50+ and proud of it.

Not an amusing post, but I got a new job starting 1st July. Now, it's the same job, at the same desk, at the same site but working for someone different (not IBM, hooray!) And, here's the best bit - more dosh. In true IBM style, I don't hear or see a manager in months and 5 minutes after the "I quit" Note is sent (a "Note" is an email for those of you who don't use Lotus Notes - or Lotus Not, or Doesn't as it's known) I get a phone call from my manager. "Why are you leaving?" "Who are you?" I thought that put it rather nicely, don't you?

Last February I thought it might be a good idea to switch broadband providers from the lesser known eZeeDSL and get a "total package" with my current home phone provider, Homecall - basically it's cheaper... Anyway, I got a MAC code and rang it into Homecall. Time passes, and so does the expiry on the MAC code. "Hello, what's happening about my broadband?" "Who are you?, Oh yes, err um, your MAC code isn't valid." "Err, did you bother telling me? What's up with it?" "It's for an LLU exchange thingy" >click< Get another MAC code in March and ring up another Homecall Muppet. "Here's my MAC code. Is it all right?" "Oh yes, here's your order number. Stuff will be in the post shortly." Time passes, and so does the expiry on the MAC code. The mat by the front door is suspiciously empty of routers etc. "Hello BT, this is what I want" "No problem sir, it'll all be with you

Yes, I know. I said I'd reserve that for Mustangs, but today I learnt something. "The Book" (i.e. the smart Roadster manual) mentions something about "sports starts". Basically you hoof the throttle down all the way and the engine revs to 3000rpm before the clutch engages. Now I've been doing this already and to be honest I wasn't that impressed with the 0 to anything speed. ('anything' to 'more than anything' is still very impressive however). Today I sat on my favourite roundabout in lane three and this taxi drives up my inside. Something tells you that he's going right as well. We can't have that now can we? No. So, I tramped it as normal - but this time something went "click" and the gas pedal went down just that bit further - the car accelerated so much that I actually couldn't let go to get to the upshift nor reach the "+" paddle without endangering the fact that I was trying to steer left around the

So there I was flying along this country road in the smart Roadster and this *big* van comes hacking round the corner. To be fair, if I'd been in the Mustang I wouldn't have been going that fast, but I was. A lot in fact. "It was his fault Officer, he shouldn't have been doing 40" "How fast were you going?" "Erm, a lot more" ...that was the conversation I imagined in that brief instant when your life flashes in front of you. However, I jut braked, hard, and swerved. The SAM too had a little conversation with itself. "Oh dear, I suppose he wants me to take over then" I was absolutely stunned to find the car had simply stopped with no drama an inch from the bank. Very, very impressed I am with these things... Have I learned my lesson? Yes, I won't be going that fast just there again.