Thank you to a chap who I think was called Richard. This was way back in 1995/6, when I was at a set of workshops for people looking for work. He saw that there was an internet cafe opening in Guildford, and gave me the impetus to make a speculative application for work. I certainly wouldn’t have applied without him, and the result was me getting the job. An odd job, not the best, but it was paid, fun work, even if the hours were really rubbish. Thank you for getting me in the right direction.
One words that’s confused me (or I’ve been confused by, however you wish to look at it) is the name of a shop “Calzedonia”. I’ve seen adverts for this place on the side of double decker buses on my daily walk through London, and I’ve always been put in mind of a Scottish folded pizza (or pizza pie – you know, calzone).
Words interest me, but sometimes they also… mislead me. Or I allow myself to become misled by them – I’m not sure. Typically I misread things leading to a minor confusion and a wee smile. Alternatively (and more commonly, recently) I end up saying spoonerisms. I caught myself making a slight mistake with one line my character has in “The King and I”:
“Ah, Captain Orton, your ship has docked just in time…”
My two problem words were “ship” and “docked”. Scope for my line to not end up suitable for tender ears, and I’m *not* going to make that mistake on stage. I hope.
Thank you to Mr Hollins. I’m afraid you’re not with us any more, but you gave me a Sunday morning gardening job when I was at 6th form. It was well paid, enjoyable, and I learned a lot. I still enjoy gardening, and I reckon this is down to you. Thank you, I only wish you were still alive so I could get in touch with you.
Thank you to Phil Chandler for interviewing me for and offering me a job at Optichrome, back in 1998. I’d been out of work for a period, living in my mother’s spare room with Elena when I applied for this job. This job really was the springboard into a full IT career for me, I learned about Windows NT and Solaris here, but also started touching on Linux (even though it was nothing at all to do with my job). I also had fun playing with web development, and discovered the fun (and pain) of working with InstallShield, and Windows Installer. Anyway, without this job I’d not be where I am today. Thanks Phil.
My first, greatest and most important thank you is to my family. I’m not going to go into enormous depth, but beyond the normal and obvious, my family have been a massive tower of strength and support when I’ve been down, and made life special and good. Thank you all.
What on earth is the point of starting yet another blog? How many does the internet have, how many does it need? This is here so I can collect and share those wonderful insights I have on life, words, and all sorts of exciting sysadmin things. The last of these might actually be helpful to people, the rest very possibly chaff among the wheat. Or will it be the other way round? Anyway, it’s getting on for 5pm (and so home time) so I’ll let this rest for the weekend and probably end up forgetting all about it. Another moribund blog, lonely in the wastes of the web.