Merde!

Going into the match I wasn't sure who I wanted to win, but coming out I don't think it was the English. (Sorry M!) I don't know why, but perhaps it's just the thought of them winning two in a row after playing so terribly leading up to the tournament, and in the pools. Or maybe it's just jealousy.

We had dinner and watched the game at the home of a couple of Kiwis we met in a restaurant a few weeks ago. They were an easy-going couple who've been in the UK for around six years now. H works selling agricultural supplies and A is a nanny, and they live in a village just north of Bristol. It was a a nice night, and our second weekend out in a row at the invitation of strangers. Rugby has helped to break the ice if nothing else.

The anthill got busy this week as my first run of remunerations went wrong. Fortunately it wasn't the payments, just the reporting of these that was incorrect, but it led to a storm of emails that hasn't yet abated. Worse still, although I knew where the problem lay by Tuesday, I still haven't been allowed to send out the corrected information. This particular remuneration scheme requires 8 different inputs that each have to processed differently, and should spit out about 5 outputs, some of which are only being revealed as recipients complain they haven't received them. It is a recipe for disaster that I have to deal with until December, after which a new automated system is supposed to come on line, and I look for another position. I'm busy trying to document it as I go so that next month it will run more smoothly, and I have been asked to work through an automatic emailing system for it, which should be interesting.

We had an interesting diversion on Friday when we had a 2 hour 'waste disposal' meeting. Nothing to do with the environment though, but rather trying to eliminate processes that waste time/effort/money. We had a look at how sicknesses are dealt with amongst a group of salespersons, and picked the process to bits. Good analytical stuff, and I think I made some useful suggestions. Curiously the exercise took 16 person-hours, so I wonder how much will be saved after taking that into account. The best suggestion, but probably least likely to be taken up, was to scrap the entire scheme. I wish I'd thought of it.

J booked 4 tickets to Barcelona in February - 1p each going out and L8.99 each coming back, plus taxes. (The other two tickets are for C and O who are coming over for a month.) It'll be nice to have a break over the winter. The next question is what to do for Christmas...



Earlier in the week the Kiwi Earthrace boat was in the harbour. I took some snaps on the 'phone so they aren't great quality. The whole enterprise has been dogged with bad luck, including a collision that killed a Guatamalan (?) fisherman, so their aim of breaking a round-the-world record wasn't met.

J went for a huge walk today, so I'm off to pick her up from somewhere miles away. Enjoy the Argentina v SA game. Viva Argentina!