Year: 2015

It’s amazing how little you can fill your time with when you have nothing all that much to do, or at the very least no workplace to attend everyday.

Looking back over August, September and October, and even the first couple of weeks in November, before I started my new job, it was a whole lot of nothing.

OK, that’s not strictly true, I have managed to keep up with my Goodreads challenge and should manage to finish book 24 before the end of the year (currently a third of the way through book 23 – Wuthering Heights), and I did also complete NaNoWriMo after several years of promising to do it and not even managing to start it, ohhhh and I did setup my own limited company, get a business bank account and all that stuff but that’s mainly just filling out a lot of forms and I’m not sure it really counts as an achievement as much as a necessity. I managed to get new forums launched on the ISTC website which took more effort than I had anticipated but… those things aside, turns out I did a whole lotta nothing.

Case in point, I bought an oven cleaning kit not long after getting made redundant, thinking I’d have plenty of time during my days; I had a holiday in September already booked so my thinking was I’d find work when I got back, giving myself time to deal with the shock of being made redundant and have a good look around at the alternatives so, essentially, I had August and the first couple of weeks in September to myself to do with as I pleased.

And, as it turns out, the rest of September, all of October, and most of November too.

After the first few weeks of largely not giving a fuck, sleeping in, staying up late, eating takeaway, you know, ‘coping/dealing’ with being made redundant for the third time, I gave myself a bit of a kick (with two other lovely ladies giving me gentle nudges as well) and tried my best to make sure I got out of bed at a reasonable time in the morning.

I did, rising from my pit between 8 and 8.30 most days but then, a little too frequently, that just meant that instead of lying in bed doing nothing, I sat on the sofa and did nothing by way of watching old episodes of Frasier and latterly the West Wing. Afternoons meant random noodling on the internet, chores, the occasional wander out for coffee or shopping, and some trips to the cinema.

A whole lotta not very much.

Fast forward to today and I’m in the second week of working full-time again and have to admit that whilst it’s been a bit of an adjustment, I’m feeling good, and I think I’m getting back to a version of my old self, probably because I don’t have quite so much time rattling about in my own head which is never a great place to be at the best of times.

My job is a lot less stressful than my previous one, I’ve a lot fewer responsibilities and, as I’m contracting, it’s pretty much gonna be 9 to 5 as they don’t pay overtime. The life of a contractor will take some adjustment too (thanks to those who offered advice!); I’m already finding myself biting my tongue so I’m not the ‘new guy who has come in and thinks he know better’, and I’m trying instead to be the ‘new guy who has experience doing this kind of thing and who has some gentle suggestions that might make things better for everyone’.

For now I’m just happy to be working – I will be very happy when my first income since July hits my bank early January – and I’ve got plenty of things to fill my spare time (two gorgeous partners not withstanding). I’m also looking forward to a quiet (cheap!) Christmas and New Year, the latter because the four of us have booked a lodge for a few nights of peace and quiet away from the usual New Year nonsense.

Until then I’ve got a few weeks to figure out how things work at my new place of work before an enforced two week holiday when the office shuts down over Christmas which, whilst it means I won’t get paid for those weeks does mean I might have time to finally clean my oven.

It may also mean that I’ll get back in the habit of writing here, although come January I’ll be revisiting my NaNoWriMo scribblings so I might still be a bit ‘worded out’, and there is the not small matter of my sister being due to have a baby!

It’ll be interesting to see how 2016 pans out. The only thing I’ve got planned so far is Glastonbury, but I’m sure I’ll fit in another holiday or two along the way.

2015 has been an odd year, but I finish it feeling lucky and acknowledging my privileged position. I have a job, a roof over my head, the support of my friends and family, and two amazing women who have been more helpful than they realise when I was getting my head around the redundancy.

Those of know me will know of my tendency to research things before I buy them. A lot of the items I use most often have been bought online after a lot of comparison and pondering, and it’s fair to say that not all of them have been a success; a lot of near misses but enough successes to keep me happy.

Two items in particular stand out. One I’ve had for a while now, the other a recently new addition, but both hit the mark when it comes to my criteria:

1. I am reasonably price conscious but not overly so, I’ll happily pay to get exactly what I want.
2. The items have to be of good quality.

That’s about it really. Nothing startling there.

I’m also a big fan of minimising clutter. It goes with my love of Scandinavian and Japanese design movements. I like clean lines, simple function in harmony with good features.

I use both of these items everyday and I thought I’d mention them here, given that we are approaching a certain holiday season and I think they could make good gifts for someone.

My wallet

I’d been searching for a minimal wallet for a long time. I found the Supr Slim wallet (originally on Kickstarter) but it was a little TOO minimal for me; it only has one pocket.

Not long after that, again on Kickstarter, I found Trove Wallets.

In my wallet I have my Glasgow Subway travel card, Bank card, Driving Licence, Credit, Cineworld, Nectar and Tesco Club cards. Notes get folded in thirds and take up the last available space. I’ve had this for a while now and every now and then someone will comment on it; ‘That’s your wallet?’ ‘That’s really neat’.

Yes it is. That’s the appeal. I was sick of lugging the typical multi-pocketed fold wallet that I’d have most of my adult life and, for me, sacrificing a few seldom used cards was well worth it.

My keyring

God how I hate keys, especially when set on a keyring. All those angles and pointy bits, ugh. I’ve tried many different solutions in the past but they all have the same issue. Bulk.

And then I found Orbitkey.

Aside from my car key, I have keys for front and back doors to the building, my letterbox and my front door. Held together with a simple screw fitting, the clever sprung washers allow the keys to rotate (the screw itself will click into a tiny notch on the mounting plate to keep it still).

Simple, effective, minimal. Brilliant.

Note: I have not been paid to endorse these products, I’m doing so because I love mine and every time I pick them up and use them, they make me happy. Hey, it’s the little things, right?

Ohhh and no doubt that the basic principles that both the above products rely on have been used elsewhere but for these I can attest to the quality of them, they are both well worth the money.

I’ve spent the last few hours filling in forms, lots of forms, repeating the same information over and over. But I don’t mind because it’s because I’ll soon be starting a new job.

The paperwork is a little more involved because I’m making the move from a permanent salaried role (which is all I’ve ever known) to a contract. That means I need to think about things like hiring an accountant, setting up my own limited company, getting a business bank account and lots of other fun things that require a lot of reading.

I’m excited though, not just because I’ll be getting back to work but because this is something I’ve considered in the past but never really had the courage to make the leap. Turns out being made redundant was just the kick I needed!

I have chosen my new company name, and just off the phone with my new accountant who will take care of a lot of the paperwork for me – I was pondering tackling it all myself but I think I’ll give it a year or so before I head down that path.

For now, I just need to finish a few more forms, confirm my start date and start figuring out my new commute which, when the weather allows, will see my cycling to work. Win win!

Another reason for me to be glad about getting this contract is not only professional – I’ll be doing Business Analysis for a bank – but stems more from my state of mind. There is no doubt that not working has a negative effect on me, and not just the money worries. I like to be busy, but no matter how I tried, I found filling my days with non-creative and non-contributory actions just wasn’t enough for me.

I’ve been out of work, officially, since the end of July, that’s 3 months when I could’ve learned a new language, or tried a new activity. But I didn’t, because whilst I always want to be better for me, I’ve realised that what I really need is to have something to contribute to that is beyond me. At least, I think that’s what it is… still trying to figure that bit out.

Regardless, I’ve got a new job! Huzzah!!

I’m a big fan of Apple products. Their hardware is always well designed and well made. I like using them, I like they way they work, how they feel in my hand.

I am not a fan of most Apple software.

The operating systems are good enough, but not groundbreaking. I don’t want all the baffling options and lack of consistency I see with Android – I had an Android phone for a year or so, it never felt “nice” to use – and whilst it sounds like Windows is getting back to being usable, I like the Apple hardware too much to move (maybe the new Microsoft lap/tablet/top thing will sway me?), and most Linux variants I’ve seen and used are not user-friendly.

Apple keeps moving iOS and OSX forward but ultimately they do what they need to do and don’t get in the way too much, which is all I need.

Apple applications on the other hand are, almost across the board, not great and everywhere I look there are better alternatives.

I may give the Photos app a stay of absence here, as it suits my needs but I know most people look to other solutions here.

I use Safari as my browser, but beyond that I hardly use any of the Apple applications on either operating system.

On iOS I use Cloudmagic and not Mail, Todoist rather than reminders, Fantastical over Calendar, Spotify over Music, Overcast for podcasts, Dropbox for files, Evernote for notes, and Dark Sky for weather.

In fact just about anywhere I can, I’ve swapped out Apple apps for 3rd party ones, and I’m not alone. Apple proudly talks of the over 1 billion app downloads made through the App Store on iOS alone, but how many of you have a folder on your iPhone that holds unused, and undeleteable, Apple apps?

But hey, it’s all about choice I guess, right?

Except it isn’t, or at least it won’t be. Look at how Android is starting to tie together the information your phone knows about you to produce ‘Now’ cards, and because it can get access to your email, your calendar, the websites you browse, it has more data with which to be helpful.

Apple is heading the same way, and it all makes sense. For a tiny computer in my pocket, the more useful it can be, the more likely I am to invest in it and, at some point in the future, our smartphones need to be smarter, they need to push the information I need to me when I need it, not wait for me to open an app.

So, the fact that I’m NOT using the apps that Apple offer becomes more than just a preference, it’s a limitation.

I’m not sure how I get past that. Part of me hopes, and possibly presumes, that the weight of consumer need will push Apple to open things a little more, allow better integration at the system level to the various apps I use. When I ask Siri to play my “Radio G” playlist, it should know I mean in Spotify, not Apple Music.

Alas, I fear that day won’t ever arrive. Apple has been very protective of its ecosystem, and whilst it is slowly adding more and more capability to the apps that it does offer, at some point I have to decide to make do with ‘good enough’ or leave the ecosystem to get what I want from my technology.

The next couple of years are gonna be interesting.

Once more unto the breach
Dear friends, once more;

I had plans and goals, but then I always have plans and goals, and I achieved one of them in August yet, whilst September slipped by in a Singapore haze, October has loomed large and plans were made once more.

The plan for October had been to start Couch-to–5k on the 1st of the month, alas man-flu felled me, reducing me to a lump on the sofa.

But I WILL start and I WILL be at 5K distance for the end of the year (hear me, ohhhh god of positive thinking!). At that point ParkRun will beckon, the habit will be established, I will be a runner once more.

I’m keen to get started, raring to go, and that usually bodes well as I know my fitness/weight loss challenges are very much determined by my mood (as are my eating habits, I am the epitome of an emotional eater).

And so, it begins again.

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge…

(yes, I’m leaving out the last line… mostly because I can’t be bothered rewriting it to a more Scottish view)