Wednesday, March 25, 2009

New job and other stuff

I've been in the new (ITS) job for 3 days now, and I feel sure it's been a great move for me! The people here are great, and they really look after you. Being the 'information technology' centre of the uni, I guess it's not surprising that I was asked what sort of new computer I wanted, and was a 22" 2nd monitor big enough for my 2nd screen! (My last 2nd screen was about 15"!) And - give us a list of all the software you'd like us to get for you ... for someone like me it's almost like I died and went to heaven :) But they're also asking if there's anything else I'd like. [ed: I'm getting a brand-new iMac, with lots of Adobe software - yess!!]

My immediate supervisor is a coffee fantatic - brought in her own very expensive espresso machine and buys really good coffee beans. She won't let anyone else use the coffee-maker, but makes coffee for us all during the day!

The travel is a lot more than I was doing, but it's doable. Most days I'll be getting an inter-campus bus that goes between the campus I was working on and the main one in Brisbane. Once or twice a week I'll drive in. Takes about an hour. The problem with driving in isn't so much the drive, it's the finding somewhere to park when you get here! If you arrive later than 8.30am you're pretty much 'stuffed' (to use the vernacular!)

Anyway - I drove in today as it's choir practice tonight, so no point in catching the bus home and then turning around and driving back in almost immediately. And I'm going to go to yoga this evening - there's a 5.15pm class at my yoga school. So that's great ...

Finally - this is a really interesting blog/article on the future of newspapers - well worth reading if you're interested/concerned in this issue.
http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking-the-unthinkable/

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Pussycat, yoga and job!

Jedda crashes out
Latest Jedda photo - crashed out!

I've been feeling pretty good all week (marvellous what antibiotics can do!!) and went to class yesterday full of enthusiasm. It was one of those days when the teacher decides to lead people through the sun salutes and the next couple of poses - up to trikonasana. That always shows me where I'm taking extra breaths! That would be in surya namaskar B! Don't know when I'll ever be able to stop doing that, but it's good to be reminded!

Practice was really nice - I felt so positive about it all. I ended up being stopped as I was going into Karnapidasana (I had to look up the name in my David Swenson book - it's one of the shoulderstand variations!) Anyway, the teacher told me I was pushing myself too much and needed to build up strength before I carried on further! Oh well, such is life! Last weekend I stopped a lot earlier - at navasana (boat pose) but I think that was mostly that I was feeling a bit off, possibly because I'd had a flu injection the previous day. So it was a real thrill to have a practice that, if not back to where I was 18 months ago (was it only 18 months ago that all that health stuff happened?!) at least felt quite strong and positive!

On Friday I went for an interview for one of the jobs 'on offer' in a couple of weeks. It was good, although there wasn't as much web development in it as I had hoped. But they said there was quite a lot I would be able to do, just not in the position description. And if I go and work there I can have a Mac (they'll get me a new one!) and it's a big group within the University so other opportunities may well come up. I've got an interview for the other job on Tuesday, and I'll decide after that ... :)

 

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