Just a quick update to say that I've started my new job and it's really good. It's quite different to what I'm used to, but that's a good thing. It's my third day today, I'm still trying to get access to all the systems I need, get a desk phone, that sort of thing. But I've been given my laptop, mobile phone and swipe card, so I feel like a proper employee now.

We have no Internet access in our new apartment at the moment, except via mobile phone, so thus the lack of updates. Hopefully it should be turned on by the end of next week though, if not sooner.

We got paid yesterday! Well, Sarah earned it all, I didn't. But at least we don't have to limp along like we were, it's nice to see money going into the bank account, a sharp change in trend of...

We went to Ikea today. My God, I’m not sure how to begin to describe the event that going to Ikea was. It’s not a normal shop. You walk in and have to follow the arrows around the 3 hour circuit the right way, the problem of course being the 30% of muppets who go the wrong way around the store and get in your way, tempting you to want to lash out and drive your trolley into them.

I never, ever want to go to Ikea again. It’s quite cheap and once you actually manage to beat your way through the crowds the selection of stuff is quite good. But the pain, oh, the pain.
At least we are now kitted out with some decent cutlery, bowls, plates, bed linen and other bits and pieces that we need.
Arrrgh. The thought of it, the nightmare that it was. You...

The 10km zone around Ealing is turning into a mini Vodafone reunion. Sarah's Grad friends Ricki, Cass and Darius are all here. There's more coming over and another one just left! It's pretty good though, there's people we know to hang out with.
Last night Sarah, Darius, Cass and I all went out for some dinner and drinks, and we all had a really good time. I pushed Sarah some of the way home in a shopping trolley, lots of fun all round!

Today I'm going to have another attempt at visiting the Tea and Coffee museum, one my phone has finished charging and I've finished writing this story. We were going to be moving into our new apartment tonight, but the landlord has had to move that until tomorrow because here's still doing some finishing touches/repair work to it. There's some really rotten wood in one of the windows...

It's so very, very cold here at the moment. It's supposed to be the height of summer and it feels like I'm standing on top of Mt Wellington. The wind and the rain doesn't help of course.
We're meeting our new Landlord again tonight, to give him some documents. Copies of our passports, copies of our "Offer of Employment" letters and some other documents we're filling out.
He's all worried that we don't really have jobs, I'm all worried about identity theft! Well not really, I understand why it's all necessary, but it still makes me a little uneasy handing over all these personal things.

At least we can move in on Friday, assuming the 101 tests our information will be put through passes, because our International bank transfer happened very quickly. We had the funds in our UK bank account on Tuesday, 2 days after I'd faxed NZ requesting...

Hello I am sitting on the tube back to Maggie and Andy's as I write this.
My contract is over and I think it went really well, everyone seems to be quite happy with the work that I did and the network is performing better than it was before I started, so that has to be a good thing. I completed all the tasks I was given to complete in the time I was given, so really I'm quite pleased with myself. It was the sort of work where no one really understands what it is that I did, so there's not really any feedback about the quality of the work I did. The customer's phone still work and that's all they really about.

We had a good weekend, we're very happy with our little apartment that we've finally managed to get. The big stress has been trying to get...

Finally! We have found a place to rent, have a look at it here. It's not huge but it's better than a lot of the other places we've looked at. It's got a great kitchen, a little mezzanine level for people staying to sleep and a dishwasher. Big plus for me!

So my first day of contracting was today. I think it went quite well, though I might write a little more about it in another story that you'll have to login to read. Overall though a productive day.
It was a great little office I was working in (and will be again tomorrow), right next door to the London Eye. For lunch I walked around and watched all the tourists (feeling semi-smug that no longer am I one of these bumbling wide eyed tourists, even though I still am)

It's been a strange techie day. Skype is down...

Hello! Happy Birthday to me etc, thanks everyone for your calls/skypes/emails/comments. Yes, I'm old but no, I don't feel old. I do look it a little though.

We're still flat hunting. I've been today and looked at a couple of places, one was fairly average and one was really quite nice but just too far from the tube. There's still two more to see before the day is out, so plenty of chances yet.

I also went yesterday and looked a few places, Sarah joined me that night to double check one of them. We both quite liked it but it was a double, therefore quite expensive. We don't need a double room place, the hassle of trying to get another couple in to fill it is too great as well.

So it seems like it's going nowhere, but that's not the case. We're just lucky that we've got a...

Here's an advert for a property I went to look at renting today. However, I'm learning. Let's walk through it step-by-step and I'll decode it for you.

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Recently re-decorated
In fact it hasn't been re-decorated recently at all, but they did such a bad job last time round and there's so many bits of flaking paint and odd bits sticking out, it looks like it was done recently and they just haven't cleaned up yet.

one double bedroom second floor
Bed provided looks like at least 3 people have died on it, access to second floor almost impossible to find and not sign posted. Good luck getting to the second floor without someone to help you.

purpose built
on top of a now boarded-up petrol station

maisonette complete with off street parking and located in a premier road close to the Acton Town Centre and Tube Station (Piccadilly &...

Yes! I got the call this afternoon, after a fair bit of worry and concern over the Visa situation, I will sent a job offer in the mail next week. I'm so happy, it's going to be (I hope) a really interesting, exciting job and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into it. I don't start until the 28th of August though, but at least I won't have to sit at home feeling miserable in those day in between.

We're just about to head out to look at a potential place to live, so we might kill two birds with one stone today.

Tim

Still no word on the job front, waiting and hoping.

Yesterday I got on the tube and headed to Cockfosters. It's the other end of the Picadilly line and from Boston Manor it took about an hour to get there. The main reason I wanted to visit is because I think the name Cockfosters is quite hilarious, though not too many other people seem to share this childish mirth.

Cockfosters, apart from it's sad name, is quite a nice place really. I walked around for a while, ate some lunch in a small bakery where the guy behind the counter was so old he wasn't really sure what was going on. He made a good chicken pie though, my first proper pie in about 4 months.

I looked up on Google Maps (I have it on my phone, handy) to see if there was a park anywhere around and indeed...