Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London, Surrey, & North London (The NEXT Chapter).

Week 144 Saturday 18^thMarch 2017 until Friday 24^thMarch 2017.

I’m a big science fiction and science fact fan. Unfortunately due to being thick I was never in the clever kids class the ones where they studied the individual sciences chemistry, biology and physics.  Instead I learned general science a little bit of everything and nothing in particular.

  Spring had sprung in North London. 

As with so many science fiction fans I have an interest in time travel.  I would like to think that in my lifetime scientists will prove it’s possible. Something else I hope happens during my life is man landing on Mars, but that’s for another week.  If a time machine was available the big question is where to go.  Some might choose Woodstock or when Einstein had his eureka moment.  After the week I have had, I would go back and try to find out who came up with the “bright idea” of hot-desking, I would march into the office and slap the idea out of there head.

 A fat old bag, scaring all the wildlife on Hampstead heath. It should be illegal.

Hot-desking is a pain for someone like me a temporary staff member.  I don’t have a regular seat or place to store my belongings.  All last week I sat at one desk during which time I started to lay down roots, feeling comfortable sitting next to the same person.  This Monday I made my way to “my” desk, and discovered another woman ripping out the root system I had laid as she had made herself comfortable.  I almost imagined her settling down like a dog next to a real fire on a plush cushion, turning round three times before laying down.

  They have nice cake in North London.

I then spent the next 10 mins being passed around like a bad smell.  In the end I was directed to the desk that one of my managers normally sits at.  What was worrying straight away were the two screens and a ridiculously small keyboard.  This hot-desking lark is meant to make things easy; technically I should be able to work from any desk in the building, this week proved it’s not as easy as that.  When I switched on the computer the two screens lit up simultaneously which was a shock, I have enough trouble using one on a daily basis so two wasn’t going to make things any easier.  For 20 mins I sat there trying to log in even though I was typing the correct password.  The message I kept reading might as well have told me to pack up and go home for all it’s worth.  Watching the cursor rush around the screen because IT had control is such a trippy experience.  This gave me a chance to sit look out of the window and wish the day away.  Once the geeky man had remotely sorted me out I then discovered that the stupidly small keyboard didn’t act like a normal one I couldn’t cut and paste.  This was a problem as I have to apply my notes about calls onto two different systems.  Over the course of the day this got really tedious resulting in my normally comprehensive notes getting shorter and shorter and more abbreviated.  Hopefully I will be long gone before anyone needs to read them.

  Watching classic Top Gear, drinking wine all prepared to record a podcast.

Yes if I had a time machine I’d go back and knock the hot-desk idea out of the clever dick who dared put up there hand and suggest it as a great new way of working.  I can picture them puffing out there chest with pride, looking forward to a future promotion and the hatred of millions of office workers.

 Trying to make Fridays desk feel homely with a pic of Alison Goldfrapp.

I’m old enough to remember when everyone used to have a seat, a place they called home for 8hrs a day 5 days a week.  In the old days I used to plaster my desk with pictures from favourite films and TV shows oh and the occasional one of family.  These made my day a little more bearable which Isn’t lot to ask.  Things of course change, and change is normally a good thing.  I’m not a Luddite, but I don’t enjoy not knowing where I am going to sit from day to day.

  I have enough trouble using one screen daily.  The sign in the other pic says it all.

Hot-desking is evil, I’m thinking of starting a revolution guaranteeing everyone gets at least a desk and possibly a locker.  If I had a time machine once I had knocked the hot-desking idea into a dusty corner of the boardroom.  I would then travel to London 23 November 1963, find a television settle down and prepare to watch BBC tv.

 Writing this shiz, was it worth it…..

In Other News… 

Overheard the following drama.

Little Girl “Mummy said, dolly can go on the trampoline”.

A few moments later could hear jumping on trampoline, then.

Little Girl (shouting) “Don’t hurt dolly”.

Pause.

Little Girl (crying) “Mummy”. 

 I get bored easily Monday to Friday.

The Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  “Catastrophe”, (S2, ep 2 to 6) (S3, ep 1 to 3).  “Catastrophe Extra (Short)”, (17/12/15).  “Click”, (TX 18/03/17).  “Comic Relief 2017″.  “Comic Relief 2017: W1A Does Red Nose Day 2017”.  “Cradle To Grave”, (S1, ep 6).  “Dust Storms”.  “Gap Year”, (S1, ep 4 & ep 5).  “How’d Do You Get So Rich”, (ep 2 & ep 3).  “Incredible Medicine: Dr Weston’s Casebook”, (S1, ep 5).  “Inside No 9”, (S3, ep 6).  “Let’s Sing & Dance For Comic Relief 2017”, (ep 3).  “Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience”, (S7, ep 2).  “Robot Wars”, (S9, ep 3).  “Simon Amstall: Carnage”, (19/03/17).  “Tea With Mrs C”, (21/03/17).  “The Last Kingdom”, (S2, ep 1).  “The Last Leg”, (S10, ep 8).  “Top Gear”, (S16, ep 3) (S24, ep 3).  “Top Gear: Extra Gear”, (S2, ep 3).  “Travelman 48hrs in….”, (S5, ep 2). 

This week I have mainly been listening to:  “Hardcore Listing With Chris And Stu”, (trailer 14/03/17).  “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Bonus)”, (17/03, 20/03, 21/03, 23/03/17).  “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Highlights)”, (17/03, 20/03, 21/03, 22/03, 23/07/17). “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Live)”, (24/03/17). “Iain Lee vs Radio Podcast”, (ep 11, 31/07/15)(ep 12, 04/08/15). “LBC Podcast: Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (18/03/17). “Nick Abbot Habit”, (ep 2, 24/03/17).  “Scroobius Pip, Distraction Pieces”, (ep 67,pt 1, 11/11/15)(ep 97, 10/05/16)(ep 142, 17/03/17)(ep 143, 22/03/17). “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 33, 18/03/17)(ep 34, 24/03/17). “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 35, 23/03/17). “The Rabbit Hole”, (22/03/17). “These People Podcast”, (ep 16, 18/03/17). “Morrissey”, “Adam Ant”,  “Suede”,  “Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds”,  “Lourde”,  ”The Hair Soundtrack”, “Florence And The Machine“, “Frans Ferdinand”.