Day 7.067: New England and England (new)

I haven't spent much time tweaking my PC at work. My personal touches did not go far beyond choosing a wallpaper image from the options provided by Windows - this rather Maine-ish lighthouse.

My Dad sent the image on the right - taken today on my parents' walking holiday in the Lake District. It made me a little homesick for a moment for that kind of landscape.

Not that the landscape round here is bad at all - as I remembered when I looked back at the other screen!

Day 7.060: Pretty good

I had a pretty good run this morning, a pretty good day at work, a pretty good dinner, a pretty good time watching multiple episodes of Between Two Ferns but now I'm missing these guys:

and that's that.

Day 7.048: House, work

Spent the day dashing from one thing to another at work today. At lunchtime, I saw a house and Skyped Exile #2 so she could see around if too. After work I had dinner with some colleagues while the rest of the family were at the annual lip-sync performance where Exile #4 and E5N1 were on stage with their friends.  Tomorrow, instead of two homes, the five of us will be spread over three - but more of that then. 

Day 7.040: Our daily snowstorm

Yesterday it was an amazingly quick 8 inches of fluffy snow between 3pm and 11pm, today it was a quick couple of inches of wet sticky snow - also around the evening commute. Still, it did make everything look pretty again!

Day 6.308: It doesn't suck...

...when you can get this view on your lunch break:

Day 6.298: High flyer

I had a pretty good first day at work.  I have an office - an actual office with a door!

It's a bit bleak, but I put a few books on the shelf and fulfilled the commitment I made when I left my old job on Friday to display this:

It's an trophy made of a Concorde (apologies for the overexposure) mounted on a mask-plate holder. It was first awarded in 2000 and so, following Concorde's demise, it's a historical item in more ways than one!

Day 6.297: Arrived...

... in Maine and started to get moved into my temporary accommodation.  New job starts tomorrow!

Day 6.295: In the last 13 years...

It was my last day after 13 years working for the same company today.

13 years ago:

• There was no Blogger or WordPress.
• I wasn't a parent.
• Home dial-up internet access was a luxury item.
• I had never used Google to search for something (remember AltaVista?)
• Mark Zuckerberg hadn't even gone to college never mind started Facebook.
• I had never had a mobile phone.
• It wasn't too embarrassing to describe the features introduced in ISO 14882:1998 as "new C++" (I was still hearing this less than 5 years ago though!)
• I'd never worn a cleanroom suit.

It's been a long journey, we've been through a lot together, but it has come to an end.

Day 6.282: Pump Station and Olde English

Some revisionist history...

This evening some past- and soon-to-be past-colleagues came out to congratulate me on my new job.  I still have two weeks to go - but that will fly by.

The Pump Station was very busy because (although it had passed me by) it was Restaurant Week.  We enjoyed the special set menu a lot.  I had some excellent corn & crab fritters, a NY strip with goat cheese and a piece of caramel apple pie.

It is perhaps surprising that our second stop was the first time that I made to the English pub in Albany.  It was strange to be in a British-style pub but tipping the bar tender.  We enjoyed the beer (although most English pubs do not serve beer in pint jugs these days!) and the British music selection in the jukebox.

A good (and late) night was had by me - and I hope everyone else too!

Due to popular demand: here's the original entry - written at 2:30 am or something that night...

It is perhaps surprising that this is the first time that I made to the English pub in Albany. It was for my farewell from the job that I still have two weeks to work at.

The beer selection and the decor are pretty much English pub - but I had to remember to tip the bar tender!  Their shot of choice - the pickleback - was a new experience too. 

Jameson whisky with a pickle-juice chaser - surprisingly palletable!

Day 6.280: Exiled ME?

A while ago I learned that the job that had brought us to this area from the UK 6 years and - quick check of the post title - 280 days ago was coming to an end. After casting a job-seeking net - at times close to home and at times as distant as California - I have now accepted a new job offer. The trip to the service area selling lobsters was a clue.

The job is in southern Maine, near Portland and not far from where I took one of my all-time favourite photographs while we were visiting with my parents in July 2012:

Most people when they've heard the news have made favourable comments about how beautiful Maine is, some about what a cool little city Portland is. A few have talked about Maine as if it is the frozen tundra - and they may have some of that in the state, but the Portland area has very similar climate to Albany - similar amounts of snow, similar high and low temperatures, so I don't think it will be too much of a shock.

Leaving our friends, neighbours, the area, the schools and this house will be hard but we will cross those bridges when they come.  The agonising over the decision is behind us, and ahead - a whole lot of work!

Day 6.267: Um...nothing to see here

These photos went up at work today.

They were taken nearly exactly two years apart - one in 2011 and the other this week.

Most shockingly to me - I had already lost more than 10 pounds and started running in the first shot.

Day 6.215: In case you're wondering...

...this is what is going on at the moment:

1. I'm working.
2. I'm doing quite a lot of running (40-60 miles per week).
3. Exile #3 is going to camp (half days) at the wonderful Helderberg Workshop.
4. Exile #2 is coping with the kids and getting stuff ready for a trip.
5. I'm applying for jobs.
6. We're going camping for an extended weekend.
7. I'm posting three-week-old pictures of the kids with balloon creations.

and that is all.

Day 6.195: Catching up

We've been back in the country (and I've been back at work) for more than a week.

I've just started looking back at the now-downloaded-to-my-blogging-PC photos from the UK trip. I have a day hike and a wedding to do justice to, but for now - here's this:

What a poser!

Day 6.189: Jet lagging

My reaction to getting home was to get up early to run and then get to work and then to do it all again today.  E5N1's was to demand a party! Here is some of the evidence that he got his wish - a mirror-ball and streamers!

Today the weather made it into the 90's with high humidity pushing the heat index to nearly 100.  Tomorrow is due to be hotter and even more humid so Exile #2 will probably be stuck inside again with the kids for most of the day.

As usual, I have the easy part of the deal and Exile #2 rises to the harder challenge with flair!

Day 6.125: I need a doctor...

I'm not sick. Very healthy in fact - running is going well. Work...well let's just say not so much.

Not quite bad enough to need to be rescued by this young/old man (currently living on my desk) though!

Not so far anyway!

Day 6.118: What's wrong with these pictures?

Two mysteries from work today.

1. How did my keyboard come to look like this?  Yes - that is really just an unedited photo of it. It's surprising that I'd never noticed until today - having been using it for many months.
   

2. What is the possible use for a "Men/Women w/ "Rest Room" Sliding Panel sign?  It's pretty clear that you can slide the "Rest Room" piece so that it either reads "Men - Rest Room" or "Rest Room - Women".  I'll clarify for my non-US readers that Rest Room is a euphemism for Toilet (which is in itself effectively a euphemism, but let's leave it there).
   
   I am at a loss to think of a way in which this could ever be useful or a good idea.  Maybe one of you can (but you'll need to persuade me)?
   

Please let me know if you can make any sense of them!

Day 6.110: January to April running update

It's been an uneven start to the year running-wise for me.

January was fine in context, I ran 43 miles (averaging about 10 miles per week). Not what I was aiming for, but winter is difficult and I spent some time traveling.

During February, Exile #2 and I did a musical project that kept me up late at night and really affected my running - I only managed 24 miles including a two week gap.

March was another traveling month, but I started to get back on the right path, hitting 49 miles.

April has been better again - 70 miles - even with another international business trip.

And now... I'm ramping-up the miles again ready to start the easiest of the very intense training programs in here:

Last week was a 25 mile week, the plan is to ramp up to 30 or 35 miles before the 18 week training program starts in June.  All being well I will be in good shape to run the Mohawk Hudson Marathon again this year in October.

Day 6.101: Exile #4 and the bookmark

Exile #4 won a competition to design a bookmark on the theme of "Dive into Reading" for the local library. The reward is that her bookmark will be printed and given out at some events later in the year. I don't think she signed over exclusive rights, so I should be OK to reproduce it!

Meanwhile, I am airport-bound again.  My Korean project is generating a third international business trip for me for this year.  I'll see you on the other side!

Day 6.074: In a different season-zone

I answered my first work email at around ten to five this morning and my last one at five to eleven tonight. Jet-lag has its advantages for my employer - and for the same recipient of both of those emails - albeit on two different days for him!

Meanwhile I'm coming to terms with having had this side of Spring:

snatched from me after being very much in evidence in southern South Korea last week!

Day 6.058: To a long way away...and beyond!

Here's a picture of a bit of my own artwork. Shameless self-publicity but also a valid accompaniment to the news that I'm off on my travels again.

As ever, I'll try to keep up to date, but your posting times may be affected by timezones and travel delays!