Whoo Hoo, new photo's!!!

Okay, I did say that I was gonna post some photo's on to the gallery and I have done. You can find them on page 4.

Have fun, oh and good weekend... ;)

How's that for a short post???

A couple of things...

This post hasn't really got a purpose. But it's been a while since I posted something without having a clear subject and I thought that it was about time. Although, I do have a couple of things that I want to say. First of all, you may have noticed the Google adverts on the side as well as the search bar. This is because, a) I think Google are wicked and b) Google do thing to make money, but at the same time to help their users. Everything Google have released has actually been beneficial and new. And if it's not new, it's better than what was there in the first place. So, this advert bar, searches through my posts and picks out adverts which it thinks may be relevant to someone reading this. Clever hey? and I get paid for the number of clicks each advert gets. So please, if you see something you may be interested in, click it!

I feel that it is about time that upload some new pictures on to my site. However, uploading pictures on the back of a dodgy wireless connection is frustrating, so what I am going to do is hopefully stay back one night next week at work and do it from there. I don't have a lot of pictures to put up, but I do have a few that I want to put up and have been meaning to for ages. So that's on my to do list.

Right, next subject (moving quickly hey?)... I recently decided that I need to start managing my money more effectively. Why?? Well, for a number of reasons, but mainly because, I used to take out £20 from the ATM, buy £12 worth of stuff, and then, the other £8 would just vanish. And this would piss me off no end. So, I got a little help from guys at work and how they manage their finances and came up with a little Excel spreadsheet which takes my daily expenditure, works out how much I'm spending and stuff like that. Damn, I really am getting old.... but on a serious note, this redundancy thing scared the hell out of me. I know I'd only just started work but if say 6-8 months down the line, it happens again, I'd like to know where I can stop spending, how much I can afford to save and stuff like that. So, hopefully this spreadsheet will help me do that. I may even put a template of it on here so you can download it and use yourselves, or just use it as an idea for your own spreadsheet.

So, what else have I been doing other than behaving like a 60 year old budgetting my finances... well Pro Evolution Soccer 5 came out on Friday. Now, FIFA will have its loyal followers, and Pro Evo will have it's. I will always stay true to the best football game in the world, PRO EVOLUTION. I played it round a friends place, and without this turning in to a games review, I cannot say a bad thing about the game. It's a lot more realistic, graphically it's pretty much the same as 4, and it's simply the best game to put on when you're chilling with your mates after work, in the weekend, whilst your waiting to go out, or when you've just come in. Simply Awesome.

I've not been back to Leicester for a while now. Last time I went back it was a bit rushed. I don't know why, just felt like I turned up and next thing I knew I was leaving again. But I'm going back up next week from (hopefully) Wednesday through to Sunday. So it will be a nice break for me. One that I think I want rather than need, but either way will do me some good. Life has been too hectic recently and a couple of hours/days sat in my living room watching rubbish and eating the equivalent will do nicely. My sister the other day reminded me that I don't yet have any plans for New Years. I would have have loved to go away some where, but this whole saving money thing comes back in to it. I don't want another night spent strolling the city streets of Leicester, no matter how much of a laugh it is. But, again, my refusal to plan anything social will again let me lean on fate to decide what happens. Unless someone comes up with a brilliant idea of going somewhere new (but cheap) for New Years. Guys? Speaking of going somewhere cheap, I've been wanting to go to Paris for a weekend. My housemate (who is French) reminded me how I've never actually visited Paris! And considering, get this, it would take me about the same time to drive to Leicester in rush hour it seems a bit stupid that I've not been yet. So, I'm looking in to that, I don't even mind going on my own (which sounds sad) but people who know me will know what I mean. "I might be alone, but I'm never lonely". I think Robert De Niro says that in "Heat". Not sure. But that's me.

I always say "Life is..." and then it's usually followed by "going smoothly" or something like that. But right now, there's not much happening for me to say different. Day to day stuff, which is good, going to friends house. I have to admit, I'm spending a lot of time and Galders and Stelios's place, sorry guys...!!! :) I'm back to playing some sports in the week, the odd evening out for dinner. It's nice. I just wish I had my own place. Somewhere, I could invite people round. It's not that I hate it here, it's just that.... I want me own place. All in good time I suppose... all in good time.

The Outcome!!!

So, what happened? Well, I came in to work on Monday morning, and the office was filled with people just wanting to know. We've waited 30 days, now just tell us, but nooooo... we had to be kept waiting. Then finally it was our turn, development, and guess who was first? Yep.... good ol' me! So downstairs I went, slowly, and at this point my heart was starting to pound harder and faster.

In the end, I wasn't to be affected by the redundancy's. People ask if I am happy because I kept my job. The answer being no, I am relieved. But alot of people left who I will be sorry to leave and to be honest, some of managements decisions I just don't understand, but that's why they are management and I'm not, because they have to make these decisions. So, in the end, the office was emptied at 2pm as everyone filtered out to lunch... and nobody came back! The "night" you could say began at that point.... and ended swiftly with me absolutely exhausted and hitting the sack at midnight, relieved and looking forward to the coming week at work. A lot of questions have to answered as to what the future is going to bring and management still have a job to do to keep the staff that they have. I have a job offer from the interview I went to on Friday. I couldn't ask to be in a better situation than this, but for me however, to leave I think would be a mistake. I want to expand my knowledge and my skills in a certain area, and I will have a better chance of doing that here than I will at this other place. Money for me is not an issue so that would not sway me one way or another (unless one was paying a lot more!). So... I guess this is what it comes down to, I am happy where I am (all of my closest friends are still here), and hopefully I will get the experience I need and want. We will have to see....

On the lighter side of things, from the interview I went to on Friday they completed a "personality profile" on me which I found to be scaringly spot on. I will hopefully get the time to type it out and I'll put it on here. I can't believe how accurate they can be just by asking you a you to pick out certain words in a list.

To all them that did lose their jobs, I just want to say that I hope we can keep in touch and wish you the best of luck for the future. I know you are all skilled individuals and you will find something much better. Good luck.

2 Interviews and a birthday!

I thought I would write a quick something just to recap what's happening. It was my birthday yesterday on the 7th and first of all I would like to thank all the people who text, emailed, called or sent me a card. You know who you are, I appreciate it more than you know. I spent the majority of my birthday in an interview in Gosling, which is why I a) haven't gotten back to some of you yet, or b) got back to you after such a delay. It was an assessment day, so tests for this and tests for that. It went surprisingly well and I should hear something back from it early next week. It was on the coast, very nice place to work but not to live. Too many retired people. Not enough of an atmosphere, but then again, I am getting old now ;) The drive down was aweomse, I had to leave at 6.30am and the sun was coming up as my TomTom Navigator took me the scenic route across some amazing country lanes. Have to do that drive again sometime. I had another interview on Wednesday in central London. This one didn't go so well and I've already heard back from the agency telling me I was unsuccessful. I don't think I would have accepted it had I got it as the working environment is not what I like. It was very unsocial and what I like to call a "geek palace". So that's that. I have a few other things in the pipeline with a couple other IT agency's calling me regarding some interesting opportunity's. I will decide what I want to do (carry on searching for a job, take another job regardless of Monday's outcome) next week when I find out what's happening at work.

So I'm 26.... feeling it. I just realised that I'm only 4 years away from 30 now!!! That's a scary thought. Not because I'm not married or don't have a house or any kids, but in the sense that... damn I'm almost 30! I've crossed that mid-20's barrier... I'm not longer on the right side of "young". I'm taking the old "you're only as old as you feel" path... I think it works... if you don't actually feel old, 'cos then you're just shafted.

Right, I said this was going to be short. Regarding Monday, I'll post as soon as I possibly can after I know. It may not be on Monday but hopefully it won't be long after. Right, I'm off to watch the England match.