I am still here, albeit sitting in a whole in the ground way too much time. I am glad Maze is back from her space trip, though, and bugger, Tephlon, indeed...

Could you mail me your link? I'd like to know how such a page would look, I am still looking for something steady, and I'm interested in knowing what other people's portfolios look like... Or is that too personal? I'd be grateful for any kind of inspiration...

Crikey, Teph, that sucks, especially because it sounds all too familiar. Sounds like me last year, and, again, the answer was "get out of there as soon as you can", you're worth more than that, you deserve a lot better conditions, and there are better companies out there, get looking now!

I want to see your site as well, Tephlon!

I'm struggling at the work front as well. We are trying to certify our product on a specific operating system. These are the sort of email exchanges I am going through:

Me: We can't claim certification, we have tested only one type of configuration, on an older version of the operating system. We havent tested against the latest operating system which has features which will affect us. (This followed by examples and how they affect us)

Manager (to QA): See what Sam says.

QA: What does Sam say?

Me: <as before>

QA (to Release Manager): See what Sam says.

Release Manager: What does Sam say?

Me: <as before>

Release Manager (to guy who provided environment for testing): See what Sam says.

Guy who .. : What does Sam say?

Me: <as before>

Guy who .. (to Product Manager): See what Sam says.

(and here we have a deviation!!)
Product Manager: Version of what?! Operating system? Our product? Java?

(Gah! why can't he just read the bloody email!!)
Me: <as before>

This hasn't ended yet, if I'm lucky, it will stop before it reaches the CEO.

Poor Sam.

Unfortunatley my husband does the same thing with not reading emails and is known for sending out bloody stupid responses to emails that he didn't read in the first place only to be told to read the bloody email... Case in point invite emails are often answered with: I'm in. When? Where? and What time is it? WHich was all info provided in the invite. Sometimes it makes me want to strangle him cos its so embarassing.

Will put my site online ASAP. Though I just got word back that the first draft of one of my freelance jobs was "Not what they were looking for".

Which is OK because it was done without any info besides the specs.

2nd draft will be more visually impactive. (Gaah!)

You're not thinking of moving to Dublin are you Teph ? We're looking for webdudes currently...

...

I'd like to state, for the record, that my contribution to that conversation was an extensive and highly philosophical lecture on Chinese food, to which Bauke responded with praise and amazement throughout. That is why I have virtually nothing of any significance to say in the edited, bowdlerized if you will, version of the conversation and it is NOT because I was busy stuffing my face with chow mein and watching The Prisoner with Grace.

Obviously Garner had much to say about chinese food etc.
Also: Very philosophical.

Kat: Not really, no. If I ever do, I'll contact you.

I'm actually thinking of going for an artdirector job. SCARY; But I've
about 13 years of experience by now.

Speaking of zombies,I've not been around because I staged an elaborate scheme to go to England and abduct Simon Pegg(because he's lovely and gorgeous,and GINGER) but I ran into trouble with his wife,so I had to ship her off to Svalbard in a cod container.So now I have SP in my closet and I make him dance for me in a white shirt with a red penmark on it. It's brought me lots of joy.

Sunna, let him go! He has to be able to make movies! Great Movies!

Sunna wins the busy due to obsessive fan behaviour award. Congratulations! There was a lot of competition in this field but you pulled through in the end with making Simon Pegg dance in a white shirt with red pen on it... Clearly a triumphant effort.

Simon Pegg, THAT's the guy what I forgotted the name of!

And yes, please release him so he can make more movies or you will be robbing the world of one of its oh-so-rare famous gingers (and also acting talents)...

Gosh Spiky,I didn't even have a speech ready!

When I helped James move I kept his Shaun of the dead shirt, There is a good picture of him wearing it, but I don't have it anymore. So here is a picture of him in Korea. It takes a lot of my time talking to him there in the future.