pmsumner

Since the last entry several things have happened. I guess the first and most important one, given the content of the last entry is that we took the house with the feature walls I linked to back there. We moved house on Good Friday and it took us a week or so to get almost everything sorted. The move was bloody hard work but thanks to Jane's colleague and partner (Alison & John) we didn't have to hire a van, and they gave us so much help I don't think we'll ever be out of their debt.

The new house is mostly great! I'll take & post some pictures eventually. It's an ex show-home and all the main rooms have feature walls - for example the living room wall is turquoise with patterned wallpaper. It doesn't sound that nice but it really is. It's about as different from our old house as it's possible to get. It's significantly bigger to start - the old one was a 2-up-2-down with huge kitchen, small living room and an extension for utility room, and an enormous garden, this one is 3-bed with a large living/dining room, fairly small kitchen and a tiny garden :)

Since moving, we've discovered that this new house has significantly less storage than our old one. So we've had to buy new furniture - a new oak wardrobe (well actually Jane's parents bought the wardrobe) and sideboard from Colour Supplies, as well as a new 2-piece sofa (3-seater and 2-seater, brown leather) from the Shrewsbury Alan Ward sale as they're closing for a refurbishment. So we're now skint. But we'll have a nicely furnished home with plenty of storage, so it's all good :)

In other news, I have a new job! This happened rather suddenly at the end of March. I went for an interview with the company which lasted almost 2hrs on the Tuesday, then Monday the week after I was offered the job! Didn't take me long to accept it, but working the month's notice at my current employer has been a weird experience.

The new position is with a company called Transactis, and my job is "Application Support Engineer", which as far as I can tell means making sure data gets from point A to point B and fixing it if it stops. The company are part of the Shop Direct group who own the Littlewoods & Very online catalogue shops along with various others.

It's a significant pay rise for me, and a slight increase on the commute (yeah I know... but it's only a slight increase and hopefully they'll be moving somewhere where I can get the TRAIN to work!!! What a concept!). It'll also involve working some on-call, which will be an experience but shouldn't be a bother.

Being on-call means that I probably won't be able to do the next show with OMTC, which I am slightly disappointed about, because it's panto and panto is relatively easy. Having said that, taking a break every now and then is a good thing, gives us time to breathe. Both Jane and I were in the last production (The Sound of Music) which was just about a sell-out. Fabulous show in the end, despite grumblings during the rehearsal process.

So, that's all the news that's fit to print. How about you?

I have a new job, hurrah.

It's within the same company, so you could call it a promotion. I'm moving into "Group Tech Support" which is kind-of an odd dept. They/we do testing & validation of new software and products, support other departments and deal with some of the more... tricky customers.

Basically it's what I'm really doing now, with FAR fewer customers and more of what I really like, the troubleshooting, playing, tinkering and breaking of things.

The fact that it comes with a 17% pay rise was just a small factor in my decision to say yes.

I start Monday, and am a very odd mix of ecstatic and worried ;-) I don't think I've anything to be worried about but change is always slightly un-nerving.

Annoyingly enough, I got a phone call from a recruitment agent yesterday evening talking about a position for a company nearby to my current place, talking about what on the surface sounds like a "too good to be true" position with a salary to match. I don't think it's even worth considering to be honest. I decided a while ago that if I'm going to change company I'm going to do so for somewhere that's closer to home.

My job (our jobs) are at last safe. It's only taken 3+ months to find out...

Today I have been on the phone with an agency, who have decided that I am worthy of being put forward for a position. Hurrah. I recognise that now I do not have the position, and I don't know how many other people are also being put forward for the position so shouldn't get too excited.

The position is for a CCTV manufacturer, based in Sunbury-on-Thames. I believe that there are very few staff at the moment, and as part of the position I'd be one of the early staff in in the UK branch of a rather large international company with a base in the far east (Israel, I think). The plan is to expand the UK base quickly.

The fact that it's in Middlesex is a gamble for me. I have said that I am willing to relocate, and Jane has also said that she is willing to come, dependant on her getting work nearby. I don't know anything about that part of the world so am feeling tentative, but I don't think staying where I am is wise in the long term.

There's not been a huge amount happening, except for the wedding of one of Jane's friends we attended in York last weekend. That was fun, set off at 10am and got back to the hotel at just gone 1am, having had a generally good day albeit with a fair whack of hanging around. I would have liked to have had some more time to potter around York, it's a lovely city, but we arrived at midday, had a taxi booked for half 12, and then were doing wedding things until 1am. The next day we spent AGES getting into town because of a marathony thing happening, then had lunch with the bride's mother. It was busy busy busy.

Work is still being crap with the potential redundancy thing. We still don't know what the outcome is, or what it's likely to be. We were given an extension of 30 days for our consultancy period, based on the fact that there's going to be a review of customer services and support being done by the VP of Customer Services from the US branch of our company, but that's not happening until the end of August. Our extension comes to an end in a week or so.

Not impressed, are we. We just don't know what's going on any more. There's no jobs in the area that I can afford to take, actually want to take, or who are offering interviews to me.

This weekend coming, Jane and I have a trip down to Bristol, staying in the Cadbury House Hotel for the weekend, with a wedding party on Saturday afternoon for one of my cousins in the middle of nowhere. I'm looking forward to it, as we haven't been away anywhere with any time to relax for ages. We're both off Friday and will be seeing the parents' new house in Chippenham in the evening, and have nothing else planned except Saturday afternoon in Somerton. Hopefully it will be good fun.

This weekend I have cooked lots, doing a barbecue last night in the glorious evening. Nothing too exciting but the pork steaks were lovely. Today I did a batch of Boston baked beans (essentially beans baked with bacon in molasses, sugar, Worcester sauce and other stuff for a long time), a curry and last night after several beers, we both got the munchies, and I made flapjacks. A little overdone, but nummy, sweet, gooey and incredibly unhealthy :)

We have more news which is trickling slowly through the company. So far we have about 25 people that we know of, out of a workforce of ~250 (I think), so a 10% cut is about right.

In that 25, we have people from development (hardware & software), validation, support, customer services, stores, repairs, product management and sales.

I've already started applying for new positions. I know from bitter experience how slow the world of recruitment can be. I've been looking at what happens should the worst happen - i.e. I get the boot and don't have other employment arranged. Looks like I would get some money from the state, but really not much (just enough to keep me from defaulting on debt repayments) and I definitely wouldn't get it for long, and wouldn't be able to keep up my share of household bills!

I've got 3 applications in, 2 for the local NHS trust and 1 for Carphone Warehouse. CPWH isn't ideal for me in location terms, as it's a bit of a trek, but I'm not in a position where I can be particularly choosy. Economic downturn + possible job loss = Phil who'll accept more travel than he would do previously.

I've also got a couple of other applications I need to fill in the next couple of days for Shropshire. Annoyingly - I'm struggling to find anything interesting that I have a slim chance of getting in the private sector.

Since my last update the main features in life have been:

1:- An interview with Carphone Warehouse Networks (I think the same thing or very closely tied to Opal Networks). The office is based in Irlam which isn't perfect - it about doubles my commute in the "wrong" direction, but I traveled home in rush hour after the interview and it was fine. I should find out on Monday or Tuesday whether they want me back for a second interview

2:- I've been talking with one of the sales folks at work and we talked about how to succeed within the company and we agreed that the only way to proceed anywhere is to push yourself into positions. In this discussion we talked about future work and they mentioned that they wanted to get me to spend some time on a new project. Could be interesting.

3:- We've been going back to Oswestry for the musical thing - rehearsals started on Monday. So far we've done the fish slapping song from Spamalot, Buenos Aires from Evita and a Beatles medley. At last night's rehearsal I was pulled aside by the director and asked if I would mind wearing drag(!?). They just wanted to make sure before setting anything in stone. As I'm certain this will mean doing some songs in the key of Edna Turnblad from Hairspray, this is great news!

4:- Christmas shopping has been proceeding fine, with some major presents being bought back in October, and a collection of smaller ones hanging around the house for various people now.

I've recently applied for a job in Wrexham - Computer Systems Compliance Technician. Not sure of the exact details yet but should find out more by Monday. Based in Wrexham, for a large pharmaceutical company. It's a fair pay cut at the highest advertised level but I am fed up enough to consider it and consider that taking a job in Wrexham would probably cut some of my & Jane's transport costs considerably.

I've also sent off apps for various other jobs, including a training position in Chester, Technical Author, NOC Engineer and Network Support.

Want out!

Tomorrow/Today I have an interview for a support/testing position in Chester. I mentioned it ages ago and had assumed it fell by the wayside, but no - I got a call on Friday last week asking if I could do an interview.

It's a small company who develop book-selling and inventory software. It's apparently very popular, and used all over the place.

I could deal with this job. It's in Chester, for a start. It's a very small company who are well established, it's a product with a limited (or perhaps restricted is a better word) user-base. The role would also encompass testing, which perhaps leave room for future maneouvre.

If this job happens, it would put Jane and I in a better position to look at buying something local, or even heading further south. The south thing would be good for OMTC, as the 60 mile round trip is wearing at best, especially when rehearsal is as much hard work as it was tonight. It really felt like some people were out to make life difficult for the directors. Whether they actually were or not I don't know but it absolutely felt that way.

Tonight I can't sleep. I am exhausted, but overtired! The next step is to make a small hot chocolate and go flump.

It's been showing on Amazon's order tracking system as (I think) "Dispatching soon" since Saturday. I'm not confident, but I'll keep my eyes open tomorrow and hope that it gets delivered to work. What's the point in paying for next-day delivery if it's not next-(working)-day delivery?

Going to the Trafford centre tomorrow evening. Wish Jane and I both luck...

I also have a phone interview with Sony Ericsson tomorrow evening. I don't know what to think about this one, but hey I'm going to go through with it - why not? :) Interview practise is always a grand thing.