Week 10 - Monday 31/01/00

Call home to inform them I am a liar. the country is white. It snowed over night.  The meeting goes well.  We have a Hungarian break out session on one of the sofas around the place. Hooker 1 comes in and goes to the lifts. 5 Minutes later, Hooker 2. Then a third. after 15 minutes, Hooker 1 comes back down, then Hooker 2. I did not see Hooker 3 return.  Went out that night for some food. "I know a great restaurant in the old town" off we go. we arrive at the wrong place but stay. The waitress is stunning. About 6.5 feet tall and black shiny hair down to her waist. We stay! The food was great so was the Vodka. Lots of Vodka.
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Original Publish Date Week 10 - Monday 31/01/00

Week 9 - Friday 28/01/00

Called my old comrade to see how his interview went. He got the job and will start next week at my old company. Sounds like they have some problems.
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Original Publish Date Week 9 - Friday 28/01/00

Week 9 - Thursday 27/01/00

Took the team out, well only three showed up, one was my boss, one was our primary supplier and one was our Sun rep. He has done a great job in getting our equipment here in break neck speed. It is a novel situation for me to buy a supplier a drink. Something I must put a stop to!  Had one of the great 1 liter jugs. People watch in amazement as I drink it with little effort!
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Original Publish Date Week 9 - Thursday 27/01/00

Week 9 - Tuesday 25/01/00

A day of news and confusion.  Started the day with the first of the development status meetings. This is going well, but less than my expectations. Strange! Things were not as bad as I spent last night worrying about, or so the team tell me. After the 'laying down the law' session last week they seem to be working better together.  Great news the Sun server is due tomorrow. Something's are just working out peachy.  Spent a lot of time sorting out flights.  First I was not going to Poland next week! So I booked tickets to and from Budapest as normal.  Then I was going, called travel agent, hold my tickets as I may need to change them. I am going so call to reschedule flights to Warsaw, via Frankfurt. I now have to travel Sunday night. I receive confirmation that I can do this and leave the Warsaw to Budapest sector blank.  I then recall my agent to fill in the missing sectors  Here is the flight plan <blockquote>  Sunday Fly to Warsaw via Frankfurt  Tuesday Fly to Budapest via Vienna  Friday Fly to East Midlands via Paris </blockquote>  Not a bad week, 6 countries in 6 days!  Now got to worry about the Israeli trip the following week.  All this is fine, but we are now reaching a critical phase in the project and being away from the office does worry me, nice as it is, I just wonder what crap will occur without me being there! The PAY TV channel in the hotel had "Lock, Stock and two Smoking barrels" on tonight. It was great!
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Original Publish Date Week 9 - Tuesday 25/01/00

Week 9 - Monday 24/01/00

Up early again today. My little man came through about 15 minutes before my alam clock ran. I got up. Started watching TV. It was the original "Brewster's Millions", due to finish at 5:30, great my cab is booked for then and it is bound to be a minute or two late. I have never seen this film, but did enjoy the re-make with ...... Cab arrived at 5:20. Missed the end. Oh well another day.  Machine crashes are constant during the day. I am begining to suspect my laptop does not approve of all this traveling! Or maybe it is Lotus Notes as I do not have this problem at home!!!!  Got to the hotel. I was knackered. Plan to sleep at 8PM. Went to bed about 11:30, I was playing "Homeworld". A bloody great game, shame my machine is crap at playing it.
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Original Publish Date Week 9 - Monday 24/01/00

Week 8 - Saturday 22/01/00 Sunday 23/01/00

Great to be home. After the swimming lessons, we start stripping my daughters room as we are redecorating. I have loads of holes to fill before Kelly can paint.
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Original Publish Date Week 8 - Saturday 22/01/00 Sunday 23/01/00

Week 8 - Friday 21/01/00

Project Status meeting. The super Users return from Israel today following their training. Some discontent about some items I cannot go into here. More shit to worry about and sort out!  Start traveling home. Loads to drink!
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Original Publish Date Week 8 - Friday 21/01/00

Week 8 - Thursday 20/01/00

Laid the law down today. Told each party to leave individual company's at the door, we all are part of the same team. Once the bollocking complete, gave the praise from above that they actually do see us moving forward. This is an improvement over the end of last year when we were getting the project straight.  The project is still suicidal as described by a fellow PM, but thats the way we like it. Full of opportunities (?)  Citrix Farm hardware being installed. 10 lovely DELL's sitting in a rack. If one poor Dell should accidentally fail, there will be 9 more DELLS sitting in a rack.  Status meeting went well!
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Original Publish Date Week 8 - Thursday 20/01/00

Week 8 - Wednesday 19/01/00

Laid the law down to the suppliers today. Too much us and them. We are all responsible for this. Postponed as one key player was off investigating the training rooms. This gives me a chance to cool off.  Have to get the team to focus on the end result. The pressure is starting to build and cracks are showing.  Dinner with BIG cheese today. Was there an offer I could not refuse! More later maybe.
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Original Publish Date Week 8 - Wednesday 19/01/00

Week 8 - Tuesday 18/01/00

Servers for Citrix Farm arrived today.  Was taken out tonight for a bit of Hungarian "Culture". Was taken to my first classical concert. It was good. I enjoy live music. So long as it is played well, with feeling then I enjoy it. I also would not buy the tickets my self as it is not my preferred musical taste, but it was good and I would go again
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Original Publish Date Week 8 - Tuesday 18/01/00

Week 6 - Saturday 8/01/00 & Sunday 9/01/00

Off to the pantomime. Lionel Blair and Linda Lussardi. Now I rember Linda from my apprentice days when the Sun was the default paper. Oh such great memories.  She is the wicked step mother. How can I boo her. A dilema most of the males in the audience share I am sure. It is also the first panto that I have been to where I do not fancy the leading man. Its Linda's husband, lucky bastard!
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Original Publish Date Week 6 - Saturday 8/01/00 & Sunday 9/01/00

Week 6 - Friday 7/01/00

I travel late today as it was only a 4 day week. I therefore travel back to Amsterdam.  I know where the plane will dock G2. I know where my plane will leave around D16, or there about.  It is a pleasant flight, a 737. We have a video on board, more Mr. Bean.  We land 10 minutes late, no problem. We taxi around the airport and pass by the D arm. I see a British Midland plane there. We continue taxing. Eventually we get to G2. I am the first off. The clocks say 20:04. My flight is 20:20. Here I go again. I must submit this as an olympic sport. Somthing I may get a Gold in and one where England may suceed.  There is no-one at the transfer desk. Check the monitors, D24. God I am knackered. I don't quite know how the airline staff know that I am about to go to the toilet, but they do and put on the seat belt signs. I need to go. It is now 20:10  Off I go to D24. S*!t they have placed a scanner before D20. I need to be scanned here and not at the gate. So close. Thankfully there is not much of a queue. I am through and running up the walkway. I get processed and loaded on the plane at the correct time 20:20. Twice in one week. I should be a lot fitter after this.  We depart the gate 20 minutes late. We taxi off in the direction of G. As we pass the Malev flight is being pushed back for its return flight to Hungary.  I go home and relax
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Original Publish Date Week 6 - Friday 7/01/00

Week 6 - Monday 3/01/00

Bank Holiday in the UK. I travel back to Hungary. Enjoy the delights of the business lounge.  Receive some piece of paper. It is not a British Midland plane. What do I care. I manage to get my trolley case on board with me. This was defiantly good planning. We leave 30 Minutes late. Actually we leave nearly 50 minutes late.  I am concerned. I have a transfer in Amsterdam at 20:10. We land at 19:50. We are at the gate 19:55. The doors open 20:00. I am off to gate D2, at least that is what I heard. I check the monitors. G2.  Now Amsterdam is a great airport, large, modern. Very large, but at least it is all linked together with bus links. I start running. Now I am no Brendan Foster the booklets advise 25 minutes to get from where I landed at D16 to G2. A long, Long way. I am also burdened by Christmas and new year excesses, and the lounge at East Midlands. I have my luggage and my lap top (God that is heavy). I am also wearing my large and very warm overcoat along with my suit.  On route my name is called, Passenger Chapman for Budapest please report to gate G2. I know I shout to my self. I am bowling people aside down the moving pavements.  I see the gate, they see me! I am motioned around the glass paneling, God how much further.    I throw my luggage onto the scanner, hand over my ticket. Pass through the scanner myself, Get my boarding pass. I make it to the plane at 20:10. 5 minutes to spare.  I am offered a drink but request that I demonstrate the use of the oxygen mask. I am sitting like a puddle of water.
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Original Publish Date Week 6 - Monday 3/01/00

The International Project Manager
Who is this masked man in dayglo pants!!!!!