Oh.

There's a few things been going on in the last few weeks and I'm being very careful to try to see them as being balanced - to see both the good and the bad in them and yet ... well, as the readership knows - I'm a pretty glass entirely empty kind of person.

Some of you will know that I've been having a period of reflection of late. It's been good and I've spent lots of quality time with the dog and am planning some interesting travels. In the meantime, however, I am looking at career and personal development stuff.

Ready for a list? If not, look away now (is it just me, or do I sound like I'm reading the news on a Saturday evening from my own childhood?).

1. Academic

I've changed my masters' course for one in a more relevant subject area: statistics and management science at UWE would've been good, I'm sure, but I'm working on one now in operational research, statistics and risk at a university that's both Russell Group and has a fairly good alumni list (not that UWE doesn't of course but it's not Russell Group).

Good - Russell Group; long-established university; most of course I'm doing already in my current role

Bad - got to dis-enrol (is that even a word?) from my UWE course; possibly upset the academic staff there (especially given that I work there in my spare team)

2. Self-Employment

Had a "flash"(?) of inspiration a week ago, plugged it, fired it, and now have the seeds of a product which a major company in the UK have asked for a proposal to develop. Have planted the seeds with a collaborator and we're both working on it. It's wonderful.

Good - my goodness, my ideas are actually meaningful, perhaps; publication as part of IP; use this as thesis for item 1.

.

Bad - if I don't do this on my own then my input will be meaningless; if I ask collaborator to work on it then the delivery will be excellent but I'll want to tinker with it

3. Employment Employment

A major UK bank have offered me a job. Actually, correction. That's not true. They've not offered me a job, they've offered me the job. The job I've always wanted to do almost without question (with the possible exception of being Scarlett Johannsens shower cloth).

Good - astonishing amount of money associated with it, more than twice what I make through my company with security; I'd do the job without being paid, I'm that excited about it

Bad - Google; past catching up

4. Other

I'm really getting close to TF. Millie the dog loves her and she loves Millie. My Dad and Ann have met her and she likes them (I think) and they like her (they've invited her to come up to Gairloch for the weekend).

Good - what's wrong with the above? Nothing!

Bad - this is normally my cue to fantastically cock it up

5. Mentalism

300mg a day of venlafaxine isn't doing it. I'm getting twitches and I'm losing time.

Another update in a while.