What up putas.

Going through a bit of a funk at work of late. They put me on a payroll project that frankly isn't my area of expertise, and they didn't give me any real resource, so, as project manager this apparently means I need to do EVERYTHING. It's challenging trying to blag the job while at the same time delivering it. Usually I know I my stuff, but here it's one big mystery. Oh, I also need to be in Ireland every week until mid Nov, which is a total ball ache.

Anyway apart from that, things are fine. Baby is 11 weeks old and she is the cutest thing ever. I can't reccomend making babies enough. I had no real expectations but it's not as difficult as people make it out to be (for men anyway). I'll see if I can post a pic. Right now, she is just starting to laugh, but she isn't making the sound yet. Her favourite thing is bath time, but her worst thing is being dried, and of course not having access to boob when she's hungry. She's growing very well and apparently very alert with good leg strength. Easily the best part of my day is coming home to her.

Sorry to hear about the job. That can be very frustrating. On the other hand, if it's sink or swim and you swim, you tend to learn a lot of really good info in a really short amount of time, so it can be positive as well. Also, grats on the kid. Glad you're enjoying fatherhood.

Yeah congratz on the kid. Enjoy the fatherhood.

Great to hear things are going well with the family Derf! Congrats again. I'd take your babymaking advice to heart, were it not that I don't have anyone willing (or at least, both willing) to do this with.

Sucks about the job, when you say you have to be in Ireland every week do you mean like a day or two a week? Or how does that work? The flight alone must already be a massive pain though. Flying for relatively short distances is so inefficient...you spend almost more time in the airports (and getting to and fro) than actually travelling. Not cool. Anyway, hope you get a better project soon, one you actually like. I've worked in payroll when I was younger (as a low level drone) and I can say that most people in those departments are dead inside. It's boring as hell.

Late reply to Ox... It’s for 2-4 days each week for 3.5 months. 3 weeks left. Final interview for another job on Thursday. It’s not funny. Jess has struggled alone with baby. I’m done. Checked out. I hope I get this next job.

Good luck. Gets pwnt by your job to the point where you can't live your real life is teh suck. Good luck in getting out from under it.

How did the interview go Derf? Sounds like a horrible work situation with a young child (and lady) at home...hope you can get out of it asap!

Still doing what I've been doing before, working from home and trying to save money. Work is meh, but working from home is a pretty amazing plus. Actually had to go to Barcelona for work 2 weeks ago, 2 days after Cartalonia had declared independence and their president fled to Belgium of all places. I was like "oh lord...better be careful who i show my passport to". Didn't notice much of it all when I was there though...some protests, less tourists, not much else.

Not really any developments other than that. Looks like my situation will likely continue into the next year as it now, but I have been sending out some "you never know" applications across Europe. Wouldn't be opposed to a move, but the job/prospects/money will need to be pretty good to trump my current situaton in terms of ease and finances.

Got the job. Time for a fresh start.

Awesome news!

Grats dude. getting a new job is rarely a bad move.

I'm about to the point I need to look for a new job. working 50-60 hours per week every week and losing out on weekends and vacations is really starting to get old. I've come to the realization that even though i've only been a developer (officially) for a year+, I'm way, way better than that. It may be time to look for a steady 40 hour week making more money than I am now.

Yeah not to make you sound old (even though we all totally are ), but there is a time for working constant overtime and fucking up your weekends for advancement and extra cash, and that time isn't supposed to last forever. I know quite a few people who worked really hard the first half of their career and then decide to take a step back and get into a more regulated job or sector where work pressure isn't as high, and there is a relative guarantee of good (or at ther very least better) work-life balance. So hope you find something good.

I can’t disagree with that.

I’m starting my new job on Monday, and I give zero fucks. Normally, I would be excited, but I have a distinct feeling of wanting to spend energy on a good quality home life, rather than pushing myself to prove something or get a pay rise.

Part of me thinks that’s due to the bad experience I had at my last employer, and another part of me thinks it’s the effect of having a child.

Or just getting old. But I'm not one to judge there.

So I've been working like a crazy person for weeks now, including weekends and almost bi-weekly (as in, once every 2 weeks) work travelling, including a trip to the head office tomorrow that will require me to get up at a lovely 3.30 AM tonight. Well, technically tomorrow. But you know.

This all thanks to some godawful planning from management (and lack of communication) I ended up with 3-4 projects that are normally once-in-a-year levels of change/importance colliding over the same period of 2 months. A new website for our main product, a new sister website, a new main software tool (that still needs to be tweaked like hell) on the production side that needed to be implemented AND new prices that multiplied the different price packages from 4 to 16 basically overnight. I've been working weekends and in hotel rooms during the week more than I've been off lately. Worked through the entire Easter weekend on my own because literally everyone else was off, and the outsourcers that work for us were stuck with a half working tool and zero support from our side, thanks to some genius planning the launch 3 days before the only 4-day weekend of the year.

On top of that, there have been problems with my wages which means I haven't been paid for February or March yet, nor have I been reimbursed for any expenses made on those work trips yet...it's a recurring issue, I'm not worried they won't pay, but it's a pain in my ass. I will raise some hell in the head office tomorrow. For me this is still kind of ok, but imagine if you have kids or an expensive loan to pay off or something. Then you'd be fucked. So yeah, it's really not cool.

Anyway, given all that shit, I've told my boss I will be taking a week off next week, whether they like it or not. Heading back up to Finland to visit my buddy - I can crash on the couch so that saves me some money worries. Looking forward to a week of beer, sauna, bear/reindeer meat, and other crazy nordic shenanigans! I'll try to make some pics of course.

hah.. sounds lovely. The not being paid thing to me is insane... if my job didn't pay me like clockwork, i'd find another job. Don't mess with a man's money, damnit. The rest sucks, but is about par for the course when it comes to big business. As long as you're being paid enough to put up with other people's stupidity, it's all good. Pay though... damn.