New year, new gaff, new start

Happy 2009, dear readers! It's a little late, for which I apologise, but I'm back, I'm blogging again and I'm raring to go.

I rather neglected this blog last year - a number of major personal upheavals meant I had less time (and enthusiasm) for writing regularly. 2008 was not a great year for me in many respects, although workwise it was very good. I did say I'd do a review of 2008 but the appropriate opportunity has passed so I won't. It's time to look forward.

I have just spent a gruelling 4 days with no internet access. I moved house again last Monday, as well as city. I'm now firmly ensconced in the heart of the north-west's media hub. In the process, BT managed not to provide me with a phone line for several days and then also decided to deliver my broadband later than contracted. I had fully expected to be offline for a week and planned my work accordingly. The delay would have meant an extra three days without internet access and it left me in a very awkward position with one of the overseas clients I subedit for who was expecting me to resume duties at 7am sharp on Monday morning. As we work via Skype, you can imagine the hole I was left in.

It was time to go postal. So go postal I did. BT was adamant that it could not supply my broadband on time. I pulled the journo card. Then the disability card. To no avail. And I insisted they deliver me a phone directory within 24 hours so I could start organising my local services and obligations. They offered to fast-track this given my disability. I was happy about this until informed it would take 6 days to get a directory to me. I pointed out that my broadband, even delayed, would be up by then and I'd no longer need a phone book.

Mysteriously, my broadband suddenly kicked in at 4pm today...

So, I have a new home, my office has been reassembled and I'm ready to start earning again. Oh and I still have a manuscript to finish, but that's another story...