Update etc

So, you've probably noticed that it's been a while since my last entry, and so it has. I've not got bored of this blogging thing, I've been alternately manically busy and avoiding getting online for non-work purposes in a kind of 'laptop brings pain' sort of way. So here I am, with a rare Saturday to myself and in a bit of a communicative mood. Work is finished for the day, having spent this morning trying to get something right that's been plaguing me all week.

On that. One of the major frustrations I'm finding at the moment is that whole thing about just not knowing stuff. There are things that are expected of me which I'm just not being told about, and of course when it turns out that I've not done whatever it was, I end up looking a bit rubbish. There's also the annoying thing about knowing what it is I need to say or communicate, but not knowing the 'proper' ways of doing it. These have been a recurrent themes over the past week or so and have been getting on my nerves somewhat. I think we're almost over the worst though, for now.

This particular phase of this project has slipped by a week, which isn't great news. The Project Manager came back from holiday on Monday (my 30th, incidentally, more on that later) and predictably was appalled by how random it'd all got in his absence. Personally I reckon that properly briefing the team and formally appointing a de facto team leader might've helped, but there you go, what do I know? One more week to go, looks like a bit of a week of absolute hell to me, most of it spent in Ireland with nowhere to hide.

On a more fun note, I turned 30 on Monday, which was horrifying. I'd never really been that bothered about it, but all of a sudden towards the end of last week I was starting to feel like I'd really not got to where I wanted to be in general by this age. I reckon I was being a bit too hard on myself, but it got to me a bit all the same. The pain was eased slightly by an afternoon in the park with some friends on Saturday and lunch at the River Cafe on Monday, which was absolutely tremendous, something I'd wanted to do for years.

The Kiwi, continuing her trend in buying me potentially lethal gifts (last Christmas she had me thrown out of a plane at 15,000ft), has bought me a first helicopter flying lesson. I'm really looking forwards to it - one of my life's ambitions has been to learn to fly a helicopter, so she's done well, I'm amazed and so touched that she's picked up on it. I suppose the only worrying thing about it (apart from the fact that there's no reason to be found in most schools of physics why something like that should actually fly) is that having wished for it for so long I turn out to be rubbish at it. We'll see. I'm bracing myself for my Christmas present, which will no doubt be a 'Beginner's Lion Wrestling' course or something. She's ace - always helping me push my boundaries.

Speaking of continuing trends, I've discovered that for the first time in my life, I'm actually getting fat. This is truly horrific. I've always been slim, and yes, sometimes tended towards a little beer belly, but I've never actually noticed wobbliness. Until now. I've cut out beer (sob), bread (making finding lunch more tricky) and I'm trying to get some exercise in where I can. Which reminds me - must go for a swim. In fact, I think I'll do that right now.

Quickie

A few quick words before bed (remember, that timestamp isn't accurate for some reason - it's actually 00:45 on Friday morning, have been up chatting on MSN for hours).

SHE'S BACK TOMORROW! And once again all will be well - can't tell you how much I'm looking forwards to seeing her again - I've tried to downplay it a bit for the sake of a less sugary blog read but there you go - sugary warts and all. Ewww. So my beloved will be on a plane right about now, heading for touchdown about the time I wake up tomorrow.

This week has seemed reasonably productive, in the way that a month spent prising a teeny diamond out of solid rock seems productive. It's been mighty intense, tricky and we feel like we're moving forwards in measurements of millimetres, but at least we're moving forwards. Final presentation minus two weeks.

Marigold update: they're now such monsters they're falling over in light breezes. I've had to wedge the pot up with the Kiwi's herb trough. I'm a victim of my own success, I think.

Other stuff - had two significantly ego-puncturing moments recently:

1. Walking down High St Kensington with the Kiwi, woman strides up to her thrusting a leaflet and says "do you need your eyes testing, love?"
2. Bought two pairs of trousers later that day, the only two out of several my size I tried on to fit me. Later noted that both pairs have no fewer than four (four!) trusses and fastenings intended to keep my burgeoning beer baby in check.

My only conclusion: I *am* the rightful heir to Jabba the Hutt's throne. Might as well learn to wash myself with a rag on a stick right now.