Old News - Newsletter July 2003

The past few weeks have been kinda hectic in a very uninteresting way. We are approaching our live deadline for the project at work, and everyone is working long hours and weekends. I have worked through the last two weekends, which makes it 19 days working without a break now. And some of the guys have missed more weekends than that! I don’t know how they do it. I am very glad I had such a relaxing holiday recently, as I am knackered in spite of it! There was a large bonus riding on us meeting a deadline last Monday, and as far as I can tell we missed it. So now they’ve moved the money incentive to the live date in 3 weeks time. This means we are expected to continue to work unpaid overtime until then… sigh. The worst part is that I really don’t have that much to do – my sections are finished or still untested, so I don’t even have bugfixing to do. I am picking up bugs to fix for other people, which is pretty deadly. In spite of this I am still expected to work late, and there are mutterings if I leave on time. Not a happy bunch at the mo – it’s going to be a long 3 weeks!

We’ve been given this weekend off (big whoop), and I am catching up with as many people as possible. I haven’t seen any of my mates since before Turkey! I’ve decided it doesn’t matter if I’m tired at work at the moment, and I’ll be trying to see people after work during the week as weekends are a bit of a mess. Who’s free?

Mom and B are still with me. They went to Spain for a week recently to give me some space – unfortunately in the week I was working very late – but I still had a breather! As the housekeeper market is proving a bit tough, and will be closing down completely over the summer, they are considering going to SA for a few months to eke out their money while being out of my hair. I don’t have a mother; I have a yoyo.

Well, no other news as I have done nothing but work since my last email. Booooring! My diet is shelved, my exercise doesn’t happen, I haven’t touched a sketchpad in months, and I can’t make the weekend hikes. Make that boring and fat! Whenever we work late we get free takeaways – I have eaten more junk food in the last 3 weeks than I did in the last 3 years!