Possibly my most overdue update ever...
So, yeah, I had an update mostly written in the first week of December, and then life got busy again, plus the having to fight off a pretty nasty attack of the headweasels. So, here follows an update which is as long as it is delayed...
To start more or less at the end, Christmas was pretty OK. I got through the annual visit to my family with minimal annoyance, largely because my sisters' kids were the main focus of attention. We then did A's family on the 27th, which was much more fun. The present haul was pretty decent, consisting as it did mostly of books and CDs from my wishlist, sweeties, toiletries and cash.
We're starting the New Year with no central heating, as the system has fallen over again. At least the guy we paid £200 to fix it the first time (whereupon it was 100% fine for a whole 4 days) was good enough to point out that we have an immersion switch on our hot water tank, so at least we're not without hot water this time...
On the work front, things have been going marginally better. The interview mentioned in my last post didn't go terribly well, and I subsequently received an e-mail saying that the other two candidates (yep, two - so I was right about not being overrun with applicants) had withdrawn and that, because they are 'committed to a competitive application process' or somesuch, they're re-advertising and will keep notes of my interview and let me know in January or whenever. Of course, they already had a competitive process, so I think I'm safe to assume they didn't think I fit the bill. Maybe it was the potential for clashing dates; maybe something else; let's just say I won't be holding my breath for a reply on that one.
In the job I've actually been doing, however, things have been trundling on reasonably OK, with occasional frustration re the lack of response to e-mails and major frustration at how things went wonky re the appointment of a new governor, where it wasn't at all clear what was to be done, and by who, when Other Clerk was away on holiday, I finally actually got some positive feedback from the Chair of Governors, re my minutes for a meeting at which she and the Head locked horns. (Diplomacy skills, I haz them - this kind of thing is nothing compared to writing panel decisions explaining how nurses screwed up, after all...). And I finally got some clarification about what the hell is going on with relationship between me and Other Clerk. I received an e-mail in early December saying that he'd like, as of January, to hand over the three Committees he's held onto so far and just be around to advise if needed. In other words, it looks like I'm finally going to stop being treated as the junior partner and kept out of the loop, and it also means that I can count an about 30% more hours from next term, which gets me that bit closer to income which will cover my outgoings. So, hurrah!
On a semi-related note, I have finally properly started the volunteering for which trained much earlier in the year. I've been assigned to coach a Year 10 girl (that's 4th year, for those who think in old money) who, I was originally told, has confidence issues. After a couple of sessions, it's abundantly clear that she's well motivated but has had less than stellar help with her English and her reading since arriving from Sierra Leone about four years back. I get the feeling that her school needs a kick up the backside far more than she needs an attitude change, but I'm not sure the former is within my remit. :(
What else has been going on?
The Star Wars game continues, apart from the quite frequent weeks when one or the other of us simply can't make any day which works for all the others. On one of those weeks, we had a rather fun game of A Study in Emerald, instead. The previously referenced knitting course went better than I'd hoped. Although I was the group's slow leaner, still getting my head round the knit stitch when everyone else had moved on to purling, increases and decreases, I did actually manage to overcome the Can't-Do-This terror and achieved casting on, knit stitch and casting off. I'm currently doing a few rows most days, and am now halfway through square two of my 'Henry Ford Project' with a very chunky black wool, so things feel like they're going at a decent speed. I'll make a start on the black-with-sparkles wool, which is thinner, next year.
The New Model Army gig at the end of November was, as could have been predicted, A Bit Good. I gave in to temptation and bought the new album, rather than waiting and putting it on my Christmas list, and it's definitely a grower. I particularly like 'I Need More Time' and 'Knievel'. The Mission/Fields of the Nephilim gig in December was something of a mixed bag. The Nephilim were awesome, in the proper, original sense of the word, but the Mish were something of a disappointment, and the less said about "Bob Noxious", a sweary bloke in a Santa suit who was presumably intended to be funny and came on in between the two acts, the better...
At the cinema, A and I managed to catch Carrie, the second Hunger Games film and the second Hobbit film, all of which were entertaining enough in their various ways, but none of which were what I'd classify as essential viewing. Oh, yeah, and we made it to the British Museum to catch the exhibition on sex in Japanese art, which was a bit of an eye-opener. I had no idea that tentacle-porn dated back several centuries, for example. ;)
I'm going to be heading out in a couple of hours to meet A for a late dinner after he finishes work, with a view to wandering down to the river to catch the fireworks. if things go according to plan, I shall also be doing the year meme for 2013 before I go, but, in case not, I hope everyone has a fab New Year...
To start more or less at the end, Christmas was pretty OK. I got through the annual visit to my family with minimal annoyance, largely because my sisters' kids were the main focus of attention. We then did A's family on the 27th, which was much more fun. The present haul was pretty decent, consisting as it did mostly of books and CDs from my wishlist, sweeties, toiletries and cash.
We're starting the New Year with no central heating, as the system has fallen over again. At least the guy we paid £200 to fix it the first time (whereupon it was 100% fine for a whole 4 days) was good enough to point out that we have an immersion switch on our hot water tank, so at least we're not without hot water this time...
On the work front, things have been going marginally better. The interview mentioned in my last post didn't go terribly well, and I subsequently received an e-mail saying that the other two candidates (yep, two - so I was right about not being overrun with applicants) had withdrawn and that, because they are 'committed to a competitive application process' or somesuch, they're re-advertising and will keep notes of my interview and let me know in January or whenever. Of course, they already had a competitive process, so I think I'm safe to assume they didn't think I fit the bill. Maybe it was the potential for clashing dates; maybe something else; let's just say I won't be holding my breath for a reply on that one.
In the job I've actually been doing, however, things have been trundling on reasonably OK, with occasional frustration re the lack of response to e-mails and major frustration at how things went wonky re the appointment of a new governor, where it wasn't at all clear what was to be done, and by who, when Other Clerk was away on holiday, I finally actually got some positive feedback from the Chair of Governors, re my minutes for a meeting at which she and the Head locked horns. (Diplomacy skills, I haz them - this kind of thing is nothing compared to writing panel decisions explaining how nurses screwed up, after all...). And I finally got some clarification about what the hell is going on with relationship between me and Other Clerk. I received an e-mail in early December saying that he'd like, as of January, to hand over the three Committees he's held onto so far and just be around to advise if needed. In other words, it looks like I'm finally going to stop being treated as the junior partner and kept out of the loop, and it also means that I can count an about 30% more hours from next term, which gets me that bit closer to income which will cover my outgoings. So, hurrah!
On a semi-related note, I have finally properly started the volunteering for which trained much earlier in the year. I've been assigned to coach a Year 10 girl (that's 4th year, for those who think in old money) who, I was originally told, has confidence issues. After a couple of sessions, it's abundantly clear that she's well motivated but has had less than stellar help with her English and her reading since arriving from Sierra Leone about four years back. I get the feeling that her school needs a kick up the backside far more than she needs an attitude change, but I'm not sure the former is within my remit. :(
What else has been going on?
The Star Wars game continues, apart from the quite frequent weeks when one or the other of us simply can't make any day which works for all the others. On one of those weeks, we had a rather fun game of A Study in Emerald, instead. The previously referenced knitting course went better than I'd hoped. Although I was the group's slow leaner, still getting my head round the knit stitch when everyone else had moved on to purling, increases and decreases, I did actually manage to overcome the Can't-Do-This terror and achieved casting on, knit stitch and casting off. I'm currently doing a few rows most days, and am now halfway through square two of my 'Henry Ford Project' with a very chunky black wool, so things feel like they're going at a decent speed. I'll make a start on the black-with-sparkles wool, which is thinner, next year.
The New Model Army gig at the end of November was, as could have been predicted, A Bit Good. I gave in to temptation and bought the new album, rather than waiting and putting it on my Christmas list, and it's definitely a grower. I particularly like 'I Need More Time' and 'Knievel'. The Mission/Fields of the Nephilim gig in December was something of a mixed bag. The Nephilim were awesome, in the proper, original sense of the word, but the Mish were something of a disappointment, and the less said about "Bob Noxious", a sweary bloke in a Santa suit who was presumably intended to be funny and came on in between the two acts, the better...
At the cinema, A and I managed to catch Carrie, the second Hunger Games film and the second Hobbit film, all of which were entertaining enough in their various ways, but none of which were what I'd classify as essential viewing. Oh, yeah, and we made it to the British Museum to catch the exhibition on sex in Japanese art, which was a bit of an eye-opener. I had no idea that tentacle-porn dated back several centuries, for example. ;)
I'm going to be heading out in a couple of hours to meet A for a late dinner after he finishes work, with a view to wandering down to the river to catch the fireworks. if things go according to plan, I shall also be doing the year meme for 2013 before I go, but, in case not, I hope everyone has a fab New Year...