Talisman

Glad you got your skull OB and I do hope you manage to sort something out about another job as well Noll. It must be very difficult for you with the uncertainty but at least you have a few months in which to get things sorted. I am getting really fed up at the moment with my work situation. It would be okay being a Manager if you didn't have to manage people, and sadly it seems like I have been lumbered with a lot of inherited stuff that hasn't been dealt with and is now coming to a head. My staff member had his investigation meeting with the person who has been appointed to lead it all. The meeting was held in the room next to where we have our tea breaks, and you could hear a few raised voices in there, although not what was being said. The investigator wanted to see me today to ask a few questions which was fine, and also our new cleaner as he was a witness to some of what was said. They will write a report in due course and make some recommendations and a decision I guess, which could really go either way. I have a week off at the end of February and feel as if I need it.

That is certainly unusual.

That sounds beautiful and really unusual. I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of that when it arrives. It's not every day that you come across someone else who is interested in them. Sorry to hear about your chicken Athena - hope it wasn't anything that will affect the other ones.

I was very excited when I heard a few days ago that Sigur Ros, my favourite Icelandic rock band were doing a European tour in the autumn, this time at smaller venues. You don't often get the chance to see something like this, so I was straight online the moment they went on sale and managed to get 2 tickets for September 21st. The best seats went within about 20 minutes, so we had to content ourselves with some of the cheaper ones, but that's okay, as in such a small venue you still get a good view. I have booked a half days holiday so we can get up there early and the following day off, so that we can stay up in town and not have to miss the end of the show. There is a Premier Inn nearby so I expect we will stay there.

Coran and I have had a quiet day so far. It was the usual weekly food shop for us this morning, followed by a quick lunch and some leaflet drops we had promised to do for the local Lib Dems. We both have a massage booked in about an hour, so are having a cup of coffee and relaxing for a bit before our friend comes round to do that. Tomorrow we are going to see The Bolshoi Ballet performance of Swan Lake - it's another one of those live feeds from Covent Garden. Swan Lake is always good to watch and of course it's even better when it's the Bolshoi. The ticket prices are so reasonable, especially as we joined the Friends scheme of our local theatre which gives a discount on tickets. To see something like this live in London would cost a fortune. The train fare to get there would be about the same as the ticket price we are paying to see the live feed, so it's a no brainer really.

I know what you mean Virginia, and you are not the first one to point this out. Some of the things he has told me about his childhood in South Africa and what it is like there do make me wonder. I hope you enjoy your nap Virginia. I must admit I feel like I could do with one myself. It's only 7.30pm here but I am bushed already.

I think to be honest it's because the previous Managers were not prepared or able to deal with things properly. The Manager I had when first started here was a lovely man who helped and supported me through a lot of problems I had with another staff member but when it came to dealing with problems caused by his staff he shied away from dealing it. The next one after that didn't last long anyway as there were issues with the standard of his own work. I know that the people there will not see this as reflection on me so I am not worried about that. The truth is that the issues with this man, like the other one who left a few week ago, have been a ticking time bomb for a long time. He has definite issues with women and has I now know confronted at least half a dozen female staff members quite aggressively in some instances, whom he thinks have been talking about him. This though is all in his head as most of these women don't even know who he is. Personally I think he needs psychiatric help. Enough said anyway. It's the weekend and I want to forget about work for a while. On a happier note Coran and I managed to get tickets to see our favourite Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros in September. I am really looking forward to this, as it's a small venue they will be playing at (the old Hammersmith Odeon). We were lucky to get tickets actually as they were sold out for the date we wanted by lunchtime.

The only gadget I can't live without is my kettle - and bottle opener ...

I occasionally read the forum on my phone, but 95 percent of the time I am on my desktop at home. Unfortunately things have esclated at work. Because of his over the top reaction to a very reasonable letter that he was given re what happened, and the way in which he spoke to a members of HR, whom be basically swore at, he has now been suspended pending an investigation. Given this man's history, which as it transpired as his very recent Manager I was not totally aware of, it seems quite likely that he will not be back. That will then be 2 staff members gone in the 2 month period since I took this job. It isn't me honestly! At least the opera I went to see was good and I have a partner I can cuddle up to at night. This management lark is certainly a challenge though - phew!

Egg and chips for us.

We are having a cheese and potato pie - its basically leftover potatoes and parsnips with a bit of red onion covered in cheddar cheese and cooked in the oven for 20 minutes. Very easy and very tasty too.

A lot of companies would do that yes. I have managed to sort it out today though. He says he had an upset stomach and had his phone switched off because he spent most of the morning on the toilet. You cannot accuse people of lying and have to take their word for it - he does have a history of these sort of problems, so it is probably true. He is already on a final warning for other unrelated issues (from before I got this promotion), so if there is another disciplinary it is basically goodnight Vienna. We have then agreed to issue a letter of concern setting out what was said and discussed, and stating that if there is recurrence then it will be disciplinary. This management lark can be stressful at times, but I suppose I signed up for it, knowing it would entail all this stuff. On a happier note I went to see another opera last night - another one of those live feeds from the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. This time it was Il Travotore (translated as The Troubadour) and it was fantastic. It had everything - a blood feud, a love triangle, a civil war and of course fantastic singing. The soprano lead in particular was just brilliant - such emotion and such fantastic acting - opera is acting as well as singing. We are going to see The Bolshoi dance Swan Lake at the weekend, and I am really looking forward to that one too.

Sadly it didn't last for long. One of my team members didn't show up for work today and didn't call to let me know why. I tried to call him all morning but his phone was switched off. I finally got an answer at about 12.30pm when he informed me that he had a bad night and someone at work had upset him yesterday. He has a history of thinking that other people are talking about him and has been disciplined for challenging them on this when they haven't done anything at all. Whatever he imagines someone has said is obviously serious enough to be keeping him awake at night and affecting his work. It is clear to me then that I need to have a long talk with him tomorrow, which I cannot say I am looking forward to.

10 years - that's worth celebrating Gaia. I am really glad that you enjoyed your time together and hope you have many more years to come. I had a very quiet day at work today with not much to report.

We are having pizza tonight with a nice big salad.

I have finished another 2 books in the last week, both very different but also very good. The first was the biography of a man I have long admired - former Business Secretary, Lib Dem politician and one time Deputy Party Leader Vince Cable. For me this was an interesting read, that taught me a lot about him and his background, both personal and professional. The second was a book set in the small West African country The Gambia. This was a tale about a young Gambian woman who has to choose between three different men that she likes. Set in three parts, it explores the way in which her life would have evolved with each of the three different men and the consequences those choices have for her. This was a very interesting read that made me see this small country in a very different light to the one that we tend we hear about - poor African men preying on white middle aged female tourists for money, sex and maybe a way out of their homeland and poverty.

I finished my 2nd country of 2017 last night - Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster for The Gambia.

I had the same thing a few days ago - it seems to be doing the rounds with a lot of people I know. It does pass though after a day or so. I am glad it has for you and hope it doesn't come back. After the last cleaner we had, it was very nice indeed. I spent the day with him today showing him the ropes of the various areas that I clean and we got on really well. He seems to be everything the last cleaner was not, which definitely has to be a good thing. It's just a shame he can't work full time as he has another job in a pub. He has to keep this job as he also lives in the pub, but that's the way it is. We have another guy coming in for an interview on Monday who also wants to work part time, so it is possible that we may be able to arrange a job share and split the hours we have between them, which would be good. I am glad to be finished though for the weekend. I don't have any specific plans beyond the fish and chips that Coran has just gone out to get.

We were going to go out for a pizza, but it's so cold out there, so are staying in and cooking pasta instead.

Our new cleaner started work today for 26 hours a week, which I am delighted about. That will certainly take a load off me and free me up to start a lot more of the management tasks rather than having to rush around getting all the cleaning done. He is going to work with me tomorrow, and our gardener who has been helping us out with cleaning on Monday. I am just so happy to finally have some permanent help that I will be able to rely on.

That doesn't surprise me Noll - I won't be buying any though, as most of them are a waste of money - more packaging than egg. I had the day off from work today as I seem to have picked up some sort of gastroinestinal bug. I spent most of yesterday feeling nauseous, with what I can only describe as a huge knot around the belly button - it felt as if the muscles had gone into spasm - not pleasant at all. I felt just as bad when I woke up this morning, so thought it best not to go in. If I had a desk job then I would maybe have been able to, but when you have an active job like mine (I walk an average of 4 miles a day at work), and have to work outdoors as well, especially in this weather, it didn't seem like a very good idea. I should hopefully be better tomorrow though.

I know she wasn't a celebrity, but I would like to mention the young girl who was murdered in Iceland last weekend - ​Birna Brjánsdóttir - may she rest in peace.

Bad Girls - Donna Summer

It's certainly cold here today - I hope those of you who are feeling unwell are a little better. Coran had an important meeting yesterday re one of the websites she is working on, which left me on my own for most of the day. While the cat was away this mouse then came out to play and bought loads of naughty stuff in Sainsburys that she doesn't need to know I ate for lunch. The evidence has been very well hidden in our wheelie bin. We are both at home today though and might venture out for a walk in a bit.

The staples that I rely on are as follows: Brown rice Red Lentils Onions Marigold Vegetable Stock Lettuce Tomatoes Cucumber Carrots Sweetcorn Potatoes Red Cabbage Green Beans Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Humus Gluten Free Bread/Corn Cakes Rice Bran Oil Pasta (Gluten Free) Pesto Sauce Apples Natural Yoghurt Nuts (all varieties - although walnuts are probably my favourite) Baked Beans Chestnut Mushrooms Soya Cream Kenco Coffee