Hello

[lnr]

So , I didn't get the job at the UIS, but I did get some lovely feedback: keep working on various aspects and do apply again if there's another role in the group that's less explicitly storage focused (since that's not really my strong point, and was what they were looking for this time).

Lovely Vic has also encouraged me to apply for a different sysadmin job at Vivid-Q, and I've chucked them a CV and had a brief chat with their CTO. I'm not sure if they'll want to take it further. I'm not sure I've the guts for jumping from somewhere solid and safe to a start-up. We'll see!

Work itself is keeping me busy with lots of minor plates in the air at once, but we're really getting there on remodelling our email system which is good - though how much of it will eventually be subsumed into an Exchange Online managed mail domain is another question. For the future!

At home I'm playing lots of Minecraft with Matthew and Diablo II with Mike. Actually finished reading a couple of books, and currently reading The Owl Service again for the first time in many years (thanks to Mum for sending me a copy!). Reading lots of with Matthew too, mostly from the How To Train Your Dragon series, and in a somewhat random order, given we've borrowed several from the library. So far we've read books 6,1, 9 and 12, and are re-reading 1 again :) Matthew got a graphic novel for his belated-7th-birthday from one of his friends, and has been reading it avidly!

We've just had to buy him lots of new shoes, as his feet inevitably got bigger. Not bothered with indoor-PE plimsolls this time, since he didn't wear the last pair even once! (They're just wearing their PE kit including outdoor PE trainers all day on PE days, not changing at school). He's enjoying school, won a "golden trumpet" the other week (weekly headteacher's award, one per class), and had a lovely set of comments from his teacher for virtual parents evening. A joy to have in the classroom, working well at the level expected in most areas, and if he pushes himself could easily be exceeding it in reading too. Not that being good at school work is the only aim with school: he's also making friends, having fun, and learning interesting stuff about Stonehenge and about rocks and minerals. All good.

We're still not going out much, though did brave the newly re-opened cafe in Scotsdales at the weekend. They're only really doing sandwiches and pastries, not full cooked meals, but they still took *ages* to make our lunch. Current recommendation: visit only for coffee/cake and not at mealtimes. I did have a lovely lunch out with Vic at Cote in Cambridge too, but mostly otherwise am choosing outdoor cafes for myself still. It will no doubt get a bit cold for that soon.

Fingers crossed we're off on the train on Friday to visit Mike's parents for the weekend. Matthew is a bit sad to miss Halloween at home, but we pointed out we wouldn't really feel safe doing trick-or-treat anyway. Case rates in Cambridge are as bad as they've ever been, though of course hospitalisation rates are not as bad as last time cases were high! I'm hoping to get invited for a booster in the next week or so, as my second dose of AZ was in late April. Presume it will be Pfizer this time.

Still not a very good diabetic, and not always making great choices to eat. Doing my best but it's hard to keep focus with no short-term feedback. Should probably book another HbA1c test soon and find out how it's been going since April. Having not seen the dietician/WW combination be a good one for me I've also signed up for https://app.changinghealth.com/ and am gradually starting to work through the "learning" there, which is so far nothing new. Weight has currently stabilised at around 98kg, down from this time last year, but probably not enough in the eyes of the medical establishment. Still not wanting to do "dieting".

Oh, and we've been balloted for more strike action over pay and pensions. I don't want to be on strike. But equally we can't keep on having pay "rise" after pay rise which is below inflation, and no action on casualisation and gender/race/etc pay gaps and workload. After pension rate changes my take home pay has gone up a whole £18 a month with this year's payrise, and others will have increased by even less.

Anyway, that's all the things I can think of to talk about that are going on with me at the moment. How about you? I'd love to see comments here, or posts of your own. I don't write here much, but I do try and read you all :)

Comments

[lnr]

Our branch is mostly focussing on a) recognition, b) college teaching and casualisation and b) the four fights/pensions campaigns, but actually for me this is a good thing, they've always been quite good about standing up and making sure people don't keep calling it a "lecturers' strike" and making our voices heard too. It probably helps I'm quite loud.

Obviously it shouldn't be up to you to have to join and then do lots of work to get your voice heard too though. Technically you don't have to be a member of the union to join the strike, though it does help. My main concern is people who are members but won't vote, because current union legislation means not-voting actually counts more against a strike than voting "no" does!

But don't feel guilty!