Just in time for a swift thousand mile trip to the Lake District and back with a spot of site seeing thrown in. Downside, is the repairs to the gentlemans express, AKA, BMW 328 touring are going to cost me roughly £550.
Had a friend drop by last night on a flying three hundred mile round trip visit to see me before I went away. Was good to see him and get his take on events.
Right, need to pack for my weekend holiday.
Have a good weekend.
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Still no further on
With my letter writing, I have a list of documents I need to copy, but seeing as the printer needs new print cartridges that isn't happening. I have been lucky though, I have linked up with a bloke in the States who is going through the process as we speak, well, six hours behind UK time to be pricise, so I have a better idea of what lays ahead.
No news on the gentlemans express, should have a better idea today of what is happening. Thankfully loan car is sitting outside now, so not going everywhere in whitevan man mode.
Trip to the dentist went well, need to return tomorrow or Friday to settle up and get a stamp for the insurance form. Right, time to go, got loads to do and not enough time to do it.
No news on the gentlemans express, should have a better idea today of what is happening. Thankfully loan car is sitting outside now, so not going everywhere in whitevan man mode.
Trip to the dentist went well, need to return tomorrow or Friday to settle up and get a stamp for the insurance form. Right, time to go, got loads to do and not enough time to do it.
Monday, 27 August 2007
Sitting here
Trying to work out what else I need to do pre-deployment.
All of my paperwork is up to date, I'm off to have a tooth filled tomorrow and the gentlemans express is off to the garage.
Soon, I will have to try and cram nearly eleven years of feelings and love into two letters for my daughters. Just in case anything goes wrong.
I have to write another one for my Mother.
Any idea how hard that is? It sounds easy on paper, but trying to do it for real has led to what I believe is writers block.
No doubt it will come eh?
All of my paperwork is up to date, I'm off to have a tooth filled tomorrow and the gentlemans express is off to the garage.
Soon, I will have to try and cram nearly eleven years of feelings and love into two letters for my daughters. Just in case anything goes wrong.
I have to write another one for my Mother.
Any idea how hard that is? It sounds easy on paper, but trying to do it for real has led to what I believe is writers block.
No doubt it will come eh?
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Finally up to date.
The last week, I was again on the prime time job, which thankfully gave Edna and I some space, got back Friday after fighting through some horrible traffic and it was straight off to a friends leaving bash. A slight upset about my future work came and went, I think Edna is okish with it.
This week I am on leave, so will no doubt be doing even more research on were I'm going and what it entails. The only bad news on the firm I'm going to work for is a few years old, try as I might, I can find nothing conclusive on the process that lays ahead.
To compound matters, the only week when my spanner twirling friend is away, my gentlemans express decides to vomit it's coolant everywhere. Damn, I thought I had solved this earlier in the month with some coolant sealant. Sadly this isnt so. Still, it's got to be fixed as a trip to the Lake District looms at the end of the week. Just goes to show that the best laid plans of saving money don't always work out.
This week I am on leave, so will no doubt be doing even more research on were I'm going and what it entails. The only bad news on the firm I'm going to work for is a few years old, try as I might, I can find nothing conclusive on the process that lays ahead.
To compound matters, the only week when my spanner twirling friend is away, my gentlemans express decides to vomit it's coolant everywhere. Damn, I thought I had solved this earlier in the month with some coolant sealant. Sadly this isnt so. Still, it's got to be fixed as a trip to the Lake District looms at the end of the week. Just goes to show that the best laid plans of saving money don't always work out.
Saturday, 25 August 2007
Following on from my previous,
The week after my birthday, I was away all week on a prime time job with my current employers. Lots of responsibility and a fair amount of pressure. Again, this was good, as it enabled me to forget about what I was calling "TEP" AKA as "The Edna Problem".
The week flew by, the only blot on the landscape being my deployment date had been set back to the thirtieth of September, due to my police check not being forthcoming. This was compounded by me not being able to get in contact with my project manager with a view to extending my resignation period.
However, time to forget about this as the weekend loomed, it promised a house full of people, good food and good beer and long evenings of chat. This is how it turned out. Even better news followed on the Saturday night, as my path outside of work is now mapped out.
Sadly, the Sunday evening saw my desire to avoid not worrying Edna with my exact location for my jaunt abroad falling apart in a spectacular fashion. To which, the mother and father of all rows followed. Not big and not clever. I further added to my problems by telling Edna exactly where I was going the following day. This nonsuprisingly started another huge row with boiled on for the best part of three days, and continued to flare up for the rest of the week.
The week flew by, the only blot on the landscape being my deployment date had been set back to the thirtieth of September, due to my police check not being forthcoming. This was compounded by me not being able to get in contact with my project manager with a view to extending my resignation period.
However, time to forget about this as the weekend loomed, it promised a house full of people, good food and good beer and long evenings of chat. This is how it turned out. Even better news followed on the Saturday night, as my path outside of work is now mapped out.
Sadly, the Sunday evening saw my desire to avoid not worrying Edna with my exact location for my jaunt abroad falling apart in a spectacular fashion. To which, the mother and father of all rows followed. Not big and not clever. I further added to my problems by telling Edna exactly where I was going the following day. This nonsuprisingly started another huge row with boiled on for the best part of three days, and continued to flare up for the rest of the week.
If I am totally honest,
I had leapt at this offer, because I saw it as my own little adventure, the sort of thing I wanted to do pre accident and thought I never would be able to do. One phone call changed this line of thought though. Anyway, I put my notice in at work on the following Monday and was slightly relieved to find I had an escape route in case it all went Pete Tong.
According to my information, I was due to fly out all expenses paid on Sunday ninth of September, the two week predeployment training involved getting my board and three meals a day paid for also. I looked at this as a holiday if it didn't work out.
I then started on my list of information the new firm wanted, a trip down to the local police HQ to get my police check file process underway, a trip to the dentist (first time in seven years!) to get my dental check done, although I don't know who was more suprised I passed, the dentist or me. Thankfully the cost of this and the one filling I need are covered by my health insurance.
I scanned my passport, MoD ID card and various work certificates into the PC and emailed them onward. The next step is to get copies of all my service documentation for the forces.
This filled a week until my birthday, when I could then relax and sort of forget about the hole I was digging with Edna.
According to my information, I was due to fly out all expenses paid on Sunday ninth of September, the two week predeployment training involved getting my board and three meals a day paid for also. I looked at this as a holiday if it didn't work out.
I then started on my list of information the new firm wanted, a trip down to the local police HQ to get my police check file process underway, a trip to the dentist (first time in seven years!) to get my dental check done, although I don't know who was more suprised I passed, the dentist or me. Thankfully the cost of this and the one filling I need are covered by my health insurance.
I scanned my passport, MoD ID card and various work certificates into the PC and emailed them onward. The next step is to get copies of all my service documentation for the forces.
This filled a week until my birthday, when I could then relax and sort of forget about the hole I was digging with Edna.
It continues....
After getting many questions off Edna the night before and telling her, well, not the whole truth, I looked through the email that had been sent to me, a thirty one page check list, lists of the documents I had to provide, such as police file, dental check, banking info with such exotica as swift number whatever the hell that was, (Edna asked the next time she went into work.) packing list, stuff I was required to take, or not as was the case. All in all it was pretty comprehensive.
All this was put on hold as the weekend continued with a load of good friends, pagan to a man turning up for a BBQ and beer. A good time was had by all, which enabled me to forget the stuff like sorting out all this paperwork and working out how to tell Edna the truth of the situation. Still, has been building up to something like this for a while, truth be told, I can't wait.
All this was put on hold as the weekend continued with a load of good friends, pagan to a man turning up for a BBQ and beer. A good time was had by all, which enabled me to forget the stuff like sorting out all this paperwork and working out how to tell Edna the truth of the situation. Still, has been building up to something like this for a while, truth be told, I can't wait.
How it all started
Earlier this month, I was enjoying a few beers after finishing early from work, when I answered the phone to what I thought was a spoof call. Our home phone lets you know the number of the caller, this said "International."
I was amazed to hear a lady from the United States asking if I was still interested in a job for the US Government that I had been sniffing around in the Middle East. I answered yes to that question and several more, including this gem "If you die abroad due to a NBC incident, you do understand you will be cremated?" That certainly focussed the mind I can tell you, the beer effects sort of went pretty quickly.
Anyway, the upshot of it was that I would receive a hefty email in a couple of hours time. Two hours passed by with no email, so I went of to bed thinking I had been stiched up. Imagine my suprise when I turned on the 'puter the next morning to check my email and found it.
I was amazed to hear a lady from the United States asking if I was still interested in a job for the US Government that I had been sniffing around in the Middle East. I answered yes to that question and several more, including this gem "If you die abroad due to a NBC incident, you do understand you will be cremated?" That certainly focussed the mind I can tell you, the beer effects sort of went pretty quickly.
Anyway, the upshot of it was that I would receive a hefty email in a couple of hours time. Two hours passed by with no email, so I went of to bed thinking I had been stiched up. Imagine my suprise when I turned on the 'puter the next morning to check my email and found it.
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