Update
It's been ages since I've updated so now that I've got a week off, I've time to catch up on things and the blog is one of them. I've been quite busy with, well, everything really.
First of all, work is going ok at the moment though I'm so far behind I doubt I'll ever catch up. Also, my boss is away to retire in a couple of weeks and I don't know if I'm taking over from him or not. No doubt I'll be told eventually but in the meantime he's handing over to me which means I'm constantly taking notes. The day-to-day stuff in the office is fine, it's managing the servers and interrogating the system that I'm more worried about. There are implications whether I move up or leave (I'm still job-hunting) as my post will cease to exist but I don't know what they plan to do about my responsibilities. Still, if I do get moved up, it's a good opportunity and more secure than some positions because it's system admin and IT departments in general won't carry out that type of work beyond making sure the servers are up and running.
Of course, we were just about to start the handover when the Council announced the closure of our part-time libraries so that meant both of us have spent the last three weeks pouring over maps of Angus restructuring the mobile library routes to include the affected villages. Not much fun I can tell you though I'm quite attached to some of the places now!
I've been quite busy at the weekends as well as both mum and I have been taking part in a Women's Spirituality Group. Our minister is working towards her Doctorate and this group is for her thesis. It was over 8 weeks, with 6 group sessions and I must say it was the best thing I've ever done and the first time for ages that I haven't grudged giving up a Sunday.
We looked at different women from the Bible (some of whom I'd never heard of, not that I know it well anyway) and through various methods (dance, meditation, acting) we looked at their stories and talked about what they meant to us. We basically came to the conclusion that the Bible needs to be rewritten! I've always known that the Bible has to read in context with the time it was written but it's amazing how it still affects how we live today. For example, most people know the story of Adam and Eve but folk still assume that Eve is to blame for eating the apple. Well, Adam was standing there - why didn't he say something?! The Bible era was male dominated and we're still a male dominated society today but on a more equal footing thankfully. I could for on for ages but won't except to say that I didn't realise how different the various interpretations of the Bible are.
College. Well, I got an "excellent" for the website I designed for my boss. It's still live at the moment (it's on the college server) so if you want to look at it click here. I think it'll only be up for another month or so but I'm quite pleased with it. When I started writing the report I was having problems with the pages collapsing when I tried to remove some of the images and the tutor couldn't understand why. So in the "what I would do next time" section I basically wrote something like "never again"! On the second edit though I'd decided I quite like website designing and would take it further if I could. I'd need much more patience I think. Part of the problem was that I didn't know Dreamweaver at all so something that was simple took ages to do. Of course, now I have to sit the exam this term - I'm going to study this week as it's mid-May which isn't far away. I haven't sat an exam since Uni. and it's not something I'd go out of my way to do either!
Rotary is coming up to its busy period which is just typical. The new year starts in July which means the handbook needs to be ready in June. No idea where the time for that will come from! Anyway, I'm away to do a 4 week bike course through the Council in Forfar which basically shows you how to take care of your bike, ride it (I can do that bit!) and how to navigate the cycle paths. That's the bit I'm interested in as the Council have designed ours in the weirdest way possible. The path is on the opposite side of the road you'd be on normally - fine. But it then ends and doesn't tell you where to go! So you have to cross the road and cycle on the main road till you see the next sign and cross the road again onto the path! This is then repeated while you're trying to avoid traffic and potholes. So that starts this Thursday. I went out on the bike at the weekend in between the showers and gales and hopefully will get out this weekend as well. In June I'm taking part in a sponsored walk with the Rotary up some hill/mountain in Glen Dye. Hopefully both Kate and James will do it as well. Add to that a candle party, my spring weekends look like they'll be busy.
Well, that's about it really. I'm giving the house some TLC this week, actually, this is the longest time I've seen it since Christmas, so it's certainly needed. I've a book to finish for the book group but it's on a waiting list so I've less than a week to read a 700 page book - no pressure then. It's Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantell. The car has taken a battering this winter. The windscreen has loads of these tiny little chips in it thanks to the grit and I'm sure another spring has gone thanks to the roads that are like Swiss cheese. I washed it a couple of weeks ago thoroughly (first time since the floods) instead of chucking a bucket of water over it and my neighbour had to jump start it! Must have been the shock of being clean but it was pointless in freezing temperatures. I think the coldest I drove in was -12 so I'll be glad when the summer arrives this year!
First of all, work is going ok at the moment though I'm so far behind I doubt I'll ever catch up. Also, my boss is away to retire in a couple of weeks and I don't know if I'm taking over from him or not. No doubt I'll be told eventually but in the meantime he's handing over to me which means I'm constantly taking notes. The day-to-day stuff in the office is fine, it's managing the servers and interrogating the system that I'm more worried about. There are implications whether I move up or leave (I'm still job-hunting) as my post will cease to exist but I don't know what they plan to do about my responsibilities. Still, if I do get moved up, it's a good opportunity and more secure than some positions because it's system admin and IT departments in general won't carry out that type of work beyond making sure the servers are up and running.
Of course, we were just about to start the handover when the Council announced the closure of our part-time libraries so that meant both of us have spent the last three weeks pouring over maps of Angus restructuring the mobile library routes to include the affected villages. Not much fun I can tell you though I'm quite attached to some of the places now!
I've been quite busy at the weekends as well as both mum and I have been taking part in a Women's Spirituality Group. Our minister is working towards her Doctorate and this group is for her thesis. It was over 8 weeks, with 6 group sessions and I must say it was the best thing I've ever done and the first time for ages that I haven't grudged giving up a Sunday.
We looked at different women from the Bible (some of whom I'd never heard of, not that I know it well anyway) and through various methods (dance, meditation, acting) we looked at their stories and talked about what they meant to us. We basically came to the conclusion that the Bible needs to be rewritten! I've always known that the Bible has to read in context with the time it was written but it's amazing how it still affects how we live today. For example, most people know the story of Adam and Eve but folk still assume that Eve is to blame for eating the apple. Well, Adam was standing there - why didn't he say something?! The Bible era was male dominated and we're still a male dominated society today but on a more equal footing thankfully. I could for on for ages but won't except to say that I didn't realise how different the various interpretations of the Bible are.
College. Well, I got an "excellent" for the website I designed for my boss. It's still live at the moment (it's on the college server) so if you want to look at it click here. I think it'll only be up for another month or so but I'm quite pleased with it. When I started writing the report I was having problems with the pages collapsing when I tried to remove some of the images and the tutor couldn't understand why. So in the "what I would do next time" section I basically wrote something like "never again"! On the second edit though I'd decided I quite like website designing and would take it further if I could. I'd need much more patience I think. Part of the problem was that I didn't know Dreamweaver at all so something that was simple took ages to do. Of course, now I have to sit the exam this term - I'm going to study this week as it's mid-May which isn't far away. I haven't sat an exam since Uni. and it's not something I'd go out of my way to do either!
Rotary is coming up to its busy period which is just typical. The new year starts in July which means the handbook needs to be ready in June. No idea where the time for that will come from! Anyway, I'm away to do a 4 week bike course through the Council in Forfar which basically shows you how to take care of your bike, ride it (I can do that bit!) and how to navigate the cycle paths. That's the bit I'm interested in as the Council have designed ours in the weirdest way possible. The path is on the opposite side of the road you'd be on normally - fine. But it then ends and doesn't tell you where to go! So you have to cross the road and cycle on the main road till you see the next sign and cross the road again onto the path! This is then repeated while you're trying to avoid traffic and potholes. So that starts this Thursday. I went out on the bike at the weekend in between the showers and gales and hopefully will get out this weekend as well. In June I'm taking part in a sponsored walk with the Rotary up some hill/mountain in Glen Dye. Hopefully both Kate and James will do it as well. Add to that a candle party, my spring weekends look like they'll be busy.
Well, that's about it really. I'm giving the house some TLC this week, actually, this is the longest time I've seen it since Christmas, so it's certainly needed. I've a book to finish for the book group but it's on a waiting list so I've less than a week to read a 700 page book - no pressure then. It's Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantell. The car has taken a battering this winter. The windscreen has loads of these tiny little chips in it thanks to the grit and I'm sure another spring has gone thanks to the roads that are like Swiss cheese. I washed it a couple of weeks ago thoroughly (first time since the floods) instead of chucking a bucket of water over it and my neighbour had to jump start it! Must have been the shock of being clean but it was pointless in freezing temperatures. I think the coldest I drove in was -12 so I'll be glad when the summer arrives this year!
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