Three Fingered Salute

Got the confirmation that I'm now officiallty at 'Risk of Redundancy' at ITV from Accenture.

one word.

Bastards.

Actually, that's being a little unfair... so to all Bastards out there, let me apologize wholeheartedly.

While all the retained team go off and have sandwiches and coffee (!) with accenture; myself, one of the contractors and our soon to be gone developer went to the pub.

As you can imagine, the conversation was not a pleasant one about the current situation and ranged from deluded death threats to the person who instigated this whole process and sorry for the poor chumps left running the systems. The only conclusion that we have is that in future employment, it doesn’t matter if you are helpful or go the extra mile, because that doesn’t count with either ITV or Accenture. I know the staff they’ve left behind and I think they’re going to have a ‘challenging’ time ahead.

On an evermore depressing note, the neighbour has put forward objections to the extension. This has send LSW into a depression. I’m trying to keep her sprits up by pointing out alternatives but when she gets her head like this, it’s too much effort to get her out of it.

The business has stalled for the moment, as I await all the bureaucracy to catch up. OVI, will not allow me to sign on as a developer until I have a VAT Number. The VAT Number will take a month (!) to process but for that I still waiting on my Business Bank Account. It’s very frustrating. I was under the impression that everything was going to be ready for yesterday but not much luck their.

It’s the Wee Man’s 3rd Birthday this weekend but this weekend we’ve also got Little Miss’ Ballet Show. So we’ve officially moved the Wee Man’s Birthday back a day. The grand parents are really looking forward to Little Miss’s stage time, but she’s got three shows to do. I hope she’s not exhausted by the end of it.

At Least it keeps LSW’s mind off the Extensions and mine of the Job Situation.

Still nothing from the agencies, so I’m going to have go on the offensive. There are four outstanding leads at the moment. Two of which are maybe, one’s a long shot and one is something that would be really interesting. But I haven’t heard a thing, I put it down to the fact that the Easter Holidays were on but now I’m getting worried.

Presently, I’m still getting my knowledge sucked out of my head but I’ve got two things of higher priority. In both cases, I feel like they’re pushing me to get these done before I'm kicked out the door. Feeling more and more isloated and people who I used to like are indifferent at best and I don't want to even consider the worst.

On the personal side of things, LSW and I are exhausted. Mind you LSW and I aren’t getting on too well at the moment. It’s the combined stress of this job and the extension that she wants to put in place. The kids are running us ragged. Even thought they are a lot better behaved. We’ve had to put a star chart up for their sleeping and as soon as the chart goes up, they’ve started to sleep well. Wish I could say the same for me.

Three to four hours sleep a night due to the stress at work. Maybe it would be better if I had something else lined up but hell, how do follow up working on Coronation Street and Emmerdale? I don’t know. It feels like a missed opportunity. I could have tried something more with my writing and get into some of the writer’s sessions.

LSW is more stressed about the neighbours, the one we’re worried about hasn’t given us back the party wall response, another couple of days and we’ll be considered in dispute. I’ve got to fill out this planning application and it’s very confusing. I’ll call up the builders and see if they can help or give a quote on the plans. I’ve still got to do a diagram of the new parking spaces we’re going to need.

The Business is still being set up. The Mac Mini arrived yesterday. I had to buy a new keyboard for it but it seems to work fine. Now I’ve got to get it hooked up to the Net and get the iPhone Development set up.

For the last three years, I’ve been looking after and enhancing this old VB6 system. I’ve done what I can to enhance it and fix it, and to be honest I’ve done a really good job. I’ve implemented a new way for people to work which cuts down on paper and it’s saved thousands in just paper costs by itself.

Now the handover process has started in earnest to the other company and this system I’ve taken ownership of is being taken away from me. I’m finding after three years, it’s hard to let go. I’ve still transferring all my knowledge but that’s to a member of the old team who will be tupied. But when you hear this being related to the off shore people, it really is heart breaking.

I know its only a stupid computer system but I feel like I’m the kid left on the playground after all the others have gone to play a game your not invited to. In three months or so, I won’t even be allowed back into the playground. This system has been such a focus for me that I’m now wondering why I wasted three years of my life doing it;-

1.It was in my comfort zone.
2.The end user’s really appreciated what I did.
3.I enjoyed the subject matter the system handled.

But even then, you can see the users just accept that I’m going, that’s there’s nothing that can be done. I appreciate the sympathy and the thanks but what I’d really want to do is carry on with what I’m doing.

As far as I can see it, I’ve got two or three slim shots at maintaining some kind of contact but that’s all they are just slim. The new job search is not going well and the strain this process is having on LSW and the kids is beginning to tell. I’ve got only one thing that’s keeping me going to be honest and that’s this new business (which is covered in the other blog).

Bottom Line, I’m scared that I’ll end in a worse position in the next year or so.