Stuart Herbert

… and I’m really looking forward to starting the new job on Monday.

Most of Thursday went on a nice walk around Pontypridd, taking photos for my next Merthyr Road article, which I’m calling Bridging The Rivers At Pontypridd. I also wrote up blog articles for two older photosets from my travels … Winter In Eden, and Back in Brighton. That brought me almost up to date (but not quite) with my backlog of work. Spent the evening processing the bridge photos, and went to bed unhappy with the results.

Friday was a lazy day, after tidying up the house that is! Two more photography blog articles to clear the backlog: The Towers Of Brains Brewery, and Easter In The Malvern Hills. Took another look at the bridge photos. Decided to keep the HDR versions after all, but to tone down the colours to make them look much closer to LDR (ie normal) images. Figured out how to fool Aperture into backing up photos to a network drive – I need to write that up in a blog posting. Also had fun playing around with the “create a book” tools in Aperture. I like the idea of taking my Merthyr Road articles, and making them into books that can be ordered online, but I think Aperture’s book features are a bit too limited for that. More thought required here, me thinks.

Work up this morning with terrible cramp in my left calf. Haven’t had a cramp attack like that for months! Taught Kristi some basic Chinese massage so that she could fix up my leg. Hobbled down to the station, and bought my monthly season ticket to Bath for Monday. The look on the lady’s face was priceless, and I promised her that when I can finally afford an annual ticket (costing over 3k), I’ll come back and buy it through her, and not down in Cardiff. Watched Never Back Down at Cineworld in Cardiff with Kristi … it’s shallow and predictable, but with plenty of eye candy on offer for both sexes. Watch out for the guy who plays Ryan; I think we’ll see a lot more from him in the future. Enjoyed the first episode of the new Doctor Who series this evening, although I still think that RTD over-uses background music. Here’s hoping he takes a back seat from here; the best episodes of the last season were those he didn’t write.

Kristi made me watch the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie this evening (boo for Sky+ boxes). I’m utterly amazed that they managed to get a TV show off the ground on the back of this outing. I managed to escape after an hour or so, but Kristi carried on as apparently the comedy vampire death at the end makes it all worth while. Go figure.

Haven’t seen the footie yet (yay for Sky+ boxes; I get to spend Sunday morning vegged out watching Match of the Day), but I did read that Newcastle United won again We must be safe from relegation now, and a good end to the season will improve spirits at the club ready for the next campaign.

I think I’m all set for Monday. Part of me isn’t looking forward to the commute, but once I’ve settled into a routine and I’m able to work on the train, I’m sure it’ll just become a normal part of the day. I’m really looking forward to starting the new job. Working on secondment at the Ordnance Survey for the last few months reminded me just how much fun work can be when you’re working for the right sort of people and you’re encouraged to apply yourself to make a real difference. In the last year, after years of a fairly stable life, I’ve lost three people to cancer. Life is transitory, and if you’re just going through the motions every day, what’s the point? That’s not living, it’s surviving. That’s why I left my old job, because I want to get back to making a real difference, and I want to work for someone who demands that I do, rather than being afraid of me and looking to hold me back every opportunity going. I wish everyone at Box UK well, and I hope they all achieve the success that they deserve. But that chapter of my life is over now (well, almost; it’ll be over when basic paperwork like P45’s turn up), and I’m ready to take the next steps forward.