasure seeing him develop and grow the last two years. What made me feel quite good is that I feel that I can take credit for some of his progress.
Whilst he had huge potential any way, I guided and trained him to think more critically and analytically about things, and to be disciplined and learn how to communicate more effectively with clients, turning him into an excellent technical architect. I felt quite proud of his document, and while it could still be polished further - the content was first class. Much better than some I've seen out there.
So today was a really good day. In fact, I've been having quite a lot of good days recently, even though they have been slightly stressful and busy. I've had really nice clients who made sure that my engagements were always lively and interesting, and although they are in various locations Up North, I don't mind because I do enjoy driving. And I get to listen and learn from Jim Rohn, Stephen Covey and various other lecturers.
Anyway I better get to bed now. I've to be up in 5 hours.
Posted at 00:44 AM
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Whilst there, I also got him to have a look at my 'draft book' for some feedback. Ok, it's only got about 75 pages, but the skeleton was there and I wanted to get his feedback. He came up with some brilliant ideas but it meant quite a lot of re-write. One key feedback was that I didn't have to include everything I planned to - such as stuff around customising and extending MSCRM with client side and server side scripting. I was to concentrate on what I was good at, on what I knew - and that was the business process side.
That was what I needed, it jolted me into activity because the format was getting there - it was feeling more right by the day. So today, I just went ahead and did quite a bit of writing.
I am really very pleased with myself - the two things that I did today was to complete my DesignIT entry and progress the book.
It may sound very trivial, but I've struggle with procrastination for quite awhile, and the day with Nick and a very insightful conversation with Mads today just unlocked stuff and things just flowed. It's a good feeling. Tony would have asked me to anchor myself, but I forgot.
I guess I will just have to remember my peak state and try and get back to it tomorrow. Today is my last 'sick day'. Actually that's not true - the surgeon had given me 10 days off but I doubt my client could wait that long for me to continue my workshops. Besides, I am feeling loads better - almost back to normal with the exception of slight pain in the abdomen area when I bend over, or sneeze or laugh too hard.
Oh yes - I am back 'Up North' tomorrow, a 3 and half hour drive up to Manchester. It really isn't that bad - Emma (the PM on the client side) is lovely, and she knows about my op, and is doing everything she can to prep her team for the design workshop. She will already have done tons of legwork for me - sitting down with the engineers and customer service staff to walk through their processes.
My job tomorrow is to clarify and understand what they need so that I can write up the Functional Specification Design (FSD) for re-estimation and sign-off. I couldn't have asked for a more understanding client.
Another really lovely thing that happened today was Stefan - he went up to this client's place for a Tech Arch Design meeting this Monday and he sent his draft document to me for review. It was such a massive improvement from the time I reviewed his work that I just had to call and tell him. His work and confidence had improved by leaps and bounds, and it has been such an enormous pleasure seeing him develop and grow the last two years. What made me feel quite good is that I feel that I can take credit for some of his progress.
Whilst he had huge potential any way, I guided and trained him to think more critically and analytically about things, and to be disciplined and learn how to communicate more effectively with clients, turning him into an excellent technical architect. I felt quite proud of his document, and while it could still be polished further - the content was first class. Much better than some I've seen out there.
So today was a really good day. In fact, I've been having quite a lot of good days recently, even though they have been slightly stressful and busy. I've had really nice clients who made sure that my engagements were always lively and interesting, and although they are in various locations Up North, I don't mind because I do enjoy driving. And I get to listen and learn from Jim Rohn, Stephen Covey and various other lecturers.
Anyway I better get to bed now. I've to be up in 5 hours.
Posted at 00:44 AM
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08/03: Poked and prodded
I have two holes in my belly. One on/near the belly button and the other one a couple of inches down. I think the Lap & Dye procedure is where they pump CO2 via one hole and take a gander using a bendy camera via the other hole. I woke up burping something awful (I think it was the CO2).
Apparently they couldn't find the polyp but they did find that I had minor endometriosis. Apparently it might have caused our thus far unsuccessful attempts to have a family.
Hopefully we will have a letter from our consultant to tell us what the next step is. I won't fret or worry until we have that meeting, so that's it really.
It has been busy at work, as usual. I've got two clients 'up North' as it were, one in Didsbury and the other in Wetherby. so I have been racking up the mileage in the little brother (Ibifa). The national budget means that I can claim up to 40p per mile, so it hasn't been too bad, especially since I rack up approximately 395 miles per visit 'up North'.
I've got about 4 days of sick leave while I recover from yesterday's op, so I will utilise the time by writing my book. Hmm speaking of which, I better get back to it.
Posted at 13:59 PM
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Apparently they couldn't find the polyp but they did find that I had minor endometriosis. Apparently it might have caused our thus far unsuccessful attempts to have a family.
Hopefully we will have a letter from our consultant to tell us what the next step is. I won't fret or worry until we have that meeting, so that's it really.
It has been busy at work, as usual. I've got two clients 'up North' as it were, one in Didsbury and the other in Wetherby. so I have been racking up the mileage in the little brother (Ibifa). The national budget means that I can claim up to 40p per mile, so it hasn't been too bad, especially since I rack up approximately 395 miles per visit 'up North'.
I've got about 4 days of sick leave while I recover from yesterday's op, so I will utilise the time by writing my book. Hmm speaking of which, I better get back to it.
Posted at 13:59 PM
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Next Thursday I go for a hysteroscopy + laparoscopy & dye. They are going to remove a polyp from my innards and have a tour round my organs and stuff.
I want to ask if they can give me a lipo whilst they are poking around in there, but I don't think it will go down well.
On the plus side though, I get about 6 days off work - which is what I badly need. It's been too stressful the last week or so, sometimes I wonder if working like this is worth it. I do really enjoy my job though, but the stress can get a bit too much.
Posted at 00:20 AM
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I want to ask if they can give me a lipo whilst they are poking around in there, but I don't think it will go down well.
On the plus side though, I get about 6 days off work - which is what I badly need. It's been too stressful the last week or so, sometimes I wonder if working like this is worth it. I do really enjoy my job though, but the stress can get a bit too much.
Posted at 00:20 AM
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13/02: Year of the Mouse 2008
It's almost the end of our holiday, and I am feeling a bit sad as we had an absolutely fantastic time. I think this must be the most fun Chinese New Year break I have had, as it was very much about family this time round.
Right in the beginning though, we had a lot of errands to run - such as seeing our lawyers, the property agent, setting up a couple of bank accounts for the mortgage and etc, making new spectacles (and powered sunglasses) and tons of other chores which was hampered somewhat by the upcoming CNY holiday, as some key people were not available when we needed to see them. At the end though, we finished most of the more important stuff, so all ended well.
We had a mini break in Bangkok from 31/1 to 3/2, and saw the famous Royal Palace. It was magnificent, with beautiful pagodas and temples. The architecture was amazing - I was unable to fathom how such intricate details could exist, creating a glittering diamond effect when the sun fell on the coloured mirror pieces and gold leaf paint.
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Entrance to the Royal Palace.
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The Golden Pagodas
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Here's an amazing demon statue
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The protector of the gate
Jeff and the Gold pyramid
The Reunion Dinner
Reunion Dinner happens on Chinese New Year eve, which fell on a Wednesday. All the Lim's gathered together and had a big feast - where all the aunts brought their signature dishes to the house.
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Mum and the 'Big People's table
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The gamblers on New Year's eve
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Cheating is rife - Big Aunty taking a peek at Sylvia's cards
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Aunty Mildred and mum collaborating
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Here's grandma talking to her brother from China
whom she hasn't spoken to in 35 years
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"Hey look how pretty I am!"
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"How come no one's playing with me?"
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Never mind, a kiss and a cuddle from mum makes it all better.
Bunny ears make Vivien looks way cooler
Open House
We also had an open house celebration on Saturday, where all relatives, friends and neighbours were invited to some more wanton eating at our place. This is where I get to see everyone at the same time, making it a very efficient 'people visiting' method, as I do not have to go visit them individually. :)
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All tucking into the buffet
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Toon: Your 'sticky' antics do not impress me
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Johleen was hungry enough to eat Jeff's mouse t-shirt
The Yee Sang
The Yee Sang is a Malaysian/Singaporean chinese thing - we believe it was invented by the restaurants to make money. In any case, it is a fun event, where the family gets together and mixes up 18 colourful ingredients with some raw fish (anything that denotes or sounds like 'good fortune' or money or longevity) and everyone uses chopsticks to mix them all together to ensure good luck for the year.
This year, we had it at uncle no. 1's house in Klang.
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Putting the final touches on the 18 ingredient 'yee sang'
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What a lovely big hill!
Whilst everyone was eating, little YY was getting a tad moody.
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The Moody one being pacified by daddy.
So I gave her the camera to take pictures of 'Uncle Geff'.
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The Growlie Uncle Geff
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The Debonair Uncle Geff
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The 'Wha?!' Uncle Geff
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The normal Uncle Geff
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The Joker Uncle Geff
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The Sulky Uncle Geff
As noted in some of the pictures above, CNY is a time for getting together and gambling with play money or small amounts, like 10 cents a bet, that sort of thing. Brother and Vivien gave Jeff some mahjong lessons, and it wasn't long before he was playing like an old hand.
And those were the highlights of the Chinese New Year.
Posted at 09:50 AM
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Right in the beginning though, we had a lot of errands to run - such as seeing our lawyers, the property agent, setting up a couple of bank accounts for the mortgage and etc, making new spectacles (and powered sunglasses) and tons of other chores which was hampered somewhat by the upcoming CNY holiday, as some key people were not available when we needed to see them. At the end though, we finished most of the more important stuff, so all ended well.
We had a mini break in Bangkok from 31/1 to 3/2, and saw the famous Royal Palace. It was magnificent, with beautiful pagodas and temples. The architecture was amazing - I was unable to fathom how such intricate details could exist, creating a glittering diamond effect when the sun fell on the coloured mirror pieces and gold leaf paint.
Entrance to the Royal Palace.
The Golden Pagodas
Here's an amazing demon statue
The protector of the gate
Jeff and the Gold pyramid
The Reunion Dinner
Reunion Dinner happens on Chinese New Year eve, which fell on a Wednesday. All the Lim's gathered together and had a big feast - where all the aunts brought their signature dishes to the house.
Mum and the 'Big People's table
The gamblers on New Year's eve
Cheating is rife - Big Aunty taking a peek at Sylvia's cards
Aunty Mildred and mum collaborating
Here's grandma talking to her brother from China
whom she hasn't spoken to in 35 years
"Hey look how pretty I am!"
"How come no one's playing with me?"
Never mind, a kiss and a cuddle from mum makes it all better.
Bunny ears make Vivien looks way cooler
Open House
We also had an open house celebration on Saturday, where all relatives, friends and neighbours were invited to some more wanton eating at our place. This is where I get to see everyone at the same time, making it a very efficient 'people visiting' method, as I do not have to go visit them individually. :)
All tucking into the buffet
Toon: Your 'sticky' antics do not impress me
Johleen was hungry enough to eat Jeff's mouse t-shirt
The Yee Sang
The Yee Sang is a Malaysian/Singaporean chinese thing - we believe it was invented by the restaurants to make money. In any case, it is a fun event, where the family gets together and mixes up 18 colourful ingredients with some raw fish (anything that denotes or sounds like 'good fortune' or money or longevity) and everyone uses chopsticks to mix them all together to ensure good luck for the year.
This year, we had it at uncle no. 1's house in Klang.
Putting the final touches on the 18 ingredient 'yee sang'
What a lovely big hill!
Whilst everyone was eating, little YY was getting a tad moody.
The Moody one being pacified by daddy.
So I gave her the camera to take pictures of 'Uncle Geff'.
The Growlie Uncle Geff
The Debonair Uncle Geff
The 'Wha?!' Uncle Geff
The normal Uncle Geff
The Joker Uncle Geff
The Sulky Uncle Geff
As noted in some of the pictures above, CNY is a time for getting together and gambling with play money or small amounts, like 10 cents a bet, that sort of thing. Brother and Vivien gave Jeff some mahjong lessons, and it wasn't long before he was playing like an old hand.
And those were the highlights of the Chinese New Year.
Posted at 09:50 AM
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24/01: T-1
In 24 hours I shall be sitting in a plane on my way home for Chinese New Year. I just can't wait! The last few months has been very busy and I have been really looking forward to this trip.
Poor Jeff is so absolutely overworked that I bet he will just fall asleep and not wake up for the next week. He is so sleep deprived that his concentration is poor, and I worry about him driving to work. Any way, this trip will hopefully regenerate and recharge him.
It's now midnight and I should get to bed. Ooo I can't wait for tomorrow!
Posted at 01:01 AM
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Poor Jeff is so absolutely overworked that I bet he will just fall asleep and not wake up for the next week. He is so sleep deprived that his concentration is poor, and I worry about him driving to work. Any way, this trip will hopefully regenerate and recharge him.
It's now midnight and I should get to bed. Ooo I can't wait for tomorrow!
Posted at 01:01 AM
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Just took this off my camera phone...
This is what Jackie gave me for xmas - some cow socks with jingle bells! How did she know I was mad about cows?!?
They went very well with my cow slippers.
Poor Jeff was working on Christmas day. It was dark and cold, but at least he had company - me!
Some pretty reindeer lights in Canary Wharf
...and this is what I got Jeff for Christmas.
Posted at 09:26 AM
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This is what Jackie gave me for xmas - some cow socks with jingle bells! How did she know I was mad about cows?!?
They went very well with my cow slippers.
Poor Jeff was working on Christmas day. It was dark and cold, but at least he had company - me!
Some pretty reindeer lights in Canary Wharf
...and this is what I got Jeff for Christmas.
Posted at 09:26 AM
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