Sloe Gin and the art of Software Development
Posted in Updates on Sunday 14th December 2003 at 9:10pm
A bit of a lazy weekend really. Planned not to do much at all, but ended up out and about on Friday night and ill-advisedly sampled rather too much of a friends (admittedly very good) Sloe Gin.
Felt less then 100% on Saturday as a consequence. Set about downloading Gramps and trying to summarise all of the information on William Kent and his family I have discovered. A trip to the Family Records Centre is the next step, but this time of year isn't the optimum for getting to London - or indeed getting around amid the crowds of festive shoppers once there.
Released a new gnome-pkgview with a couple of tweaks and bug fixes. Seems people who build from source will be bitten by the recent intltool update and its attendant problems. Much help from Fuzzy on #lemmings with testing. This leads to people developing a hairbrained scheme for making it aware of more than just GNOME libs. Its actually a really good idea for other packages to use pkgconfig's .pc files. I remain to be persuaded there is an effective way to get the info for each distribution, but if anyone can find a way, the #lemmings can.
Its been a bloody strange week. Back to work to find news of surprise marriages, some minor but far-reaching errors in allocations to one of my pet schools, and a need to return to earth after a strange weekend and prepare two impossible-to-win appeal cases.
Since the 'phone lines were eerily quiet (considering we'd sent out thousands of letters last Friday) I found myself pondering longer than was healthy over the appeal cases. Fact is, the headteacher wanted these kids in his school. I didn't disappoint - but it's acknowledged that we did a reasonably good job of defending the indefensible, which is sort of reassuring.
Sort of disconcerted to have two separate people ask me the same question regarding my position on the weekends shock news. I don't like it when I'm expected to have an opinion. Wondering what to do with the weekend ahead, and feeling a bit directionless since I'd been looking forward for months to Belle & Sebastian.
Work is frustrating beyond all belief. Trying to print a couple of thousand school place offers and related documentation on one aging laser printer (and one we can occasionally borrow when it's not busy) is sheer hell! Add to this some seriously neurotic behaviour in some quarters and the usual team disintegration, and we have a recipe for confusion, desperation and headaches!
Ordered books to complete all but the last few gaps in the William Kent collection. Its been expensive, considering he is such a neglected author. Should really get back to work on writing about him - firstly in connection with Gissing, and eventually possibly a wider study. All rather pie-in-the-sky, as are all my projects.
Off work tomorrow to offer support and directions for a family hospital visit, and hopefully to relax a little.
"Now that I've got my motives straight, and I am thinking clearly..."
Today was a strange one from the start. British Telecom claiming that my bill was unpaid, but frustratingly closing off every avenue of possible payment prior to disconnecting my service. Finally sorted twelve hours later!
Relatively unproductive morning followed by three appeals, which actually became quite harrowing as the cases unfolded. Managed to get 66% of them dismissed, and the one that was upheld was a truly deserving case - not something I often say.
Lunchtime saw the final voyage of Concorde, with its 'lap of honour' out over the Bristol Channel, turning above us here in Weston, and flying home to Filton for one last time. Large crowds, despite dismal weather. The gleam of white aircraft against a dark grey sky was actually rather impressive. Decidedly unbritish spontaneous applause and cheering. End of an era...but then again, find me a day which isn't nowadays. Progress, and all that...
Had a long and fruitful discussion of the state that I'm in yesterday, with a 'fellow traveller'. Lots of reassuring and happy chat which took me outside my own head for a few precious moments. Coincided nicely with the Belle & Sebastian b-side which gives this entry it's title. Looking forward immensely to seeing them in Bath.
Thoughts turn to how to occupy myself this weekend. As payday looms, perhaps a longer foray? Again, anything to fill some time and cover some mileage...
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
