Dom Barnes’s Blog

Remember a while ago when I was losing my job? Well that happened, an I was unemployed. And that was fun. I saw a few films, relaxed and just wasted my time. Until one day later when I had a job interview. And then 2 days later, I started again.

My title is now PC Installations Engineer, although my security badge says ICT Technician, but same difference. So I spend my time installing new PC’s, replacing old ones, and transferring data. Oh and I have spent a lot of time fixing printers.

While it may not be the most exciting or detailed job, its a start in the industry, and its experience for me which is the main thing.

The hope is that while I do this, I can study for my Network+ and by the last quarter of the year, I should be qualified and that should help me get a better job.

What have I learnt so far? Well roaming profiles are VERY important to a network, all users should NOT be given admin priviledges, and internet ports should be closed (iPlayer, Torrents) - basically the network at my work is not great by any means. Data transfer involves, pulling out the old drive, copying user folders to a new folder on the new machine, and leaving a text file on the All Users desktop with instructions, involving logging on and off, using the generic IT logon, and copying files across. Its by no means nice. And of course you have HUGE internet cache’s to deal with too.

So in the mean time, I’ll be hauling Dells. And I must say its really tiring.

Today marks the final day of my working life in Financial Services. Today I had a trip to Manchester to demo a database, little knowing that I would probably not see most of my colleagues again. So Tuesday seems to be the last day for that. As of 15th May I’ll be unemployed (well 16th really). Its (hopefull) the end of an era.

I’ve been working in FS for about 5 years now, starting originally at Norwich Union in 2003 and working there until 2006, when I moved up to Birmingham, and then went into FS again just as a temporary job. As often happens I settled and put a new job on the back burner, and then over the past year, I have been slowly working toward my IT qualifications, hoping to move over.

Well that time came upon me quicker than I planned, and I also got a little pay out to go with it. Without mentioning the company name, we have been going through some changes, and found out a few months back our office was going to close. After hearing that it just became an issue of when.

Today on my train journey I was listening to Leo Laporte talk on TWiT about the Yahoo/Microsoft business and in particular, some of the comments about Yahoo sounded all to familiar. Jerry Yang and other Yahoo bods made comments about now that the Microsoft deal deadline passed, they can move on and focus on being  more efficient business. And that is literally what the bosses at my work were saying.

My worry is for the company that they are already too far down that path, and that for years they have been hiding failure behind small successes, and of course that means for the current employees, a tough time, uncertainty and risk of redundancy too.

But I’ve been through it now and have to look foward to a new job. I’m looking at starting off as some sort of technician, doing installation and repairs or hardware and network stuff, hopefully in a full time position, but I’m also looking at contract work so we’ll see how we get on.

Either way, I’ve got some time to myself which I will spend making music, tidying the house and seeing a variety of films, and probably blog a fair bit too!

So ever since the news came out at work about there being redundancies, the office has been really quiet. Consultants and IFA’s alike are staying clear of the office, only coming in when they really have to. And work wise, its been dead. So much so that I have spend a large portion of the last three days sitting around staring at my empty inbox and todo list seeing that there is nothing I can do right that moment.

So what did I do today? Well besides checking my account to see that I had been paid, I read some of Getting Things Done by David Allen. I also looked on Flickr and on some blogs for Moleskine ideas.

I got my first Moleskine at Christmas and haven’t actually done anything with it yet. But today I started on that. I printed out  a handy year planner, as well as setting up some pages. To keep in line with GTD ideas, I’ve got my Next Actions page, Someday/Maybe lists, as well as a Douglas Furs page where I have made some notes about the band. Have a look at the photos below.

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I didn’t really mention this but it was my birthday a few weeks ago. I turned the big old age of 24. Nothing special right? So I decided to treat this birthday as a quiet one. I went to Norwich to see my folks, my sister and my cute nephew, and of course get presents. On the day, I met Katie for lunch, and then went out for dinner in the evening. It was a nice quiet affair. I had some presents and cards to open and look at (and many thanks to everyone for those).
But I got some grief at work. I’d mentioned occasionally at work when the day was, but didn’t say anything on the day because I didn’t wanna make a big deal. And then a week ago, someone asked me if it was that day, to which I said yes, and so people started to make a issue out of the fact that I didn’t say anything!

Why is it such a thing that you don’t wanna do anything about your birthday? Of course, working in an office, its customary to buy food (why am I spending money on my own birthday?) for the office, so some people implied that I was just trying to get out of that. Bollocks.
So all in all, the day swept by quietly. I had some nice stuff (cool socks, vouchers, cows, and a tricky puzzle block game. Thanks Sis), and the main spend was my laptop.
But its all over now. Another 350 odd days till the next. Woo-frigging-hoo(!)

Well its my birthday next week. Grand old age of 24. Not really an anything age. Of course people are asking me about presents. And I don’t know what to say. At this very point in time, I can’t think of anything I want. The only thing I want is an iPhone and thats being paid for by my bonus this month, and its not even out for about 7 weeks.

But nothing comes to mind. No CD’s, DVD’s, things for the house, books, electrical goods, clothes, nothing. And that just leaves me feeling empty strangely. You would thing that the person who wants nothing has everything they could ask for and must be happy. But I’m not. I’m unhappy. Not always. And not in a constant depressive state, but in bouts of unhappiness. I was feeling like this yesterday. I think what is missing? Well a few things. Good friends for starters. I don’t really have anyone who I speak to loads, or hang out with lots. No best friend. Really its just the band who are my friends. And thats depressing to me. I have had a few rough times with friends in the past (accused of racism by my best friend, later, found out that my group of friends all thought i was a scheming manipulative person who cared about no one else, and then abandoned after I went out with my friends ex even though he was a complete b**stard to her and completely warranted being dumped but of course its not how well you know someone or how much you trust them, but the how LONG you know them that matters, and as the most recent friend, I get cut out easily. Well I hope you’re all miserable living at home with your parents still, doing the same thing you used to, not growing up and getting on with life) RANT! Wow.

So then i think “well I have no hobby that can be a present source” and I think what do I have in my life? I have the band, which I love being in, and the rest of my time is spent doing house stuff, or on my laptop.
I wanna expand my horizons. Next month I’m going to the Midlands Mac User Group in Birmingham. Hoping I’ll meet some interesting people who I get on well with and can geek out around. And maybe make a friend.

So really I’m just feeling sad with life. I’m not really enjoying work, can’t leave because its worth my time to stick around till next year, am running low on cash after moving and a holiday (£600 into overdraft!).

And next week its my birthday. And all I want to do is let is blow by.  I’m gonna go out for a meal with Katie and thats it. Not taking the day off cos whats the point. Nothing I want to look forward to. So bring on 24. Show me what you can do!