(no subject)
Been a while since I posted here. I'm sure most of you are abrest of current events in the life of Ben anyway but I feel I've been lapsed in my online communication. Part of this is simply that the new job doesn't allow much in the way of spare time to do updates at work, and for what they're paying me nor should it. Another part of it is when I've spend the day infront of a monitor, writing the power point packs that seem to be the only effective way of communicating with the company at large or (more enjoyably) digging into our latest research numbers to work out what's going on in the little heads of our customers, I just don't feel like spending my time at home writing. I'd rather be catching up with one or another random subsets of you guys, or shooting stuff. On my brithday I even managed to combine the two in a way that didn't lead to my arrest (outdoor laser tag), that was cool...
(For "shooting stuff" I of course mean spending quality time with the Xbox or PC. I honestly believe a regular diet of violent video games helps keep my anti-social tendancies under firm control, allowing me to maintain the facade that I am the mild mannered and well balanced individual you all seem to think I am.)
Anyway so what have I been up to and why should you care? Second question first, if your reading this clearly you have some spare time on your hands what else are you going to do with it huh? The dishes? We both know that's not going to happen. Sit back, put your feet up and read on.
Ok where to begin. Lets start with study since that's where the last post drifted off. Despite swine flu doom I did manange to pass my subjects. Just. Ok so a lot was going on last term, work, illness etc but I still don't like just "passing" a subject. Especially subjects I should be pretty good at. Still I made it through so 8 subjects down, 12 to go. This term as previously mentioned I'm just doing the one subject, Managing Process. First lecture was last night and the lecturer introduced himself by demonstrating that he can calculate the cube root of numbers in his head. And then he explained how doing so was a lousy pick up line... As intro's go it was one of the more novel ones.
The subject it's self is more interesting that you'd think. Solving a process issue is kinda like doing a moving jigsaw puzzle. An intellectual challeng if not something direct related to my work.
Speaking of work. Got a stellar review from all and sundry. One of the few 4's in Marketing (out of 5, where 5 means you are God, a score only available to those who make millions for the company or turn water in to wine). This resulted in a decent bonus and a nice pay rise, both of which arrived in my bank account in good order in time for me to spend them.
On the hobby stakes I've finally gotten a regular wargaming thing happening!! My regular opponent mousebane and I have been challenging one another to a variety of fields of battle, most commomnly Warmachine (an awesome game in my opinion) but we've also done Pulp city, Monsterpocalyps and Space Hulk is on the list for an encounter soon. To date all our battles have been bitterly fought contests with massive casualties on both sides. More often than not only a hand full of survivors on the winning team limp off the field and for the losers, the peace of an unmarked grave (though that's only for the contest that have a winner, sometimes we both lose). So yeah, lots of fun! We're hoping to drag a few other people along with us to Battle Bunker some time soon.
I also managed to finally do that cocktail course with Dave, Jacqui and one of their friends (name escapes me). It wasn't quite as drunken as I expected, but on the flip side it was a lot more educational. Reminde me to tell you the bizzar story of chatruse some time. Anyway what little I learnt is to be tested this weekend when I try to make a coupe of cocktails for a friends party. This could all end in tears, but I figure if I get them to drink enough, the quality wont be an issue.
Finally it's almost summer... I have day dreams about lazing down at the beach house and swimming through the cool blue water. I don't know if that's a hobby but hey, it's a dream.
That'll about do it for me for now. Till next time peoples.
(For "shooting stuff" I of course mean spending quality time with the Xbox or PC. I honestly believe a regular diet of violent video games helps keep my anti-social tendancies under firm control, allowing me to maintain the facade that I am the mild mannered and well balanced individual you all seem to think I am.)
Anyway so what have I been up to and why should you care? Second question first, if your reading this clearly you have some spare time on your hands what else are you going to do with it huh? The dishes? We both know that's not going to happen. Sit back, put your feet up and read on.
Ok where to begin. Lets start with study since that's where the last post drifted off. Despite swine flu doom I did manange to pass my subjects. Just. Ok so a lot was going on last term, work, illness etc but I still don't like just "passing" a subject. Especially subjects I should be pretty good at. Still I made it through so 8 subjects down, 12 to go. This term as previously mentioned I'm just doing the one subject, Managing Process. First lecture was last night and the lecturer introduced himself by demonstrating that he can calculate the cube root of numbers in his head. And then he explained how doing so was a lousy pick up line... As intro's go it was one of the more novel ones.
The subject it's self is more interesting that you'd think. Solving a process issue is kinda like doing a moving jigsaw puzzle. An intellectual challeng if not something direct related to my work.
Speaking of work. Got a stellar review from all and sundry. One of the few 4's in Marketing (out of 5, where 5 means you are God, a score only available to those who make millions for the company or turn water in to wine). This resulted in a decent bonus and a nice pay rise, both of which arrived in my bank account in good order in time for me to spend them.
On the hobby stakes I've finally gotten a regular wargaming thing happening!! My regular opponent mousebane and I have been challenging one another to a variety of fields of battle, most commomnly Warmachine (an awesome game in my opinion) but we've also done Pulp city, Monsterpocalyps and Space Hulk is on the list for an encounter soon. To date all our battles have been bitterly fought contests with massive casualties on both sides. More often than not only a hand full of survivors on the winning team limp off the field and for the losers, the peace of an unmarked grave (though that's only for the contest that have a winner, sometimes we both lose). So yeah, lots of fun! We're hoping to drag a few other people along with us to Battle Bunker some time soon.
I also managed to finally do that cocktail course with Dave, Jacqui and one of their friends (name escapes me). It wasn't quite as drunken as I expected, but on the flip side it was a lot more educational. Reminde me to tell you the bizzar story of chatruse some time. Anyway what little I learnt is to be tested this weekend when I try to make a coupe of cocktails for a friends party. This could all end in tears, but I figure if I get them to drink enough, the quality wont be an issue.
Finally it's almost summer... I have day dreams about lazing down at the beach house and swimming through the cool blue water. I don't know if that's a hobby but hey, it's a dream.
That'll about do it for me for now. Till next time peoples.