A bed of roses

Yes, I've really just spent 2 hours on IFR instead of 1. Now I'm tired and headachy.

But I've had 3 nights on the trot where I've put my head on the pillow and not moved until the alarm went off. I expect tonight to be the same!

My tooth's been bugging me again tonight. Paracetamol has done the trick, but I really need to get it seen to. Definitely changing my dentist tomorrow!

Met up with my gamer colleague this morning and spent a more time talking about work than games :O They're VERY excited about FFVII Rebirth - and I am, too, just not enough to spend actual money on it. There's still SO much in PS+ - and I have the FFXVI DLC, too.

Had fun with EPC today. They've got to the end of their tether with some other colleagues over-stepping their remit (I mean, they really are). Some of it is thinking the business needs more hand-holding than they actually do - and if the business don't engage, why are we doing the project anyway? and if they don't have time, why aren't we raising that as a risk? - and some of it is sticking an oar in about PMing, which is not their job! 

Of course, there's still the problem of EPC lacking any kind of subtlety :D

We've also discovered that MSP Online is not where MS see the future of project management - they're focussing on MSP4W *sigh* So, we're pivoting back to MSP4W (which is much nicer to use, anyway) and learning how to use Power Apps for reporting on resources (which MSPO does really well).

Daughter has her first scan tomorrow. Can't wait for our first view of grandchild #3 <3

Nano 19 involved not so much writing a novel as planning for a multi-volume epic and in the 50k words that I produced to that end, I think I have something.  Of course, a lot of the characters that appeared didn't have character charts, so that would be a thing to work on.  And the story didn't quite follow the outline I had - but that's the fun of novel writing; finding out how the story REALLY goes.

I also introduced a friend to the fun of writing, which was quite emotional for me.  There's nothing quite like sharing your love of something with another person.

I'm moving to a new desk on Monday.  I moved all my non-tech stuff across last night but the hardware techs move the actual equipment.  I've lost count of how many desks I've had at LJMU.  I could probably work it out, if I had the energy.

One of the knock-on effects of Nano is a real downturn in my energy levels but we can address that during December.  Back to the Chi Qong and meditations!

We have some new furniture arriving a week on Monday, so I need to organise Bulky Bob to pick up the old stuff.

And today is the annual homage to consumerism as the grandson and I go around town with my mother and step-father to spend money.  For most of us, that means vouchers, but the grandson needs clothes, so that will be the real fun.  The UK has embraced Black Friday with a vengeance, so we're hoping to pick up some bargains.  We were supposed to be getting him a bike but it became too much of a Thing, and there were tears and wailing and gnashing of teeth, so clothes it is.  Hopefully that will be less stressful!

My chat buddy was trying to persuade me to look at the Black Friday deals on PS games, but I really don't need any games.  Although I am going to need something for Christmas...  But I have some ideas in that direction.  I definitely need a new journal, and some funky pens would go well with that.  Some nice PJs and slippers, too.  And if there's any cash left, I have a list of potential games that I made ages ago and haven't done anything with.  I'm thinking of looking up some gameplay videos, see if that gives me any idea of what they're like.

There is sooo much stuff coming out about FF7R, even I'm getting excited.  I'm still determined not to buy it, though.  I think the 'whole' version on PS5 is a possibility, but I'm just not enough of a FF7 fan to rush out and get it now.  The fact that they've already started working on Part 2 makes me think they might get the whole thing out on PS4 - although I'm sure they'll have PS5 versions of each part, too.  My current plan is to watch someone do a Let's Play.

I've started watching Let's Plays of God of War (Strange Rebel Gaming, also the voice of Aerith) and The Stanley Parable (Dayglow Buffalo).  Very different games.  I don't think I'd cope with GoW, even on casual, but it is beautiful to look at and the axe looks like fun to use.  The Stanley Parable smashes the 4th wall - whilst surrounding you with walls.

My only real goal gaming wise, though, is to get the Platinum Trophy for FF8R, which is very doable.  And my gamer colleague has offered to lend me Lost Legacy, so that will get me through December.

Well, that's about where life is at the moment.  Tune in next week for another exciting installment...

Where to begin?

Well, with the most recent cause of excitement - the discovery that the Sky Pirate's Den has been introduced to FF12:ZA.  It really was the only complaint I had about the game, so to have it restored to me is a Big Thing.

The second is older - the ongoing bubble of excitement every time I think about the FF8R.  I just want to know the release date!!!  I saw a couple of things this week about the game's rating being released, which suggested its release DATE would follow soon after (FF7R hasn't got a rating yet and we have the date for that) but, so far, nothing.  One of the things I'm excited about is my gamer colleague never finished FF8, so I want to see what he makes of it :D  We're talking about a parallel play with us and with another colleague who did play the whole of the original game (and talked about spending ages defeating that mechanical spider at the beginning when you only have to fight it once and can then run away from it).

Thirdly, I am making decisions about self-publishing.  At the moment, I think I'm going to use Lulu (they sell ON Amazon but they aren't ACTUALLY Amazon...).  I'm going to do an e-book and a POD physical one - and I'm going to do a limited print run on a 'special edition' that includes a bonus short story, which is going to be the one I give away to family and friends, and sell to raise some money for church.  And will be the one I hold in my hand and breathe in and cherish and...  Ahem...

Another exciting development has been my director mentioning a regrade without me saying it first.  I didn't get an interview for the new posts because the panel felt it was too big a step for me - which I suspect means they were going on their knowledge of me rather than my application - or their knowledge of me influenced how they read the application - or something!  Anyway, nothing I can take to HR as a Complaint.  But part of the purpose of the application was to wave a big red flag at people to remind them that I'm Still Here!!! - and it seems to have achieved that.  So, now I need something firmer than a guilt-induced conversation with the director, preferably in writing.

The guilt came from the way I found out I didn't have an interview.  I fully expected the director to come to me and have a conversation and then to get the auto-generated email from HR.  However, due to last week being graduation and he and I not being in the same location very much, I got the email first.  This instructed me to contact one of the panel (not the director), which I duly did - and they emailed back to say they thought the director was going to speak to me.  I then got a very rushed email from the director apologising profusely for the mix up and promising to speak to me in person ASAP - which, of course, they did.

And now that the Lord High Everything is going to be some version of Deputy Lord High Everything (because our new Vice Chancellor was officially announced this week and it wasn't him), he may have some time to actually consider people lower down the food chain who have given a great deal to the University in general and his career in particular.  But I do also have to say that the University has taken a giant leap forward in the last year while he's been leading it.

This year has reinforced all the things Tao says about patience and timing.  So many things that felt like blockages have either disappeared or moved or I've found a way around them.  And there's still nearly half a year to go!