Since last Friday I have been off work ill.
I was feeling a bit rough all last week. Last Friday I felt really rough, as if I had a virus and also my nose swelled up across the bridge and was very sore.
I just couldn't face driving to work, so I took a days holiday - hoping I would be ok by Monday.

Come Monday morning I was still feeling rough. I went to the doctors.
It was diagnosed as cellulitus in my nose. To be treated by a broad spectrum antibiotic. The virus was totally separate.
I think the cellulitus was opportunistic. i.e. Whilst I was run down by the virus.
The two things compounded each other and I didn't feel better until Wednesday, when the swelling started to subside.

However on Thursday morning I started with the shits !! This virus was passing through me like a dose of salts....Literally.

Hopefully by next Monday I will be back at work.

I am failure.

Today I got the dreaded email.
Thanks for showing interest in the job as team coach but you have not been successful this time.
What do they mean - this time. This is the one and only time they have actually offered me a chance at promotion in the last twenty years !
Bastards.

Today was a really wank day. It started well, it moved along nicely, but before the end of the day it was a fucking disaster.
unfortunately the reason why the day turned so sour is very personal and cannot be revealed, except to say I am a let down to myself and my partner at the same time.
Why do I take life too seriously, and manage to make a cock up of things that should be a pleasure. I think my subconscious hates me !

Phew !!!

Well that's the interview over with.
I now feel like I have a head cold.
my face is aching my nose is sore and I feel totally drained as if all the energy has been sucked out of me.

I feel like I could just sleep for a week.

................................................................

Since Christmas I have been getting into FPS games in a big way. I started off with Quake 3 and I have now moved onto Unreal Tournament 2003. I was playing Quake on line and mostly getting thrashed because I am far too slow.
I now spend more time on UT300 playing the 'Bots' for practise...they are much cleverer than the quake Bots and even on the 'experienced' setting they are thrashing me.
I find playing these FPS games a great stress reliever, its the sort of game that requires all your attention, it gets the adrenaline going and takes over your thoughts as you play. It is totally enveloping.

All I need now is practice and more practice.

I quite fancy Half life 2, but I don't think my PC is up to the spec required by the game.

I have recently bought a new graphics card. That was fun getting it to work properly. I couldn't remove the old drivers from the old card and now on occasion the pc crashes when using a program with heavy graphics. It took 2 shots to load the drivers for the new AGP card, but now it appears reasonably good.

Tomorrow is the big day. Interview tomorrow.
In the words of Douglas Adams.
Don't panic
Don't panic
Don't panic
Don't panic
Don't panic
Don't panic

Interview approaching

I have received the date and time for my interview. Thursday 17 Feb at 10.45.
One of the managers on another team is helping me prepare.
He will be checking my examples of competences and we are planning to run through a mock interview on Monday.
I emailed the manager who is to be conducting the interview and asked him what will be expected of me. I received a nice email back with a guide as to what subjects will be covered. Very handy.

For me, the main thing is not to panic. I get myself so wound up that I just turn into a quivering blob !!!!!!!!!

Must not panic - Must not panic.
Must stay calm - Must stay calm

I always feel as though I have not done enough preparation.

Pass the mogadon !!!