The diary of a cheeky chap: Give me a camera and I can give you part of me in return

I hope this post finds you at well, smiling and relaxing after a good day, if not big hugs and tomorrow is another day when it might end the right way.

Me, I am finally, almost, nearly here, that best describes my attempts to learn the drivers side of GOL (Groceries On Line)? I actually managed to get out on a live delivery run this week although I was unable to drive due to technical difficulties that hopefully will be short lived. The route scheduling aside, which was very bazaar, it was an excellent trip out and provided me with a very good insight to the drivers side of the GOL story. What made it even better was that I had an excellent teacher who took me through every part of the job of delivering shopping to our customers. They had such a professional and positive approach to the job it was a pleasure to watch, learn and experience. I can see why the drivers love the job especially when you are driving around the beautiful countryside that makes up the majority of patch we cover. I need to get behind the wheel myself and do a live run as a driver and I am very keen to do so, I am seriously considering becoming a full time driver as it is a very attractive position but with the view of working towards becoming a team leader in the medium to long term. What’s the medium to long term I hear you say, well 8 to 16 months if I follow the plan I have laid out?

I feel very lucky in that I have now, all be it briefly, experienced all the roles bar team leader in GOL and I am starting to have a very good idea of the challenges and responsibilities within GOL as a whole at the coalface that is. I am aware that there are responsibilities and challenges with regard to targets at the team leader and managers level that I am not aware of but they will come in time I am sure. What is this aiming for the manager or deputy manager’s post, no I am not but it does not hurt to gain an understanding of the issues we all face. After all the more I understand the more I can help to achieve them. For sure I am looking forward to going out again with a driver on a live run and hopefully doing the driving this time.

It has been a difficult time for me since the last post but one of the things that has kept me going has been work. I love the feeling I get as I cross the threshold onto the shop floor. As I have said before it is like coming home, the hustle and bustle of the night shift, music playing over the address system and the knowledge that shortly I will be going shopping. I still have a few people I know shake their heads when I say I am still shopping; they just do not get it after a career in the glorious IT industry. Surely a job is a job and so long as you get satisfaction from doing it no matter what it is. I take more pride in shopping for someone else than I did for designing, building and implementing computer systems.

One of the other things that was meant to keep me going was my photography and I had plans to go out with the camera. Sadly looking for somewhere to live, fighting with my bank and people visiting the flat with a view to purchasing it have kept me away from the camera. We have already had one viewing and have another one in a few days time so things are already gathering a pace. I still have not got my head around the possibility of not being able to continue to live in the flat, I have been through so much living here it is home.

If I do get to stay here I have decided on a two year plan that is going to see me work hard to getting on a sound footing. A footing that is hopefully going to open a lot of new doors and opportunities, a plan that needs to be taken one step at a time but there after anything goes. A cunning plan, no, plan and simple and if I am honest 29 years late but hey, better late than never. You want details, nope not at this point, yes and I am a tease lol?

Now despite being busy with all and sundry I have being thinking about my photographic project “Simple” and I have come up with a twist. A couple of years ago I started to write a book, they say everyone has a book in them, but the idea soon took back stage thanks to my battle with depression, alcoholism and life in general. I then lost the only copy I had in my IT disaster last year and the idea was put on the back shelf. Until now that is, I have been trying to work on a self portrait photography project and dipped a toe in the water with regard to my battle with alcohol and depression. This got me thinking and bingo the twist arrived. I started this blog to get my thoughts down about my struggles and I have used my photography to start to record them, why not combine the two and turn them into a short book on the subject? The text will not be as detailed as the blog but it will tell the story with photographs to support it. Now I cannot afford to produce a small book myself given the situation I am currently in but I think I may have found some backers or a source of backers that will allow me to make this happen. I need to investigate the mechanics and costs of producing a book before I approach the possible backers and I think I should produce a few examples to test the ground first. Which means I will be seeking some reviewers fore sure so watch out. I like it when an idea grows into something more exciting so what this space.

I have also been busy replacing the photographs I have hung on the walls of the flat in a hope that it will inspire or appeal to buyers. Yes I need to get out more but if it helps then surely that is a bonus. I have to respect the wishes of my landlord and if they want to sell then everything needs to be done to help. How my photography is going to is anyone’s guess but I will try.

It is a shame that my attempts to sell my photographic equipment is not going as well. At the moment I have sold a few DVD’s, I guess everything helps. It is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place but it needs to be done.

So here are the photographs that are now hanging on the walls of the flat, hopefully they will make the place more appealing. Yes you have see some or all of them before but I am showing in the context of this post.