Radio Ga Ga

Short post today just to prove I'm still around.

The bug I picked up at the beck end of last week has rather laid me low these past few days but hasn't quite incapacitated me totally. Well, not enough to use it as a totally convincing excuse for not updating the blog. However, at this precise moment, I have a lingering headache that's been around all day and a pain in the neck aggravated every time I cough (which is often). The upshot is is that I should be in bed (which I'm not).

The purpose of these lines is therefore to say that while I'm still not doing things right, that my cranial to-do list is not getting done, that my finances aren't getting sorted but that I have least found a purpose that at least gives me psychological boost in the right general direction - Peterborough FM.

On Friday I had the first of four training sessions and I really enjoyed it. It was great opportunity to meet some new people, to play with proper recording equipment and to learn what is really possible if you put your mind to it.

To cut a long story short the training was held in an upstairs room that was doubling as a theatrical group's rehearsal area. The course leader was Italian and my fellow trainees were a heady mix of individuals that proved in an instant that this was a real community project. There was an excitable Polish woman, a self-depreciating man from the Indian sub-continent, a timid lady interested in Country & Western music, a brash ex-army body builder and a bouncer turned child care assistant.

The goal for the course, it transpires, is for us all to host our own radio show by the end of the four sessions and that can be any show we like as long as we don't swear or use the opportunity to do anything un-community like. The idea of having my own show to play my own choice of music and content just felt liberating.

Part of the training involved using some nifty hand held recording equipment for interviews but when we went to test them myself and Miss Country & Western conspired to record neither of our interviews. Pressing the record button twice seemed an instruction beyond us it seems.

All in all I left very excited at the possibilities and who knows, it might open a whole new direction in life if it goes well.

As I've missed a few days I'll skip the progress part of the update and begin that again tomorrow. For now, here's my growing list of things to do...

Tasks not done

• Complete form for unused car tax
• Write explanatory note to Anglian Water regarding incorrect billing for last address
• Complete and send off application form for part-time job
• Set up new bank account

Good Things

• Spoke to dad about the car - the wheels are in motion as it were

Fighting deadlines and Mr Sniffles

So we reach the second day at which point I find myself stood in front of death's door. Yesterday I had a tickly cough come visit during the afternoon which lead to some pretty heroic sneezing by the evening. Ultimately it was bad enough being on the so-called 'good' side of the door of death so quite what it was like beyond the facade I really couldn't say...other than that it being terminal.

I had a fair bit work to do on the company magazine last night which again ran into the early hours. By the time I finished at 3:00am, I was finished too. Frankly I was finished several hours earlier but that gets back to the point of me trying to get my life in balance and the challenge it's turning out to be.

I haven't really got time to write too much today but I'll do the usual summing up.

Progress on Day Two

• Steady progress on the company magazine but still some crucial information missing with key individuals unavailable
• Reviewed the joint press release which was full of holes - told my manager and PR agency so in a mult-point email. Gives me confidence that I can spot what the professionals appear to miss.
• Sent the wife's mother her birthday present but got stung in postage as we'd left it so late to send. I did, however, buy a spare greetings card to keep in the office should I get caught short that way in the future
• Sent voluntary work form through to the community radio station and am booked into the tomorrow's training course - yay!
• Listened to Hollie read her school book - she's doing very well

Tasks not done

• Complete form for unused car tax
• Write explanatory note to Anglian Water regarding incorrect billing for last address

Didn't get to these again and as I'm in an all morning team meeting tomorrow with a half day annual leave scheduled for the afternoon, I'm struggling to see how I'll do it tomorrow either. I don't like putting barriers there but by leaving it in the blog I'm going to end up looking stupid so there it stays - it will encourage me to do something about it before Blogger close the blog for repetitive posting. It's mad really as neither is that big a job.

Bad Things

• Allowed myself to get stressed and sarcastic when the children bickered but I plead a tired and sickly father. I can't promise he won't be around tomorrow but I have my eye on him
• Still not properly planning for the next day - very much in fire fighting mode.

Good Things

• It's pay day tomorrow! Hurrah!!!

A Time to Clear (it up)

So here we are, the third blog post in a day, but by jimminy don't get used to that because this is extraordinarily unlikely to ever happen again. Basically I want to close today's proceedings by updating earlier posts and list the key tasks to get started tomorrow.

To start with I got a reply about the Community Radio Reporter/Assistant Producer position, something I was originally looking at as far back as last February. The good news is that they are running four training courses starting this Friday covering the following:

Session 1
Introduction to Community Radio, ground rules and roles of volunteers / How to produce good quality of sound, use a recorder device and interviewing for radio.

Session 2
Writing for the radio, different features that make a ‘good radio’ / Group work: how to make an intro for a radio programme, a jingle, prepare a draft of running order and use signposting techniques.

Session 3
Desk driving: learn how to use the radio studio, microphones and playout system. Digital editing: edit music and voice pieces to make jingles or trails.

Session 4
The broadcasting code of conduct, what you can say and can’t say on the radio / Group work: produce a 10 minutes radio show and listen back to it; book a slot on the Community Radio schedule, queries, feedback.

That looks really exciting to me - I've always wanted to be involved in something like this and to get training like this when I wasn't expecting it is fab. All I have to do is book myself on the course and turn up on the day.

The other bit of good news is about the Local Event Co-ordinator for the epilepsy charity. I've spoken with one of their Fundraising Managers and have arranged to have a meeting in early October.

The part-time job I called about earlier came to nothing - they had their chance but they blew it. If they can't even be bothered to answer the phone why should give them the benefit of my awesomeness? However, I may have found another that's even better as is it's closer to home and much more sociable hours. Paperwork is winging its way to me as we speak so fingers crossed.

Two voluntary roles and a part-time job might seem too much and it may yet prove so but I'm certain I can make it work purely because of each's likely working pattern. We can but try.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I've deliberately not named names of any of these organisations yet as nothing is signed and seeled. Once they are I feel I can probably smoother you in the detail so have a cloth handy.

Additional Progress on Day One

• At work I did a bit of stroking with two female members of staff, the kind that won't lead to a sexual harrassment court case. Basically I simply reassured them they were doing the right thing on their respective projects and backed them by approaching management to address their concerns
• Went to the bank regarding my new bank account but am still missing certain information. Once I have that I can make an appointment to set the account up officially
• I've found a basic online money management training course which looks to be a nice way into starting a loving relationship with money rather than one that's more akin to domestic violence
• I've reviewed my finances for the coming month and they are quite grim at this exact moment in time. Surprisingly I'm not too worried about that because I see a path opening up how I can be vastly better off by the end of October. Again, more details as when but the elimination of bank charges will be a major factor in this step forward
• I did a two mile walk this evening but that was aided by the need to get some more electric before the meter ran out of emergency power. Still, it's a good bit of exercise so shouldn't be knocked 

Tasks not done

• Complete form for unused car tax
• Write explanatory note to Anglian Water regarding incorrect billing for last address

Simply ran out of time though the former has more to do with the fact that the form is still in the car, it's raining, and I'm not wearing any trousers. I will do both these tomorrow lunchtime.

Tomorrow's Tasks

• Company magazine - design and article writing (starts tonight actually)
• Corporate brochure  - add in photo and confirm that all copy is correct and ready to be sent to print.

That's it. All other jobs can go hang wait until the evening when I'll make a new task list covering both work and personal projects.

Such fun!

A voluntary update

To prove that I mean what I say that I'll do what I need and get it done like, I've contacted three different voluntary organisations expressing an interest in working with them.

The first is a local radio station as a Community Radio Reporter/Assistant Producer who I spoke to briefly a few months back. The second is a Volunteer Press Officer for a creative music and arts based group and the third a Local Event Co-ordinator for an epilepsy charity, a condition I have a mild form of.

I've called about one part-time job so far but there was no reply - I will chase them again later.

In all cases I will give more information as and when appropriate but the upshot is I already feel invigorated as I'm making things happen rather than waiting for them to come to me. Long may this continue.

Getting off my backside

I'm in a mid-life crisis. There! I've said it! Can I go now?

This crisis is largely self-inflicted, and in thinking about it for more years than I care to remember, I've actually done naff all in trying to avoid it. Part of that makes sense because you can't stop the ageing process but in all honesty I should've at least be a bit better prepared for this stage of life than the tired old potato head you see before you now.

In many ways I feel I have more in common with a moody teenager who's wondering where his first lay is coming from. As a 42 year old with three kids I have at least achieved that particular goal thrice over, at least I think I have, the wife might see things differently.

There is a serious point to all this; it seems the longer time goes on the further away I get from those big dreams I had but that might be because I've already missed the 'millionaire by the time I'm 30' goal by quite some distance. No matter, I am optimist, I believe I can make my life better but first I have to get up off my arse and do something about it. And a sizeable arse it is too but don't let that distract you.

With the time now after 3:00am it would be foolhardy to claim that I'm treating my body with any great respect. That obviously has to change but that's just one thing of many I have to address but more of that later. Now I'm going to bash out a few things I have to do tomorrow so I have more than half a chance of remembering what the hell they were in the first place.

Without going into the detail now I need to kick-start my whole way of living and give it meaning and to do that I'm going to do some volunatary work. How little or much this will be rather depends on the feedback I get from the list of organisations I harvested from the voluntary section on the Jobseekers site earlier. On that site I also found a few part-time positions that might make us a little cash too so I'm going to contact them tomorrow as well.

On another financial note I want to change my HSBC bank account and I believe I have all the paperwork I need to get that started. After 23 years it's time for a change but only because I'm continually fleecing their pockets with excessive bank charges. I also have to get a few other financial safety nets in place before pay day on Friday or we'll end up skint again for another month and frankly, I'm getting mighty tired of that state of affairs.

So to tomorrow...

• Choose three best part-time jobs and call to apply for at least one of them
• Visit 'new' bank to open new bank account
• Make 'that call' regarding pre-pay day funds
• Choose three best voluntary positions and call to apply for at least one of them

Other tasks

• Complete form for unused car tax
• Write explanatory note to Anglian Water regarding incorrect billing for last address

I'll explain the 'whys?' and the WTFs of all this in future posts but for now you have a flavour of what I'm looking to do get my life back on track. I hope you'll tune in to follow my progress...

Goodnight all!