Sunday, March 18, 2007
It's been a while since the last bids finished but little from me on the blogging front.
Normally finishing a bid is a good time when you take a holiday, re-charge the batteries and start to think about what next. For reasons I cannot go into it's been a difficult time with work and the result is a slight change of roles for me. I've got a few weeks to sort things out, but like a phoenix I'm rising from the ashes of a difficult situation. Helen's been great giving me loads of free life/work coaching sessions! Result is I've been very positive throughout this time and slept at night - staying out of headmind (as Helen would put it).
On the positive, my boss was grateful for the effort I put in towards end of the 2 bids we submitted end of February - working through the night for the last 2 weeks and reading 2000 pages one night to check document OK. At the end of my feedback session he shook my hand - meant a lot as I believe a handshake can be worth a thousand words. Once got forced into a fight at school - the other kid wanted to prove he was tougher than me - I won when he was persauded to submit - but at the end of it I shook his hand - totally blew his mind and I hope made him think twice before picking on someone else in the future.
Main lesson for me of the last few months is, when doing people favours to ensure changes to my workload are agreed in writing.
So what now? Next bid already started and will be fairly manic as shorter time to prepare. Cannot wait for June when it all finishes. Aside from bid work I also do some other blue sky work for the Group and that is going really well - next week being crucial as we try and close a deal. I'm buzzing with ideas at the moment so need to stay in a job to ensure I can deliver them!
We hope to escape to Norfolk later this week. Only 3 week stay because of work and I will commute most days to London. However, bid folk have all been told to ensure they have a week off to relax. Hard for Helen and I to jet off to an exotic island for a week so will enjoy Norfolk. I will have a few days off - powerboat training off the Norfolk coast. Going to sit a few exams that will mean I'm qualified to drive a powerboat all over the world. So for Christmas Helen you now know what I would like!
Going to Norfolk will mean I miss great gig this week at Madam Jo Jo's in London when Hey Gravity are in town before tour of France. Lots of TV and radio appearances over coming weeks for band in France. Work prevents me getting too involved at present. Was great to listen on-line Friday to Michael McDermott playing live in Chicago - was being broadcast on radio over there. New album now put back to June because of label discussions. But I have lots of copies of the advance promo.
Few other exciting bits of news to report. We beat Barcelona - just. The last week I've been fighting a heavy cold and cough. Helen and I went to see the fashion model exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery last weekend - reckon they could have called it the Kate Moss show as she seemed to be in every other picture - pretty explicit stuff so not one for the children. It was interesting though to read and see the thinking behind the photographer's mind - and why models agree to do the things they do for photo shoots.
At moment I'm sat watching the 1st half of villa vs Liverpool with annoyed of Birmingham getting angry about penalty appeal. Very scrappy game so late lunch soon at a non football bar (The Phoenix - Camberwell - excellent food,music, selection of beers and ambiance) will not be too big a wrench.
Will try and upload some of Michael's radio gig when I get the chance. In the meantime you can listen to him below talking about Chicago. It was a piece he recorded recently for radio for Chicago Day. Created a lot of interest from listeners calling in to say how much they enjoyed it and how it had made them look at their hometown differently.
Normally finishing a bid is a good time when you take a holiday, re-charge the batteries and start to think about what next. For reasons I cannot go into it's been a difficult time with work and the result is a slight change of roles for me. I've got a few weeks to sort things out, but like a phoenix I'm rising from the ashes of a difficult situation. Helen's been great giving me loads of free life/work coaching sessions! Result is I've been very positive throughout this time and slept at night - staying out of headmind (as Helen would put it).
On the positive, my boss was grateful for the effort I put in towards end of the 2 bids we submitted end of February - working through the night for the last 2 weeks and reading 2000 pages one night to check document OK. At the end of my feedback session he shook my hand - meant a lot as I believe a handshake can be worth a thousand words. Once got forced into a fight at school - the other kid wanted to prove he was tougher than me - I won when he was persauded to submit - but at the end of it I shook his hand - totally blew his mind and I hope made him think twice before picking on someone else in the future.
Main lesson for me of the last few months is, when doing people favours to ensure changes to my workload are agreed in writing.
So what now? Next bid already started and will be fairly manic as shorter time to prepare. Cannot wait for June when it all finishes. Aside from bid work I also do some other blue sky work for the Group and that is going really well - next week being crucial as we try and close a deal. I'm buzzing with ideas at the moment so need to stay in a job to ensure I can deliver them!
We hope to escape to Norfolk later this week. Only 3 week stay because of work and I will commute most days to London. However, bid folk have all been told to ensure they have a week off to relax. Hard for Helen and I to jet off to an exotic island for a week so will enjoy Norfolk. I will have a few days off - powerboat training off the Norfolk coast. Going to sit a few exams that will mean I'm qualified to drive a powerboat all over the world. So for Christmas Helen you now know what I would like!
Going to Norfolk will mean I miss great gig this week at Madam Jo Jo's in London when Hey Gravity are in town before tour of France. Lots of TV and radio appearances over coming weeks for band in France. Work prevents me getting too involved at present. Was great to listen on-line Friday to Michael McDermott playing live in Chicago - was being broadcast on radio over there. New album now put back to June because of label discussions. But I have lots of copies of the advance promo.
Few other exciting bits of news to report. We beat Barcelona - just. The last week I've been fighting a heavy cold and cough. Helen and I went to see the fashion model exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery last weekend - reckon they could have called it the Kate Moss show as she seemed to be in every other picture - pretty explicit stuff so not one for the children. It was interesting though to read and see the thinking behind the photographer's mind - and why models agree to do the things they do for photo shoots.
At moment I'm sat watching the 1st half of villa vs Liverpool with annoyed of Birmingham getting angry about penalty appeal. Very scrappy game so late lunch soon at a non football bar (The Phoenix - Camberwell - excellent food,music, selection of beers and ambiance) will not be too big a wrench.
Will try and upload some of Michael's radio gig when I get the chance. In the meantime you can listen to him below talking about Chicago. It was a piece he recorded recently for radio for Chicago Day. Created a lot of interest from listeners calling in to say how much they enjoyed it and how it had made them look at their hometown differently.
// posted by Dave @ 7:12 PM 
