SCH: My Memoirs

Today, on the 11th October 2012, it is my last day at SCH. It is actually my last hour as I write this.

I have learned a lot at this company, after leaving Switch, and my knowledge has grown a lot... but, I have decided to leave to start my own business as a contractor.

Although most of my memoirs come in terms of work I have done here, but that is too boring to write, let alone read, but a lot has changed in the time I started (namely 3 houses, two boxing fights, getting engaged, getting married, and getting a house).

The person I have got on with best here is Dave Jr. We work well together, and have a laugh (such as finding Dave's letter on his desk, printing out a new version, and not telling him. Results here.). He also became my new boxing and grappling partner.

I used my time at SCH well. In the time between the builds of the programs, I learned to solve the Rubiks cube in under 2 mins, to cross it off my list. Also, I came up with the idea of RedditDayOf, and spent time (at dinner, of course) growing and moderating it.

Like leaving anywhere, I am sad as it is another chapter over, but it is a very exciting time at the moment.

This is wrote quick because I need to leave to meet my accountant!

Carly and Paul's Wedding

On July 29th my sister, Carly, got married to Paul. Paul is a really nice guy, and not only thought so highly because of the standard set in the past, he is genuinely really nice. So, needless to say, the family was thrilled.

I don't actually have any photos of the wedding, as Paul spent the night at his family's house, so when Savannah saw him for the first time on the day (as she came walking down the aisle as the flower girl), she shouted "dadddyyyy" and tried running over to him. When she wasn't allowed she started crying, overwhelmed with the day, and couldn't be stopped. My mom was going to stand outside with her, but I quickly took her place, to allow her to watch the wedding.

Here are some of the photo's from afterwards.

Then, to entertain myself, I decided to take pictures of the kids looking stupid... (the whole "you have something on your heel" trick).

... while the girls kept guard of the entrance.

On the evening there was a nice disco, with an awesome sweet table.

Me and Brandi danced a lot, and Savannah stayed up very late being my dancing parter.

... but it was all a bit too much for Eloise.

61) Start a business

Last February I left Switch. This was a mixture of needing more money/career progression, and partly to get time off to see Brandi.

Right after Brandi left I started working at SCH (a huge company). In the past year I've learned a lot, and feel like a much, much better programmer, and have a good grasp of business in general.

In June, just after Brandi moved over, I realised I hadn't really made and progress, and was on the verge of stagnating. I can afford the mortgage and food, but not a lot more... I don't want to be an old dad either, but with money I couldn't . I spoke with my superiors, and negotiated a responsibility and pay increase.

Over two months passed, and the pay rise was yet to come. I decided to act quite quickly, and boldly, and set up my own company.

And so... as of the 14th September 2012, my company was incorporated.

I felt like this is a milestone, so I had the celebratory glass of birth whisky.

But, to tell the truth, I have been pretty nervous. When I first listed myself as available for work I got a load of calls, but most were put of when I said I still had to work my notice at SCH. And then came the call from Jon, from Switch, for a months contract. And then came a call for a 3 month contract for Peugeot... and this is a picture I took when I turned up for my first day.

But yeah... as I said, I'm a bit nervous. Today went well, but this is a really important week that will kind of decide how my whole life goes. Needless to say, working for yourself programming is a lot more money than working permanently  but with it comes much less security, and a lot more pressure (though I don't really get stressed).

I want to use the contracting side as a stepping stone into actually working as a proper business. I am hoping to start developing some kind of product/service in future, and then no longer have to stick to long hours that means you see no daylight in the winter.

Hopefully, this time next year all of my financial problems will be sorted, and I will look back on it being a great decision.

Croatia, Sukosan: My Memoirs

On 23rd of September I went to Sukosan, Croatia with my friends. Unlike our previous short breaks, this was different because Ash had been replaced by 3 girls.

- Getting off the plane into 28 degree Celsius heat. A real 'wtf' moment when getting off a Ryanair plane.

- Brandi getting locked in the airport toilets.

- Walking through the really picturesque Sukosan village for the first time. Every house seemed to be growing things like olives, green and red peppers, grapes, tomatoes, and other things.

- Going to a restaurant and ordering two big meat platters between us, but it wasn't quite enough meat. I trusted the guilty-of-war-crimes-looking waiter.

- Having amazing fresh pizzas (fresh because we saw the chef go over to the shop to buy things after we ordered).

- Walking back from the restaurant in the dark. The village seemed so haunted, complete with a young girl on a squeaky swing. Then a small child came running out of it's house towards Charlotte and she sh*t it.

- Playing Ring of Fire, followed by Drinking Munchkin (and a few mins later without the drinking), making me 2 wins out of 2 games with Munchkin. Then charades, and then the TV moustache drinking game.

- Liam having a few too many, "arching like a cat" over the kitchen sink, and then painting the corridor and all 3 of the toilets.

- The cute puppy that came running out, and randomly jumping up each of us, and gently biting my hand.

- Going into Zadar, and walking down a street fully of ice-cream shops, where every single shop was better than the next. I bought a bubblegum one first one, which turned out to be a huge mistake. I was later walking along with a bubblegum in one hand, and Kinder ice-cream in the other. If I had held out longer there were even better ones.

- Seeing Croatian Santa in Zadar.

- Liam texting Ash a picture of every church we saw.

- Being on the roughest bus I've seen, covered in graffiti of dicks.

- Our taxi driver getting pulled over by police (who had guns, crazy people) on the way to Plitvice lakes.

- Driving past really small villages, with half-constructed houses.

- Going through a weird looking town built around a river deep into a canyon. It had loads of appartment blocks that looked like a cross between Malaga and Chernobyl, and had the ruins of a castle in the middle.

- A Chinese person asking Mike for a picture, and when he agreed and assumed he would take their camera off them, they photographed him holding his burger.

- Walking through Plitivce Lakes national park, and seeing the many, many waterfalls and beautiful sights.

- Talking with Liam, Craig, and Mike, and deciding we will start developing things together. Hopefully this will be an important part of our history!

- Charlotte buying yoghurt instead of milk, and Brandi putting it on her cereal.

- Us men being manly and cooking spaghetti bolognese, and making a brutal cocktail using the suspicious house-spirit.

- Getting hammered playing Battleshots, then going out wandering around as a group, finding a scary abandoned building next to the sea, and then skinny dipping.

- Making our way home, wet and cold, and we all thought we had to take the road to the left, but Mike thankfully somehow know exactly where to go.

- Seeing Croatian Mario in Sukosan.

- Sunbathing on the pier, and actually getting a bit of a tan from a Ryanair holiday.

- Playing Munchkin again, and becoming 3/3 wins at it. Muwahaha. "Steady steady... turkey turkey".

- Buying a sandwich in the airport, and it literally being the worst sandwich I have ever eaten. It was only ham too, I don't know how they could go so wrong.