Nothing fell into the cage today

Having already writen two blog pieces today, I am all writen out.

Not a lot more to say about F1 or football.

The quiz is finished, and as long as I leave the house by 07:00 tomorrow morning everyting will be fine.

Jeff Stelling, your boys took one hell of a beating!

I cant remember the last time I slept until 11:30! Just shows we must have been very tired! A trip to the stadium of dream, for another win

We scored early, and never really looked under pressure, true they created a few chances, but it was a comfortable win!

Martin – 6 – A couple of good saves, but a couple of doggy punches
Gilbert – 6 – A solid performance, good going forward, but still out of position to often
Tunchev – 7 – A strong performance and it needed to be given that he may as well have been playing by himself
Hobbs – 1 – The crowd have found a new Maybury, for the second home game in a row he missed every header, every pass, and most challenges. After looks so solid he has lost his confidence and should be replaced by Morrison for the next game.
Powell – 6 – Showed his experience and was never under pressure
Adams – 7 – Beat men, showed pace and some good passing, an able stand in for Max
Oakley – 5 – Poor distribution, and bottled to many tackles
King – 6 – Saw more of him today, good tenacity
Dyer – 9 – Performance of the season, pace, positioning and perfect passing
Fryatt – 6 – It was just another Saturday, we would have scored 3 without his selfishness!
Howard – 6 – Strong in the air, but never found a player with a pass

The evening was spent build a quiz for the staff meeting on Monday, and I know you can find them on the web, buts its fun looking and thinking will people know the answers. We are going to auction of the managers into the teams, so it will be interesting to see how much PASH goes for!

Another long day & Music

Today was the PRB, and on the whole it went well, we also had the informing of at risk people, an energy forecast review and over 100 emails. It all made for a long day, but I am still kind of up to date, although the next two days are very full, and so unlikely to deliver much output!

Having read Lizsara’s Album of the year review I thought I should do the same, however on checking my itunes index you can tell I had 6 months of being without any disposable income. I have also discovered that out of those that I have bought, there are more I have not listened to then have!

So, I thought I would do a variation on the variation:

Albums Bought:

Sally Oldfield – Mirrors Anthology – Not listened too yet
Queen – The Cosmos Rocks – Not listened too yet
Marillion – Happiness is the Road – Jury’s out
The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager – Great!!!!!
The Verve – A Storm in Heaven - Not listened too yet
The Moody Blues – On the Threshold of a Dream – Good
Earth Calling Alice – Thankful for Mice – Good, but needs more songs
Split Enz – History Never Repeats – A bit of old thunder
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death & all his Friends – Its Coldplay, but that’s ok
Duffy – Rockferry – A bit to Dusty for me
Kino – Cutting Room Floor - Not listened too yet
Mark Ronson – Version - Not listened too yet
Mike Oldfield – Music of The Spheres – Its not the planets, but is easy listening
Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob – I like it

And the winner is?

Long Distance Voyager – It’s a mix of 80’s prod with a 60’s twist. 22,000 Days is fantastic, as is the trio of Painted Smile, Reflective Smile and Veteran Cosmic Rocker.

Also worth a listen

Music of Spheres
Thankful for Mice
Yours Truly, Angry Mob

What this really tells me is that whilst an ipod is great for storing lots of music it is also great at losing music. When you got a new CD, it went in the Car and was listened to for days, and then either rejected for ever, or became an old favourite, where as now, it gets up loaded, and unless you regularly sync you forget to look. So tomorrow morning I will go for one of the new ones, and let you know what I think on Friday when I next write.

Selection is not always the survival of the fittest!

If you believed in destiny then today would strengthen your view. We had a problem, we needed to resolve a staffing shortage due to one of my team getting an internal role, and @ 9:00 the solution was go out and recruit a top level replacement, however by 13:30 we had a new and creative solution. If it works or not will be a challenge, but I am sure it is the right thing to do.

So tomorrow I get to make two people happy rather than just one.

It just goes to show how fickle the world of employment is, for every good manager, there is a cretin, and the moron struck again today. Hopefully we will resolve it tomorrow, but it goes to show some people should not be allowed the power of management. When you become a manager you are given a privileged position. You have the responsibility to deliver for your employers, shareholders, and colleagues, but you are also given the ability to effect peoples lives, and that should never be taken lightly. You should always ask yourself how would I want to be treated, how would I react, or my personal test, how would I want my sister to be treated. Today has shown that there are some people who cant get passed themselves, so to them I say, whilst I don’t agree in Karma, I hope you get what’s coming to you!

The Monday Tummy

I woke up in the early hours with a stomach that felt it was part washing machine, and part stabbing knife. It was no better when getting up time came, so I stayed in bed trying not to be sick.

This meant the day ended up being WFH which helped clear the emails down to 13, and mean I am almost caught up with everything!

Tomorrow it is off to see the Super Foxes against the Imps, lets hope we can continue the early season form and progress in the JPC!

Its also the Phoenix’s birthday, the big 30! Hopefully he will have a great day, and not mind that his card is still in Sainsbury’s and the fact that his present is still in the present cupboard (it just elongates the experience)

Weekend Activities

So Friday was working from home, and I managed to get through some, but not all of the outstanding tasks (3 hours on Sunday saw me as up to date as I am going to get). Dad arrived at about 6:30 having visited the RSPB library with Belle.

So what do you serve someone over from Spain, Paella (what a Muppet!), but it went down well, as the cheese and wine.

Saturday was a gentle trundle around, a bit of shopping (where I didn’t buy anything), and a look at the BMW sale. I have found a hard top 3 Series CC, which looks very nice, as does the 6 Series, however we will have to wait until at least April next year before we get to equity = debt.

It was good to spend time with Dad, and we managed to get him a new laptop (more later). We also had a good sporting day with Leicester winning and Somerset drawing.

Tea was experimental with a variation on Coronation Chicken using mustard pancetta and Polish sausages, which turned out very well, and poached apples (from our own garden!) with Sultanas and Port with Green & Blacks organic ice cream, which was also nice.

Sunday was a more frustrating day, as in trying to download a free AV program Dad’s new laptop got infected with more viruses that a tenement in 1666. Dispute 3 hours of trying stuff, I could not get it clean, so it will have to go into PC World tomorrow, bugger!

Got another long week coming up, although mostly in my office, which will be better.

What does 1+1 equal?

I only ask because you don’t seem to need to know to be an accountant. Maybe the world of FD’s is one were you don’t appreciate what you have until to have lost it, from the scary DA to the deep detail of Statto it would appear I have been spoilt. I will never complain again when someone questions my number, at least that shows they understand it.

So what has this poor man done, well the last frustration is this:

So today involved making a further £250k in year saving and a Q3 margin boost of £300k. So after managing to find them both, I sent through the details to what is nothing more than a data monkey with a big job title, and what did he do, he entered the data, made some other changes and only did one level of reconciliation. This meant instead of a £300k boost we had £143k. That in its self would be fine exept he did not check against my email, and sent it out to the Group FD and Business Unit MD.

So I spotted the error, and asked him why, to which the reply was I have no idea. He changed it for Gods sake, how can he not know. So I end uo talking him through numbers when I am in the car and he is in front of his laptop (that memory verses eyes), and still no errors spotted.

So I get home, open the laptop, and walk him though line by line against the last version of the extract, and what a surprise we find the errors, and they are the wedge he inserted, against my instructions last night!

So we finally have a fixed report, but one in which we will need to say, ignore that number it is £167k wrong because the FD is a moron!

The rest of the day was one of those were email kept arriving quicker than you can answer it, and the work keeps backing up. I am really glad Dad is here this weekend as it will stop me working, because I have at least 60 hours catch-up before next Friday. Haho!

The good news is I am working at home, lots to do, but no travel.

Not sure what we wil do over the weekend, but having had my Q1 bonus today (which was a nice surprise) I might do some shopping!

A long, long day

So what happened yesterday? Well after spending 5 hours in Rugby, it was home by 18:00 and working til 00:45, then and this is the good bit, up at 5:30, to be in Hemel for 6:30. Its ok though because I will be able to be away by 16:00 (actually it was 19:30!).

There is not much more to report really, I was so tired I managed to drive past 3 motorway junctions, and my mind was racing and I needed my IT minkey to help validate a system coding issue.

So tonight is a relaxing evening, well what’s left of it, and an early night.

Admin by another name

Monday after a relatively relaxing weekend, but a rubbish nights sleep, and at 7:30 I didn’t think I would make the management call let alone the rest of the day. Managed to gte through most of the days requirements, however that was a good job as the next two days have been written of with more, yes you have guessed it finance stuff.

Didn’t leave the office until 19:45, and then had to cook dinner for Pash and Belle, although to be fair that involved putting meat in the oven and potatoes and peas in a pan.

We then had a disappointing night of football, whilst we are still unbeaten it was a long way from the Yada performances!

Tomorrow is BAP then numbers all the way, woohoo!

It had to come to an end, just wish it had lasted longer!

Not the best of days, I woke up at 10:54, which would have been fine, except football kicked off at 13:00 and therefore I had planned to leave at 11:00! Managed to get out by 11:06, but then hit 2 road closed signs.

Met PASH, and got to the ground on time, even had time to buy a hot dog. The game was a great disappointment, especially as I had hoped that PASH would see how well we were playing.

Leicester 0 – 1 Millwall, player ratings:

Martin – 5 – Flapped at a couple of crosses, and his dead ball kicks were poor
Gilbert – 5 – (Sub 34) - Not on for long enough to make an impact
Tunchev – 6 (Sub 56) – Looked the best defender and showed his flexibility in playing in both left back and central today
Hobbs – 3 – Total rubbish, missed almost ever header, distribution was also poor, this was worse than against Birmingham, and if he wants to play in the premiership needs to become more consistent
Morrison – 3 – Almost as bad as Hobbs
Powell – 5 - (Sub 64) – Solid if unspectacular
Dickov – 5 – (sub 36) – Not sure what position he was playing today
Gradel – 6 – (sub 81) – Showed his pace, but didn’t hit the by-line often enough, still shocking decision to sub him
Campbell – 4 – (Sub 9) – Played as a right winger and did nothing
Oakely – 4 – Couldn’t find his passing feet today
King – 3 – Why does he keep playing, anonymous
Dyer – 6 – Looked good again, but not given enough of the ball, and passed when he should have shot, he is the anti Fryatt
Fryatt – 4 – Could have been replaced by a parking bollard!
Howard – 5 – Good knock ons, but failed to look where his team mates were.

Then home via Sainsburys, and Chinese for tea, ended the day, very tired, and frustrated, lets just hope the Sabres can win tomorrow!

I'm almost a Veteran Cosmic Rocker

If music means something to you, then what do you do when something doesn’t click. This week I downloaded the new Marillion album, number 15 for those of you that are counting, and it has not licked, what makes it worse is the fact that another new album I have got is Long Distance Voyager, by the Moody Blues and it has just clicked. I love Veteran Cosmic Rocker, and 22,000 Days, they are tracks that grab you straight away, were as nothing from the new Marillion album has grabbed me, to be fare I have only listened to 5 tracks, but that in its self is because I get 20 minutes from the office and put 22,000 Days.

Today was one of those days were you finish everything you had on your list, I thought that was just a legend put about by local government staff who never have enough to do. So what is a real days work (pay attention all you LG slackers!), so we start with 15 emails, then move on to a 121 for a staff member at risk, move on to a tech review of site issues, and then onto Elections Strategy (Gordon you should have been there), more emails, a review of the FD’s work to check it is right (Why cant they count!), then a re-structure and job definition meeting. Emails in inbox at the start of the day 19, emails at the end of the day 21, emails processed 62. Then a gentle drive home (inc a brief 80 – 120 spurt) and a relaxing evening watching tele and looking for a holiday location.

All this means that the laptop stays closed until Sunday afternoon when I need to finish the forecast Q3 variance, and the S&M review. That’s right I have been given the task of driving out maximum benefit from S&M, the sad news is I don’t get a leather allowance!

This weekend looks like being relaxing, we have another home game, where we may see our new left back, we have bought two in 3 weeks, why???? We have a GP, where my boy will take the lead in the championship race.

Final a message to Lizsara who is performing at the Orange Wedding, go girl, just remember, Do hurt yourself!

Ever Business Needs a Statto!

Today was out GM and it was a good meeting. I discovered that my cost saving report is being used as the format for the rest of the division, which is nice.

One of my actions is to get to the bottom of out S&M shortfall, which has involved 3 hours working through the 1500 line variance xls. What a load of B****ks! Forget being an accountant I have become a data monkey. It makes to appreciate the skills of Statto the worlds best forensic accountant!

This needs to be escalated, management reports should tell a story straight away, not need 3 hours our cruching!

At least tomorrow is Friday, which means we are closer to the weekend, and going to the game with PASH, and a bit of a rest. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A long midweek day

A day that started with a SOP telco, and finished at 20:00 when I walked out of the office. Today was the day, and I am really proud of one of my direct reports, as he has done all his staff at risk meetings solo. I did the PSO and although these things are always horrid, it went as well as it could have.

More good news is the fact that tomorrow has been moved to Rugby, rather than Worcester, which is at least an hour extra in bed.

I may as well have been an accountant!

So you get up early on a Monday morning (on time), manage to get on the road (on time), get to the office (on time), open your laptop bag and find, your personal laptop……………………….

With a start like that what did the day deliver, well the Mobile and Oracle meetings went well, and providing people deliver on their timescales we should be ok.

It was meant to be a finance day however, so that meant going home this afternoon, and spending 30 mins preparing for a 1 hour 30 mins conference call! It should not be that hard to build reconsiliation, and it should be able to be done my the FD, not me!

That meant I started the real work of the day at 18:30 and finished (well stopped) at 23:00.

Never mind up at 6:30 tomorrow to drive to Worcester, for another day of driving finances!

Weekend, Paaaaaaaaaarty

Sunday evening and a need another weekend, it was well part 2am when I went to bed on Friday night, after some Fish on DVD, and with MACO and TACO staying Saturday night that was another 1am job.

That being said it was great to see the guys on Friday, and its always good to entertain the CO’s. We had some nice food, some nice drink, a few games of buzz, and lots of chat.

Sunday was a day of work, and limited rest, and it’s a full week coming up.

I did watch the GP, and thought at the time that Hamilton had not conceded enough ground, so the penalty is not a surprise. I can give you a frame by frame walk through of the error if you are interested?!

Hope I have a good nights sleep!

DB this is about you, but not the best one!

Sometimes it is good to go out and just drink. Tonight was that night. We have a strange set-up in our family, my sister is so talented she could do anything she wanted to, and yet does not realise it. I can command money from large companies and yet don’t feel like I deserve it. Mum could organise the world, and yet does not get recognised. Belle is the most intelligent person I know, and yet does not get the recognition. And as for Dad, he could solve anyone’s problems, and yet does not believe it. Nature vs. nurture, its clear, its genetic, there is something that stops good people recognising there strengths and differences. And yet there is another member of the family who has no redeemable features, and yet believes he is great? Why is this, it down to the sense of self? I have had a great night out with friends tonight and the one disagreement was about Lewis the cuckoo Hamilton, and that provides the answer. Nature creates the innate self, and nurture provides the tempering, but it is the person that really makes the difference. There are those that consider, and those that don’t, nurture does not shape this, it is the soul, there is something in us all that we can draw on or ignore, those that can do, those that cant make it. I have a very good friend and after a few bottles of wine we come back to Adam Crossier, he is a soulless individual, he has sacrificed people on the stairway of ambition, I will not do that. There is only one person who sees me in the mirror and that is me, if I can’t look at that image the why bother.

So, this is a preachy message to anyone who reads this, firstly if you are reading it then I have made you aware of its existence, check if you are the shadow in the mirror, and if not smile. Life is hard, but we make it better for people. We are the hidden power behind the hand. Next week I am going to put 8 people at risk of redundancy, but that is not because of me, but because of them. I will feel sick all week, and probably through until October when they final leave, but I will still look at the mirror and not hate the image, I will be true to myself, and that is all I demand.

So my blog’es, you are the special ones, you are the selfless ones, you are the talented ones. I don’t waste my time on the selfish, the greedy or the inadequate! Get up tomorrow and go about your lives with a smile on your faces, we are the ones that make a difference, we are the ones that keep the world turning.
Sleep well, enjoy life and always remember, you make someone smile just by being you!

So to DB, CM and DA I thank you, I enjoyed tonight, and learned some useful things

Thursday, a day of two halves

The morning was great, I got to stay in bed to a sensible time, before crashing through all of the outstanding restructuring work, and get sign off on everything apart from the message to staff. Things were so much easier when I just wrote all the CEO’s emails, but that was a former life. We currently have an email that looks more like a camel than a horse!

Then came the afternoon, what a change, the finances are rubbish again, and my head feels like it has hit a brick wall very hard!

To make life worse PASH didn’t arrive til 9:00 so no football!

Midweek Progress

So the Muppets dropped £15k out of last month, how! At least it gives PASH a view of his challenges.

Today was the first none early start for weeks, at still delivered a productive day. I finished the revised structure plan, reviewed the Q1 COD models, and had a SOP moving meeting. Go me.

Also managed to get the Inland Revenue to correct my tax code, and submitted my self assessment and am getting a rebate, woooooooooooohooooooooooooooo.

Have a few busy evenings coming up, PASH tomorrow, the old Badminton team on Friday and then MACO and TACO (Yes that is what she will be if they get married) on Saturday, maybe we should do Mexican!

All of that means that whilst my candle will continue to get shorter in the middle, there is no travelling until Monday!

Monday, Monday la la la

Monday and a very long day, but ultimately successful. Got through another, I am going to make ½ your team redundant meeting without any tears!

Tomorrow is the big one, getting the cost reduction plan signed off by the Divisional OD, it could go one of three ways, good, average or unemployed!

Anyway, not much else happened today so:

Another list idea from Lizsara

You’re stranded on a Desert Island;

1. What one person would you wish was stranded there with you?

Belle

2. What one tool would you want to have?

A WIFI laptop, it’s a tool for me!

3. What one food do you wish you would have an unlimited supply of?

Pork Pies for me, although if Belle was with me, it would have to be Chicken Broth, as I could eat Island food

4. What one luxury item would you wish for?

Sun cream!

5. What one book would you want to have with you to read and re-read?

It would have to be an anthology, Gemmell, Sailor, or The Matthew Salter library anthology.

6. You have one piece of paper, a pencil and one bottle ~ who is the message going to be written to?

No one, I have WIFI!

7. What skill would serve you best while on the island?

The fact that I can make an airplane from 2 coconuts, some leaves and some sand

8. How long do you think you could last before needing rescue?

Depends if I could organize some form of Island management team

9. What one island animal would become your pet?

What other than my management team?

10. Your island is unknown to you, and you need to give it a name - - what would it be?

Australia

11. What would you do to pass the weeks, days, and hours?

Surf, surf and surf some more, I might even stop using the laptop and go in the sea!

12. You’ve been rescued! What is the first thing you’re going to do when you get back home?

Contact the travel insurance company and get claiming!