Old News - Newsletter January 2003

Happy New Year!

I had a lovely festive season. For Christmas Eve and Day Northerner and I went to my cousin’s in Reading, and it was extremely pleasant. On Boxing Day we drove north to spend a few days with his family, which was remarkably painless. For New Years Eve we met up with a bunch of friends in a Turkish restaurant in London, and had a very good time. Possibly the best New Years Eve I’ve had for years! The hangover the next day was a corker too…

There is not too much going on with me, otherwise. My Dad is visiting at the moment, which is very nice. I haven't had him to myself for such a long stretch in years, and he's keeping himself busy sorting out my car and furniture! I have cut right back on unnecessary spending in the expectation of being unemployed, so I’m not doing anything exciting! Long walks in the country followed by a beer while defrosting in front of a pub fire seems to be the extent of our extravagance at this time! My home is right on the edge of a 15-mile ramblers route, and I’ve worked out a 2-hour circular bit of it that ends up at my local pub… superb!

We had a bit of snow last week, which hung about for several days before finally melting. Very pretty – just like all the movies you see of American winters. It does make driving rather hair-raising though, and I was happy to see it melt off the roads! It was also really cold, with highs of freezing! It has warmed up again now though, and the high today is 8 degrees. Nice and mild…

I have no new job yet, but I am still at the fussy stage. If I get desperate there is work out there, but for now I'm holding on waiting for the dream job! I am going for a second interview this week for a job I really want, so hold thumbs! There is not much else out there right now, but I’m hoping jobs will start appearing as the year gets properly underway.

My present job is winding down, with us simply handing over all our work to the poor sod that’ll be maintaining it. Most of us are working half days, as there isn’t much to do.