Week 31 - Friday 30/06/00

 Kel returns to day. No doubt I would have pulled my hair out with the kids.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 31 - Friday 30/06/00

Week 31 - Thursday 29/06/00

Wimbledon today for Kel and Jules.  The scheduled conference call was a joke. Only two attended. I feel a stiff e-mail coming on!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 31 - Thursday 29/06/00

Week 31 - Wednesday 28/06/00

Hair at Nicky Clark's for Kel and Jules.  Here I am sitting in splendid isolation. Ah the pleasure of working from home. Music on, Phone and e-mail. Near bliss. Thee only thing missing is the waitress service for tea.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 31 - Wednesday 28/06/00

Week 31 - Tuesday 27/06/00

Develop a strategy for the software we will now build a central version and extend its functionality by our own developments. This is a risky option but out time to market is so short we feel we have no choice.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 31 - Tuesday 27/06/00

Week 31 - Monday 26/06/00

Central Europe meeting, in Budapest. Check the GI installation is going ok, and things look basically on track. There a couple of minor irritations, they have not yet fully tested the software. I threaten to light the blue touch paper. I await results.  We schedule a meeting for next week with our supplier in Amsterdam.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 31 - Monday 26/06/00

Week 30 - Saturday 24/06/00& Sunday 25/06/00

Sunday Its a short week for me next week actually in Central Europe, so I travel early from Birmingham to Budapest so I can get some work done and speak with our supplier, who being Israel based, works on Sunday.  I at the end of the day do not get what I want to have done. Chill out in the sauna, then watch the football!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 30 - Saturday 24/06/00& Sunday 25/06/00

Week 30 - Thursday 22/06/00

The day of the great bang! Whilst sitting in a meeting discussing some technical and architectural issues, all of a sudden, a loud bang was heard. Our German translator was shocked as in the top pocket of his shirt, was his cigarettes, within the box was his lighter, a cheap disposable one, this had exploded.  This was the best case of tension diffusion I have ever experienced, normally someone tells a joke!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 30 - Thursday 22/06/00

Week 30 - Wednesday 21/06/00

We spent the day discussing the Proof of Concept that we initiated last week to hear about the success. We decide to go on and roll the technology out around the region.  Went for an evening stroll around Bratislava. What a wonderful place.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 30 - Wednesday 21/06/00

Week 30 - Tuesday 20/06/00

England lost! That's all I want to say.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 30 - Tuesday 20/06/00

Week 30 - Monday 19/06/00

Off to Prague via Frankfurt. Went out in the evening. I know where I am going to watch the football and England's next game. They have set up on the old square a large tv screen. The weather is perfect so I shall come and watch it there
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 30 - Monday 19/06/00

Week 29 - Saturday 17/06/00& Sunday 18/06/00

Had a glorious weekend, weather was great, England won the football against Germany. We had a couple of bar-b-que's and impromptu get together with our neighbours and spent too much time in the sun.  Great!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Saturday 17/06/00& Sunday 18/06/00

Week 29 - Friday 16/06/00

Travelled home is all I want to say about today. Won a minor battle with British Midland to the tune of ú50.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Friday 16/06/00

Week 29 - Thursday 15/06/00

I have to check out the Intercontinental today, as they have 33 more bookings than rooms. So I am off to the Hilton at the top of the hill.  Fix a problem by rolling up my sleeves and building a cable. RTFM, (Read The F!^%£$ Manual).  This is the responsibility of the supplier, but they are like a brick wall and only listen to what they want to hear. Its is like having two conversations at once where you cannot exactly determine what you said to get the reply that you did!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Thursday 15/06/00

Week 29 - Wednesday 14/06/00

Took the 08:25 from Vienna to Budapest. All of my belongings arrived with me this time.  It is bloody hot over here.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Wednesday 14/06/00

Week 29 - Tuesday 13/06/00

Vienna. Supplier meeting. Was I in the same meeting, as I am not sure, God this is frustrating (a small pray)
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Tuesday 13/06/00

Week 29 - Monday 12/06/00

Worked from Home and travelled. Due to the football, problems flying via Amsterdam. So I travel via Brussels. This rates as worst airport number two.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 29 - Monday 12/06/00

Week 28 - Friday 9/06/00

Present the rollout plan and options to the regional MD.  I leave. The flight is delayed by 1 hour. 1 hour we are sitting on the plane in Budapest, the sun is shinning. We arrive over London, a delay in landing of 15 minutes. We land, a delay of 15 minutes awaiting for the a stand. We get to a stand, we are exiting the plane from the rear. I am sitting at the front. I make the first bus. I miss my intended train, so now I have to go to plan B, change at Leicester.  I am trying to book my flights for next week. Vienna from Amsterdam is booked. Ok try Birmingham, that is fully booked. I will have to work on plan C for getting to Vienna for next Tuesday.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 28 - Friday 9/06/00

Week 28 - Thursday 8/06/00

More of the same, and interesting conversations about the night before.  I thought they were better than Prague. It was different as this was outside, and was a smaller crowd. I do love Budapest for a concert. We entered the arena, after the support band left and walked, literally, to the front, give or take two or three people.  The sound was better, but still crap.  In the evening, we go out. Three of us leave the 9th floor of the hotel and proceed down stairs to meet the fourth member. We stop at floor five, and the doors do not open more than 5 inches. We then proceed to go up and down. Eventually having pressed the alarm, we have help outside. They manage t get the door open a little bit. Our female companion, who is significantly slimmer than the rest of us, finally escapes. I get pissed off with this put my foot against the door, back to the wall and push. There is aloud bang and the door opens enough to enable the two fatties to escape.  We were greeted by the manager of the hotel, who offered us Champaign, we take up his offer when were return from dining.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 28 - Thursday 8/06/00

Week 28 - Wednesday 7/06/00

A funny thing happened on the way to the airport, it has never happened to me before. The taxi got a puncture. Well that started the day of well.  Fly to Budapest. I have not been there for a while. The flight went well, even thought the day started kind of funny!  I arrive in my second/adopted home. I am immediately asked if I have received an e-mail inviting me out. No I replied. We we are off to see Iron Maiden. Done that this week already on Monday, but yes, get me a ticket.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 28 - Wednesday 7/06/00

Week 28 - Tuesday 6/06/00

Continued at work. God this software is limited. We finished the FDD, by closing items and removing duplicates.  Some good news the rounding issue in Slovakia has been decided so that is one item off the list
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 28 - Tuesday 6/06/00

Week 28 - Monday 5/06/00

Prague today. No flights via Amsterdam so I have to travel via Frankfurt. Therefore at the office a bit later than would normally be the case.  Work went well as we got a lot done. I leave to go the concert I thought was in jeopardy.  I am at the Pegasus Arena. It has no air conditioning and is a strange breath of fresh air, pun intended, for a UK concert goer. You can sit in the aisles and do what you want. The audience were great on the floor, up on the side, where I was, they were dead boring. I was told to sit down when I got up to head-bang.  Iron Maiden were very good, the vocals we mixed down a bit too much but other than that a great sweaty night. Came out and it was a thunderstorm, so I arrived back at the hotel like a drowned rat.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 28 - Monday 5/06/00

Week 27 - Saturday 3/06/00& Sunday 4/06/00

Saturday Am I being rash. I have booked up to go to the Dome!  Well I don't care what anyone says. I liked the Dome, and so did my family. We were there for 8 hours and still did not see everything, and we were not board. My kids, 6.5 and 5 also enjoyed it lots. The only thing they did not like was the hour on the train coming up from Gatwick where we stayed the night before.  The show in the central arena was spectacular and all the exhibits we visited were very good and entertaining, even for the kids.  I am glad that it is failing as the crowds were limited, but I hope it survives the year and comes in at a profit and repays the grants. I think we will return as it was ú57 well spent.  We left at 1800 and went to see the 'EYE', the queue was phenomenal around 2.5 hours just to get a ticket, then 40 minutes from there. We do not go on it. Walk over Westminster bridge to catch the tube back to Victoria, then back to Gatwick.  Sunday My relatives 25th Wedding Anniversary. This was the reason for going to the Dome.
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 27 - Saturday 3/06/00& Sunday 4/06/00

Week 27 - Friday 2/06/00

Back home to resolve some kitchen issues, yet again. Spend the day on e-mail and phone calls. This time contracts and budgets. I hate this bullshit!
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 27 - Friday 2/06/00

Week 27 - Thursday 1/06/00

Continue in Prague, this time with Slovakia. Will we ever see the end to this FDD.  Run a conference call. The first in the region for the regional PM's. Went well and caused some fiery debate. Good
Migrated from Where's Jon The Original Blog in 2000 with Chapo's super migration tool!
Original Publish Date Week 27 - Thursday 1/06/00