Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Quadrant
The Environment Agency set me up in the new offices at the Quadarant on Monday which meant one thing, TOYS. I have a computer with the most environmentally friendly monitor money can buy and a telephone which I actually only press one button on. The switchboard is controlled by computer which I think has something to do with health and safety. The building itself, as the name would suggest, is very corporate with brushed steel and lattes everywhere, situated a little outside of Sheffield but less than half an hour by car (shared of course).
Primarily we are here to take calls from farmers grappling with their exemptions forms but we seem to be a one-stop shop from bizarre environmental maladies. This morning I was sucked in to the gripping case of the river that needed to be rerouted to dredge a duck pond, further complications being added by the desire to use the sediment on the land. Better still was the poor old lady who I was valiantly helping track her grandson's summons for fishing without a license. I was on the verge of tears until she accidently let slip that her grandson was 26 and probably capable of fighting his own battles.
As the week has progressed the keen-ness has subsided and today I slipped in to using msn between calls and researching things to make a summer in sheffield more interesting. I didn't ought to get to cocky because I was caught sitting accidently unavailable for calls, which is a sure fire way to get a university holiday (unpaid). I am not sure when the 'I don't get 3 months off' will hit but it will be a long dark day. Yesterday I occupied myself by writing letters to my great aunt and former-hosuemate, you can just about get away with that since in the right light it looks like work. Added novelty value came from using a pen with "I'm made from an old computer printer" stamped on the side.
Yesterday the buzz word was 'I have a surprise for you'. The first surprise was a job possibility that another former-housemate printed out for me. We happened to bump in to each other walking down crookes high st looking an awful lot smarter than this time last year. Depressing. The second surprise was a show at Sheffield's newish venue 'The Plug' where Good Shoes ( a band promoted by a friend of Jen's) were playing. Also in the building were the Babyshambles so I caught a glimpse of them through a fire exit and thats about it. Sounded alright, not ground breaking. Good Shoes were really tight but the bassist was clearly put out by the small crowd. His witty between song jibes would have resonated more if it didn't look like he had to summon all his energy to concoct them.
I'm not living for the weekend yet but I am living for exercise. This evening is football with Rich Grant and some others from church. He takes his football seriously and I think my being asked to play had something to do with an en masse firing of the team-mates that got beat last week.
Primarily we are here to take calls from farmers grappling with their exemptions forms but we seem to be a one-stop shop from bizarre environmental maladies. This morning I was sucked in to the gripping case of the river that needed to be rerouted to dredge a duck pond, further complications being added by the desire to use the sediment on the land. Better still was the poor old lady who I was valiantly helping track her grandson's summons for fishing without a license. I was on the verge of tears until she accidently let slip that her grandson was 26 and probably capable of fighting his own battles.
As the week has progressed the keen-ness has subsided and today I slipped in to using msn between calls and researching things to make a summer in sheffield more interesting. I didn't ought to get to cocky because I was caught sitting accidently unavailable for calls, which is a sure fire way to get a university holiday (unpaid). I am not sure when the 'I don't get 3 months off' will hit but it will be a long dark day. Yesterday I occupied myself by writing letters to my great aunt and former-hosuemate, you can just about get away with that since in the right light it looks like work. Added novelty value came from using a pen with "I'm made from an old computer printer" stamped on the side.
Yesterday the buzz word was 'I have a surprise for you'. The first surprise was a job possibility that another former-housemate printed out for me. We happened to bump in to each other walking down crookes high st looking an awful lot smarter than this time last year. Depressing. The second surprise was a show at Sheffield's newish venue 'The Plug' where Good Shoes ( a band promoted by a friend of Jen's) were playing. Also in the building were the Babyshambles so I caught a glimpse of them through a fire exit and thats about it. Sounded alright, not ground breaking. Good Shoes were really tight but the bassist was clearly put out by the small crowd. His witty between song jibes would have resonated more if it didn't look like he had to summon all his energy to concoct them.
I'm not living for the weekend yet but I am living for exercise. This evening is football with Rich Grant and some others from church. He takes his football seriously and I think my being asked to play had something to do with an en masse firing of the team-mates that got beat last week.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Whatever, next
So what is new?
I am now engaged to Jennifer Costelloe who I have been going out with for just over 15 months. Aside from the obvious questions of when, where and how the main response was, you can't possibly take that surname off her Paul Smith. They're right of course which led to discussions of smith-costelloe vs plain smith of costelloe. At present I am erring toward becoming Paul Costelloe,having got over sleazy business man with gold jaguar reservations.
The pace with which things have moved since I got back to the UK has contributed to a general lack of analysis concerning the travelling experience. Aside from coming through with relationship in tact the biggest success was missing all of daylight savings. There was already 8pm light in April and that is getting better by the day. Crookes put on a pretty special display of pink tree blossom which was heart warming for the romantics amongst us. Equally heart warming was the return to climbing sheffield hills everyday whilst casing the employment agencies and careers library. Fortunately there was a whole week of summer weather, a major aide to getting engaged since you can't get down on one knee if it will get wet and muddy. Dry roads saved one walk since the self-same hills are perfect for my longboard.
My stay in Fleet, Hampshire lasted fully 2 weeks before I loaded up the car my brother has left me whilst serving her majesty in the Arab World. 2 skateboards, 2 surfboards and a few suits on the off chance of a job. I am living with the Greenfields who were friends from church/university and helpfully live opposite most of my housemates fromthe last few years and some very good friends. I had a job within a fortnight, starting last monday. It has been a week in Rotheram before the new Sheffield office opens on monday. It has been like going back to school, the shirts, smart trousers, start times and general lack of enough to do to fill the day. Yesterday we made posters on good phone manner and were rewarded with refresher bars.
The last few months, whilst sleep heavy, clearly weren't of sufficient quality since I put in a few solid 12 hour sessions during the last week of my 11 month hiatus. Jo Wiley aided the transistion neatly by playing Jack Johnson back to back with "working 9 'til 5".
I am now engaged to Jennifer Costelloe who I have been going out with for just over 15 months. Aside from the obvious questions of when, where and how the main response was, you can't possibly take that surname off her Paul Smith. They're right of course which led to discussions of smith-costelloe vs plain smith of costelloe. At present I am erring toward becoming Paul Costelloe,having got over sleazy business man with gold jaguar reservations.
The pace with which things have moved since I got back to the UK has contributed to a general lack of analysis concerning the travelling experience. Aside from coming through with relationship in tact the biggest success was missing all of daylight savings. There was already 8pm light in April and that is getting better by the day. Crookes put on a pretty special display of pink tree blossom which was heart warming for the romantics amongst us. Equally heart warming was the return to climbing sheffield hills everyday whilst casing the employment agencies and careers library. Fortunately there was a whole week of summer weather, a major aide to getting engaged since you can't get down on one knee if it will get wet and muddy. Dry roads saved one walk since the self-same hills are perfect for my longboard.
My stay in Fleet, Hampshire lasted fully 2 weeks before I loaded up the car my brother has left me whilst serving her majesty in the Arab World. 2 skateboards, 2 surfboards and a few suits on the off chance of a job. I am living with the Greenfields who were friends from church/university and helpfully live opposite most of my housemates fromthe last few years and some very good friends. I had a job within a fortnight, starting last monday. It has been a week in Rotheram before the new Sheffield office opens on monday. It has been like going back to school, the shirts, smart trousers, start times and general lack of enough to do to fill the day. Yesterday we made posters on good phone manner and were rewarded with refresher bars.
The last few months, whilst sleep heavy, clearly weren't of sufficient quality since I put in a few solid 12 hour sessions during the last week of my 11 month hiatus. Jo Wiley aided the transistion neatly by playing Jack Johnson back to back with "working 9 'til 5".
This blog was based upon a few simple ideas
1. I liked doing the last one
2. I have a job with ready internet access
3. I could make an appalling pun on the title of my last blog.
I now live in Crookes, Sheffield which falls within the S10 postal code. I have a shiny new job with the Environment Agency in their agricultural waste department, helping farmers register as waste producers. The intention of this blog is not to make cheap jibes about farmers, Rotheram or even post-student life although a plan is not a self-fulfilling prophecy.
1. I liked doing the last one
2. I have a job with ready internet access
3. I could make an appalling pun on the title of my last blog.
I now live in Crookes, Sheffield which falls within the S10 postal code. I have a shiny new job with the Environment Agency in their agricultural waste department, helping farmers register as waste producers. The intention of this blog is not to make cheap jibes about farmers, Rotheram or even post-student life although a plan is not a self-fulfilling prophecy.
