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Nov 2007 |
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November 2007
November was a very busy month for both of us, so much so that we thought we were going off the rails a little. In the end it was not a month we shall remember fondly.
Thu 1 Nov
I worked from home today, and based myself downstairs in the kitchen. Upstairs work has now started on the big project to get our house ready and redecorated before Christmas. We have enlisted Grant and his team/network of joiners, painters, plumbers and electricians to sort everything out, and Ness is doing a sterling job keeping track of everything that needs to be done, with a detailed and colour-coded spreadsheet, to which more and more jobs are added as we progress. Anyway, I was downstairs and tried to crack on with my report, and found myself getting rather stuck as I simply couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to writie. There were quite a few interruptions also, but it was good to work from home like this.
Fri 2 Nov
More of the same. I fretted and by the end of the day I did not have a draft report to send so ended up saying that I would continue to work on it over the weekend. I was still nowhere with it really. Clare from Simoon Travel came back with a proposed itinerary for our planned trip to Libya. It looked excellent, with lots of “night under stars” (in January!) entries, and somehow the grand circular trip that I had suggested she had managed to fit into a four week timeframe. Now I’ll just have to work on getting that extra week, but I do have four days of leave still in hand.
Sat 3 Nov
We made an early-ish start and headed out. Ness had made a list of things to view, check, buy, etc. Furniture shopping and stuff. First stop, the fireplace shop in Haddington to choose wood stains for samples to be sent to us. Next, the first of several furniture shops we visited today. Martin Frost, an MFI-type chain, was located at the Fort Kinnaird retail park. Across the road from the showroom were the top-end car dealerships and we couldn’t resist a quick look at the Lamborghinis. They were all here: Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini. Next stop was somewhere in Edinburgh. Later we went to John Lewis, to take a look at the carpets that the two interior design consultants, Norman and Jane, had suggested, and, beginning to reach shopping saturation, then we went for a bite of lunch in the John Lewis café. We had tasty plates of pasta, and a fantastic view from our table. From our table we looked straight across the city, Calton Hill off to the right, and looked out across the Forth and the North Sea beyond. It was a clear, bright sunny day and the view was stunning. I had not realised that it was such a good spot. I had intended to get back to work in the afternoon, but now decided that it would be better to switch off for the rest of the day and focus on our shopping, and it also gave us the opportunity to add in a visit to the cinema at the end of the day. In the afternoon we tried a few more furniture shops in the smart Morningside and Brunstfeld parts of the city. We picked up our wall lamps from Cotterells. We had earlier bought tickets to go and see “Elizabeth, the Golden Age” at the Dominion cinema at five o’clock. We had gone for the comfy reclining seats. Ness had another brainwave and suggested that afterwards we went for dinner at Poon Thai, our local Thai restaurant in North Berwick, with the added benefit of being a short “waddle distance” from home. The film was so-so, but the meal was excellent.
Sun 4 Nov
We went for a morning walk to Tea Rock to start the day. The weather was lovely and fresh, the tide was out and the beach was wide and clear of seaweed. It was a lovely walk. Ness had made tasty peanut butter and hagelslag sandwiches, a flask of tea and a bottle of juice, which we had sat on our rock, looking out towards the Bass Rock. Back home I changed and got down to work, by now getting very worried about not having a document and not knowing how to come up with something. Ness sensed that I was panicking and helped me to focus on getting something done. While I worked, Ness drew up plans for bathroom designs and marked out spaces with masking tape, which prompted jokes about “where’s the body?!” It’s difficult to cram everything into the small space, but Ness was determined to come up with a workable design. It turned into a very late night and it was around 3am before I had enough down on paper. A hatchet job, with stuff pooled from various sources, but at least there was something. Ness had stayed up too and kept me company at the dinner table where I was working, reading her book, and even reading through my stuff to make sure there were no glaring bloopers or stupid comments I might have left.
Mon 5 Nov
It was tough to make an early start after only a couple of hours of sleep. I got back to work, and managed to send out a draft report before nine o’clock. Phew – again. I held a conference call with my colleagues at ten o’clock and got a tick in the box from the partner, satisfied that I had done enough and that we were on the right track. There were many interruptions throughout the rest of the day, mainly non-work. I did get another draft out by six o’clock. Throughout the day, Grant, Paul the painter and Jimmy the joiner came and went. Eliza called, clearly rather upset at getting called in to work to answer to allegations of poaching staff, presented as gross misconduct at work. Ness called her back later and gave her some sensible advice about remaining calm and dealing with facts rather than an emotional response and Eliza later called back to say it had been useful advice and the whole thing had been due to hearsay and pub conversations. Ness heated up some haddock chowder for lunch. During the afternoon I stopped for a break and went out to buy some bratwurst from Andersons and let the wind blow over me while I stood at the harbour and walking along the beach. There was a good strong breeze and the wind whipped up foam on the waves. The Forth looked great and I got a good clear head and felt much refreshed afterwards. The lounge was looking like a disaster zone, stripped of wall paper and carpet. All our stuff is crammed into the third bedroom/study – a job Ness did all by herself last week. The upstairs hall and bedrooms have been stripped of wallpaper. The lounge carpet has been removed by now, exposing the rather sorry looking wooden floor underneath. We have shied away from the plan for a smart wooden floor, based partly on Norman and Jane’s advice (i.e. noise factor, warmth, etc.) and because we have realised that to get it to the state we would like to have (“so smooth that a marble can be rolled in a straight line from one end of the room to the other”) would involve a total restoration and lots of time and money. We told Paul about our change of plans for the ceiling in the lounge and how we want the ceiling decorations painted not in white but in different colour(s). It’s a longer and more fiddly job for him, but we think it would be a shame not to make something of them. I had another conference call in the afternoon, but, not surprisingly, my client never ended up dialling in, the same as last week. She hadn’t even bothered to offer apologies in advance, and I had never even received an acknowledgment, never mind comments, of my draft report. All of which meant that I wasn’t too bothered either, and quite happy to down tools a bit after six. I was due to travel to London tomorrow and return on wednesday but happily realised that I had no meetings on wednesday now and therefore changed my travel plans to come back the same day – yippee. We had the tasty bratwurst with fried potatoes – mit zwiebeln! – for dinner and then wrapped up warm and headed for the harbour to watch the fireworks. Many people were heading the same way and there was a buzz in the air. We made it just on time to the harbour. There must have been well over a thousand people gathered, including lots of children and teenagers. The fireworks display was grand and lasted a good twenty minutes, although it felt longer. The hipflask with some Caol Isla whisky in my Barbour provided some welcome warmth while we ooh’d and aah’d. This was our first “repeat event” in North Berwick and it took us back to our arrival here last year, with only our backpacks and some stuff pulled from storage, no job, no house, and no certainty. We’re certainly glad at the way it has all worked out so far.
Tue 6 Nov
Early start and off to the airport. Windy and cold. I took the sky bus to Heathrow, train into London and headed for Southampton Street, near Covent Garden. Client meeting was, well, intense – pretty much as expected/feared. Afterwards I spent some time with my colleagues at Southbank, and then headed back to Heathow. I had had to book a new flight for a slightly later return trip, and got back home to North Berwick just after nine o’clock. Windy on the drive back, as I listened to the Global Gathering on BBC Radio Scotland, an excellent world music programme. Ness had prepared a tasty nasi goreng for dinner. During the day she had totally cleared out the study and shifted everything to the kitchen, and was totally knackered. Lots of people had been coming and going throughout the day – Grant, Jimmy, Jan, Paul, etc.
Wed 7 Nov
A day working from the Edinburgh office. Someone had taken my usual hot desk to I had to find a different one! I found a nicer desk in a corner nearby, with an old sash window in front giving a good view on Queen Street, trees, and a glimpse of the Forth and Fife beyond.
Thu 8 Nov
It was cold, windy and dark in the morning. Ness was expecting a busy day with lots of work going on in the house. I caught the early train into Edinburgh. As I was running late Ness had made me some haferflockenroggenmischbrot sandwiches and a flask of tea to take with me and have on the train. I’m now in the habit of listening to Bommel hoorspelen, audio-plays, which I have been downloading as podcasts, perfect for on the train or on the go. It was raining very heavily when I got to Waverley station, and in the dash up the stairs and to the office I got totally drenched. Got down to work, trying to focus on my report. Mid-morning I went out to get the speaker cables we need (longer ones, to go under the floorboards). I discovered Stuart Christie’s, on Queen Street, an old-fashioned “gentlemen’s outfitters”, with Barbours, tweed jackets, corduroy trousers, and a wonderful genuine old-fashioned atmosphere. This might become a regular I reckon. I knew Ness would not like the jacket I had in mind. First I simply asked them to put aside the jacket I had tried on, for Ness to buy for me as a birthday present, but later I went back and bought it. In the afternoon I fiddled at the office, not making progress on the report. Caught the train home. Ness took me round the rooms again to show what had been done where, and we went over more plans, particularly for the bathroom, for which Ness is trying to come up with a workable design. The idea is to make it a wet-room. [Personal diary section removed] Then we went out for a meal, both feeling tired and stressed, in different ways, and with the kitchen and house in upheaval, not in the mood to stay in and cook We headed along the windy High Street to Bella Italia, but instead went for Osteria, which looked warm and welcoming. We ended up having a delicious meal with all the trimmings. Ness had an excellent mushroom risotto followed by a plate of fresh scampi, prawns and scallops, and I had a big portion of fresh mussels, followed by a perfectly cooked seabass, and we topped it off with desert, coffee and a glass of desert wine. The laughter from the people at the table next to us was infectious and lifted our spirits. It was even colder and windier on the way back home, and we headed straight for bed.
Fri 9 Nov
?
Sat 10 Nov
Busy day of shopping for stuff. First to a bathrooms place in Fort Kinnaird, for a most successful session with the manager,. Scott, to pick elements for our bathroom, taking the wetroom approach. Then to Holyrood Salvage for door knobs, a grate/door mat thing, etc. Next into the city centre to John Lewis. First a bite of lunch in the fourth floor cafeteria, and then we met Norman again, the interior fashion consultant who has been helping us to choose colours, materials, etc. We have found it very useful to have his advice, and at the shop he helped us to come to some final choices. We had just enough time to hotfoot it across to Ikea for the final stop of the day. We’ve decided to go for the Pax cupboards after all, for now – cheap and functional, and hopefully they’ll look quite decent too. Having done all that, and feeling pretty satisfied with the progress we had made, we drove back into the city and made it to the Kings Theatre in time for the play we have tickets for, Hobson’s Choice. Pre-theatre G&T and W&GA, and then we took our seats for the play. It was an excellent and enjoyable production. The play didn’t necessarily grab me but I still enjoyed it massively. Afterwards we had a superb meal at a Chinese restaurant nearby. An excellent day.
Sun 11 Nov
I worked on my report. We didn’t manage to go for a proper walk but I’m sure we at least took a break of sorts to walk along the beach and get some fresh air. Work seems to have filled all the space now and I hate it when it’s like this. It feels like that foam that you can inject in a cavity (not sure I’ve got the right metaphor) – it simply squeezes everything out, even invading your sleep patterns and when you’re off duty – all you can think about is work at the back of your mind. Need to get control back.
Mon 12 Nov
Got up early and mailed my draft report to the project partner, and then headed into the office to continue working. At home Ness was managing the “works” – I have by now lost track of all the work that’s taking place but it all seems to be going according to plan. The new fireplace is being fitted today. Ness came into town to meet me at the office at the end of the day and we drove over to our Arabic lessons. Before the class we had a tasty dinner at a Kurdish restaurant near the school. It rained heavily and inside it was snug. The class was noticeably less well attended. Salah had finally managed to get the DVD projector working and for the last half of the class we watched an interesting episode of the BBC Four documentary on Islam, presented by Rageh Omaar. We both nodded off a little and were actually quite relieved to simply be able to watch a bit of telly. We gave Jaap a lift to his place in Portobello and then drove home along the coast road. We had to laugh at Jaap’s answer when we asked him what had brought him originally to Scotland (twelve or twenty years ago or something), and he said “cows”! The skip on the drive is now getting very full. Tucked up in bed, which Ness has managed to preserve as a bit of a haven for us. We hope Grant and his team will complete their work soon!
Tue 13 Nov
I was still worried about this blasted report which I simply can’t seem to write, never mind finish. The plan was to get up early, type away and get something out by around nine o’clock and then head into the office. Instead I decided to head straight for the office as at home there is very little space in which to work, other than a bit of the kitchen table. Did my regular commute into the city, picked up a coffee or tea from somewhere, and settled into my new favourite hot-desk in the office (facing a window which looks out between the Scottish Portrait Gallery and another building, Fife visible beyond the Forth). Somehow by one o’clock I finally had a document into a fit enough state to send out, mailed it and went for some fresh air and a bento box from Pret a Manger, Ness called to say she had been approached by Family Investments to work on a project for them – they need help by the sounds of it. Sensible train back home, and I felt completely empty. On the train I was shivering and sweating at the same time, and at home I wasn’t taking in much of what Ness was saying to me about progress on the house or decisions to make about stuff. Ness went across the road to the Blenheim Hotel for the cinema club meeting, while I stayed in the kitchen and finally managed to print the letters to go with the change of address cards I have been meaning to send to family. Did some dinner (leftover goulash and beef stew, both delicious – Ness had hers when she came back at ten o’clock). Oh, the new fireplace is now in but I could only see it in the dark. Looks good, and looking forward to using it this winter!
Wed 14 Nov
Flight to London. Over to Southbank where I worked for a bit, had a bite of lunch (curry) in the canteen, and met up with Robin before heading over to Southampton Street for the client meeting I have been dreading. It actually went quite well, considering. Robin said 7/10. Felt rather punch-drunk afterwards. “We want this, and we want that, but we don’t know what we want”, etc. Back to the airport and settled into the BA Exec Club lounge. I almost have my Silver membership and am very definitely back in the land of the business traveller. Aargh! Meanwhile Ness is busy negotiating and agreeing her contract with Family Investments. Sounds promising, and Ness is keen to get stuck into something, and of course there’s the lure of the cash. But more than anything else, this is chance for Ness to rejoin the “rat race”. Perversely, but understandably, this is something Ness probably is “missing out” on. As a short-term contract it’s ideal. It’s going to be a busy period ahead, with all the works on the house front and both of us working and travelling.
Thu 15 Nov
A day at the office for me, and day amid the upheaval of the works at home for Ness. Got a lot done in the morning – an encouraging “project assessment” (performance thingy after completing a project), expenses, stuff, more stuff. Spoke with Amelia from Simoon Travel about our Libya trip. The grand tour is out of reach, at £££ lots, but we explored other options: a reduced circular tour (cutting out the deep southeast of Jebel Arkno) or a loop on the western side and then a flight across to the east. Anyway, it’ll all be fine as long we go. Also rather banking on being able to use “TOIL” earned as part of the current project to close the gap on the vacation days front. A bit of manoeuvring still required. Also had to pick up new speaker cables as I got the wrong length last time. At home the mess and upheaval is beginning to get to Ness (and me but at least I’m out of the house most of the time), and progress seems to be slowing down. All the decorating work was supposed to be completed by the end of this week but it’s some way off. Wiring was a mess but the chap sorting it out is spending more time complaining about it instead of getting it done. And our house is now a complete bomb site, with dust everywhere, and they haven’t even covered our furniture in dust sheets, etc. Ness agreed her contract with Family, starting next week. Welcome on the cash front, and for Ness probably on the interest front. Ness met me at North Berwick station at the end of the day and we went over to the MacDonald hotel spa for a nice long session steaming and soaking, and afterwards went to Bella Italia for dinner. The atmosphere is nice, in a pleasantly outdated way, although they really haven’t got much of a clue about Italian food!
Fri 16 Nov
At the office. I was due to go on a “CBM-BPM-SOA learning week” next week, which I had been looking forward to, but had to cancel it as I’m now due to start on a new project, in Leeds this time. I keep telling myself it’s “better than Swansea” (long-term role they keep trying to get me into, with no prospect of flexible or Edinburgh-based working) but I’m beginning to wonder in which way! This next one has been described as a “whirlwind ride”, exactly the sort of terms I hate to see. Give me a nice steady one instead! Over the past few weeks we have seen large flocks of migrating birds, heading south presumably for warmer climates during the winter. Some flocks have been massive, stretched over hundreds of metres, an impressive sight. We have also seen the flocks on the ground, assembled in fields where they were obviously taking a break before moving on. Reminded me of the flock of geese in Saskatchewan I got a good picture of.
Sat 17 Nov
Our joiner, Jimmy, never showed up. He was supposed to have been here around nine o’clock, but there was no sign of him. We called Grant and a bit later he came round and we expressed our concerns that the work is progressing slowly, in part because people aren’t showing up when they said they would. Hopefully Grant can sort his team out. I worked for most of the day while Ness went into town, dealing with house stuff and shopping – I can’t remember the details. I caught the train into town and met up with Ness at the station. Ness had bought a bag of goodies to take into the cinema with us: pre-mixed G&T’s, wine, water, snack pork pies and chocolate. We drove to Ocean Terminal and went to see Lions for Lambs. Film verdict: so-so. Obviously trying to be a clever film, but not quite pulling it off. Star power (Redford, Streep, Cruise) made it more watchable. Afterwards we went to the Chinese restaurant in Ocean Terminal. We’ve been meani |