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Bits and, indeed, pieces

February 29th, 2008 | 3 Comments | Posted in Gadgety goodness, Irritants, KK

Well, I’ve told Tall Andy what’ll be happening once I get a financial cushion in place - my plan to hand over the resignation this evening to tie in with the new structure which falls into place in a month’s time was shelved. Soon, though. Oh yes.

Woman warned me about Kirsti and her preference for drinking straight from the tap. To my shame I’d assumed she was exaggerating but I’ve been proven wrong. In fact, on Tuesday evening, the silly madam sat in the sink as I was finishing brushing my teeth, so I left the tap on for a while for her to drink her fill.

When I returned I found she’d been sitting over the plug and was waist deep in water - quite happily so, I hasten to add. My, how I laughed. She ran off when I grabbed a towel so I assumed she’d sort herself out and went to bed.

Five minutes later I was joined by a soaking wet cat. It’s like one of those genie’s wishes that’s been twisted …

I have established that she’s not too fond of hot water, though, as she soon changed her mind after joining me in the shower one morning.

That’s one weird feline you’ve given me, Woman!

The N800 tablet is bloody marvellous. It makes me wish the bus journey from the Park and Ride to the bus station was longer. Who knows - once I’ve handed in my letter I may switch to the train for my last few weeks.

Tomorrow’s potentially Kirsti’s first day outside (not for a lack of trying on her part this week - both the postie and a meter reader had the front door slammed in their face before I’d ushered her to safety, opened the door and explained/apologised). I foresee an interesting time to be had by all.

Woo

February 24th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Mundane musings

From my N800 using Maemo WordPy.

Neat-o.

If we tolerate this, then your children will be next

February 24th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in Gadgety goodness, Irritants

As I mentioned in passing on Thursday, we’ve had another reorganisation at work. This time they’ve excelled themselves.

As a result of this restructuring I find that I will, from April, be reporting to one of two managers both of whom are, I’m sorry to say, idiots. Yes, they’ve broken up the Lionel:Tall Andy dream ticket.

Now I’m being unfair to whichever of the managers I’ll be reporting (or Tweedledum and Tweedledumber as I’ve christened them (which is probably unfair too)). After all, I have ultimate confidence in the Evil Overlords’ ability to consistently choose the best person for each rôle. Of course I do. Perhaps I’m just bitter because I wasn’t given the option of applying for Voluntary Redundancy but then not all of those who had the option and asked for VR were given it, one of whom was allegedly told they’d not be allowed to leave because they had too much knowledge of something or other. If that’s the criteria, then, I’ll never get VR.

So what should I do? I was sorely tempted to confront the department’s glorious leader on Thursday and demonstrate to him beyond any possibility of misunderstanding my suggested alternative location for my job (although this would need him to remove his trousery garments) but common sense - and Tall Andy - prevailed. I’ve slept on it since and discussed it with young Kirsti. She thinks I should stay at home so that I can be at her beck and call but Woman’s warned me that I’ll not see madam once summer comes and she’s allowed out so I’m treating the cat’s impartiality with a pinch of salt.

The fact remains, though, that we’re going through restructures at an average of one every year at worst. In fact, we’re going through department heads at much the same rate, each one having their own idea of what we should be doing and how. Up until now I’ve been hanging on hoping for VR at each reorganisation but it seems the Overlords are getting wise to this. After all, why pay people thousands of pounds to leave when they’re getting close to walking out anyway? It just doesn’t make economic sense, does it?

My evenings of contemplation have reduced the chance of me telling them to shove it from 100% and taking the Boss with me to a mere 95% or so (+/- 5%) but I’m going to give it until the end of the month before I make a final decision*. After all, the new structure starts from 1st April (a telling choice of date in my opinion) and it’d be very considerate of me to tie in my departure with the new structure, wouldn’t it?

In other news, though, I’ve got a Nokia N800 and it’s bloody brilliant. It’ll pick up a ridiculous number of WiFi hotspots - far more than any laptop I’ve ever had - and will even connect to the Norwhag OpenZone network at my desk when the office’s street isn’t even in the official coverage area. When paired with a neat 3G phone it’ll connect from anywhere I can’t find a free hotspot. An 800 x 480 pixel screen means that I get an almost-normal internet experience (although I do need to use the built-in zoom on some pages). Bloody marvellous, that’s what it is.

It doesn’t seem to like some of the scripts in WordPress, though, but I can install Maemo WordPy to get around that. I think I’ll be returning to the N800 soon as I find more wonderful features.

Overall, then, it’s been a bit of a 50:50 week!

* Of course if someone from the Overlords find this and recognises me that’ll probably make the decision for me anyway

One last cat post

February 21st, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in KK

I was back to work yesterday, so Madam was alone in the house all day.

She was so excited at my coming home (I wish all females felt that way) that she came bounding down the stairs … too fast … missed a step and ended up somersaulting the last few steps.

I’d like to say that I was immediately concerned for her health but I was laughing too hard.

She had her revenge later when she rolled on her back and I assumed that she, like Misty, wanted her tummy tickled.

Ow. In fact, bloody ow! I’ll not make that mistake again.

In the meantime she’s started chewing on cables - something Woman insists she never used to do. I’ll have to coat them all in pepper sauce to teach her not to (but there are already tooth marks in a phone charger cable. Bloody cat!

Anyway, there was another restructure announced at work today but I’m still too annoyed about it to post without going too far. More on this in a day or so, I suspect.

Toodle pip.

Kirsti the Kat

February 18th, 2008 | 6 Comments | Posted in KK
[Click to enlarge]
Kirsti the Kat stands guard over my armies

Isn’t she the absolute spitting image of Misty?

A hard day’s night

February 18th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in KK

I promise this won’t become another bloody cat/baby blog. Honest.

But.

I have never met such an affectionate cat. I’m sure it’ll wear off once she gets settled in, but it’s rather weird to be followed everywhere by a chirruping little madam (who, right on queue has just trotted into the room chirruping her head off, having found me again).

Woman wasn’t kidding about her preference for drinking straight from the tap (and not caring about whether or not she gets soaked in the process). Very amusing.

I’ve known cats who’ll come and lie up against you. I’ve not known a cat who’ll come and stand next to you, then keel over like a felled tree to lie against you. This wasn’t once, it seems to be how she lies down. Again, this is very amusing.

Most amusing of all, though, was after I was checking email last night. My laptop is on a small table and I find it most comfortable to use when sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa (that’ll be resolved once I make space for the furniture that’s currently in storage). Anyway, KK had got onto the sofa and collapsed herself against my back, but I hadn’t realised just how little of her was on the sofa. The result being that when I got up, she just rolled right off the sofa onto the floor. My, how we laughed/chirruped.

Finally, I think the Name That Kat competition has to be cancelled. Given the need for a name beginning with K and her apparent hobby of adjusting how I lie in bed, she just has to be Kirsti Kat (after my chiropractor).

She’s here!

February 17th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in KK

As I type this a certain little madam is headbutting the hell out of the table and my shins, making odd little chirruping noises as she does so.

Not a squeak out of her for the whole of the 5+ hour drive. What an angel.

Pics to follow, followed by a Name That Cat competition (although I have had an idea).

Miaow

February 6th, 2008 | 6 Comments | Posted in Mundane musings

Woman has been in touch.

Her new job will mean her working away for weeks at a time, which isn’t very nice for kitties Ed and KK.

Finding a home for crazy Ed has proved straightforward enough as he’s a lovely (if a little nutty) cat, but KK … well, she’s an evil little madam if the truth must out.

Now who does she know who has experience of sharing their home with a crazy little black and white madam?

Hmmm … this is a tough decision but I think I know which way it’s going to go.

[Not much later] I’ve said “Yes”.