Sounds Like A Week Gone Bye
Sounds Like A Week Gone Bye
Its Sunday evening again, so I can't put it off any longer its Blogging time, while I can still think coherently.
Listening Or Not
Last week I mentioned my concerns over how much the wife had been winding me up and haow I'd been handling it or not as the case may be. This week I was able to wind my feelings in a bit, yes I'm still pretty worried but there is no point in killing my self over it. So I've been able to let it wash over me a bit better, having the pressure upped at work also helped as it gave me less time to dwell on other issues. The wife has spent most evenings pretty doped up on pain killers due to back ache, so she's been less coherent than normal, not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. Though it might not help that I'm finding it increasingly harder to separate her voice from back ground noise. As I tend to keep radio 4 on in my office the kitchen and our bedroom, while the telly dominates the sitting room. I find I really have to focus on her to make out what she's saying. I know that as we get older we lose sensitivity to the higher frequency ranges some times it feels like I'm listening with cotton wool in my ears. I had a hearing check at work a few years ago, when my boss (at the time) complained that I paid little attention to him and he kept having to repeat him self. To be honest, the fact that he was an arrogant pratt had more to do with the deafness.
One sound all to common in this house is that of my wife and eldest flaring up in yet another blazing row, slamming doors and the daily tensions as they clash on yet another seeming trivial issue. The two of them have never got along all that well, and it only gets worse as the kid gets older, the teens loom and already I'm getting nervous.
Sounds of Success and D'oh!
I suppose its time in the blog to get onto the world of work, last week I mentioned the coming process trials, (the plan C of a rather over long project), well it was a bit earlier in the week than anticipated. But it was one of those truly pleasurable surprises when, some thing (in my case industrial plant and equipment) that your still not totally sure off, actually works and goes down well with the end users. There then followed much slapping of backs and all that sort of thing. Thankfully I was spared any American high fives and “O Yeas” and other such over enthusiastic displays. Rather, the current mood went from “we don't want that crap out here” to “we want it ready now”. I'll admit I was exceedingly relieved, and hadn't fully realised how much the project was weighing on my shoulders. But I don't rush things, to the extent that I try to communicate an air of steady progression that leaves no stone unturned. All this was intermingled with a surge of spread sheets, power point presentations, and soporific technical reports. To the extent that my boss was singing the praises of a report that I could not remember writing, well not until I asked him to send me a copy. We get these bullshit surges about once a month when the higher echelons desperately try to compete amongst themselves as to who is driving the most: aggressive, acronym riddled, jargon loaded, change program.
In the midst of this when, your supposed to be riding high, some thing always happens. I had just spent the better part of a day preparing for another online test, to drive further process validation. I pressed start, but no soothing whirr of air motor and other mechanical delights, more the muffled bang and metallic tinkle of fragmenting components, followed by the sudden surge of a motor unloaded. Sounds only drowned out by own cursing and fumbling for the off switch before more carnage was wrought. My colleagues damn near pissed then selves laughing, later that day I was awarded the un-coveted Twat of The Week Award so now my desk at work is graced with a large black “T” on a plinth. All because of 1 or 2 mm of miss-adjustment.
Welsh Voices Can Wait
Next week I was supposed to be going back the Welsh classes, but after a long discussion with the wife we decided that the Wednesday evening time slot would be better employed by her attending the class, she completed the 1st year course a couple of years ago, the continuation course would open more professional doors for her than it would for me. Though I was rather looking forward to it and I'll have have to give her lift there and come back to collect her. Maybe next September.
The Dull Crunch of Cartilage
Monday night at kick boxing was the usual sweaty thud of pad work and light sparring, before my hiatus, when family matters swamped me, I was sparring a bit more brutally. So the past few weeks have been very much a process of getting back into the swing. I wasn't much good before, but this week I did get a, gentler than previous batterings, reminder. I stuffed up a block and was rewarded with the metallic taste and red smear of a rearranged nose. Its directional deviation was noticed at work on Tuesday.
Imagined Clash Of Swords
On Thursday night at the Wargames Club my Japanese warrior monks finally saw the light of day amid: dice, tape measures and scenery. But were weren't facing off against indignant samurai but rather rampaging trolls. They gave a good account of them selves, the monks that is, the trolls that remained beat a swift retreat back into the woods. Most of the evening was taken up with club admin and accounts so the game was a pleasant hour or so distraction. Looks like there will be plenty more admin and club organisation to occupy my time over the next few weeks. Today I was able to spend some time painting up a few more Samurai the main thing is to have at least seven.
Whispers Amid The Trees and The Splash Of Feet
Yesterday I could not face being cooped up on such a lovely day, so I took the kids to Wepre Park near Queensferry. After a bit of time on the play ground we followed the winding path through the woods to the ruins of Ewloe Castle, it was great to be out there , but the twittering of the birds was some what drowned out by the inane warbling of my kids. I fear they have both inherited the mother-in-laws capacity for verbal diarrhoea. While I wish the splash of feet had been in a glistening, stream that runs through the park.
Rather when we got home the washing machine was going bonkers, an inch of water washed around the laundry room and down stairs loo. I was alarmed to see the water pressure burst open the powder drawer and issue forth in an alarming torrent. As I really needed to sort out my laundry much time was spent yesterday mop in hand and switching over plastic tubs while padding bare foot in cold suds. Today I anticipated being buried amid the internals of a dismantled washing machine. Thankfully when we ran it this morning on another program it operated with out fault or flood. I think it may be an electronic brain fart rather than something more drastic or mechanical.
Voices Not Heard For Far Too Long
Its strange how circumstances lead to unexpected contacts. On Friday my eldest showed me her weekend home work, apart from the maths, she had to draw up a family tree. I suddenly realised that I had no idea as to my grand parents first names, they are all gone now and as a kid I saw very little of them. A call to my mum sorted out her side but even she could not remember my grandfather's name on my fathers side. Desperate I dug through my filo-fax at who might be able to help. I discovered I still had the address of a cousin out in Serbia, international directory enquires, gave me his number and we spoke for the first time in over ten years. He gave me his email address but it didn't work so I will need to call again tomorrow.
Dreadful Sounds Not Forgotten
As note of solidarity with our American friends, September 11th did not go unremembered, it has become this decades JFK like turning point. Yes I remember what I was doing and how the news filtered down. The world did take a darker turn that day that none of us can escape.
Well another ramble comes to an end, as does a weekend, so I'll bid all my friends across: nation, ocean and ether a safe, sane week.
Chancer