My Online Diary

19/12/08

Have been ill with a bug or cold for the last few days, and so have been at home sitting around feeling lousy. At least I'm not passing on my germs to my colleagues, which is more than can be said for the person who gave the cold to me in the first place! The time at home has given me a chance to reflect on what an odd year this has been. From a work perspective, it has been one of the best years ever. But from a personal perspective, it could hardly have been worse, with the loss of my father and my car crash earlier in the year. Life can be very strange, can't it.

15/12/08

Right at this precise moment, I am suffering from terminal boredom! My evenings seem to consist of the same boring stuff day after day, and one resolution I must make for the New Year is to try and get some variation into my routine. With the economic situation at the moment, a trip across the Atlantic is out of the question, and I can't even by an engine management upgrade for the car, which is one of my aspirations. Perhaps I should change my outlook on life and consider myself fortunate for what I have got. Thanks also to David for your guestbook comment, I tried to reply but your email address bounced!

12/12/08

Well, Christmas is getting ever closer, and I haven't given any thought yet to presents or cards! Never mind, I don't think any of us in my family are too bothered about celebrating Xmas this year. In fact, last time we all met up, I think none of could remember a worse year than the one we've just had. At work, I got quite annoyed with one of my colleagues today, though of course I can't show it. I just wish that sometimes they would show some more initiative and do things for themselves, instead of wanting their hands held while they do simple tasks!

05/12/08

The end of another very satisfactory week. Had to facilitate a meeting yesterday, and the feedback I've had on that has all been very positive. Feedback was good on the project that was causing me so much grief a few weeks ago, too. The weather here has been cool but bright, so very pleasant as long long as you are wrapped up warm! Christmas is less than three weeks away now, so I guess I'd better think about getting cards sent and presents bought!

28/11/08

The end of a very satisfactory week. The Sellafield work is going very nicely, and I have nearly finished the first major phase of that work. That's good, as it means I can now concentrate on all the other stuff that needs to be done before Christmas! One thing I must say is, thanks to Brian for your very kind Guestbook entry. Since you didn't leave your email address I can't write to thank you, but if you read this I did appreciate very much your comment, and you're right, the love of science and cars is a natural combination!

26/11/08

Thought that I'd write a mid-week diary entry for the first time in a while, since I'm feeling good and things are going well at work right now. That can change in the blink of an eye, of course, so you have to make the best of the good times! We went to collect my father's ashes at the weekend, and he's now home again - we think that he would like to be scattered somewhere on Exmoor, so that is what we will do. Finally, from the dead to the living - happy birthday to my buddy Tyler and I hope you have good celebrations mate!

21/11/08

Luckily, this week has proved to be much easier than the previous couple of weeks, though there is a sign that things are going to get busy again soon. Still, I shouldn't grumble, as these are prestigious projects that I work on, and it is flattering to think that me and my colleagues are considered the best in the business to do the work. In the end I didn't make it to London, as a meeting was arranged for today, before I could book the day off! The weather is due to turn cold this weekend, so I suppose this is a sign that winter is on the way. The nights are drawing in too.

14/11/08

An extremely arduous week this week, but one with a happy ending, as I managed to achieve all the things I was expected to achieve. On Monday, work finished at 10 pm and then commended again Tuesday on 4:30 am. Report delivered at 4 pm. Then off to Sellafield for Wednesday and Thursday, with a really nice hotel stay and then a successful meeting. Finally, today involved a meeting in Gloucester, which went as well as it could have done. I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend! Things should be easier from now on, and I hope to take some leave in the next week or so, and hopefully to have a few days in London to relax for a while - work permitting.

07/11/08

A very busy and arduous week. I gloriously failed to get a report submitted on time today, and indeed have had to ask for an extension on that. Plus I have to go to Sellafield next week to report progress on a project that hasn't progressed since the last progress meeting! I also sold my Vectra this week, and went through the formalities of taking ownership of my father's Audi. I have to do some work this weekend, but I am determined that nothing will get in the way of a nice relaxing Sunday.

03/11/08

A pleasant weekend, though the weather was rather gloomy. Rob and Wendy came to visit on Sunday, and we all had a very pleasant Sunday lunch at a carvery in Moreton-in-Marsh. The only sour note was the news that Wendy's father collapsed this weekend - with a suspected heart attack. Hopefully he will pull through, as he was still alive and kicking in hospital earlier today. I'm feeling rather unwell today, so am at home rather than at work, which is not good as I have loads to do this week!

31/10/08

Halloween today, and not a single trick-or-treater called this year. Still, Halloween isn't a big deal in this country, so I'm not entirely surprised. A satisfying week at work this week, with me getting loads achieved. Having young David to help me on the computational side has been very good too - I think David is showing great promise in his first few months in our line of consultancy. The weather here has been very chilly, though it is supposed to turn warm and wet over the weekend.

26/10/08

A pleasant weekend, but the weather forecast is that it is going to turn very cold this week, so I'm glad that I have my winter clothes ready and waiting! Completed a few more pages for this website. Have been pondering the future of this website. How much longer should I keep it running for? Does it really serve any purpose in the grand scheme of things? I will continue to ponder.

24/10/08

Another busy week this week, with all the signs that things are going to get busier still in the next couple of weeks or so. Decided this week to buy my father's car, which means that my Vectra will be on its way to a new home. It's funny really, but I will have driven that Vectra for less time than it took to choose it. Maybe I need to be more decisive when buying cars! Have had a nagging headache all week too, which has been annoying, and if it doesn't get better in the next few days or so then I will have to think about seeing the doctor.

17/10/08

The end of a busy, but very satisfying week. I made good progress on my two most important projects, and should have plenty to report in the progress meetings being held early next week. The weather here at the moment is beautiful autumnal weather, with sunshine and blue skies, but a slight chill in the air. In fact, I had to scrape ice off the car this morning, for the first time since last winter!

13/10/08

Well, the holiday on Exmoor went very well indeed, even though it rained non-stop for the first few days. The weather gradually improved, and the last few days were perfect autumnal weather. I managed to take plenty of photos and videos, which I must admit I haven't really looked at yet. Getting back to work today, I was faced with the prospect of trying to finish a report before the close of play today, which I failed to achieve due to numerous interruptions from colleagues. Hopefully things will ease up during the week, and I can get in touch properly with my various penpals and friends.

02/10/08

Another very busy week this week, one that started off with me spending a couple of days in the Lake District for a business meeting. Needless to say, the weather did not co-operate, as it rained non-stop while I was there! I did manage to get out and take a few photos though, and the food and hotels were both very good indeed. Now, this Friday, we are off for a family holiday to Exmoor, and guess what - the weather forecast is lousy once again! I have to do some work while I am down there, which won't seem quite so bad if the raining is sheeting down outside!

26/09/08

First things first - today is my mother's 72nd birthday, so happy birthday mum! This week has been a very busy and rather stressful week, but one with a happy ending, I'm pleased to say. We had some important visitors who wanted a progress report on an important project that we are doing, and I'm pleased to say that they went home happy. I have two days in the Lake District early next week, with a meeting in the middle, so I will be doing my best to make something good of that. Hopefully the weather will stay nice! Then we're off to Exmoor for a week next from next Friday - even more reason to hope that the weather stays fine for a while!

17/09/08

The theme of the last few days, and for the weeks that are coming up, is lots of hard work. We have some very important visitors coming next week, to see how much progress we are making on an important project at Sellafield. Plus we are starting two new projects relating to the LLWR (what the former Drigg radioactive waste repository used to be called in Cumbria). I have a holiday coming up in early October, to Exmoor. We were thinking of postponing after my father's death, but I think we are just about decided to go ahead with it. I still haven't booked a Washington holiday yet, but am thinking hard about when is best to go.

12/09/08

Life is getting back to some normality now, after the sad events of the last few weeks. I bought some insurance yesterday, and will be driving my father's car for the next month or so, while mine has a "rest"! Returning to work on Monday was not too bad, but my goodness I have some work to do over the next few weeks or so! Luckily it's all interesting stuff, and so that will make it slightly easier. On a sadder note, yesterday was the anniversary of 9/11. hard to believe that all those terrible events happened seven years ago. Finally, I would just like to apologise to all my online friends who are still waiting to hear from me. I have had no time over the last week or so for writing emails, but I will do my best to catch up in the next week or so.

02/09/08

The last few days have been very hard, though we're now over the worst of it and are slowly coming to terms with the loss of my father. He is being cremated on Friday, which will be the next big test for us all. Luckily my brother and I are maintaining our sense of humour in this difficult time, which is important as you can't stay depressed and sad all the time. If you did, you would just go slowly mad. I would also like to thank my online friends who took the time and trouble to get in touch and pass on their sympathies and condolences. Be assured that I won't forget this simple kindness in my hour of need.

27/08/08

Dad, we lost you today, and I think we are still coming to terms with our loss. You were a good and kind man, who would always help others if they needed help. I don't know how the Shipston Link bus service functioned without you. I will always value how you were so willing to help me in looking after my house, and I doubt my garden will ever look so good again in the future! I'm sure you're looking down on us now - I'm just so glad that you passed on while doing something you enjoyed so much, taking our lovely Tess for her walk. Love, Martin. (I knew writing this would bring on the tears)

26/08/08

First day back at work for me today after the long weekend, and quite a trying one, I have to say. I started on a job that I should never have agreed to do in the first place - me and my big mouth! I feel rather tired now, though that might have more to do with the fact that I have been taking it very easy for the last three weeks or so, and this has been the first full day that I have worked in that time! Things will get easier, I'm sure.

22/08/08

A good day for England as we managed to beat South Africa in a one-day cricket game! It's rather ironic that our captain was born in South Africa, but he does his best for England and that's the important thing. Earlier this week I decided to resubmit my profile to the Penpalworld website, and I already have some nice new friends to talk to, which is good. I also decided that I want a long weekend in Washington and a long weekend in London before the year ends. The only trouble is, wanting and getting are not always consistent with each other!

20/08/08

The cool weather continues here in the UK, and I'm guessing that we have now seen the end of summer for this year. My boss has been on holiday for the last few weeks, and so I have been taking the opportunity to take a few days off while he's away. Monday is a holiday in the UK, and so I will be taking Friday off to make it a long weekend. Otherwise, not an awful lot to report from my part of England!

15/08/08

Did my first fuel consumption test on the new car today, and found it was giving a very pleasing 28 MPG, which is not at all bad for a car of that size and power. Noticeable this week has been a distinct cooling in the weather here in the UK. In fact, it's been so cool for the last few nights that I have needed extra blankets on my bed. Looks like autumn might be on the way! Also noticeable is how my guestbook entries come in fits and starts - before this week I hadn't had one for two months, and I've had three this week. A bit like London buses - you wait forever for one, and then three come at once!

10/08/08

Had a pleasant weekend, including seeing two sets of family members that I don't see all that often. First up, my aunt and uncle were in the country (from Hong Kong), and they came up to visit on Saturday. It was great to see them again, and congratulations to my mother for preparing such a nice lunch. Then my brother came to visit, and needless to say, Saturday night degenerated into a rather boozy affair, with plenty of laughs along the way! Good weekend.

06/08/08

Day off today, so that I can get to know my new car! Being bright white, I noticed that it did turn a few heads while driving it home yesterday. I think I'll go for a run to the Uffington White Horse, and get some exercise into the bargain. Finally, my thanks to everyone who sent me cards, presents and phone greetings for my birthday - it's very much appreciated!

01/08/08

So, the big day has come, and very nearly gone. It all passed off very quietly and without fuss, and - surprise surprise - I don't feel any differently today than I did yesterday, when I was still in my 30s! I bought my birthday present today too, an almost new Vectra that was destined at one time to be a police car, and which I got at a rock-bottom price. Should be a fun car to drive, as it has a V6 turbo engine, up-rated suspension and brakes, and also a reinforced roof, for that little bit of extra protection!

30/07/08

Tomorrow is my final day of being a thirty-something, as Friday is my 40th birthday. It's funny, but earlier in the year I had a bit of a "mid-life crisis", worrying that I was approaching my 40th birthday and thinking of all the things that I have failed to achieve in my 40 years on planet earth. But my views on that have all changed - rather than worrying about turning 40, I am now positively looking forward to it, and all the challenges and exciting things that life will hold for me. I think my brain will still continue to think in the way that it did when I was 16, and physically I feel great, so what is there to worry about?

25/07/08

Summer has certainly now arrived in the south of England, and I have finally had to relent and bring a fan down into the living room! A good week at work - we lost one of the work proposals that I mentioned in the previous entry, but we got two of the others, so not such a bad week. Plus I got lots of lovely modelling work, and have developed a mathematical model of contamination at Sellafield that should be ready to run next week. Now all I have to do is decide whether to have a new car or a holiday!

18/07/08

A busy but satisfying week this week, as I had lots of work proposals to write, and hopefully we will win one or two of them! The weather hasn't really improved very much, and it is raining even now as I'm typing this. Plus it's quite humid as well, so not very comfortable conditions at the moment. I am still thinking hard about a new car, though my trip to Washington may have to be placed on hold if I do go ahead and get one. I should think myself lucky that I am in a position to have such a choice to make. Many people don't have the luxury of being able to choose between such things.

14/07/08

Had a nice weekend, and for about the first time in a week, we say some sunshine! I had a day out at Snowshill Manor on Sunday, which was very pleasant except for two things. First I got stung by something, which has left a nice red swelling on my left arm, and second, I managed to delete all of the photos that I took, when I was about half way around! Luckily I managed to take them all again in the second half of the visit. I'm also thinking (again) about new cars and the thought of getting a new one for myself. As my friend Sharon would say, I'm impossible to keep up with as I change my mind so often!!

07/07/08

Well I'm pleased to say that my mood has lightened somewhat over the weekend, even though it's rained non-stop for the last three days! I dealt in a satisfactory manner with the person who called into question my integrity (see previous entry), and I expect no more trouble of that kind. Have been thinking this evening about another trip to Washington DC within the next couple of months or so, and have been checking out some of the things I might do and see when I'm there. Mount Vernon will have to be top of the list! I'll be going alone, but that isn't a problem - a nice hotel with a nice bar will mean no shortage of people to talk to in the evenings.

03/07/08

Today has been one of the unhappiest days that I can remember in my 15 years as a consultant. I have had to cancel my trip to Las Vegas, owing to other more pressing commitments, and the response from the various personnel involved have been extremely disappointing. Some of them have clearly never worked as a consultant, and they don't appreciate the pressures that can arise from time to time. (Without being immodest, I am very good at my job and so am usually in considerable demand to work on projects). Some of the responses have called into question my professional integrity, and I consider that absolutely unacceptable. My response will have to be robust, as I am NOT prepared to be spoken to or treated in this manner. I thank goodness that my boss understands the issues and is with me on this.

29/06/08

A nice quiet weekend, which is just how I like them! I've just about decided that I want to spend another week looking around in Washington DC, and I think that is likely to be my next holiday visit to the USA. In the mean time, I have been preparing for my trip to Las Vegas, though I'm not quite sure how one prepares for the desert temperatures that are to be found there. I also intend to spend another few days in London this year, and also a few days in the Lake District. That lot should keep me nicely occupied to the end of the year!

27/06/08

A pretty good week this week, starting off with a day out at Blenheim Palace on Monday. That really is a lovely place and well worth the admission fee. The rest of the week has been spent preparing an assessment model for our Sellafield contaminated land studies, and also preparing some advance questions for State of Nevada's meeting with DOE on July 7th. I am attending this meeting in my role as an expert consultant for the State of Nevada. I understand the temperature in Las Vegas is currently around 42 degrees Celsius, so I think time spent outside taking photos might be somewhat limited!

20/06/08

A pleasant enough couple of days in the Lake District, but the weather wasn't very co-operative on the first day of the trip. That was a shame as I set off early with a view to doing some sightseeing, but had to give up because of the heavy rain and winds (in the middle of June!). I'm going to Blenheim Palace on Monday for a look around, and hopefully the weather will be a bit better for that. No plans for the weekend, but I do need to sort out my work priorities for the next couple of weeks, so that everyone is happy when I go to Las Vegas in July.

15/06/08

A nice quiet weekend to get over the stresses of last week. With Lithuania and training course out of the way, I have now had a chance to complete my new web pages on London and Yorkshire, and these are now up and running in the London and Photos section of the site. I'm off to the Lake District for a meeting this week, so hopefully the weather will hold up for that!

12/06/08

Well I'm back from Lithuania and have got my training course successfully out of the way. The trip to Lithuania was great - Vilnius is a lovely city and the weather was beautiful. Plus I managed to find some time to take some photos too! The meeting went very well too. The only downside was that I missed my connecting flight on the way back, and had to get on a later flight. On the plus side, I got some great aerial photos of London from the plane window. The last two days have been training staff at Serco, and that has gone very well. I feel quite tired now, and I'm sure I will sleep very well tonight!

06/06/08

The last couple of days have been rather stressful, I must say. I fly out to Lithuania on Sunday, and when I get back to work on Wednesday I have to give a three-day training course at work! It has seemed at times as though I have been fighting a losing battle to get everything done on time, but I seem to have managed it and so I can relax for a day before going to Vilnius - armed with my camera, of course! I have made some progress on my new web pages, but it will be a while before they are ready to go online.

02/06/08

Got back from London on Saturday and overall had a very good time. The weather was largely cooperative and the hotel was very nice. I treated myself to a posh dinner at the hotel on Friday night and had one of the best red wines that I have ever tasted - though bearing in mind what it cost, it needed to be good! Got to see lots of sights, though with hindsight it would have been better to see fewer sights and spend more time at them. I've now got material for about 21 new web pages on London, and I'm acquiring quite a backlog of website work to do, as I also have material for another 14 web pages on Yorkshire. I'd better knuckle down and get working!

27/05/08

I'm off for three days in London tomorrow, and am busy making my preparations. The weather forecast is mixed, so I am preparing some indoor activities for when the glorious English weather lets me down (see previous diary entry!). My aim is to visit some new places that I haven't yet been to see, and in the course of this I will get more material for the website.

26/05/08

Today is a holiday in the UK, just as it is in other parts of the world. Needless to say, the weather has been absolutely atrocious, just as it was for the last public holiday at the start of the month. The last two days (at least in the south) have seen heavy rain and winds, and this has prevented anybody from doing anything on their days off. Sometimes I wonder why I stay in this country. Surely life would be better in another part of the world where the sun shines when it's supposed to!

18/05/08

First of all, happy birthday to Sharon! I hope you have a great day and are spoiled rotten by the family! Next, I was very annoyed to find that the slugs have been merrily eating my tomato plants, which were only planted a few days ago! They have destroyed one plant and have just about eaten through the stem of a second plant. That leaves just one plant intact. Needless to say I will be getting some slug poison tomorrow, and if I catch any others around the plants this evening, I will further my scientific knowledge by checking to see if slugs catch fire or not. Slugs be warned!

16/05/08

Well, summer has now definitely gone - the warm weather of earlier in the week has turned into cold rain! It's supposed to last for another week or so, and then we are back to sunshine once again, which is timely for my trip to London. Two other pieces of good news - the Lithuania meeting has been postponed to 9th and 10th of June, so I can go after all. In addition, it is almost certain that I will get a trip to Las Vegas in early July. There is a certain irony there, because a friend of mine who currently lives in Las Vegas should have emigrated to England by that time! Sara should also be happily married by now, so congratulations to Sara and Chris for that.

10/05/08

Well summer is definitely here as the temperatures here in England hit 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) in Didcot today. I've decided that I won't be able to make the Lithuania trip in a couple of weeks' time, as I can't squeeze everything in before going to London. I've also decided that I'm going to get a new car in the next week or so, almost certainly another V6 -engine Vectra. Not good on the fuel economy or CO2 emissions, but they're good to drive, and that helps make up for the running costs!

08/05/08

Hey - two diary entries in two days! Life must be good! I booked a few days in London today for the end of May, and it will be nice to see the capitol city again and take in the sights. That same week I have the chance to go and see Vilnius in Lithuania, which I am finding hard to resist. I'm told that Vilnius is a very beautiful city. I expect I will end up saying "yes please" to the chance to go there!

07/05/08

It looks as though summer is nearly upon us, as the weather has been very pleasant so far this week, with temperatures in the low 70's and lots of sunshine. Tuesday was my first day back at work after the holiday, and I was delighted to find that not much was waiting for me when I got back - I was expecting some crisis or another to have taken place! I am now thinking about my next little holiday, which will be a few days in London, within the next month or so. This is the trouble with holidays and travelling - the more you do it, the more you want to do it.

02/05/08

Got back from our holiday in Yorkshire today, and as ever, it is so sad to be back home again after a lovely week away. The weather was really nice for us, in spite of the (useless) weather forecasts here telling us that it would be wet and windy up in Yorkshire for the days that we were up there. I managed to take close on 1,000 photos, and as you might guess, there will be a few new web pages to come! Highlights of the holiday included seeing Whitby, Castle Howard, Scarborough and York (where of course I spent three happy years at the university).

24/04/08

At last I'm ready for my holiday in Yorkshire! I've managed to get all of my work done, and I'm all set to go. The weather here in England has been gorgeous over the last few days, though it has been a bit rainy today. Never mind, as long as I get more sunshine than rain next week, then I will be happy! My camera batteries are nicely charged up, and so I anticipate taking loads of photos, and getting a few new web pages produced! A work opportunity appeared this week that might see me spending some time over the next few months in the Lake District, and needless to say - if it happens - I will take the opportunity to take a good look around and get some Lake District web pages onto the website. I also have my Astra back after the collision with the deer, though whether I will hold on to it or trade it in is something that I am still pondering.

18/04/08

This time next Friday I will be in the village of Flaxton in Yorkshire, starting my (much anticipated) holiday. I hope the weather is better than it is in Didcot right now. Have made good progress this week on the work I mentioned in the previous diary entry, and was also asked this week if I would like to be considered to do some more work along these lines, which would mean me spending more time in Cumbria. That appeals to me very much, and so I said yes, I would like to be considered. The only disappointing thing about this week is that I still don't have my Astra back after hitting a deer a few weeks ago.

12/04/08

Just two weeks now until I go away on holiday to Yorkshire, and I can't wait! It's a pity I have quite a lot of work to do before then. Indeed, the managing director of our part of Serco reminded me and a colleague of the importance of this particular line of work, and the fact that everyone's reputation is tarnished if we fail. So, no pressure there then!! The weather is quite gorgeous at the moment, typical spring weather in the UK, and hopefully it will hold for the holiday.

06/04/08

Woke up this morning to the most incredible sight - about four inches of snow had fallen overnight! It didn't last long because the heat of the day soon melted it away, but this is the largest accumulation that central / southern England has seen for a long time, and in April, too! I had fun this morning going out and taking some photos, and I wasn't the only one. I met lots of people out with their cameras, recording an event that may not be seen in this part of England for some time to come.

04/04/08

Got back from the lake District a little earlier today, after a fairly satisfying trip. The weather was lovely and I was able to take a few photos, which was good, though I managed to hurt me knee in the process of walking down one of the hills, and it is still a little sore now. I should point out that I was actually there on business, which went fairly well, though as one recent correspondent pointed out, I do seem to be in a bit of a rut at work right now. Still, as I am very fond of telling other people, life could be far worse!

31/03/08

Had the news today that my Astra is going to be repaired (i.e. is not a write-off) following my collision with the deer last week. It's going to take them about two weeks to do the repairs, so I will be keeping hold of the Caddy for a bit longer! It gets its ultimate test tomorrow, as I'm taking it up to Cumbria on business for three days. It's a very comfortable car, so it should be a pleasure to drive all that distance. I was supposed to be in Las Vegas at the end of this week, but if the weather is as gorgeous up there as it has been for the last few days here, then I will probably forget all about Las Vegas!

28/03/08

The major event of this week was me hitting an adult dear as I travelled back to Didcot on Monday afternoon. You wouldn't think such a collision could cause so much damage - it was enough to nicely crumple the bonnet of my Astra, and was also enough to trigger the airbags. I'm now awaiting a decision on whether the car is repairable, or whether it will be written off by the insurers. On a positive note, I have a courtesy car - a Cadillac BLS, which is not what you would expect to get here in England! It's a nice car, and is very easy to drive, but the very soft suspension shows off its American roots.

19/03/08

Attended a meeting yesterday that demonstrated that the next few months are going to be very tough at work. It's all good stuff, but I wish they would give us more time to get stuff done! Never mind, it's Easter in a couple of days and that means a couple of days off. It's a gorgeous day here today, but the weather forecast is for bad weather this weekend. Oh joy!

13/03/08

Worked from home today to wait in for the lady who comes to inspect my house. It's now 4 pm in the afternoon and still no sign of her. The oven on the cooker went "bang" last night, so the most urgent matter for the estate agent lady is to get me a new cooker! Congratulations are in order - to Sara and Christian, for their upcoming wedding. It just goes to show that online relationships can blossom into something very special, if the chemistry is there.

09/03/08

My parents' part of the Cotswolds was headline news in the UK this weekend, but for all the wrong reasons. The A429 road from Moreton to Stow was scene of a car accident that resulted in seven deaths. When I drove past this morning on my way to the shops, there was a pile of flowers at the scene of the crash. Very sad news indeed.

07/03/08

A mixed week for me this week. Sleeping has been a bit hit and miss, but on the whole I feel better than I did last week. On the down side, I have had to turn down a trip to Las Vegas for Yucca Mountain work, as I am committed to doing something else in early April. Not happy about that - especially as the invite came one day after I had already made the other commitment! Oh well, that's life. A colleague of mine at work paid me a lovely compliment yesterday - while I was talking to her she interrupted and said "oh you have the most gorgeous brown eyes!". Put a smile on my face, that's for sure!

29/02/08

The end of a rather unsatisfactory week. For the last couple of weeks or so, I have been suffering from insomnia - in particular being unable to get to sleep in the first place - and this Thursday and Friday it really caught up with me. I ended up having to have these two days off because I was sufficiently tired that I would not be able to work properly. So it's cost me two days' leave - thus far. Hopefully we'll see an improvement next week!

27/02/08

An interesting day today, which started off with an earthquake in the central regions of England, and which apparently was felt all over the country. I slept through it of course, and felt and heard nothing! Work today was not great. I arrived in intending to do one thing, and instead had to spend most of the day working on revisions to a report. To be honest, it's stuff like this that really makes me wonder if being a consultant in a "sensitive" industry like the nuclear industry is really what I want to do with my life.

22/02/08

Had the day off today and had planned to go to Bath for a visit and to take some photos, but the weather was not cooperative, and so I didn't bother. I just lounged around the house instead. Also happy birthday to my father, who is 69 today. Thanks to Sharon for sending me some great photos of the recent eclipse of the moon, as seen from Iowa!

19/02/08

Had a very pleasant weekend, with a continuation of our fine weather. I took my parents for lunch on Sunday, which was very nice - if a touch expensive! Have been having a very interesting exchange with Connie over the last day or so about life after death, and what happens to us when we finally die. Whatever the actual answer is, one thing is for certain - we will all find out one day!

15/02/08

Had a pretty good week at work, and made lots of progress on a fairly important report that needs to be done in the not-too-distant future. Checked my work emails earlier, and was reminded that I was supposed to collect some CDs from a customer earlier this week - oops, forgot all about that! Will have to go and collect them first thing Monday. Am taking my parents out for lunch this Sunday, which should be nice - if they remembered to book a table at the restaurant ... Prompted by my friend Sharon, I have decided that the next addition to this website will be a section on my favourite recipes. So keep watching, and that will appear soon.

11/02/08

This weekend saw the most gorgeous weekend of the year so far! Beautiful sunshine and blue skies - a bit cold in the evenings, but a perfect temperature during the day. The daffodils and other flowers are starting to come out, which tells us that spring must be on the way!

08/02/08

After a few nights without getting too much sleep, I was really pleased to sleep solidly from 10 pm through to 7:30 am this morning. Plus, we had the most beautiful early spring weather today that you could possibly imagine. The feel-good factor induced by nice weather makes living worth while! I just hope it lasts through the weekend! The other thing of interest that happened this week is that we got news that we have voted that our latest pay offer at work is not good enough - so it looks as though strike action may be on the way!

06/02/08

Important meeting yesterday to see the various nuclear regulatory bodies in the UK, which meant an early start to get to the north of England - but luckily an early finish to the meeting too! So I got home from the north of England at a reasonable hour. The meeting went very well, which is nice, and I think we made a reasonably good impression.

01/02/08

Luckily I'm now back to full fitness, and was rather touched by how many of my colleagues at work asked how I was when I went back in on Wednesday. Managed to catch up pretty well on the work that I missed over the first two days of the week, and so I finished the week quite happy. Missed an important meeting on Tuesday, but apparently that went fine in my absence. In fact it probably went better for me not being there! The next big event is a day out on Tuesday for another important meeting, which unfortunately means a 5 am start, but at least we'll get back the same day.

29/01/08

Following the gorgeous weekend, I've managed to be ill for the last couple of days, and so have been at home rather than work. Guess there'll be a whole load of things for me to do when I go back in tomorrow. I can't wait.

27/01/08

The most notable thing about this weekend has been the absolutely gorgeous weather that we had. Reasonable warm and lots of lovely blue skies. It works wonders for improving the moods of people, including me! First job for tomorrow at work is to find out what is happening with an important meeting that is supposed to be happening on Tuesday afternoon - so far there has been no agenda and no confirmation that we're even having the meeting. Fabulous organisation at work here!

25/01/08

A very eventful week this week at work, including two days up in Sellafield. For those that don't know, Sellafield is a nuclear site, and getting onto these sites causes a lot of fuss and bother. Unfortunately my boss got taken ill on the first night, and I had the pleasure of driving back down to Didcot in his new car! Luckily Dave is a good passenger! The meeting went fine, though it was left to me and another colleague to do the presentation that we had prepared. Had a strange phone call this morning from an American woman who seemed to want to help me market this website. Talking of which, I have decided to alter it again, so Sunday evening will see a slightly altered version of the menu bar on the left.

20/01/08

Regular readers will note that this is a backdated diary entry - have been too busy over the last few days to enter anything. Actually, that's not quite true - I just forgot for most of the time! This weekend was nice and quiet, as usual, though it will make a change for us to see some sunshine in southern and central England.

13/01/08

Had fun this morning helping my father move an old sofa out of my parents' living room and into the garage. We thought it was going to be hard - then we started and thought it was going to be easy - and then demolished a light fitting while being too casual about the moving job! I'm hopeful that this week will be more interesting at work than it was last week. Maybe it was just the shock of my first full week at work that got to me, so I will be optimistic when I go in tomorrow morning that things will be better. A bit of sunshine would help a lot, too ...

07/01/08

A strange day at work today - I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was as though nothing really happened, and I didn't achieve anything at all. I guess it's because some people are still out for their Christmas holidays and the rest of us are kind of easing our way into the new year. One thing's for sure - I don't think this feeling will last. Or at least I hope not. There's nothing worse than being bored at work. I also hope the weather improves in the next few days or so. Patchy rain was the order of the day today, the type where you can't predict what will be happening in 10 minutes time. Anyway, I'm rambling, so it must be nearly time for bed!

03/01/08

Since I had today off from work, I decided to do some work on my website. I have added a new sections with some jokes and other funny stuff in it (none of it my own work, I hasten to add!), and have put all my photographic stuff into a single section. It all looks much tidier to me, now. Tomorrow will be my first day back at work after the holidays. I wonder what emergencies will be awaiting me when I get in at about 8 am tomorrow!

01/01/08

First of all, a very happy New Year to everyone who reads this diary! My own Xmas was mixed. It was very nice to be away from work and to have some relaxation time. However, the British weather did not play ball, and so my week's holiday in Yorkshire was not quite as splendid as it might have been. Not to worry, taking a holiday in the middle of December is not the best idea if you are looking for sunshine and balmy conditions. Have you made any resolutions for the New Year? I'm still pondering mine. Giving up smoking is one that always passes through my mind, but somehow never seems to be put into practice. Maybe one year I will be able to summon up enough willpower to do it!