Thants!

Hooray!

A new series of Look Around You starts next week!

I dropped the bombshell

I handed my notice in to Harry Potter. He said he was surprised and disappointed that I am going, but pleased that I am staying within JLT.

Then I told Hamsta. She was surprised too.

Then AJH. He was surprised. Although he has been suggesting in both my appraisal and my mid year appraisal that I may wish to consider moving away from pensions.

Then MIC. I was expecting the characteristic sigh-accompanied-with-slowly-putting-head-in-hand. Instead I got a looking-straight-at-me-with-a-long-slow-“Oh dear”. After I told him what I was going to be doing, he seemed quite happy.

In general, the response seems to be:

Me: “I’ve handed in my notice.”
Them: “MEEP!”
Me: “I’m going to work for Risk Solutions.”
Them: “Ah, so you’re staying with JLT! That’s really good! Congratulations!”

I do feel quite sad about leaving MIC. He recruited me over six years ago and he’s like my actuarial grandfather.

I’m Superbrain

I bought myself a video recorder / DVD player on Saturday and I set it up.

You know how children know exactly how these things work? Well, I always thought it was a generational thing and I was a part of that generation that could easily grasp these new fangled machines.

I was wrong. It’s actually a skill I have lost with age.

If I were twelve years old, I could have set it up in five minutes.

I was unable to use it until Sunday afternoon. I even had to read the instruction manual!

And do you know what? I still don’t understand which buttons to press!

Anyway, as well as watching DVDs, I can now listen to them. And I can watch videos. And I can record stuff off TV (as long as I don’t want to watch it at the same time). (I think I need to try pressing a few more buttons, as the instruction manual doesn’t tell me why this is.)

So I spent a happy evening watching Goldfrapp live. And I plugged it into my hi-fi so I could get stereo sound. (I only seem to get this with DVDs and not videos – something else the instructions don’t seem to want to talk about.)

Today’s music in my head: A bizarre concoction of “Love Me or Leave Me” by Nina Simone and “Utopia” by Goldfrapp

New Job

I’ve got a new job!

Still with JLT, but with Risk Solutions!

So I’m going to be a general insurance bod rather than a pensions bod.

A bit scary because it will all be brand new to me.

Today’s music in my head: “Love Me or Leave Me” by Nina Simone

Tea Crisis IV

I would like to thank you all for your support during this trying time. It was a little shaky for a while, but emergency supplies arrived and today we have a full stock of tea bags.

Tea Crisis III

I overheard in the tea kitchen a conversation between two members of staff. Luckily, they were too busy talking for me to arouse any suspicion I had a tea bag. Apparently, the company is awaiting delivery of tea, but this delivery will not take place until tomorrow.

I thought my cover might be blown when Matt walked into the tea kitchen. He is a coffee drinker, though, so may not know about the whole tea situation. Just to be on the safe side, I distracted him from my tea bag by demonstrating my amazing feats of memory. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to make him a drink since February 2003, I can still remember that he doesn’t take milk. I remained calm.

I think I got away with it.

Tea Crisis II

Help has arrived in the form of Jackie Brown. She is my savior. Recently, she stopped drinking the company tea in favour of something that brews. She has her own stash of tea bags of which she has kindly offered me one. I can now go and make myself a nice cup of Assam. I must be careful. If anybody sees I have a tea bag, I may get lynched.

Tea Crisis

Crisis is looming. Tea supplies are very low. In fact, both tea kitchens are out of tea. There is only one tea bag left in our office and it is in my desk drawer. Nobody knows it is there. I cannot tell anyone about it or I will be beaten up as colleagues try to steal it for their tea fixes.

I must use my tea bag wisely. I must judge the correct hour for usage. I have a headache and I’ve not had my morning cup of tea but if I use it now, I will have no tea for later.