Wednesday Round-Up

I've never been a prolific tweeter. I have a Twitter account but I've never really seen the fascination in tweeting my every thought and action. Recently though, I have begun to tweet a lot more. I was never very comfortable with Tweetdeck, a Twitter client for the PC. It was far more chunky than it really needed to be and often overloaded the processor preventing other programs from running. So I set about trying to find a bit of software that did the same thing but at a fraction of the size. Eventually, I found it. It's called Tween and I think it's quite popular in Japan where it was created. Anyway, I've installed it and I'm mighty impressed. It does all I need it to do without placing any strain on my PC. It does remind me somewhat of the old IRC clients of old. It is basic, fast and simple. Perfect.

Really shocking news today regarding a coach crash in Switzerland claiming the lives of 28, 22 of which are children just 11-12 years of age. It is shocking to comprehend the enormous loss of young life and the level of grief and despair amongst the parents and families of all those involved. As a parent, I can only imagine the pain and agony of losing a child and I know it is something I could never recover from. God rest their souls.

In a blow for justice and common sense, I see today that the MOD have again failed to recognise that illnesses in nuclear test veterans are in any way linked to the hideous explosions they were forced to witness in the 1950's. I find it ridiculous that the MOD can absolve themselves of any responsibility for the health of these ex-servicemen and I hope that they continue their fight at the European Courts. They deserve better.

We are told we're running out of water. Of course it's not the first time. I remember water shortages in the 70's and having to get water from a tank at the end of the road. But that was a long time ago and we're being told that unless we get at least a month of constant heavy rain, the situation will become critical. I'm fortunate enough to have a water butt in the garden which collects rain from the roof guttering. In one heavy shower, the butt can fill, and that's an awful lot of water. It really does show how much is wasted and I wish I had another, but they're not cheap. The next couple of months will decide how severe the restrictions will be. I hear that the first large scale desalination plant is coming online to supply parts of London and it does lead me to question why, given the fact we're surrounded by water, this isn't already done by the country's water suppliers...

Assessment

I took a call yesterday from my (soon to be) employer in Peterborough. They have asked me to take an assessment drive tomorrow. I believe they use a coach for their training and this will involve driving it around Peterborough to assess how much training I will need and how confidently I handle the vehicle. They also told me my medical will take place on 8th August in Peterborough. Assuming this goes OK, I hope to hear from them soon after to let me know my start date. At last things seem to be coming together. I can finally begin the see the culmination of two year's effort to get where I want to be. I can't wait to post an entry of my first day and a photo of me with my bus. But first thing's first. Get the assessment and the medical done.

Worries? I have a few, but the thing I'm most worried about is my rather patchy knowledge of Peterborough and its maze of roads. I know I am going to need a good knowledge so I am using Google Maps to navigate the roads from the depot and around the city centre. It's an invaluable tool and very effective, providing an all round view of each route. I will certainly be making good use of it as I suspect the use of a Sat Nav will be somewhat frowned upon...
I need to be at the depot for 9am so I will be leaving around 7.30 to ensure I get there on time. Everyone else will be travelling in the same direction at that time so the roads will be very busy. I have a worry too about the car, it got a little hot earlier (I had to drive to Spalding to sign-on), and the engine fan was running constantly. The coolant is certainly low and I suspect there may be a leak somewhere, possibly in the radiator. I've topped it up and we'll see how it is tomorrow.
So, provided I don't prang their coach tomorrow, I should be able to post some good news very soon.
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors & MSM...