A bed of roses

I'm starting a new weekly evening thing tomorrow, so I switched today to be my in-office day and tomorrow will be my at-home day. I think a good chunk of Liverpool must WFH on Monday's because the roads were sooo quiet!

When I was getting ready this morning my Lush Argan bar decided to throw itself into the toilet... So I had to pop into Lush on the way home. Not that this is a bad thing. I love that shop so much! But if I hadn't been in the office today, it would have been a bit trickier.

There was also a march in support of Palestine on the anniversary of the Hamas bombing. Was that appropriate? I mean, it was Palestinians who committed the bombing and killed over 1000 people - but far more Palestinians have been killed since. And now Israel seems intent on starting an all-out war with Lebanon. Do they expect support from the USA? Will they get it? I read an article from Open Democracy today that talked about how hatreds become entrenched and it becomes almost impossible for one 'side' to understand the pain of the other. I continue to pray for the day we can live together in peace. Which connects to what I was saying yesterday.
 
My calendar for this week started out with zero white space - like every moment of every day was already full! Not all with meetings, I hasten to add - I use my calendar as my 'to do' list. But I was feeling exhausted just looking at it. Then I realised that the person I'd booked a 'catch up' with for this morning hadn't accepted and they didn't respond to my Teams chat, so I decided to just move it out to next week. Then another meeting got moved to tomorrow - not great from tomorrow's POV, but it gave me some breathing space this afternoon. So I pretty much got on top of everything without being worn out.

Next week, on the other hand, looks like a snowfield!

I also discovered that there are people in the world who know nothing about Fight Club. A colleague said they were going to 'Flower Club' tonight and I asked, 'What's the first rule of Flower Club?'. 'I don't know anything about it,' came the reply. *facepalm* Every other person (there were about 5 or 6 altogether) laughed, though. I thought Fight Club was at least large enough in the collective public consciousness that someone would get the reference even without seeing the film. And I reflected with my chat buddy about how I had a little chuckle to myself when I met Durden the Taylor in W3.

I watched Fuzz's penultimate episode of Rebirth. I'll try to get to the finale tomorrow. They've switched stuff around, of course, but it all makes sense. The flashbacks were interesting - filling in some of the blanks without having to 'live' them. I wonder if Sephiroth's solution to the multiverse is more Umbrella Academy or Ultimecia? :D I'm still wary of playing the actual game, though.

Then tonight I sat with the boys to watch the last two episodes of the NZ Traitors. I think they've been the nicest bunch so far and I genuinely didn't mind who won. The final challenge was a bit more unusual, too. Then we watched the latest episode of Only Connect and husband found one of the categories on one of the walls. It's the kind of quiz that has you scratching your head over what turn out to be quite simple clues, or staring in complete bafflement even when the answer is explained - or makes you feel like a genius because you see the answer right away.

That's all for tonight. Aiming for another good sleep.

Continuing with the PMF review with the PMs. I lined up meetings with all of them this morning but one got moved to next week. So, I spent an hour and a half in one room with three different people all with different ideas... and I was quite glad the fourth didn't make it in the end! But it was good to have the conversations because it helped me see where the gaps were in what I'd produced and pushed me to explain the choices I'd made. It's also apparent that our tracking of financial information is all over the place, but that's a battle for another day.

So, whilst I maintain the 'divide and conquer' approach is the right one, some space in between is probably also wise!

LM was the last of the meetings and went skipping off to make all sorts of changes to P4W when we don't have sign off from everyone! This is how we got into difficulties before - treating the thing as done when I hadn't even redrafted the process, let alone got agreement from everyone. One thing we did decide was to delay triggering the creation of a plan in P4W until the project actually starts, which sent LM down a rabbit hole of remembering how to set stuff up in Dynamics. Got there in the end but they were jumping in and out of meetings, then getting me to look at what they'd done whilst I was trying to redraft the process... Tigger is back, everyone!

I ended up working through my dinner, which is never a good thing. However, I got the redraft done and circulated and (I think!) managed to get LM to hold off further changes until after our PM meeting tomorrow. I'm liking the look of the thing more - there's a concise list of tasks at the top and a longer list of deliverables at the bottom and it just looks tidier.

This evening, I couldn't face the thought of gaming so watched the first episode of New Amsterdam because Freema Agyeman is in it. Ironically, playing a doctor :D I loved her as Doctor Martha Jones in Doctor Who and thought it was a real shame she only got one series and a few guest appearances. Of course, she was the-companion-after-Rose, so she had a tough gig. She's also great in Sense8. Anyway, NA had me in tears in the first episode, so that's a good sign.

There's also something new with Kristen Bell coming to Netflix soon - someone else I find very watchable.

And that about does it for today. Looking forward to sleep to recover some brain power :D

I had quite a good morning fixing some of the views in P4W/Dynamics, so instead of showing ALL the fields they just show a subset. This has revealed a load of missing/inaccurate data that I will go back and correct at some point. I also set up meetings with the PMs to talk through things like the PMF and filling in the PSR. I also want to chat through what a project board version of the PSR might look like - I've got time booked with myself to mock something up. While I was doing all that, I listened to 21st Century Breakdown and American Idiot - it's been a while!

During my dinner, I got an episode of the Ender Lilies LP in. It's a beautiful-looking game and the combat is... interesting...? But it's not a game for me to actually play.

I've also added The Plucky Squire, Stray Blade, and A Night in the Woods to my library. I plan to start TPS at the weekend. I'm actually quite excited about it!

Then this afternoon I facilitated a planning session for the transformation project - small room, 9 people with one in particular talking over everyone else, and me trying to make meaningful notes on post-its and create some form of timeline. It was a good meeting in the sense that we got to hear the thoughts of two of the main players in all this (and they heard each other's) but I have no idea if what I captured made any sense!

When I got back to my desk, I was descended upon and asked questions about the portfolio that I couldn't really answer - but I know I'm not making stuff up! But I had lost track of one of the things... And then I got two completely different projects mixed up. My brain is filled with a roiling soup of projects!

I got home exhausted and suggested something quick and easy for tea. Husband wasn't too keen - then cleaned his plate!

Got the chance to just BE after tea, which gave my brain a chance to recover some semblance of sanity. And I've just watched the first episode of Kaos. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't quite that. It's got a feel of the 1996 version of Romeo + Juliet, I suppose. Which is a really good adaptation - I particularly like the way the guns are named after swords. Not that I support the use of guns or swords... but it's a nice touch.

I managed to get to sleep before 10.30pm last night and I really felt the benefit this morning, so here's hoping I can do it again tonight!

This week has just whizzed by!

We're still wrangling the project process but we're definitely making progress.

I finished watching cohhcarnage play DUTM and started watching DUM.

And I've just got shivers watching Rex Sterling play the ending of FFVIII. That game is so important to me. It kept me sane when shit was flying around at work. It introduced me to walkthroughs, which led me to online forums, AIM, fanfiction... And ultimately here! It's no exaggeration to say it saved my life and changed it in ways I cannot even think of.

Part of me wants a remake so damned MUCH - I want Squall to really be the best looking guy in the room and to drink out of his glass rather than pour his drink down his own ear >D But part of me is worried about them trying to make the story make sense, when it's the plot holes you could ride a chocobo through that make it so dear to me. It's a hot mess in places - but Hyne do I love it.

Also did a bit more Nano prep. My current internal debate - do we use taxis? and, if we do, who books them? It would make sense for it to be the Big Bad who is a bit of a control freak. But if it's the Smilers, all the risk is on them. If I do go with the taxi idea, it needs another character - the girl who takes the bookings who sees a pattern in the fares. I like her being an unexpected witness - possibly even dismissed by the police at first...? Yes! If she speaks to THAT officer... OK, taxis it is.

Finally got in an episode of Umbrella Academy, too. They're all so messed up, they're beautiful.

And now to bed.

FICTION WRITER
I struggled to wake up this morning, even with the alarm, but I still managed to do the edit on the 'Hunting' story that I wanted to do. I've tweaked it a bit more this evening and I'm still not sure it works, but I'll see what the Beta readers make of it!

HOMEMAKER
With that done, it was downstairs for breakfast, throwing in a load of washing on the way past. I even got the washing on to the line and almost dry before the rain hit mid-afternoon! And I ran to the shop after tea to pick up some bits and pieces, so I won't be in a panic in the morning.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT (to myself...)
Every Monday morning I run through my calendar for the week picking out the highlights so I'm not taken unawares. And every Friday I review the 'to do' list and see what got done, what didn't, and what got moved. I'm also going to set up my personal 'to do' list for the next couple of days before I go to sleep.

DRAUGHTS-PERSON
I edited the roles and responsibilities doc, and the terms of reference for a committee, prepared a draft agenda for one meeting and tweaked one for another, and drafted the minutes for a third. I've also prepared the liturgy for tomorrow night, complete with a reading about Nazirites (an ancient Jewish community who took specific vows), and some bullets for a brief introduction to monasticism as contained in High Street Monasteries.

TRANSLATOR
My previous LM asked my current LM for a walkthrough of the new PM process but new LM didn't quite get the message. I've checked with previous that I've understood what they're asking for and will attempt to pass that on tomorrow.

PROUD GRANDPARENT
Got all soppy over some pics of grandson #2 getting shy because a woman in Costa looked at him - bless.

CHILLER-OUTER
I rounded the day off with a couple of episodes of Psych. I did consider playing Zau first, but decided I just didn't have the energy.

And tomorrow, we do it all again! I'll be editing a different story, renewing part of husband's prescription, leading a meeting to plan another meeting (love those!), watching Dave continue his adventures with FFVII OG, and leading evening prayer with added monasticism.

Just hope I get a better night's sleep, tonight...

Finally got to have a 'catch up' with a colleague who's been having a rough time. And it was sooo much rougher than I thought. I think they were glad to get it all out, though.

Otherwise, a fairly quiet day. We did get the PMF 'signed off'. In between dodging meetings, I'll spend some time polishing it up and attending to some additional bits and pieces to go with it. I'm not sure how or why, but this week is already rammed and it's only just started. Although there are one or two meetings I'm not sure we need.

I've just watched the first episode of 'Grimm Variations' on Netflix. I don't think I'll watch any more. I'm all for reimagining fairy tales but that was just weird.

And I think grandson #2 has given me a cold. I'm snuffly and have what feels like the start of a sore throat. Given my workload this week, I really do NOT want to be ill!

I'm holding off on finishing FFXVI. If there's no more DLC I'm not sure I'll play again, and I don't want to leave Valisthea. Whenever I save, I go up to the balcony off Clive's chamber and stand him opposite Jill, so they can gaze at each other while I'm not around <3

The moon is very bright but also very small - and keeps hiding behind tattered black clouds.

This morning was definitely a Worzel Gummidge morning! I was switching heads across four board meetings (planning 3 and participating in 1), discussing progress with the P4W stuff AND letting in a couple of blokes to raise husband's couch an extra couple of inches. Oh, and doing some washing.

So, I've done the minutes for the project board that ran today and sent out the papers for the one tomorrow; the two on Thursday are in hand. And husband is finding the higher couch much easier to get on and off. 

I also threw together a couple of quick agendas for two other meetings that are more discussion groups than formal boards.

And I watched a couple of episodes of Fuzzfinger's LP for Rebirth. The relationship between Tifa and Aerith is so sweet <3 And I watched a VERY spoilery podcast by Playstation Access where they talked about some of the intricacies of the plot and story changes. I am nowhere near the end of the game with Fuzz's LP but I'm also very happy to know what happens ahead of reaching that point in the story. Spoilers are in no way a problem.

This evening I switched heads AGAIN for a church meeting to discuss our Parish Profile. There are a few big tweaks to make, which are in the hands of another member of the team. Then I'm going to spend my dinner hour tomorrow doing the final comb through to correct punctuation, grammar, syntax - all the stuff I do really well.

To be fair, most of my days are at least a nod to Worzel :D But I particularly felt it today.

And I'm going to count this entry, my paper journal update and the church meeting as my 'evening prayer' for today, so I can get to sleep at a reasonable time!

Rosa Gummidge signing out :D

I had a WFH day to ease me back in because husband's bath board was being delivered. It's really easy to put on and take off and I'm even thinking of using it myself as a bath rack >D

Amongst the gazillion work-related emails in my inbox were several from EPC, who I actually think I should rename Tigger because I felt bounced by the emails just as much as them! Luckily, they're off this week, so I get a chance to absorb what was done last week. I've also set up a meeting with our BI experts so they can take me through it all and explain it nice and slowly. And I can then pass the info on to the PMs, again in a way that allows space for questions.

I want to make it clear I love Tigger and their enthusiasm, and the fact that they've done so much with all this functionality in such a short space of time. I'd still be poking vaguely at it, knowing it COULD be really useful but not able to make any sense of it. However, I hope my approach to sharing the outcomes of all that work is slightly easier for colleagues to digest.

My 'writing time' this morning was spent editing the Parish Profile. I want to take the garden analogy and run it through the whole document, which will take a level of thought I don't normally have first thing in the morning. But Thursday dinner time is currently free, so I'm thinking headphones on, thinking cap engaged, let's see what we can do in an hour!

No gaming or telly, tonight. I'm sticking to my resolution to be settling down to sleep around 10pm rather than 11pm, or even 10.30pm. Switching the laptop off earlier will also allow more reading time.

Today's readings have nudged me to reconsider the Resurrection. I believe in a cycle of life and death, constant renewal. And I've been part of a resurrection story myself at my church, which we brought back from the brink of closure 17 years ago. But the physical resurrection of Jesus...? That's always left me scratching my head. Although, as our vicar said on Sunday, living with the mystery of it all is sort of the point! I don't say I believe it didn't happen, I just say I don't believe it did. Talk about hedging your bets! Not to mention splitting hairs... But I'm starting to think I need to explore it all a little more thoroughly. And through other people's writing, not just inside my own head.

Husband is much better and we even made it to Broadgreen for his insoles! It takes 15 - 20 minutes and costs £12 each way - and the appointment itself took 10 minutes... But as I reminded husband, there are people living near Broadgreen who must complain about going to the Royal, which is a walk for us.

Unfortunately, my lack of ability in conversation has left him disgruntled tonight. 

But daughter and grandson #2 are planning a visit tomorrow, which will cheer him up. Baby has started the weaning process - broccoli and asparagus have not gone down well, but sweet potato and aubergine have been a success :)

I've enjoyed 2 days in the office, which is a new experience for me! Indeed, I actually looked forward to going. It was also Graduation week, which is always a joy.

This week was busy-busy-busy - it was the week I expected LAST week to be.

The new project is gradually building momentum, not least by changing its title for the third time :D  But it was the customer who renamed it, which I'm happy about.  Really, it doesn't matter what we call it as long as EVERYONE calls it the same thing.  We're experimenting with DevOps for this one, which adds a layer of risk to the whole thing.  Firstly, it's a change in working practice for the devs (who are notorious for never writing anything down); secondly, the platform lead for the team that is going to be most involved may not give the wholehearted support that the others will.  Part of me wants to get everything set up and say to the team - this is how it is, deal.  But I'm a collegiate, work-with-not-against, bring everyone along, kind of person.  Thankfully, it's really the PM's headache - I'm just there for support.  An added complexity is that said PL's partner is due to have a baby any moment and they're taking a month off.  Our general consensus is to wait until they're back because we do want them on board but there's stuff to get on with in the meantime.

There are pockets of use around the department and we have people who've used it in a past life and are real enthusiasts.  I think it LOOKS great but big and complicated.  In the interests of consistency, and as a way of getting people onboard, I think we should push for some proper training, with this particular project as the driver.  So, I suppose we can begin making a business case for that whilst the PL is off, too?  There is definitely a case for bringing the former, current and future users together to have a conversation - so far, I've sort of pin-balled around between individuals, which is one of the reasons I've felt I was getting nowhere.  What I am keen on going forward is that I'm in a support/facilitation role and not driving the bloody thing!

The other main project I'm working on is moving out of workshopping and into development.  And I'm taking over the RAPID log review process (that's a RAID + Principles - we're rather proud of it :D ) as part of my evidence gathering.  The expectation is that I'll do the same for the new project.  Anyway, it's going to result in the usual fun and games of finding a suitable hour in some very busy diaries *facepalm*

Oh, and I spent some time wresting with the Roadmap.  There is stuff in the 'start in the next 6 months' box that has been there for at least a year because it's taken that long to get it into a format we're all happy with - ROFL.  But it feels like we're shuffling to that point - and one of those projects is the new one mentioned above, so it might actually be the first thing to come OFF the Roadmap *feels giddy at the thought*  And then we can move something in the '12 - 36 month' box up!

One move that seems very positive is we're trying to bundle some of the smaller things that come in via the project request form either into something that's already happening or with some of the other small things, to give us a critical mass of stuff.  Again, the first project is an example - 3 pieces of work with a significant overlap of requirements has led to a single project, with the caveat that there's likely to be a pull in at least 2 different directions >D

But it's all good.  I'm busy, and busy means employable.  And it does feel like we're making the CIO happy - or at least happier!

In non-work, I'm up-to-date with 'Around the World' and 'The Tourist', and the new series of 'The Rookie' started this week.  The opening episode was...  I dunno - they had to wrap up the cliffhanger they left at the end of the last series, I suppose, but it felt like a LOT of compromises were made.  Anyway, that's done, now, so I'll see how the rest goes.  Still don't know how they've got 4 series out of a year-long process :D :D

I made some progress with my 70x700 novel, thinking about the central character's potential loss of humanity as a reaction to how everyone else treats them, and what jolts them out of it.  Could be interesting - also could disrupt everything I've done so far, but it's all in plan form, which is easier to redo!

And I'm planning to run 8am online Sunday services during Lent with the Rector.  I actually miss the online services, so I'm looking forward to it.

And that's all for now - bye for now DW!