JonathanByrne.net

While I was rummaging through the stacks of paper and wires that is my room I discovered an envelope and there was a letter in said envelope.  Now I remember receiving the letter and thinking wow a letter that is so 1900 but now I’m looking at it and I’m fascinated by it.  Emails have taken away the touch and feel of letters they are so impersonal.  There is no joy in sending and receiving emails, its a routine task…..quite sad.

I want to send letters to people and I’m going to start sending letters to a few friends very soon.  If you are reading this and would like a letter too let me know, I’m bringing letters back, one at a time

This year is turning out to be back to basics…

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In other news, I’ve been asked to go back to work in Newbury.  I’m a little disappointed as I had been told I might be going to China.  Its clearly not meant to be so I’ll have to enjoy my time in Newbury, at least its a quick flight back to Ireland.
I went to Galway recently, I would put up a blog about it but this link explains the weekend better than I could – WhiteRabbitNI

Last year I traveled a lot with work and all I have are some grainy mobile phone pictures.  So before I went to Germany I bought a camera.  This Camera to be precise

I also made a new years resolution to try and take at least one picture every day of the year, so far that has proved to be too hard.  I carry my camera everywhere but sometimes there is just nothing to take a picture of.  I don’t want to force myself to take pictures and end up hating photography.  So my new new years resolution is at year end I have 365 good photos then I will let myself off the hook.

I upload my pictures to this flickr account – here .  Be nice, I’m learnding.

First blog in a long time… so a quick catch up is in order!

I’m finished working in Dusseldorf and Im back in Dublin, its nice to be in Ireland for a while.  Also finished my reports and exams, by far the toughest semester I’ve ever had in college; it is behind me now and I’m looking forward to next semester.

Christmas was awesome, there was alot of snow and I almost got stuck in Dusseldorf airport!
As for New Year Resolutions, I’ve committed myself to becoming a decent photographer by year end (more posts to follow).  January has been a bit of a rollarcoaster but fun none the less; I’ve just come back from a great weekend in Galway and somehow got the nickname ‘Chuckles’ while there.  All shall be explained!

I was prepared to go to Johannesburg but my contract fell through so I ended up going to Dusseldorf.  “Happy days, I get to go back to Germany” I though but alas all I did while I was there was college reports and work.  I tried some Gluhwein while I was there and that stuff is lethal, its far too easy to drink.  I also learned a valuable lesson ‘mit’ means with and ‘ohno’ means without; very helpful when trying to get some alcohol laden Gluhwein.

I think Gluhwein could really take off in Ireland, its ridiculously cold here and a hot alcoholic beverage would be a nice change.  I can’t understand why we all crowd into a packed pub to drink ice cold beer when we could be outside with coats and scarfs with Gluhwein.  It also means you don’t have to throw coats into the cloakroom *Recession buster tip right there*

Here is a nice recipe for Gluhwein if you want to try it

I’m swamped with college work again (I have 2 reports to complete over christmas and an exam to prepare for) so blogging has suffered badly.
I’m heading back to Dusseldorf for the first week in January, if I’m lucky I might get to go to Sweden soon after, bit worried about potential announcements at work regarding redundancies etc.  Hopefully there will be no announcements.  In the meantime I have to pass this semester!

As its Halloween I sat down and watched Ghostbusters on Blu-ray.  It has been years since I last saw this film.  Forgot how good the film was, I hope the 3rd film will live up to the first 2.

Blu-ray really really makes this film better, I jumped at the ghost in the library the sound was terrifying!  The picture quality is also greatly improved, most notably you are now able to see accidental Sigorney Weaver boob flashing.  The very reason Blu-ray was invented.

There are some quality Halloween films out there and not the usual zombie/Saw flicks that are really repetitive.  Hocus Pocus is a great film, sure its Disney but I loved that film as a kid and I would watch it now too.  Whats more scary than 3 witches and one of them is Sarah Jessica Parker!

I didn’t get to dress up this year, I have a lot of college work to catch up on.  But I have found my costume for the next time….

How Awesome is that!!!

I’m drunk and I’m 25 good times.
If only I could get 25 comments!

I’ve been working long hours recently so energy drinks have been necessary. I’m shocked at the amount of energy drinks available, I thought there was red bull, lucazade and the cheap spins offs but there are hundreds of them. Really shocked by the ’shot’ based energy drinks. Something that powerful can’t be good for you.
I was pondering what energy drink I should get when I came across this gem (brace yourself)

I had to do a triple take on this, I can’t believe the can is silver! .
It would have been amazing to be part of the pitch for this product, I think only someone like Gaff could pitch a product like this.

So I finished working in Manchester and straight away was asked to work in London. Not the worst place in the world and it’s good work here too, the only issue is the hours.

I’ve been doing 14 – 16 hr days everyday for the last 3 weeks, it’s strangely okay until Friday. It catches up with me and I fall asleep anywhere. On the underground, on planes, on buses and almost while standing.

I flew back to Dublin to see kevin smith in vicar street. What a show and what a guy, he was enjoying the crowd so much he went past 11pm and continued on for another hour! Take that vicar street and your “rules”!

I’m in London city airport at the moment and I’m surrounded by suits….on a Saturday. Strange airport seems to only attract people in suits and me. I stand out here in my t-shirt. That’s how I roll, take that London business people with your “suits”!

No real news to blog but I have bought an iPhone (fuckit it’s nearly my birthday) so I’ll try blog more often on my travels, it would be really handy if I could find a wordpress application that is not rubbish, I could post more pics then.

….maybe I should write an app

Again I must pimp the following blog

whiterabbitni.blogspot.com

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Just figured out how to post pics with this application no need to code anymore

This is where I am working, across from the O2

I’m shattered!

I’ve been working every day for the last 2 weeks and I am so fed up with the project I’m on.  The work is good and I’m learning alot but the problem remains to be the politics and red tape that is evident everywhere on this project.
Problems are recognised but paperwork must be done before any change is implemented, problems are found and ‘the blame game’ begins.  Its such a shame and its probably the worst run project I’ve been on so far…
I finish this project next week and return to Ireland, it will be nice to be back for a while.  College is starting up again so I have to get stuck into that again and I need to achieve CCNA status quickly.

I’ve been getting on well with the people I’m working with and I’ve discovered problems and fixed issues.  However the other day  I made a mistake, without getting too technical the node I was using was creating a conflict…..this in turn caused a routing issue.  Luckily it was an easy fix but I wish I noticed it before saying it was not my node’s problem.  Mistakes will be made I’m only human but its a stark reminder that I need to tripple check issues.

Next week I’ve got a house party to go to on Friday, so I shall be celebrating the end of the project.  Who knows I may even have a drink or two………..probably way more!

I have a flight back to Manchester in 6 hrs time, so I have to get a bus to the airport in 4 hours time.  Every week I do this you would think I’d have learned by now!  Anyways, I have an important day tomorrow, the node I have been working on is getting inspected and tested so I have been up studying and fixing a jumpstart server in case things go not so well.  I’m confident but better safe than sorry.

Moleskins

All these trips to the airport has developed a fetish for moleskin journals.  I now have one for work, one for a diary and one just to fill with what ever nonsense is in my head.  I highly recommend these journals.  They are great to use on a plane and serve as a good information backup.  Computers can’t always be trusted.  I can’t believe in 4 hrs  time I will be in the airport, sipping a Caramel Machiato and writing in my journals while most people shall be sound asleep.

Lucky gits!