That was the week that was
It's been a bit mad.
On Monday I spent my last day of being a part-time worker which would have been cool except I worked all day on Mondays so I didn't really get any benefit from that. For a while I didn't think I'd get my new contract on time, or that the company would make me leave and re-employ me as a new hire but luckily they managed to keep things moderatly simple, even if it was all a bit last minute. So I got my new contract, signed it and agreed to return to being a full-time starting...
On Tuesday. Yes, the next day. I'm not entirely sure how that happened to be frank. I suppose I'm pretty lucky to be able to walk back into a job that I quit (more than once) and I even managed to get a small pay rise out of it although in compensation they got my tax code (and only *my* tax code) wrong. First day back and I end up working late and forgot I was meant to be at a friends place for a gaming night, which gave me a horrible feeling of deja vu. I've no idea how long I'm going to stay but it'll probably be long enough to see out the MA course. Which I now know I'm going to do as...
On Wednesday I got my official confirmation of a place on the MA at Birkbeck. I went to the interview last week - a whole 15 minutes worth - at the end of which they said they'd be making me a conditional offer so this wasn't a shock. The condition turned out to be...get a degree (any grade) which by any definition of an offer is pretty sweet. Without trying to tempt fate this should be easily possible as long as none of my coursework this year fails. And that means just completing one exam and handing in my last essay which I've writing every evening and lunchtime for the past week. This was cutting it a bit fine as I knew I needed to finish it my Thursday lunchtime because...
On Thursday evening I went to see Ian Anderson perform both 'Thick as a Brick' and 'Thick as a Brick 2' in concert. It's the first time Ian Anderson had performed the first album in its entirety since its release 40 years ago. Oddly I think I prefer the 2nd album, which may count me as a heretic in the Jethro Tull fan world. Anyway, excellent gig and just a short walk to the Hexagon to see it. It's also the first time the wife and I had been to the Hexagon in 8 years of living in Reading, which must also be some sort of a record. This left me knackered out because...
On Friday I had to submit the aforementioned essay first thing. I spent a little while brushing it up and it's good but not great. Anyway it's sufficient to get me past that module. As I've already submitted my dissertation (as anyone who reads my Facebook distresses will know) this leave me with just one exam to go and then I'm finished as an undergrad. After that it was a quick rush back to do a day's work.
I now have the long Bank Holiday weekend to do some much needed revision but I also want to relax a little, go to the gym (more on that in a later post I suspect) and tidy up my office. I don't suspect next week will be any less busy but hopefully I can settle down into the new routine soon enough.
Already missing being able to have a nap in the afternoons though :)
On Monday I spent my last day of being a part-time worker which would have been cool except I worked all day on Mondays so I didn't really get any benefit from that. For a while I didn't think I'd get my new contract on time, or that the company would make me leave and re-employ me as a new hire but luckily they managed to keep things moderatly simple, even if it was all a bit last minute. So I got my new contract, signed it and agreed to return to being a full-time starting...
On Tuesday. Yes, the next day. I'm not entirely sure how that happened to be frank. I suppose I'm pretty lucky to be able to walk back into a job that I quit (more than once) and I even managed to get a small pay rise out of it although in compensation they got my tax code (and only *my* tax code) wrong. First day back and I end up working late and forgot I was meant to be at a friends place for a gaming night, which gave me a horrible feeling of deja vu. I've no idea how long I'm going to stay but it'll probably be long enough to see out the MA course. Which I now know I'm going to do as...
On Wednesday I got my official confirmation of a place on the MA at Birkbeck. I went to the interview last week - a whole 15 minutes worth - at the end of which they said they'd be making me a conditional offer so this wasn't a shock. The condition turned out to be...get a degree (any grade) which by any definition of an offer is pretty sweet. Without trying to tempt fate this should be easily possible as long as none of my coursework this year fails. And that means just completing one exam and handing in my last essay which I've writing every evening and lunchtime for the past week. This was cutting it a bit fine as I knew I needed to finish it my Thursday lunchtime because...
On Thursday evening I went to see Ian Anderson perform both 'Thick as a Brick' and 'Thick as a Brick 2' in concert. It's the first time Ian Anderson had performed the first album in its entirety since its release 40 years ago. Oddly I think I prefer the 2nd album, which may count me as a heretic in the Jethro Tull fan world. Anyway, excellent gig and just a short walk to the Hexagon to see it. It's also the first time the wife and I had been to the Hexagon in 8 years of living in Reading, which must also be some sort of a record. This left me knackered out because...
On Friday I had to submit the aforementioned essay first thing. I spent a little while brushing it up and it's good but not great. Anyway it's sufficient to get me past that module. As I've already submitted my dissertation (as anyone who reads my Facebook distresses will know) this leave me with just one exam to go and then I'm finished as an undergrad. After that it was a quick rush back to do a day's work.
I now have the long Bank Holiday weekend to do some much needed revision but I also want to relax a little, go to the gym (more on that in a later post I suspect) and tidy up my office. I don't suspect next week will be any less busy but hopefully I can settle down into the new routine soon enough.
Already missing being able to have a nap in the afternoons though :)