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Hello money, goodbye money
Sep. 26th, 2005 08:26 pmI got paid today, with the added bonus that thanks to the efficiency of the companies finance department, I wasn't put on a temporary tax bracket so I didn't get charged income tax this month. However at the start of October my next lot of rent goes out, which is quite a bit as we pay quarterly, and I renewed my car insurance (making use of credit cards so I wouldn't have to pay until after my pay day) which is also quite a bit too*. So the net result is I have gained money, just not a great deal. Oh well hard come, easy go.
On the job front I finished my induction training at the end of last week and I'm now currently doing a C++ training course. However as of today I am actually starting on project, it's developing something for the broadcast sector, and has a tight deadline of December. Considering that design is due to finish at the end of October at the latest it will probably be quite hard work. It began life as training project to improve the companies broadcast sector expertise, but since they found a buyer interested in what's being developed the focus has changed slightly. So far I'm enjoying the work, well training, there is a nice attitude and atmosphere in the company which helps makes working more enjoyable, even if it the C++ course is dragging on a bit. Plus free fruit juice :-)
The flat is still really nice, and I'm really enjoying living with P. I had a couple of my friends from before uni come over for a little bit and it was really nice having other people see the flat. I look forward to having people over more often once I've got this whole work/life timing with more sorted. Of course people are welcome to come over now, as long as them give me a good warning, and be prepared to be told that we're to busy occasionally.
I need plate for my larp character for this coming year, but I won't be able to get it in time due to cost and waiting for the delivery. The thing is I'd like to start the character as soon as possible when the year starts, which means I'll have to borrow plate. Which I don't want to do as it restricts access to it for the newbies. Hmm, not sure what to do, anyone have suggestions.
I went to a Magic: The Gathering pre-release tournament on Saturday and came out 4-0-3 (wins-draws-losses) and placed about 22nd out of about 80 I think, which earned me a couple of boosters. Overall I had 10-0-5 (2-1 win, 0-2 loss, 1-2 loss, 1-2 loss, 2-0 win, 2-0 win, 2-0 win) on the individual matches which isn't so bad, though I would have liked to have done better considering the quality of cards I drew, including a significant amount of spot removal, though I did have an almost complete lack of cards that cost less than 3. I did get fairly poor luck typically in the matches I lost (mulliganing down to five and four, and just not drawing into the spot removal). Though it was really odd, I included a 41st card of 'Svogthos the Restless Tomb' a land which becomes a creature with power and toughness equal to the creatures in your graveyard for 3BG, and won my first round without using it, so took it out. I then lost three games in the row to horrendous bad luck at times, so I put it back in again, and win the next three with almost no difficulty. I don't understand it should have reduced the odds of me drawing what I needed not improved it. So what did I learn: if your deck wins don't change it. Actually I learnt something else too: don't look at the spoiler and spot one of the most pointless rares and say 'I bet I draw that'. Why, because I did, though in foil admittingly, and then I got it again in one of the boosters I won. Grozoth you mock me so. Damn you Wizards of the Coast and your multicolour sets that I can't resist.**
*I got my insurance via confused.com which I heartily recommend as my car insurance quotes I got through the broker I was with were about £120 pounds more (20%ish).
( **An explanation of terms: ).
On the job front I finished my induction training at the end of last week and I'm now currently doing a C++ training course. However as of today I am actually starting on project, it's developing something for the broadcast sector, and has a tight deadline of December. Considering that design is due to finish at the end of October at the latest it will probably be quite hard work. It began life as training project to improve the companies broadcast sector expertise, but since they found a buyer interested in what's being developed the focus has changed slightly. So far I'm enjoying the work, well training, there is a nice attitude and atmosphere in the company which helps makes working more enjoyable, even if it the C++ course is dragging on a bit. Plus free fruit juice :-)
The flat is still really nice, and I'm really enjoying living with P. I had a couple of my friends from before uni come over for a little bit and it was really nice having other people see the flat. I look forward to having people over more often once I've got this whole work/life timing with more sorted. Of course people are welcome to come over now, as long as them give me a good warning, and be prepared to be told that we're to busy occasionally.
I need plate for my larp character for this coming year, but I won't be able to get it in time due to cost and waiting for the delivery. The thing is I'd like to start the character as soon as possible when the year starts, which means I'll have to borrow plate. Which I don't want to do as it restricts access to it for the newbies. Hmm, not sure what to do, anyone have suggestions.
I went to a Magic: The Gathering pre-release tournament on Saturday and came out 4-0-3 (wins-draws-losses) and placed about 22nd out of about 80 I think, which earned me a couple of boosters. Overall I had 10-0-5 (2-1 win, 0-2 loss, 1-2 loss, 1-2 loss, 2-0 win, 2-0 win, 2-0 win) on the individual matches which isn't so bad, though I would have liked to have done better considering the quality of cards I drew, including a significant amount of spot removal, though I did have an almost complete lack of cards that cost less than 3. I did get fairly poor luck typically in the matches I lost (mulliganing down to five and four, and just not drawing into the spot removal). Though it was really odd, I included a 41st card of 'Svogthos the Restless Tomb' a land which becomes a creature with power and toughness equal to the creatures in your graveyard for 3BG, and won my first round without using it, so took it out. I then lost three games in the row to horrendous bad luck at times, so I put it back in again, and win the next three with almost no difficulty. I don't understand it should have reduced the odds of me drawing what I needed not improved it. So what did I learn: if your deck wins don't change it. Actually I learnt something else too: don't look at the spoiler and spot one of the most pointless rares and say 'I bet I draw that'. Why, because I did, though in foil admittingly, and then I got it again in one of the boosters I won. Grozoth you mock me so. Damn you Wizards of the Coast and your multicolour sets that I can't resist.**
*I got my insurance via confused.com which I heartily recommend as my car insurance quotes I got through the broker I was with were about £120 pounds more (20%ish).
( **An explanation of terms: ).
