Radar love...

Following some early mornings and ridiculously late nights in the office this week, I calculated that by Friday lunchtime I'd worked over 20 hours more than I will get paid for. On this basis, I agreed with my boss that I shouldn't feel entirely guilty about taking Friday afternoon off, or at least sloping off a couple of hours early.

Rather than head straight to the Tap (as everyone would predict) I decided to stop off in town and pick up a replacement for my rather battered looking earring. Not a lot to ask really, a plain capped gold earring to match the war torn one I already had and not overly fussed if it was for gents or ladies (the only difference apparently being that ladies have two ears to our one).

Unbelievably, it wasn't until I reached the last jewellers in the town centre that I not only found what I was looking for, but found someone prepared to bother looking. Perhaps it is the years I spent working in customer services that have left me with expectations too high...

Testing times, the sequel...

I checked the office voicemail from home yesterday afternoon, so when I saw the light on my phone this morning and the notification of two new messages, I never gave it another thought.

Message one:
"Hello. Pick up the phone. I've got all of your stuff here. No? OK, I'll try once more later"

Message two:
"Hello. Look you don't know me and I don't know you but I found your wallet in my wife's taxi and I've been trying to get hold of you. Oh well, never mind"

Noooooooo. There was no number, name or any clue as to how to track them down. After a bit of jiggery pokery on the phone I managed to obtain their number (not sure if 1471 works through our switchboard).

"Sorry, there is no-one here to take your call. Please dial the number of the person you wish to leave a message for. You cannot leave a message if you do not know the number or have a touch tone phone"

I tried re-entering their number, then again with the area code, then picked a number of feasible extension numbers just to get to talk to anybody, but nothing. For the remainder of the day, I re-tried the number every half hour or so and just as I was beginning to think I'd seen the last of my wallet, my taxi driver answered around 4:30.

Spotting an opportunity to leave work on time (well, only 45 minutes late), I'm pleased to report that I was reunited with my fully intact wallet only a couple of hours or so later.

So, the lesson is that nothing ever goes as easily as you would like it to, but have faith in human nature. OK, I accept that perhaps I have been incredibly lucky but this little episode also proves that there are still some decent people out there...

Testing times...

We had a great day yesterday giving Dom a well deserved send off for his return home to Middlesborough, which although sad at the time, is lightened by the fact that he'll still be down to see us every once in a while.

We started by meeting up for a hearty breakfast followed by a 14 hour stint of drinking, singing, dancing and generall silliness. It was not until I got home however that the silliness really began. I was unloading the mountain of change onto the mantlepiece then suddenly realised that my wallet was missing from my back pocket. Gulp.

Cue frantic re-tracing of steps back to where I'd got out of the taxi. Nothing. Unfortunately I had caught a taxi from a rank, so it could be one of several local taxi firms who provided my lift home, but nonetheless, I rang as many as I could think of. I'd obviously paid for my taxi fare so I can only assume that it is there that I've dropped it.

I severely doubt that there would have been much in the way of cash left in it but it has still meant my spending hours this morning ringing banks and credit card companies on a damage limitation exercise.

The point is, it also held my driving license which contains my address and several business cards with my contact details so if it found, there is no excuse for anyone returning it or at the very least, letting me know where I can collect it from.

So my faith in human nature is now put to the test...

The stressed run businesses run...

I swear they never used to advertise on TV until I needed to shut them out of my head.

Work continues at a similar pace with just a little under three weeks to go before we go live with the new system. Everyone knew it was never going to be a walk in the park but there are an increasing number of concerned-looking faces tearing about the place. Mine included.

It wouldn't be so bad if there were more colleagues, customers or suppliers leaping in to sing the praises of how wonderful it is, how easy it was to set up, or how dramatically it's changed their businesses for the better.

I could even live with a few horror stories if they didn't almost always end with "Well, I pity the poor bastard who's got landed with preparing master data". To anyone who isn't in the know, it either scores a cheap laugh for sounding like some kind of onanistic pastime or makes the job sound as meaningless as the one Chandler always struggled to describe in Friends.

And that's so not true...

Time out...

I've finally reached a couple of days where I haven't needed to bring a load of work home, although in all honesty, I've still brought some appraisal paperwork so I can get a bit of a headstart on next week.

With at least one day to my own devices, where do I start?
~ Blog to update - tick.
~ I either need to get some food in or start getting very creative in the kitchen
~ I'm sure the car is about due for a service, but I'll dig out the paperwork before I "invest" in that
~ I need to start shopping around for flights for this summer's adventure (details to follow when it's all arranged)
~ I'll be watching England play Italy this afternoon, but I'm afraid it will be without beer.
~ Tonight starts with an engagement party then moving on to a 21st birthday party to which will probably keep me out until the early hours.

So other than sending Carlos and Helen my congratulations and wishing Lisa a very happy 21st birthday, I'm not going to get any of this done sitting here...

Just visiting...

I realise I've not been around for a few days; well I've been here but I've been a bit pre-occupied (note to self to track down understatement award nominations).

In fact apart from another excellent cheese & wine night last Friday and a few beers watching Johnny Wilkinson doing his stuff on Saturday, every other waking minute seems to have been pre-occupied doing the all work no play dull boy thing. It doesn't look like letting up for the next few weeks either, so as long as I can avoid doing the Scanners thing:

I'll be back soon and bring you back up to date with what's going on...