Posted: Tue 20 August, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Agency Idiocy, Customer Services, Cynicism, People, Travel, Work-related |
Despite having agreed to a contract, I had one interview that pre-dated that acceptance, and rather than piss people off by saying “I’ve taken a contract, so cancel the interview”, I’d decided to still go. The agency in question have been a ‘mare, asking me no less than three times to confirm that I was going. (and no, they’re not aware of the now existing contract offer) On each occasion I’ve replied to the original interview confirmation, with the relevant agency recipients copied in.
I went to the interview today in the company’s Northampton office, got there in plenty of time, waited outside reading my book (Well, Kindle, but same thing) and went in on time. Only the person I was meant to be seeing wasn’t there. No worries, they said, we’re sure he’s on his way. We’ll call and check.
I waited quarter of an hour, and in that time got a call from the agency. I ignored it – no way am I taking calls while I’m waiting for an interview to start. On this occasion, maybe I should’ve done.
Anyway, the person I’ve been dealing with in the office comes back in, and explains that actually I’m supposed to be meeting them in – um – Coventry. Even better, I’m not the first person this has happened to with this agency, I’m the second. To do it once is a fuck-up. To do it twice is to be a fuckup.
Needless to say, once I got out of the office, I went ballistic at the agency, who really don’t quite know what to do with themselves about it. If it were someone else involved, I’d probably laugh. (And come tomorrow, probably I’ll laugh too)
In the meantime though, it’s been a totally wasted afternoon, and has necessitated a complete reorganisation of the interview – not just day and time, but also location. It’s now on Friday, late afternoon, near Heathrow. Yep, late in the day, just before a Bank Holiday weekend. I suspect I may just be cancelling that one, once all the contract paperwork is through and completed…
Posted: Mon 29 July, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Driving, Media, Public Transport, Travel, Weirdness |
What on earth is going on with public transport in Europe this week?
In the last week we’ve had…
There’ve been other things too – the bus in Manchester ripping it’s roof off going under a bridge, for example – but it just seems like public transport is having a really bad time of it at the moment.
Posted: Sat 8 June, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Business, Domestic, Insomnia, Travel, Work-related |
Yet again, it’s been a long old week. I’m not complaining, because it’s also been a good week, but man alive, I’m shattered right now.
The week started normally, allbeit with some very bad nights’ sleep. It then involved (another) trip up to Manchester to visit one of the partner companies, and get a load of stuff done. I went up there on Wednesday evening, ready for two full days in the office.
Thursday night I went out with colleagues from the office, ended up getting back to the hotel by about 1.30am, and eventually to bed about an hour after that, and up at 6am. That was followed by another full working day, and then visiting an old friend (a long-term friend, rather than an old one per se) which was great, but again meant not actually crashing out ’til 2ish. I slept insanely badly, went downstairs at 5ish. read until 6, then slept on the sofa for another hour and a half or so.
Today I’ve driven home, and got back about 4pm.
I don’t know why I’m sleeping so badly in general – I’m no more stressed than usual, there’s no real reason for it, it’s just one of those “wonderful” periods of insomnia that hit me every so often. But right now, as a friend used to say, “In every single plane of existence right now, I’m knackered”.
Posted: Mon 27 May, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Creativity, Domestic, Getting Organised, London, Reviews(ish), Thoughts, Travel |
Over the weekend, I took a trip down to That There London, primarily to see the Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at the Tate Modern. It’s been on for a while, and I’d meant to see it earlier, but then checked last week to realise yesterday was the final day. And so, the plan was born to get down and see it.
I’ve loved a lot of Lichtenstein’s work for many years now, and the exhibition had the originals of a couple of my all time favourites (Particularly “Whaaam!”) so it was definitely a good reason to go and see it.
But what I hadn’t realised was that this sort of stuff was only a small part of his work – although the style remains the same, there’s a lot more that I’d never known about.
My own particular favourites (in no particular order) were the Lichtenstein versions of other classic artists (including Mondrian and Picasso) and also his versions of classical Chinese landscape portraiture, which are just excellent.
I was really pleased that I’d got down to see the exhibition – although I do find that most of the stuff in Tate Modern is unconscionable piss, every so often they throw out a gem.
Posted: Mon 29 April, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Domestic, Food, Gigs, London, Music, Photography, Public Transport, Sociable, Thoughts, Travel |
Over the weekend, I went down to London to see the Rebel Rebels perform their final show.
Conveniently (for me, at least) it was held at the Elixir Bar, just round the corner from Euston – ideal, and meant I didn’t even need to consider overnighting in London.
As it was, I met up with Merialc and Erzsebel beforehand, and went for a curry at the Erzsebel-recommended “Diwana Bhel Poori House“. (round the other corner from Euston) The food was excellent – although I can honestly say I have no idea what the hell I was eating – and made for a good start to the evening.
The evening itself was a fun time too – and while not being ‘official photographer‘, I still had the camera with me, and got some good shots. I’ve missed the Rebels’ previous shows for a number of reasons, so I’m glad I got to be there for the final one.
The journey home was OK too – albeit incredibly long, due to the train service stopping at every single station on the way. Being sober on the late train’s an experience in tolerance, not rising to any number of inane pisshead conversations and the like, but thankfully there was only one puker, so it could’ve been a lot worse all round.
A great evening all round, and it’s a pity that at the moment there aren’t more planned.
Posted: Mon 15 April, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 1BEM, Charm School, Commuting, Domestic, Driving, People, Stupidity, Travel |
Over the last year, one particular section of my daily commute has made me realise two things
- People are really fucking stupid
- I’m a complete bastard, and still get amused by watching stupid people screw things up
The road section is this one – Junction 13 of the M1. The particularly bad section is at the top – I come off the Motorway at the bottom right of the photo, have to go all the way round the first roundabout, over the motorway bridge, and straight over the second one to head towards home.
Junction 13 of the M1
However, rule #1 above says that people are really fucking stupid. This means that
- At least once a week, I see people on the first roundabout wanting to turn right (i.e. the same way I go), get confused, and drive back on to the M1, instead of taking the next turn off.
- Pretty much every day I see people in the wrong lanes on the first roundabout, being in the left-hand lane to turn right, right-hand lane to turn left or go straight-on, cutting lanes across the roundabout, etc. etc.
- Probably three times out of five, I’ll see people come off the other roundabout, and be totally confused about where to go next. That turn-off has two lanes – the left one to go straight on, the right one to – yes! – turn right. The number of people I follow who are in the wrong lane, and completely bemused by the junction is just unreal.
Of course, with option two there is also the – very minor – justification that it’s a confusing or badly designed junction (and in my opinion it is a bit shit) but it actually isn’t that bad. Slightly obscure, but not bad – so long as drivers read the signs and the roads. Which is, of course, the underlying problem.
And rule #2 is that I’m still a bastard. I can’t help but laugh at the fuck-knuckles who drive back onto the M1, and also (to a lesser degree) to the ones who fuck up the second roundabout.
I’m not perfect when it comes to driving – and I’d never claim to be – but at least I can read the road and don’t screw up the simple things.
Posted: Tue 9 April, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Domestic, Driving, People, Travel, Work-related |
Another long day today, with a Devon run and a stop-over in Bristol to deliver some other work-based stuff.
All went well though, and again the Saab’s doing just fine. I’d be happier if the fuel consumption was a bit better, but it’s still not too bad.
Mind you, Bristol is a bag of shit to drive round. I don’t know who designed their one-way system, but I’m pretty sure they were either a) insane or b) a fucking idiot. Perhaps both. (And I also bet it was the same person who designed the one-way system in Farnham. But that’s another story)
What amazes me with Bristol – and it’s a view based on several visits, and not something I’ve seen as much anywhere else – is how little people in Bristol know about Bristol, and places in it. I had been given the wrong address for the office I needed, but the security people in the wrong place *and* the people in the right place didn’t know how to get from one to the other. And it turned out to be a matter of crossing a dual-carriageway to get from one to the other. These two office buildings are within sight of each other. Yet no-one knew about the other.
The final straw was being at the right place, saying I was at [centre] North, and being told – by people in [centre] – that I was in the wrong place. They didn’t even know their own fucking building had two entrances!
Anyway, it all got sorted in the end, so all’s good.
