Saturday morning
Jan. 22nd, 2005 06:42 pmI've had a very busy week, but most of it wasn't at work. Tuesday was the announcement of the new Bishop of Woolwich, in Southwark Diocese. We've gone from having a Neanderthal Evangelical maniac to having a moderate Catholic. This is good. He's also unmarried, which took a bit of courage to announce. In fact, they didn't announce it--Stephen Bates, the only reporter at the press conference (the rest of us were diocesan functionaries and lay leaders) asked the question and it was promptly answered. Sources tell me that no whiff of scandal has been whiffed from him, so that's OK too. There hasn't, so far, been the firestorm that surrounded Jeffrey John's nomination to Reading.
Tuesday night and Thursday night saw other diocesan meetings I had to attend, and Friday I had a lovely lunch with Steve, my chum from ImagoQA, who now runs his own company. I'll be working for him as a contractor after my current job is made redundant at the end of February. I'll probably be working at my current employer's five days a month or a bit more getting their ISO9001 up to speed. Steve will be billing this. In return, I'll be getting a look in at some other work he has on offer. So that's helping my mental state. I wouldn't mind a spell of time with little or no work, as HWMBO is working now (and has just gotten a raise), we have no debts and we have money in the bank. All to the good. I'll also have my month's notice money and my redundancy benefit (£1100 or so, tax-free) to salt away.
On Monday I'll be attending a meeting at the diocesan offices to discuss risk management. They've come a ways but still have a ways to go. They are mis-categorising some of the risks and also splitting them up into sections rather than looking at them as a whole. It should be fun.
After that I need to buy my black suit and a good pair of black shoes. My Masonic initiation is only a month away now.
On Monday I also celebrate the 11th anniversary of my arrival here in the UK. It seems like only yesterday...
Tuesday night and Thursday night saw other diocesan meetings I had to attend, and Friday I had a lovely lunch with Steve, my chum from ImagoQA, who now runs his own company. I'll be working for him as a contractor after my current job is made redundant at the end of February. I'll probably be working at my current employer's five days a month or a bit more getting their ISO9001 up to speed. Steve will be billing this. In return, I'll be getting a look in at some other work he has on offer. So that's helping my mental state. I wouldn't mind a spell of time with little or no work, as HWMBO is working now (and has just gotten a raise), we have no debts and we have money in the bank. All to the good. I'll also have my month's notice money and my redundancy benefit (£1100 or so, tax-free) to salt away.
On Monday I'll be attending a meeting at the diocesan offices to discuss risk management. They've come a ways but still have a ways to go. They are mis-categorising some of the risks and also splitting them up into sections rather than looking at them as a whole. It should be fun.
After that I need to buy my black suit and a good pair of black shoes. My Masonic initiation is only a month away now.
On Monday I also celebrate the 11th anniversary of my arrival here in the UK. It seems like only yesterday...