Business Traveller

This is the last of the California diaries, as I have now arrived back in the UK.

Verdict on California:-

GROOVY Baby! I loved California. It’s a place that I could seriously think about living forever.

What will I miss most:-

There’s so much to miss. The weather, the prozak people. The fact that you can buy premium brand goods for next to nothing. The lifestyle is probably the thing I’ll miss the most.

What will I miss the least:-

The office I was working in was rubbish. I’m glad to be back in an environment where I am respected, trusted and valued.

Would I go back:-

Every chance I get!

It’s certainly been a year for records in the Bay Area. When I arrived in March, it was the wettest March ever (some have suggested that the surf gods were trying to drown me). This weekend the mercury in my thermometer reached 114F (45.5C), which was a temporary Bay Area record. A little alter in the afternoon a place about 6 Miles away hit 115F (46C). The puppies spent most of the weekend swimming laps in the pool, and the aircon has been working overtime. There are some rumblings that the surf gods are now trying to scorch me to death…

Anyway, the date for my return to the land of the rising damp has been set for the 20th of August. Hopefully the company will let me know sometime before then whether I still have a job in England, or not… Until then, it’s fun and sun in California – big time!

So many things have been going on, I don’t even know where to start.

First – let me say that the hot-tub has been severely overused over the last week or 2. Also, champagne, girls and a hot tub are a few of my favourite things – especially when combined.

The puppies have managed to go for 2 whole weeks without needing a visit to the vet, for which I am grateful.

The Suzuki XL-7 that those nice people at Avis gave me is a peice of shit. They’ve promised me a change next week though.

On the work front – my relocation back to England has been confirmed as being no later than 9 August, which is a bugger. HR finally stopped ignoring me this morning, and let me know that, when I get back to England, they will rent me a place for the first 3 months, as well as giving me a car for 3 months. They can’t tell me for certain whether I’ll have a job yet, or what that job will be – another bugger. There are some rumours though, and if the rumours are true, then it’ll be a very interesting job.

There are some offers coming in from US based companies though, and that’s a very good thing too…

Well, I'm back from my holiday, and ready to face whatever the company may throw at me.

The holiday was fantastic. The Giant Redwoods really are Giants, Highway 1 is the most incredible drive, and the Annual Harley Davidson Redwood Run showed me more Harleys in on place than I ever thought was possible. I'll post some photos soon.

On the work front, I still have no day job, but may have to return to England on 9 August (still trying to get details, but HR is currently ignoring me). Apparently there may be a role for me in Newbury, but there is nothing certain yet. If there isn't, I think I'd prefer to take my redundancy here, and join a Californian Company – it's nice here…

Today I have to do the absolute worst part of my job.

With the exception of 3 people, who are being re-assigned, I have to lay my team off. I've been on the other side of the table before, and I know how difficult it is not to take it personally. Bummer.

I remember seeing a bumper sticker once that read "Africa isn't for sissies". I think I'll get one made that says "Senior Management in Multi-Nationals isn't for sissies".

On Tuesday morning, we delivered our product, on time, and under budget, into the QA environment, ready to be certified. On Tuesday afternoon, I got called into a meeting telling me that the plug had been pulled on the project, and I was to down tools, and not spend any more money on it…

Great.

You should have seen the looks on the little faces of my team when I told them that, I know they had been working all weekend, and haden't taken the memorial day holiday. I knew about all the late nights, and then stress, but that we were throwing it away now that it was finished, and nobody would ever use it. I think 2 of them started crying, although they tried to hide it…

On a more personal level – the job that I was brought to California to do, no longer exists. This leaves me in an interesting predicament. Apparently I just need to wait for them to figure out what to do with me. In the interim, I think I'll take 2 weeks, and go surfing!

I initially bought a heart-rate monitor so that I's know when a heart attack was immenent when I was cycling to work. Surprisingly, I haven't had a heart-attack yet – which is a good thing…

Now I need to start understanding what it all means. According to the monitor, since I started cycling to work, my resting heart rate has dropped from 97 to 62 this morning. I suspect this is a good thing, but I'll do some more research to be sure…

The vet loves me. She told me so yesterday.

Chaka, the little black Lab managed to hoover a foxtail into his nose. Actually, I'm not being fair. They're a big problem for dog lovers in Northern California at this time of year.

We were out walking yesterday, when I noticed that Chaka had just walked straight over a rattlesnake. I called both dogs, and they ran to me (looking for a treat). Quick as a flash, I had their leashes on them, just in time for the rattlesnake to wake up, and start rattling. They got that look on their faces like "Oooohhhh… a new toy", and tried desperately to go and play with it.

After a bit of taunting, the rattler decided that these two coomedy pups weren't anything like the coyotes and cougers it normally plays with, and left in disgust.

On the way out of the park, I was just shouting to Chaka to get his head out of the dried grass when he started sneezing. When we got to the vet, he was sneezing blood. One quick anaesthetic and endoscope later, the vet lovingingly caressed my credit card as she waited for the transaction to be confirmed.

The bastard dogs are going to have to get used to not going to their favourite place for a while, and I'm going to have to wait a little longer for my Harley. Bastards.

Yesterday was just one thing after another.

After work, I took the dogs for a run in their favourite open space. I've found this brilliant Frisbee that's built like a doughnut, and it flies for miles. The puppies love it because of the airtime it gives, so that they can try to catch it. Of course Kalula ran into the pond with it, and it doesn't float, so there I was – wading into the pond to fish it up off the bottom.

Walking back to the car, we were playing frisbee, and some other fascist dog run up, stole the frisbee, and ran off with it. No owner in sight. The puppies gave me this "That's not fair!" look, and I tried following it, but it runs a little faster than I do…

Anyway, we reverted to playing ball for the rest of the walk back to the car, and then went home. After about half an hour, I noticed a little patch of blood on the floor, and saw Kalula licking her leg. She had managed to rip her milk claw so that the nail was standing out at 90 degrees from her front leg. No crying or anything though, she just sat there licking it. The vet tells me that it's because, in a wild pack of dogs, showing that you're badly hurt is a sign of weakness, and will get you killed. That's why they only cry when it's a minor hurt…

Anyway, the down-payment on a brand new Mercedes later, we walked out of the vet with one of those ridiculous cones on her head, and a pink bandage on her paw. I have to feed her some painkillers and anti-biotics, but she should be fine. She's feeling really sorry for herself though, and when I rub her, she gives this soft little mournful moan that just breaks my heart.

The bandage can come off in 4 days, and she can run into the water again in 9, so all's well for now.

This weekend had perfect weather for the Mustang. The sun was hot, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

On Saturday, I took the puppies for a walk in Shell Ridge, and they had a fantastic swim. I've bought them a foam duck that floats, and they absolutely love it. The little boy actually jumps over the girl to get into the water first, and get to the duck. A little later, a big old mutt came and joined in the games, and he jumped straight over that too.

On Sunday, I went out to buy some bicycle shorts. I've held out for as long as possible, but years of not getting any hidings from the headmaster has softened my butt, and I need the padding now. What a fantastic surprise to find that you don't have to use the lycra jobs anymore. They now have baggy shorts with the padding in the right places so that you don't look an escapee from the Bolschoi anymore…

A little while ago, I also bought myself the Weber BBQ book. It's not that I don't know how to braai, but at the moment, I'm braaing every day, so I thought I could do with some new ideas. What a great book. Yesterday I used their recipe for Baby Back Ribs, and it's a good one. Not quite Black Steer good, but I'm working on it…