I'm enjoying my new job and seem to be finding my feet now.  I'm halfway through building a new website for the company and I'll be starting another one for a client next week.

I'm also in the process of building a professional blog - it's not finished by a long shot and I'm not finding a lot of time to update content but you can find my first post here:

IT Gadges: Extendable / Retractable USB Cables

The club is running well.  I've signed up a few new members and last night I got a further four new members (I reckon I'll keep three of them).  The club is getting extremely full.  One of my new students is blind - my teaching skills are really being tested but I'm very much enjoying the opportunity.

Flying Day

So today we had our second crack at going out to Church Fenton to fly.  This time we got all the way to Church Fenton, did the drills and actually managed to get two cadets into flight suits and parachutes.  And then the cloud cover decended under 1500 feet and the flights were cancelled.  Gutted.

I got to do the drills.  Watched Tutors and Tucanos doing touch and gos from Air Traffic Control and saw a really good turnback manoeuvre.  Got to have a good look at some Tutors in the hangar.  Got an air nav lesson from a gorgeous pilot.  And, excitingly, I have an enormous and amazing aerospace map of the UK on my wall now - complete with a key sheet.  I've covered the wall next to my fish with it.

Ah well, I will try again when the weather is more reliable.  I'm really disappointed that I didn't get to fly but it was a great day regardless.  The Tutors are gorgeous planes so it was really cool to see them in action.

And next time I wont assume The Postition during the abandon aircraft drill until I've deployed my parachute...

I have also put together a new Pinterest board for aircraft.

Centenial Post!

This post marks my 100th post on The Pen & The Sword blog!  The champagne and strawberry floating in it was a celebratory drink from the day I was appointed in my new job so I have many things to celebrate...

Dream Job? Yes please!

Today I was offered my dream job!  No, not the one where I move to Brazil and become the national volleyball team's personal masseuse...

I had my second interview this morning and then had just got round the corner when they rang and asked me to meet them at a restaurant for 'some questions they'd forgotten to ask'.  Which turned out to be a lovely way to get me a coffee and inform me that the job was mine.  I am very excited indeed and can't wait to get started.  I've had a massive smile plastered across my face all day.  On the way home I wound down the car windows and sang along to Status Quo on loud.

I'm on the warpath for some work clothes (I'm used to working in gi pants...), have set up a session with my darling Dad for a set of professional portraits and am in the process of organising some training - which I'm hoping to be knee deep in by the time I start on Monday.

And so, with relish, I can cross off New Year Resolution No. 10.

Pinterest

Having decided today that I really should see what all the fuss is about, I went to the site.

I find myself, disbelievingly, on a waiting list.  LiveJournal and Gmail also used to operate on an 'Invite Only' basis but they swiftly grew out of it.  The fact that they don't give you any further information about how long you might be waiting or WHY you are waiting is just childish and elitist.  The fact that they don't clearly tell you that you're joining a waiting list when you plug in your email address is rude.  I'm told by a current member that they're performing a background check on me - did Pinterest get it's head stuck somewhere during a cavity search on a new 'pinner'?

And all this when it seems that you can bypass the waiting list and background check by having a current user send you an invitation.  Which makes these measures seem pointless, irritating and unnecessary.

I like the idea of Pinterest as I'm into visual media but I find the sign-up process and lack of information disgustingly off-putting.  It puts your back straight up and turns you off.  Social media is about 'right now' and 'easy'.  So far, Pinterest is neither of those things.

At this point, if I didn't feel like I had a professional responsibility to check it out, I would be scrapping the Pinterest idea and refusing to use it.  I actually don't mind and understand being checked out, as social media legal issues are rife at the moment, but the lack of customer care and information infuriates me, especially as it could be so easily added  to the automated email I got...

I shant forget this Pinterest - and you have a lot of making up to do.

And: Someone Else's Opinion

Google and I are getting a divorce over the CDC website.  I knew it couldn't last.

The Tazmanian Jelly

Today has mainly consisted of tweaking and masses of SEO for the CDC website.  Happily, the CDC site is nowhere near as large as the LTMA site so it took considerably less time.

Actually made it to dog club last night, as range was cancelled.  I am going to have to start making sure I go very regularly again as DF wants me and Taz to take our Gold Good Citizens Award in mid-March.  Fat chance.

Taz was not himself at the club last night, very nervy - which is unusual for him as he's normally very comfortable at dog club.  He's spent most of today hiding out under my chair while I've been working.  The weather is very blustery and he doesn't like it.  Have also discovered that he has a fear of bubble wrap.  He is literally Scooby Doo - all stomach and scared of everything.

He's currently sniffing something in his sleep.  I know what comes next: he'll start chasing it, then he'll start chewing it.  Then he'll fart.  I'll be waking him up when he gets to the chewing stage...

Sappy dog.  Just looks like a giant shrew.