One Minute To Save Thirty

This evening, as it is a Monday, I was firstly playing football and then returned home to blog, as I seem to manage with uncanny regularity. Today I was home excitingly early by making all my transport connections by a matter of minutes.

The train from Raynes Park to Clapham was delayed just enough for me to both make the train and then make my slightly delayed connection at Clapham, which got me back to Woking just before my bus left. It meant a 50 minute trip from Raynes Park station to my door, which was quite nice. Had I been a minute later and missed that original train, I'd have been forced to wait another half hour before I got home!

I suppose the hint here is that I should really learn to drive, where one minute later means I arrive ... one minute later and I'm not subject to such potential gaps. Perhaps this is something I will look at more seriously once Chrissi is here.

Second Hand News

This week I really feel that I am simply recycling Chrissi's news and not posting anything of my own. This is also because her news drastically dwarfs my own!

Having booked her tickets, we now have confirmed plans and confirmed dates. This date in question is the 26th February, when she will arrive in the UK. Not only this, but she is flying first class - this is bizarrely cheaper at the time, and also has extra bag allowance. A special treat and well deserved!

I have obtained the Monday through to the Wednesday of the following week off work so that we can spend some time together and get some other things organised. In the meantime I have approximately four weeks to organise everything in my room and clear out everything that should be cleared out so that there is space for Chrissi and her things - when my room becomes our room!

Fancy Dress

Odd as it may seem, I'm mildly peeved at the new policy at work that is going to make a form of dress-down the de facto dress policy. What this means is that I no longer need to wear a shirt or suit, smart trousers or anything of the like - instead I am able to relax in jeans and a t-shirt or shirt at work.

While usually I would welcome this - and on Fridays I do quite enjoy it - it is still a little irksome. It means I need to think about what I wear in the mornings, instead of just picking a shirt out of the wardrobe and putting it on. I may actually need to buy new clothes as I'm going to be wearing casual clothes a lot more. For some reason it's mildly annoying and I'm not sure why!

Approved

Chrissi got confirmation yesterday that her visa application had been approved. She should be over here by the end of February. I rarely tend towards brevity, but there isn't much more to say than that!

Familiar Journey

So this evening, as I write this blog from a train, I am making a somewhat familiar journey. I'm on the same train - albeit at a different time of day - that I would usually take to work. To make this more amusingly unusual for a weekend I am going to meet up with people from work for a drink. One of them is moving and another is assisting, so we thought a drink and meal sounded like a good plan for the evening.

And so it will come to pass. I need to remember to get off at Wimbledon and not at Surbiton - where I am now and where I usually alight! It does feel a little confusing, instinct is demanding I get off here.

Studying

This is a belated blog as it features the event of last week and the beginning of this.

I had an examination this Monday - a Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis, which counts towards a Diploma in Business Analysis. As a result, I was studying for probably the first time in over four years, and taking my first examination since the summer of 2006. The Thursday and Friday of the previous week were granted to me as study leave.

Unusually, the topic was one which was increasingly interesting to me. It was focused on my work, and instead of being quite dull - as may be imagined - to me it was filled with interesting techniques, strategies and approaches which could be used. It definitely helped provide me with some interesting ideas for how to approach work in the future, and I hope to have the opportunity to use some of it going forward! I find out in a fortnight whether I have passed the exam or not, but I would expect to be okay on that front.

Third Version

Usually I tire of bands by around the third album, as it fades ever away from what I'd prefer to listen to. This is especially true nowadays, when it seems rarer and rarer for bands to have smaller albums pre-breakthrough as they may well have done even 10-15 years ago.

However, I'm delighted that Maximo Park's Quicken The Heart is so far breaking the mould. I must thank Mike for reminding me that it was out, and I got this for Christmas. I got around to listening to it at the beginning part of last week and it's fast becoming one of my most played albums.

I always have had an inate fondness for Maximo Park. I enjoy their combination of creative melodies and fantastic lyrics. They use good words in their songwriting, and while nothing will probably compare with the fabulous use of both 'Detritus gathers' and 'lacerate' in The Unshockable from their first album, some of their most recent offerings come close.

My favourite efforts were in Wraithless using the phrase "raison d'etre", while The Penultimate Clinch uses not only the fantastic word in the title, but also amusingly contains the phrase "I've got a bee in my bonnet" - something you just do not hear in songs enough.

Good work all round.

Stand By Your Principles

I've always thought that the most important thing is to stand by what you believe. To stand up for what is right and not to shy away from it.

At the moment I'm not thinking of burning my bridges - which is folly. However, I am planning to much more vigorously reiterate what is right and my view as to how things should work. Standing idly by and complaining about how things don't improve is no defense if you don't also work for that same improvement. It is impossible to plead that you are not listened to if you do not speak.

We will see what happens.

Twenty Eleven

I have lapsed out of the blogging routine, which should be fairly clear to all. Since my last post, we have entered a new year, perhaps a notable event.

I'm never particularly overwhelmed with ambitions for a New Year. I try and set myself aims and goals all the time, whether or not they are particularly ambitious! In fact, having discussed this with a colleague over the weekend, I am disappointed that there has been no questioning on New Year's Resolutions. I had prepared specifically for this by preparing false resolutions on opposite ends of the scale; ludicrously simple and preposterously ambitious.

I urge you all to follow this theme.