Planet Sillicon

Work

By blog on Jul. 18, 2010.

Whether you love it or hate it, it’s there waiting for you after a vacation.

I’ve had two weeks vacation, which has been absolutely great. I’ve gone away with my SO, gamed a great deal, blogged a little, relaxed and generally had a very good holiday.

But now I must get back to it. Thankfully my work isn’t too taxing. I work hard at what I do to create the best websites I can, within the guidelines set out by the client, but the toll it takes on me isn’t too bad. Sure I’ve got some RSI going from typing, and my shoulders are ruined from constantly sitting at a computer, but all in all I’m not too bad off.

For the last… well it’s been more than a few months now, I’ve been able to work from home. That’s pretty much the icing on the cake of my working life, really. I much, much prefer working from home. My only issue is that I’m not exactly the neatest person, and scribble many a note to myself whilst I’m working. This leads to piles of notes, and other general mess, too.

I’m not so lazy as to get an office cleaner to clean up my work space, but it’s a close call. Looking at my computer, it could also use a clean. The dust this thing can collect is incredible, especially around the intake fans. You can clean it pretty well with a regular vacuum, but when you notice you’re core-temp is running a few degrees higher all the time, it’s time to break out the can of compressed air, open the case, and clean out all the dust on the inside of the damn thing. The air cans are really good for cleaning out keyboards, too.

I don’t like to do all the time consuming detailed cleaning, or scrubbing, but thankfully my SO does actually enjoy that sort of thing. But she hates to tidy. She doesn’t mind scrubbing down the bathroom, but clearing up the counter and putting everything away irks her. I actually enjoy the tidying aspect, so we’re very well suited in that way.

Greater perks

By blog on May. 9, 2010.

My workplace is considering offering us greater perks. Hmm…

I suppose they’re trying to combat the lingering economic crappiness and the not incredible rates of pay they give us, though to be honest the pay isn’t bad at all and is still competitive in the field.

It’s a small company, with two offices and some of us who work from home. I’m a web designer, and it’s good work that I enjoy and I can do it from home, which is fantastic, and as I said, the pay rate isn’t bad at all. Basically, they’re saying that at the beginning of the new economic year they won’t be able to offer us a pay rise – a small pay rise each year is the general norm for this company, usually just matching inflation rates – because of the world economy woes, but they do want to offer us a greater group health insurance package as well as better pension schemes for those of us with the company long enough.

I have to say, it’s a fair enough offer. I didn’t expect a pay rise this year as we’ve normally had the last few years, as we didn’t get one last year and I figured they’d address it at the beginning of the financial year after this one. It’s been common water cooler talk for the last few weeks – when I go into the office, anyway – that something other than a pay rise was going to be the incentive to work that little bit harder for the company, and honestly I like the two plans they’re offering us.

I’m hoping that, at the onset of the 2011/2012 financial year the company once again offers pay raises to match inflation rates, as that would just be nice and tidy and, well, they can’t really offer another even better health care plan every year. I think by that point the world economy should have bounced back fully, or at least well enough to justify our little company going back to their regular business practices.

This and That

By blog on Sep. 13, 2009.

This is a rather rambling post, I’ve no clear intention on topic, just to sort of catch up with what’s been going on.

It’s been really busy in the past few weeks, my SO has still been suffering with that back pain – and being really strong and soldering on, in spite of what is agony almost every morning for her – so we’ve been getting very little or disjointed sleep. She’s been able to manage about five to six hours most nights, and we’ve taken to napping in the afternoons a lot of the time, too. We know what’s going on, and it’s just a matter of her strengthening her back, at this stage, but apart from that, there’s not much to be done. Hot showers and a back massage seem to help a little, relaxing those muscles. It’s just a pity that she’s better at massages than me.

Work has been hectic, but being able to work from home has been a Godsend with my SO so under the weather. I can make sure that she’s well taken care of, and still get all my work done, no matter what time I’m awake or asleep. I’m really enjoying working from home, and no longer having to commute to work has been fantastic! I’ve gotten an hour or two extra in every day!

All my financial interests have largely been put on hold. I’m still keeping watch on all those investments and offshore financial services, which seem to have some alright rates at the moment, but I think I’ve decided against investing in international real estate. I just don’t want the trouble that could come of it, I mean, invest in Panama real estate, for example… Nah, not for me. I would hardly ever see the place!

Anyway, that’s an odds and ends post there, now hopefully they can be a little better put together!

Working from home a possibility

By blog on Jul. 17, 2009.

And what a possibility!? It has always been one of those things I have dearly wanted, working from home. No more dealing with morons in the morning, no more getting up at six so I have time to take the bus and the tube into work. Oh no, not for me!

My boss approached me with a proposition. I have two options to choose from. I could one, stay working in the office and receive a slight promotion and a slight pay increase, or two, I could take neither of those things, but rather remain at my same level for my same pay, and work from home. Now, I wanted to talk it over with my SO before I made my decision, but I am chomping at the bit to be able to work from home.

My SO thought it a great idea, and loved the notion of having me around a lot more! So I informed my boss that that was my choice and now I just have to get some things set up and then I am working from home. The boss said the business will pay for my secure net connection, but I need to find a 2mb leased line provider in my area. I will have to have business broadband in my home now that all my work will be done from there, but with the array of broadband providers out there at the moment, that shouldn’t be a problem.

I’m really excited by this prospect, it would be an absolute dream for me. I really hate that morning bus and tube ride into work, but if I take my car I feel all eco-guilty. This would take care of all that! It would feel more like weekend all the time, but because I like the actual work I do, it won’t be hard to motivate myself.