Well, I guess I have some explaining to do, don't I?
As I signed in blogger informed me that my last post was 6th August, which means I have lost over 7 months to a busy, stressed and generally 'no time to do anything but work and recover from it' kind of lifestyle.
So, where have I been? Well in reality, nowhere, well actually that isn't true, perhaps I beter explain.
At the beginning of September on the way to school (dropping my daughter off) I received a call from a friend of mine who had been teaching Chemistry at a college in Coventry (a town about 10 miles from us) and he said that his replacement had left and that the college were now in a spot of bother for a teacher for some of their classes. To cut a long story short I had a telephone conversation with the head of department and inside of a week I was teaching my first classes.
All in all, the job has been great, however, a steep learning curve for one not trained as a teacher. It has kept me busy, preparing, marking and generally getting my head around it. One thing I have discovered is that although I like teaching and helping people to understand Chemistry and science, I do not like all the paperwork that goes with it. Of course I understand it makes sense to track and recored things and there has to be some sort of quality management in teaching, but I do sort of object when it gets in the way of teaching.
In the defence of paperwork and observations, I was pleased to receive a Grade 2 (Good) on my most recent observed teaching session and once thing that I am sure helped was the thought I had to give to the paperwork (lesson plan) and how I was going to teach.
Anyway, we are now in the Easter holidays and I am taking a look at my life and our situation, which has drawn me back to writing the blog and to reevaluate what is important and how I need to change to meet the needs of the family in these tough times
Anyway I'll keep you posted and I promise not to leave you hanging this time
Polymer Parmenter
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Thursday, 7 August 2008
End of the line
I have been thinking about this post for a while and have finally found the time to actually get on her and write it. This is even more the case since today is the 6 month-a-versarry since I became unemployed. It is also the day after I received an email about the post I most recently applied for at the University of Warwick.
Where to start?
To understand this story better you have to go back to January of this year. You may remember I mentioned that I graduated back in January of this year. Over lunch my PhD supervisor popped in to see me and the family and asked how the job hunting was going. He suggested a few places to try for jobs and then I also mentioned that I had talked to a couple of academics about the possibility of working part time for the chemistry department looking at things on the electron microscopes - a sort of specialist that would look at samples a few days a week My supervisor said that he would be interested and that it had come to his attention that there was a lack of this sort of thing in the department and indeed the university, especially as I an my boss at the time were both due to leave. He said he would talk to a few people he knew and then get back to me. In fact he did talk to the head of department who was so enthusiastic he contacted the head of biology to insist that I be kept on. Sadly this was not possible and so as I understand it there were a number of high level discussions that went on about this topic and what to do. Additionally the post-doc in physics was also leaving meaning there was really nobody to man the scopes other than a few technicians. I don't know the whole storey but after much promising that a post was being created and that the job description was being written a job advert did eventually come out. According to my man on the inside the position fit my CV perfectly and there was support from those I knew in Chemistry and Biology departments. Unfortunately this was being run by physics. Prior to its publication was personally emailed by one of the professors in the physics department who asked me if I would be applying. I told him yes and then when the advert came out sent in my application. 6 weeks went by and then on the 6th June I received a letter stating that due to exciting developments in microscopy they were advertising a higher post and suspending the experimental officer post in favour of the senior research fellow post. I was informed that I could apply for the higher post but must meet the eligibility criteria. Well I did apply after trying to get a little more information from the inside sources I have, however they were stunned at the news and said they would look into it. Eventually at a meeting it became apparent that there was something afoot at a higher level and that this had determined the physics departments decision to act in this way. It seemed that after 4 months of patient waiting for a near perfect job it was not to be. I sent in my application and left the rest up to fate, hoping to get an interview at which I hoped to prove myself. That never happened and yesterdays 'Sorry, but no' email brings the whole sorry saga to an end.
There is however hope on the horrizon as I found out on Thursday that I have an interview on Monday 11th for another microscopy job... news to follow!
Where to start?
To understand this story better you have to go back to January of this year. You may remember I mentioned that I graduated back in January of this year. Over lunch my PhD supervisor popped in to see me and the family and asked how the job hunting was going. He suggested a few places to try for jobs and then I also mentioned that I had talked to a couple of academics about the possibility of working part time for the chemistry department looking at things on the electron microscopes - a sort of specialist that would look at samples a few days a week My supervisor said that he would be interested and that it had come to his attention that there was a lack of this sort of thing in the department and indeed the university, especially as I an my boss at the time were both due to leave. He said he would talk to a few people he knew and then get back to me. In fact he did talk to the head of department who was so enthusiastic he contacted the head of biology to insist that I be kept on. Sadly this was not possible and so as I understand it there were a number of high level discussions that went on about this topic and what to do. Additionally the post-doc in physics was also leaving meaning there was really nobody to man the scopes other than a few technicians. I don't know the whole storey but after much promising that a post was being created and that the job description was being written a job advert did eventually come out. According to my man on the inside the position fit my CV perfectly and there was support from those I knew in Chemistry and Biology departments. Unfortunately this was being run by physics. Prior to its publication was personally emailed by one of the professors in the physics department who asked me if I would be applying. I told him yes and then when the advert came out sent in my application. 6 weeks went by and then on the 6th June I received a letter stating that due to exciting developments in microscopy they were advertising a higher post and suspending the experimental officer post in favour of the senior research fellow post. I was informed that I could apply for the higher post but must meet the eligibility criteria. Well I did apply after trying to get a little more information from the inside sources I have, however they were stunned at the news and said they would look into it. Eventually at a meeting it became apparent that there was something afoot at a higher level and that this had determined the physics departments decision to act in this way. It seemed that after 4 months of patient waiting for a near perfect job it was not to be. I sent in my application and left the rest up to fate, hoping to get an interview at which I hoped to prove myself. That never happened and yesterdays 'Sorry, but no' email brings the whole sorry saga to an end.
There is however hope on the horrizon as I found out on Thursday that I have an interview on Monday 11th for another microscopy job... news to follow!
Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!
Hi all!
Sorry for being an absentee blogger, but I have been thinking about you all.
We had a little piece of good fortune care of my parents last week. Wednesday evening my mum called me about 10.30 and said "We have a bit of an urgent situation on our hands!" now my grandmother is 83 and so I panicked for a second in case it was something to do with her, however it turned out that they had made some kind of a mistake with hotel bookings and had managed to book a room in two different hotels for the same weekend!
Basically they asked if we wanted one of the rooms and of course we said yes at the chance of a free break.
So on Friday afternoon after a bit of hurried packing, we hopped into the car and drove down to Bournemouth on the south coast.The journey itself wasn't bad except for the part where the baby cried for about 40 minutes because she was bored. At home she can roam free and we haven't been on too many long journeys since she learned to crawl, so she took her nap for a few hours and was mighty put out to still be contained until we reached Bournemouth.
The girls didn't know that my parents were going to be there as all we had told them was we were gong on an adventure. We packed up their backpacks with clothes and swimming costumes and all they knew was we were going to sleep a few nights in a hotel. The deception worked brilliantly and when they saw Grammie and Grandad in the hotel bar they were surprised beyond words. They just looked at my parents, then up to Mageigh and then back to mum and dad. After a second a smile crept across my oldest girls face and her younger sisters face soon followed.
The hotel we stayed in was called the 'Belvedere' and despite having some very poor reviews on the website we consulted, we were happy enough with our stay. We called ahead to make sure the room was mould free and also to request a fan as some reviews had noted the rooms to be very hot even in the spring. The room was actually really good with a double bed, two singles and a cot. Startlingly both girls actually sleep in their respective beds and the baby even stayed in her cot for some of the night all three nights and all night on the Saturday night. The service we received was good and breakfast was also good. Additionally we had free use of the swimming pool much to the girls delight. Sadly we only got to go swimming once, however we all enjoyed it and we plan to go swimming again soon. All in all very acceptable and worthy of the hotels three stars.
Weather wise we were lucky and the rain stayed away except for one time when my dad had to hurry back to the pay and display car park to put more time on the meters. Despite getting caught in the downpour he wasn't too disgruntled. On Sunday we went to the Oceanarium in Bournemouth, as the weather was supposed to be wet. Everyone enjoyed themselves. I was most impressed by the massive Piranhas, which now having seen them close up actually look like the could eat a person or a horse in about 5 minutes. For the girls it was great and were delighted when they saw fish they could recognise from 'Finding Nemo'. Monday was a beach day and the weather held out, despite looking a little overcast. We did all get sun and my dad became a sand castle builder extraordinare.
I think the whole family had a good time and I know we all wished we could have stayed longer. In fact my oldest daughter even went so far as to ask my wife, "can we stay here forever?". My mum said she wanted us to have a break and boy was she right. For three days I was able to forget about jobs that didn't come and counting the pennies and pounds and calculating whether we could afford to pay a bill or rather have food instead. Of course I am now back and faced with it all again, but it was nice to have break from all that - Thank you mum and dad.
Sorry for being an absentee blogger, but I have been thinking about you all.
We had a little piece of good fortune care of my parents last week. Wednesday evening my mum called me about 10.30 and said "We have a bit of an urgent situation on our hands!" now my grandmother is 83 and so I panicked for a second in case it was something to do with her, however it turned out that they had made some kind of a mistake with hotel bookings and had managed to book a room in two different hotels for the same weekend!
Basically they asked if we wanted one of the rooms and of course we said yes at the chance of a free break.
So on Friday afternoon after a bit of hurried packing, we hopped into the car and drove down to Bournemouth on the south coast.The journey itself wasn't bad except for the part where the baby cried for about 40 minutes because she was bored. At home she can roam free and we haven't been on too many long journeys since she learned to crawl, so she took her nap for a few hours and was mighty put out to still be contained until we reached Bournemouth.
The girls didn't know that my parents were going to be there as all we had told them was we were gong on an adventure. We packed up their backpacks with clothes and swimming costumes and all they knew was we were going to sleep a few nights in a hotel. The deception worked brilliantly and when they saw Grammie and Grandad in the hotel bar they were surprised beyond words. They just looked at my parents, then up to Mageigh and then back to mum and dad. After a second a smile crept across my oldest girls face and her younger sisters face soon followed.
The hotel we stayed in was called the 'Belvedere' and despite having some very poor reviews on the website we consulted, we were happy enough with our stay. We called ahead to make sure the room was mould free and also to request a fan as some reviews had noted the rooms to be very hot even in the spring. The room was actually really good with a double bed, two singles and a cot. Startlingly both girls actually sleep in their respective beds and the baby even stayed in her cot for some of the night all three nights and all night on the Saturday night. The service we received was good and breakfast was also good. Additionally we had free use of the swimming pool much to the girls delight. Sadly we only got to go swimming once, however we all enjoyed it and we plan to go swimming again soon. All in all very acceptable and worthy of the hotels three stars.
Weather wise we were lucky and the rain stayed away except for one time when my dad had to hurry back to the pay and display car park to put more time on the meters. Despite getting caught in the downpour he wasn't too disgruntled. On Sunday we went to the Oceanarium in Bournemouth, as the weather was supposed to be wet. Everyone enjoyed themselves. I was most impressed by the massive Piranhas, which now having seen them close up actually look like the could eat a person or a horse in about 5 minutes. For the girls it was great and were delighted when they saw fish they could recognise from 'Finding Nemo'. Monday was a beach day and the weather held out, despite looking a little overcast. We did all get sun and my dad became a sand castle builder extraordinare.
I think the whole family had a good time and I know we all wished we could have stayed longer. In fact my oldest daughter even went so far as to ask my wife, "can we stay here forever?". My mum said she wanted us to have a break and boy was she right. For three days I was able to forget about jobs that didn't come and counting the pennies and pounds and calculating whether we could afford to pay a bill or rather have food instead. Of course I am now back and faced with it all again, but it was nice to have break from all that - Thank you mum and dad.
Friday, 25 July 2008
Thank you computer!
I mentioned that I have been playing computer games a little more. Something I hardly have the time to do. The reason is that a few weeks ago our desktop computer gave up the ghost and having no money for repairs I broke out the OLD Toshiba laptop. This is the computer which my parents bought for me in 2000 and saw me through my year in Germany, the last year of my degree and most of my PhD before the screen got so loose that I couldn't open it for fear of it falling off. The spec of this "beast" are as follow:
Pentium 3 500 MHz processor
128 Mb RAM
56.6 kb modem
DVD ROM drive
10 GB Hard Drive
Floppy Drive
D-Link 660+ Ethernet card
Well, thankfully it has a USB and PS2 port on the back so I was able to connect a mouse and keyboard as well as the monitor from the desktop. To the untrained eye it looks like I am at the desktop, especially as the laptop is on top of the box of the now dead desktop, however, I am running windows 98 and waiting patiently now and then whilst the computer "thinks" about my commands. I am extremely grateful however to have this and I marvel at the fact that it still works - Thank you Toshiba, thanks Mum and Dad and, I guess, thanks Bill Gates. So I return to my point - Starcraft. For those who know, just nod. Those who don't, well it is a game which was released in 1997/8 and is probably one of the greatest RTS (real time strategy) games ever released. It is basically building up a little force of men/aliens and kicking the other guys band of men/aliens into oblivion. Anyway it runs on like even the oldest machines (my current OLD laptop) and for nostalgia reasons I couldn't keep from playing it. Anyway I think I am weaning myself off of it and returning to normal life, however, I feel it is good to revisit the past sometimes (provided it is nothing too dangerous).
Stay tuned for more adventures soon!
Pentium 3 500 MHz processor
128 Mb RAM
56.6 kb modem
DVD ROM drive
10 GB Hard Drive
Floppy Drive
D-Link 660+ Ethernet card
Well, thankfully it has a USB and PS2 port on the back so I was able to connect a mouse and keyboard as well as the monitor from the desktop. To the untrained eye it looks like I am at the desktop, especially as the laptop is on top of the box of the now dead desktop, however, I am running windows 98 and waiting patiently now and then whilst the computer "thinks" about my commands. I am extremely grateful however to have this and I marvel at the fact that it still works - Thank you Toshiba, thanks Mum and Dad and, I guess, thanks Bill Gates. So I return to my point - Starcraft. For those who know, just nod. Those who don't, well it is a game which was released in 1997/8 and is probably one of the greatest RTS (real time strategy) games ever released. It is basically building up a little force of men/aliens and kicking the other guys band of men/aliens into oblivion. Anyway it runs on like even the oldest machines (my current OLD laptop) and for nostalgia reasons I couldn't keep from playing it. Anyway I think I am weaning myself off of it and returning to normal life, however, I feel it is good to revisit the past sometimes (provided it is nothing too dangerous).
Stay tuned for more adventures soon!
Where have you been??
I want to apologise for not posting for over a week, just in case you have been checking. Well I have had plenty of thoughts, but little chance to put them up here. My wife was ill last week and so I was looking after the three kiddies, which was tiring. I think it gave me an insight into what it is like to be a single parent - I am glad that it isn't on a full time basis. It got to the point where I was just glad to make it through the day with just a few fights and tantrums. I found myself just taking the chance to relax when their nap hour came, which meant playing on the computer or watching rubbish TV to have a little 'me time'. This meant that things like housework went out the window. It gave me an insight into how life must have been when I was working and I came home to find dishes in the sink and the vacuuming not done etc. I wondered how my wife had been slacking with only the kids to look after... boy was I wrong. I won't say she is completely better yet but she has been able to help a little more, for which I am very thankful. I have also been playing a little on the computer in the evenings, rather than logging on here.... possibly to wind down, but also just out of pure addiction.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Why are we here?
So how on earth do I come to be in this situation?
Doctorate from respected university - check.
Experience in polymer chemistry, with a years international industrial placement - check
Four years experience working with electron microscopes, two of those performing cryo-TEM unaided - check.
Yes in fact two weeks after my graduation my contract at the University of Warwick finished. I left with hope in my heart of beginning life as a supply teacher, having not found another post doc or job in industry. I wasn't panicked and there were murmurings of a possible job back in the University and so I figured I would bide my time. I was reliably informed and assured by a former friend that he could find me work as a supply teacher.
"It won't be a problem with a PhD in Chemistry and the fact that you speak German and French - those are the two most demanded subject areas" said this guy. So I stupidly trusted him and with the prospect of a job at Warwick sometime in the future figured supply was flexible and well paid. Needless to say this never came to be and I was given a list of excuses and finally just stopped calling his mobile to chase him. So I faced the prospect of no money coming in, bills to pay and don't forget the kids and wife to feed!
Thankfully the government has help for people like this, its called job seekers allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. After going through the process, which took 90 minutes on the phone and an interview a few days later we finally received some help (money) after a week or so to get us through and I have to say it does make me grateful to live in this country. My wife is from the US and as far as I know this is not the case - if your unemployed you are on your own so thank you Britain!
Doctorate from respected university - check.
Experience in polymer chemistry, with a years international industrial placement - check
Four years experience working with electron microscopes, two of those performing cryo-TEM unaided - check.
Yes in fact two weeks after my graduation my contract at the University of Warwick finished. I left with hope in my heart of beginning life as a supply teacher, having not found another post doc or job in industry. I wasn't panicked and there were murmurings of a possible job back in the University and so I figured I would bide my time. I was reliably informed and assured by a former friend that he could find me work as a supply teacher.
"It won't be a problem with a PhD in Chemistry and the fact that you speak German and French - those are the two most demanded subject areas" said this guy. So I stupidly trusted him and with the prospect of a job at Warwick sometime in the future figured supply was flexible and well paid. Needless to say this never came to be and I was given a list of excuses and finally just stopped calling his mobile to chase him. So I faced the prospect of no money coming in, bills to pay and don't forget the kids and wife to feed!
Thankfully the government has help for people like this, its called job seekers allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. After going through the process, which took 90 minutes on the phone and an interview a few days later we finally received some help (money) after a week or so to get us through and I have to say it does make me grateful to live in this country. My wife is from the US and as far as I know this is not the case - if your unemployed you are on your own so thank you Britain!
What's the point?
So, this is it, my first proper attempt at a "blog". To be honest I did have one before, which was supposed to document the trials of writing my doctoral thesis whilst being father to two small children and a husband to my understanding wife (thesis widow).
Anyway I didn't write more than a first post, choosing rather to write my thesis over a blog about my thesis - sorry it just didn't make sense.
However, with my thesis submitted, defended and graduation having taken place this January that wouldn't have been a terribly good blog. Now we have a slightly more real situation on our hands, namely unemployment!
This blog is for friends, family and also potential employers to give them a view into my world and me as I strive to get back to work and contribute to a company or institution, the nation to give back some of the welfare I have received and to science in general - a field I have been preparing and training in my whole life. I hope that you as the reader will enjoy this journey. I'll try to make it amusing and not just a boring list of what I did today and complaints about my life on the dole.
Thank you, now must be off!
Polymer Parmenter
Anyway I didn't write more than a first post, choosing rather to write my thesis over a blog about my thesis - sorry it just didn't make sense.
However, with my thesis submitted, defended and graduation having taken place this January that wouldn't have been a terribly good blog. Now we have a slightly more real situation on our hands, namely unemployment!
This blog is for friends, family and also potential employers to give them a view into my world and me as I strive to get back to work and contribute to a company or institution, the nation to give back some of the welfare I have received and to science in general - a field I have been preparing and training in my whole life. I hope that you as the reader will enjoy this journey. I'll try to make it amusing and not just a boring list of what I did today and complaints about my life on the dole.
Thank you, now must be off!
Polymer Parmenter
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