It's been an interesting couple of weeks. A blanket of snow came down to make the journeys more interesting, I ended up at a meeting with my old employer and I got to test drive a new car.
My current employer happens to be a major customer of my old employer of many years. Last Wednesday I got invited to a technical meeting at the old office to discuss some potential product developments and I have to admit was stuck between looking forward to seeing them all again and dreading what some of them might say. Just to add to the fun it snowed the night before and the journey became much more scenic and somewhat slower than anticipated. So I got there at 9:15 for my 9am meeting and found out the meeting was actually at 10. Bad weather delayed my colleagues arriving as well and all in all I ended up with 2 hours sat in reception talking to whichever of my old workmates happened to walk by. The meeting was good when it eventually started but those couple of hours just catching up and reminiscing were nice, and inside, a tad emotional. Shouldn't be too surprised, I was their a long long time, nice to go back, but at the end of the meeting I was also glad to leave again. I've moved on. and it wont ever be what it was.
So, the snow had a few attempts and as is often the case, all the snow stopped 20 miles from York so I never got to build a snowman. Managed to see a bit whilst driving round and some of it made for some spectacular views but would have liked to have woken up to a decent flurry of my own. I enjoy the snow, I like making snowman, I even like the workout you get from shifting it off the driveway. It just makes the world seem fresh and clean. Hopefully we will get some more before the winter is done.
Final bit of fun results from the fact that my current car is only on a short term lease and at some point in the next couple of months I get a new one. So, as both a skint student and then a sales rep for many years, I have had a decent selection of cars but never really been able to pick the one I actually wanted, A VW Polo was the first car I had followed by a pair of Ford Fiestas, started the sales job with a pair of Ford focuses and then one VW Passat after another. Ford Mondeo came next and then a very nice Skoda Superb. the first three were helped by my parents for whom I am eternally grateful but are never as cool and shiny as my teenage head would idealise!! :-) The company cars were great, not least because they were free, but I never actually had a relatively free choice. When I changed jobs this time last year I was given another Passat. On the plus side it was red and cheery. On the downside it was bottom of the range and had been trashed by the previous owner. Six months on and the new yob came with the short term lease of a bright red and brand new Skoda Yeti. bit different to what I am used to. not a standard rep car but nicely a pointed and oddly pleasing to drive from the higher SUV seating position. A few months of that and my instinct is that I don't want a 'standard' rep car again. Something a bit different is my preference and to that end I think I am going to go with a Nissan Qashqui. It comes in bright red, does 70 miles to the gallon, has a lot of toys built in and turns out to be a pretty decent drive. I was hoping I would like it as I had been thinking about it for a couple of months and I did. not sure if I will get it, depends on the boss and what sort of mood he is in at my review meeting in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed, if I can get the one I want, it will be awesome.
