An emotional time at work, quality family time walking and gaming and getting back into ALL the podcasts.

Work

  • Enjoyed Ryan’s #LightningTalk about tech-friendly objectives in Github Projects
  • Started looking at Mailchimp alternatives to setup some internal newsletters (EmailOctopus looks promising following Marc’s recommendation)
  • Great chat with Jamie & Lion about how he’s experienced support at work
  • Celebrated some team changes and promotions with some remote Friday beers
  • Our first candidate interview of the new TAG process had a great attitude but just lacked enough experience to cut it in the team
  • Fascinating session reviewing the new Engineering Manager competency framework with my line manager, her often upgrading my self-assessment scores but raising interesting suggestions about neglecting areas due to too much kindness
  • London trip to say goodbye to Luca (with many succumbing to positive Covid results)
  • Presented a last minute “10 pro tips for engaging blog and podcast content” at #TechDevelops, creating slide content 2 hours before presentation
  • Wellbeing Day off last Friday so went for a swim, pub lunch and vinyl hunt

Life

  • Got the new Smart ForFour put through Mercedes diagnostics but nothing came up – fun driving the courtesy A-Class for the day though
  • Challenging muddy walk around Castleton in the Peak District with the family
  • Struggled through home-schooling Princess following crazy number of positive Covid cases in her class
  • Geeked out at Pixel Bunker in Milton Keynes, button-bashing on Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat with The Boy
  • The Boy’s first tae kwon do grading racked him with nerves
  • Rekindled a long lost love for (NBA) basketball, now looking into (another) monthly TV subscription
  • Joined the global Wordle craze with a new Ticktick habit, currently averaging a strong 4 attempts.

Sides

  • Recorded MLW with Shannon from 9 second news app, Volv
  • Produced Andy’s episode
  • Set some 2022 KPI’s for Make Life Work (4,000 downloads and 100 Twitter followers)
  • Introduced Taiwo to the House Finesse roster
  • Featured on Matt Asbury’s Leaders of Engineering podcast
  • Made my own mix for House Finesse
  • Welcomed another Si to On The Side
  • Refined the Apple Health to Personal Dash setup, now with a daily chart of movement and exercise

Watched

Read 📚

Listened

  1. S04 EP2: No bath since Brexit… on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  2. REWIND: With A Twist on House Finesse
  3. RHLSTP 363 – Laura Lexx on RHLSTP with Richard Herring
  4. Now That’s What I Call Parenting Hell – Volume 1 on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  5. Glitterbox Radio Show 251: Presented by Melvo Baptiste on Defected Radio
  6. #241 – Money, Happiness, and Productivity as a Solo Founder with Pieter Levels (Part 1 of 2) on Indie Hackers
  7. Defected Radio 14.01.22 with Carl Craig on Defected Radio
  8. Ep 151. Timber on Sh**ged Married Annoyed
  9. #HKR03/22 Hedkandi Radio on Hed Kandi Radio
  10. S04 EP3: “What is time?…” on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
  11. Change Yourself, Change Your Team: The Underrated Leadership Principles All Good Managers Follow (with Peter Anderton, Director of Internal Alignment) on Supermanagers
  12. Winter Sun with Taiwo on House Finesse
  13. Glitterbox Radio Show 252: Presented by Melvo Baptiste on Defected Radio
  14. Defected Radio 21.01.22 with Monki on Defected Radio
  15. The Warm Up with One Phat DJ on House Finesse