New Job

I am still slightly stunned by the speed this has happened. Interviewed one Monday, in the office the next! Today we completed the basics - understanding the telephone system, getting an e-mail address, ordering a PC and getting the first proper exposure to the Energy Industry. It is a very complicated system and could not be run without computers.

I have books to read, and much to learn, and skills to bring up-to-date. The next few weeks are going to be interesting.

I travelled to Chelmsford on the Bus, rather than drive. It takes 30 minutes, or slightly less, unless you miss one as you leave the office, in which case it is nearer 50 minutes.

Job

I have been offered the job that I was interviewed for last Monday and have accepted. I start on Monday 14th (next Monday!). I am obviously very pleased, and quite excited.

Interview in Chelmsford

I had my first face to face interview today, with a small company in Chelmsford. Chelmsford is just a few miles up the road, so is very convenient. They also have parking spaces, so that too is good news.
I'm never very good at judging how well or not interviews go. It took about two hours, and we covered a wide range of topics - so I'm guessing it wasn't too bad. The people are friendly - I was introduced to a number of people in the office, which was very nice. Basically I would be happy to work there from what I have seen, but who can tell whether they are thinking the same way.

Anyway, it is only fair to thank them for the experience, because interviews are always good, even if they only end up being for practice.

I rushed home and was almost wiped out by someone leaving the golf club. I braked hard, reducing my speed to about 20 MPH, just as the car reached roughly the same speed, our bumpers didn't touch, but I was expecting they would. The 'slow motion' experience that you get prior to an accident had already begun. The gap increased, and time returned to normal, the the car in front (yes, same one) indicated and began to turn left. It stopped half way through the turn and caused be to brake sharply again!

After a quick sandwich I drove to Brentwood to sign on, and back home to apply for more employment. I have had one rejection today from those 7 jobs (I am too senior for the role!).

The Kitchen - Day 7

The tiler arrived and has completed a good part of the kitchen. The smell cannot be blogged (or at least you cannot experience it through the blog. He and his mate will be back at 7.30am tomorrow, so I'll have to be up early.

The rest of today was spent:

• Gardening - weeding mainly
• Church Admin - planning the worship rota and the changes from last nights meeting
• Driving - with Liz, who still hasn't blogged her news.
• Downloading - ISO images for Linux, so I will let you know how that goes
• Cleaning up the PC - to make space
• Business Planning - Preparing to run my own business.
• Applying for jobs, and had someone ring me within 90 minutes of submitting my CV. Could be interesting.
  

On Sunday, I checked to see if there was a lead article for the Church magazine. There wasn't - so I quickly created on Sunday evening, because there really has to be one. Yesterday one arrived from another source, which will be used as the lead article (the right thing to do), mine will be the second article. Still I lack the faith to let God do his work, and make my life harder as a result.

The Kitchen - Day 4

Today the units were fitted and the kitchen looks like a kitchen - well almost. Last thing the floor was covered in latex, ready for the application of the floor tiles. The microwave was fitted.
More pictures are in the web album, but they are limited, as access to the kitchen was not allowed - the latex must be allowed to dry without any footprints being added.

I have started researching the possibility of running my own home PC support business. The government have loads of information, I have registered my interest, and have started reading. Shortly after I did this the power went off, and that was it for the day, or for my day anyway.

While the power was off I inspected the lawn. I had sprinkled some weed killer granules on the lawn. Unfortuneately the Tesco spreader system does not work. so in some places the lawn is no more. It has even killed the grass. In other places there has been no effect on the weeds at all. Back to the liquid ones I think.

The Kitchen - Day 3

On Day 3 we got plastered. The walls and ceiling are now lookin smooth and dark. The plaster will dry out slowly, then after the units are fitted the the tiler will com.
I am always impressed with plasterers - they get the wall looking so smooth, and they seem to be able so cover with almost no depth.

On the emplyment front there is no more follow-up from either of the contacts.

The Kitchen - Day 2

The holes in the walls have been filled in, the electrics are ready to the point of plastering, and the guys were sitting waiting for things to be delivered. Eventually everything came. The cooker, the flooring, and the wall tiles are all here.
I have also purchased the light, and the door - the only things that I have to buy separately. I really do not understand why the Kitchen company cannot do this. To me it seems it should be trivial for them, but is anything but trivial for me.
The light was simple, go to the high street electrical store and choose one, then pick it up the next day. Trying to buy the door was most interesting. What I want is simple - a plain standard internal door, but 24 inches wide, not the usual 30. All the major DIY stores do not stock them, except one. Most cannot even order them. Jewsons had three, so all I had to do was find it. The google directions are wrong (or I completely mis-interpreted them), and I had an interesting trip to Witham.
So Galleywood Kitchens have their first cheque, and I am requesting the money for the other workers they are sub-contracting for us. They do not have any concerns about how we pay for the rest of it, so if these cheques bounce that's the sub-contractors problem.

Yesterdays pictures are in the album:

Kitchen Re-fit

After weeks of nothing I had 2 interviews today. Both were only for screening purposes, but it was good to have some interest in my abilities.

Signing-on

Every fortnight I have to go to the Job Centre to sign-on. To let them know that I have been looking for work. It is not a particularly pleasant experience, mainly because it reminds me that I am officially unemployed. There are compensations though - one of them is that I get to walk past this magnificent tree. It stands in a narrow road, and is limited on one side by a multi-storey car park. As you can see, it completely covers the road. I have no idea what type of tree it is, but I walk past it quite deliberately.

On the way back, waiting on the station for the train, I heard a commotion on the other platform. Three revenue protection officers (ticket inspectors to you and I) were trying to prevent two young people from leaving the station. They were about to be served with a penalty fare. The young man was beginning to get angry as my train came in, and had just shoved on of the inspectors quite hard.
At the next station all was quiet. As I waited for the next train all I could hear was the wind whistling past my ears, and looking beyond the train in the next platform the layout of the railway junction. I could have been there for ever, though it was less than 10 minutes. This station is a terminus for some trains, and a major junction for others, I've never seen it so empty.

Into London for a surprise

Today, for the first time since I was declare redundant, I travelled into London. I have already handed in my season ticket, so had to pay for the trip - £10.10. I was expecting an interview by an agency, and really had no idea what was coming as I approached Liverpool Street station, went up the escalator onto Bishopsgate. I arrived in the office and was kept waiting for a few minutes. It reminded me of C.J. in the fall and rise of Reginald Perrin.
"1, 2, 3, 4,
make 'em wait outside the door
5, 6, 7, 8
always pays to make 'em wait"
Then I was taken to the office, and to my surprise found that I was being interviewed by a career consultant. Someone that I as the (potential) employee would pay for. What would I get? CV advice, tutoring in the whole job search area, possibly introductions - but to people that are carefully matched to have a requirement for someone like me. (That makes it sound like a dating agency!!) It's all quite expensive, so I have to understand if this is the right sort of thing to do - can I justify the expense, is it really a worthwhile investment?
They would be getting me a better job than the one I had - at least that would be their intention, and with more money too.
Is that what I want? - I really don't know.

Today has given me something that I didn't expect to think and pray about. Sometimes the unexpected is from God, sometimes the promise of riches is a temptation to greed.