New Job

Well, OK, the job's not so new any more, and in some ways of course many people haven't noticed that I do actually have a new job.  A 10m move down the corridor doesn't count for much. I have, however traded up from the wrong sized men's fit adidas clothing into the sleek black of women's rapha kit.  Nice.

One of the odder things about the new job is the occasional ability to work from home but paired up with the occasional need to work from home at 7pm on a Monday night or 7pm on a Sunday from someone else's sofa.  I find it kind of mellow that I have now participated in two evening conference calls with the guinea pig.  There I am, in my dining room, still clad in my Rapha clothing because it's warm and my house is not.  In the corner sits the guinea pig, and throughout the call I can hear her gentle hay munching noises.  Rhythmic, content, the world is a remarkably calm place where guinea pigs can sit in on conference calls.  She hasn't signed a confidentiality agreement but that's fine.

One of the other curious things about the call is that folk are dialling in from all over the world.  Occasionally you find it's wine o'clock for one or other member of staff, and you can picture a mellow sunshiny evening with a solitary glass of red wine to relax after a hard day of whatever it is they actually do in the field.  I get the impression the wine is generally either a rarity or simply a scene setter and not actually real.  But it's a nice thing to believe in. My colleagues.  Relaxed, happy.  Pets, wine, family, rugby teams, cycling teams.  A jumble of life peacefully humming along behind us.

Working hours are a confusion.  When do I start; when do I finish?  It feels like every hour the macbook is switched on is potentially work, it's a 24 hour operation.  Right now, it's twenty to ten in the evening here but it's four hours ahead in Oman and who knows where the rest of my working word are right now.  And tomorrow starts at 8am.  Sunday involved an odd hour.  Monday seemed to finish at 8pm.  I think Friday may be an early finish ...