Hatshepsut no Victim of 'Changing Rooms'

Hatshepsut no Victim of 'Changing Rooms'
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Saturday an unexpected day of rest. Long lie, I stay in bed until 9.00 when Monst wakes me to go and feed the boy who is downstars playing on his playstation. She plans on heading back to bed. Not impressed, I rarely get to stay in bed this late and it makes a pleasant change.

Most of the day is spent at home on a completely lazy day. Nip out for some food from Sainsbury's. Beyind that the only effort made throughout the day is to cook a chasseur for Monst and her mate Jo to eat at work tonight.

The Bicycle Kid throws something at me in the car today. I don't react but I am pissed off about it. What's the point of whinging at his mother, she'l do nothing about it.

Looking for a Place to Rest My Ugly Head

Felucca at Sunset Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Big news of the day is Financial Management in the NHS (produced jointly by the NAO and the Audit Commission) NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 2003/04. Guess what, we've overspent as a service.... Patricia Hewitt is not happy. To a certain degree I get where she is coming from but her tone so far as Secretary of State has been back to the hectoring style of previous Secretary's of State. John Reid our last geezer seemed to achieve more with less rant and even sent the service a thank you letter. Can't remember that ever before. I was sadly touched by it all, even though I knew it was a load of bollocks. Thing is it heralds bad times for libraries, budget squeeze is round the corner again. Time to stand together, co-operate and show value for money then. Trouble is that tends to be the time things fall apart, people get insular and duplication of effort happens. Meanwhile time to pour a coffee and get back to my fave job lately...re-shelve. Focus on the bigger picture, a sorted library before we go in boxes means a sorted library when we come out of boxes....

Spelling Bee

Discover Spell with Flickr as a result of playing with Del.icio.us amaze myself by not spelling any swear words because it would be way to boring and predictable.....

Good news I can do the whole gig at Warrington tomorrow, my meeting here is cancelled. Makes life so much easier.

Anubis

Anubis
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Rob Trotter galloping pharmacist from Norf raises a few issues about our e-mail Zetoc based CAS. Interesting because he gets me gazing into the world wot I'd like. What he wants is direct access to e-content we don't have a licence for. Wouldn't we all, but starts of a train of thought that runs along the lines of how would we use the new LMS to streamline CAS. Import journal records pre-tagged using consistent controlled vocab direct into LMS. User generated search results in user generated feed, theoretically results in the user getting to read what they want without the effort of having to realise they wanted it except in the first place. Pubmed already allows some of this stuff need to investigate more and chat to Andy Craig.

Lady Windermere's Fan

Egyptian Exploding Plastic Inevitable?
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Ken points me in the direction of some local grey lit to blag when the new LMS comes online with a link to The Cheshire and Merseyside Specialist Commissioning Team, the result is I start playing with del.icio.us rather belatedly but figure it may actually turn into a handy little tool to have up my sleeve.

Another stoopid break from shelving that I know that my head is using as an excuse to stop. QL's are horrible by the way (children, child abuse, really cheery subjects!). However to cheer me up I come across a post-it note that merely reads "Ooops!", what was that all about I wonder?

Shelving, There's Always Shelving

Flaming Lips
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Spooked by the nearness of the move I go into panic mode and kick back in with the reshelve, which I admit I've ignored for ages. Nicola though has been constantly doing bits and is making good progress toward the point I've started from. Interesting different brain patterns though. I like to go back to front, she likes to go front to back. A really good combination because theoretically we should meet in the middle. Evil competative nature kicks in and I start couting amount we've both done, Nicola is ahead which I use as a device to motivate myself to do more but it ain't a sensible way to look at it and I know it.

Sally, top person she is checks with FG on the statee of play with the rolling stack, it goes in the 18th July. This predates the first moves to the place and is good because it stakes ou claim to our space. I know this is stupidly paranoid of me to think this way but it can't be helped. New space, new turf, new territory to be claimed, I'll be pissing in corners next! I begin pondering the posibilites of moving the shelving down gradually as we pack and reassembling so it's all in place for the move, erected and standing tall and proud.

Coffee and good vibes (Goldrush and The Bees mainly because they are to hand) keep me going. That and stoopid thinking.

Potato Wharf

Good news my application for my job has come up trumps so I stay where I am as part of the PCTs restructure. With it comes a new job title so I am now Head of Library Services. Dunno what happens to the rest of me.

Most impressed with the YHA at Potato Wharf. Nice non-corporate venue with good food. SLA training was useful and nice to meet a couple of new people. The two Clare's from Leighton and Tameside. Good to see folk I've known for a while too.

Fast pint with Shan post training before jumping the train back to Hunts Cross. Monst has been busy tidying the house so I daren't sit down right now. With the weather another night for cremating meat outside. Means less washing up.

Run Around Now

Balloon and Nile
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Needs the Mike Read accent and a knowledge of crap 70's kids quizzes on ITV to make sense as a title still there you have it.

Early to Hammy to leave again early to go to the delights of Potato Wharf in the land of Manc. Need to leave early because I have plans to have some breakfast at the Vini Reilly Cafe. Don't know the real name of the gaff but I've had a stunning sausage sandwich and coffee in there before and as it had a poster of Vini it was cool with me. Into Hammy really to compose a FoI request response.

Plan of the day is train to Manc, breakfast and book, maybe read the paper, wander down to Potato Wharf, learn all about Service Level Agreements (more importantly use it as a springboard towards a systematic quality programme as identified as an improvement in our accreditation), engage Shan in swift pint of Guinness at a wee pub I know that way.....

Happy Solstice

Sunrise Over the City of the Living
Originally uploaded by western4uk.

Er... a morning of FoI, redacting e-mails. Time consuming and not particularly satisfying. Still goes with the territory.

I can hear echoes of Tracy laughing at me as I get the binder out too. To items boud, I only hit the thing with the hammer once. Binding and I don't mix due to my inability to be patient and put the holes in things in small lumps. Still it all kinda works and Ann who it's for is pleased that she has copies of material that she requires within the day.

Ron the buildings manager after failing to tell me on the phone what was so urgent about the new gaff yesterday doesn't come in today so I don't know what that's about. Add to that the delights of a day in Manc land at the YHA at Potato Wharf and the thick plottens. Not got the foggiest what it's all about but I don't like it. Then as if by magic he appears and it looks like that our move is destined to be the one week we can't make. So we tray and delay it to the 22nd of August. Deep joy and something to look forward to.

Formal notification of our Level 3 accreditation comes through as a copy to me and has gone to the Chief Exec. Hope he's as pleased as we are.

Yesterday's smash and grab from the C of E proves successful. Most impressed with the Church of the Uncommitted. Easy to blag grey literature from so that's cool. Doff yer cap to the Archbish if you're anywhere near him.

We may work in righteousness, and lay the foundation of making the earth a common treasury for all, both rich and poor

New Model Army conclude my 16th/17th century fascination for the day as 'Thunder and Consolation' plays at me. Nowt on the box, Cal has gone to bed and Monst is at work. Took very few prisoners at the afternoon IG meeting, took some hits back but they will only prompt a couple of queries in relation to what the heck are comms up to. Dave's big enough to take it in good part and will be straight with me. I suspect I'll back his judgement the issue anyway because the query lays in an area where he has expertise I don't. Think the message that you've got to stand up and be counted came across loud and clear. Bumped into Ingrid at the SHA, fi you've got a minute or two on the 4th of July send positive vibes her way because she has her Part II viva. The Part II exam of the Faculty of Public Health is the most stupid exam in the history of mankind and all candidates have my sympathy. They are due to replace it and not before time. We shoot the breeze about the exam. Jonny Notpod benefits from an infusion of power and I have a date with a bottle of grog.............

Attempted Smash and Grab from the Church of the Uncommitted

Not perhaps the politest way to describe a church based on the elegance of Elizabeth I's desire not to 'make windows into men's souls' but unfortunately it is my usual frame of reference for the Church of England. Still I hope they are as helpful as their colleagues in Liverpool who readily identified they weren't able to help but gave me a couple of leads on the latest piece of grey lit for me to hunt down. Freaky thing is it is stuff about mental health for Ashworth. If they can deliver it for free then the smash and grab is complete, if not I'll pay for it. Prepare my spiel for second IG gig of the day. Not looking forward to it because this is the slap people about meeting, as they assume that I can deliver more in my day a week at the Heath than I can. More later...

May the Sun Shine Bright for You

Sunshine, Runcorn Bridge and all I can see is the scullery of 1 Coleraine Road, Portrush. Why? Simply because I have Primal Scream's 'Sonic Flower Groove' on and I played it to death in that location. Thing is it is gloriously lightweight, all shimmering 12 strings and Mo Tucker style drums and the sun is shining and it feels right. Odd how music does that.

Catch Jim, Pauline about impending complaint relating to FoI. Coffee, quick blog post and I'm ready for IG group (information governance).

Sunday, Sunday

Where do you begin on a day Cal and I have been tryinig to keep a low profile. Kick off the day by picking Monst up and draggin her back home. I'm on homework duty and it's a struggle. Cal don't want to know, to be frank I don't want to know but we can't escape until it's done. Cal decided it's a day for swimming. Sounds fun until he demands to go to the pool at Kirkby. With the design aesthetics of a multistorey car park and a decor that specialises in the mouldy ruin look it's not my favourite pool. If it wasn't some 70s/80s nightmare, the wonky floors would be great but as it is they make you aware of how flung up the place is. Still Cal enjoys his dip. Home via Speke as we go on the great paint search to add a second coat to the garden furniture. None in, so we see Tahir in Borders and return home via a bief food shop for Cal's packed lunches for next week. Realise I am due at the Heath tomorrow for two meetings. Might use that as my day up there and get it out the way.