Little Wins

[mdgv2]

How do!

A somewhat ego stroking thread, where we can share those Little Wins in life. Those situations where we, the self identified little person get one over. Even if it’s just in our own mind. And on that last point? No bringing anyone else down, yeah? Only support and tooting of one’s own horn.

I’ll kick off.

Me. A 44 year old with 12 years experience in my career and nearly 30 year old “C” grade GCSE’s have once again run rings round a solicitor at work, to the point they dropped their client like a hot potato covered in shit and probably Ebola. As someone with a not exactly well justified chip on my shoulder? This made me happy. Spesh as work wise, I’m noted for being politely forthright in my outcome communications.

Now I’m not gonna pretend I’ve bested the best the legal profession has to offer. I mean, at best I’m dealing with someone who scraped through their degree with a Desmond, and didn’t come from the sort of societal background they could gain a pupilage (sp?). But it still makes my idiot heart happy when this stuff happens. I guess it’s akin to the IT Guy telling his boss the demands won’t work and it’ll all implode, then being proven right when forced to implement that. The sort of “think very carefully if you’re asking me to do the job I do, the job you don’t understand half as well as I do” feeling, I guess.

[herzlos]

Well done

I've made a new work nemesis in a project manager, but I haven't had any victories yet.

I have some slightly more mundane wins though. I managed to build a small brick wall that doesn't look completely terrible, and built a really cheap internet wheelbarrow successfully despite the borderline useless instructions and included tools.

[Haighus]

Ooh yeah, got some diy ones. Wall mounted some Ikea Kallaxes (Kallaxii?) and a clothes rail recently. Nothing has fallen off yet!

Also laid some laminate flooring. Very satisfying. Adding skirting boards later is much less satisfying, that was a pain.

[crispy78]

Yeah, did laminate flooring in our old house. Living room, through to a T shaped hallway and into the downstairs loo in one basically continuous floor. No previous experience. Felt good!

[Haighus]

Jul 4, 2024 4:16:16 GMT -5 crispy78 said:

Yeah, did laminate flooring in our old house. Living room, through to a T shaped hallway and into the downstairs loo in one basically continuous floor. No previous experience. Felt good!

I think its something about the way the progress is so visible, and unlike painting there is no second or third coat, once its laid its laid.

It isn't the first time I've done it, laid a couple floors about 4 years ago, but now it is my own house so feels better.

[mdgv2]

DIY is definitely satisfying, regardless of the scale of the job.

I’ve got another case involving solicitors, and I’m very hopeful I can get them to back off too.

[herzlos]

Jul 4, 2024 4:16:16 GMT -5 crispy78 said:

Yeah, did laminate flooring in our old house. Living room, through to a T shaped hallway and into the downstairs loo in one basically continuous floor. No previous experience. Felt good!

I like laying laminate, it's really slow but because it's small pieces if you mess something up you can just grab another board and keep going. I have no ability to do carpet without strategically placed furniture to cover the points where I cut in the wrong direction!


DIY is great though, especially the progress. I've been doing a lot in the garden since we moved and for the most part it looks like nothings happened until it just suddenly transforms. I'm not that good at it but it's satisfying all the same.
I was moving stuff around with my new barrow today and it didn't fall apart either.

[Haighus]

Its interesting seeing others experiences. I find laying laminate quite quick, but gardening takes me forever!

[herzlos]

It takes me most of a day to lay a laminate floor, but I did save a bit of time with one of the laminate cutter guillotine things. I'm including ripping up the old flooring, pulling out staples etc. I usually take the base boards off and re-fit to the laminate rather than putting beading on.


Gardening takes absolutely forever too though. We've been in the new house nearly a year and I've still got a lot to do, but it was crazy overgrown and needed a pretty much complete overhaul. I've been saving a lot of time there by sending most of the branches to a local nature reserve for them to use to cover boggy ground, which means they collect it on a huge trailer instead of me having to cut it into tiny pieces and take to the dump. Altruistic and lazy is my favorite combination!

[mdgv2]

And after a truly rotten weekend of airport incompetence, missed flight, queue jumping arseholes, lost luggage and £120+ on excess travel costs, not to mention an airline which frankly couldn’t give a fuck? I’m having myself a little win.

Lorne Sosig and Black Pudding rolls, with a dod of HP.

[mdgv2]

Been trying to track down a book from my childhood, called Myths and Legends. And I remembered ISBN exist for a reason. Quick bit of internet cunning lead me to a website where you can search a book’s title and year of publishing - and can put in a range of years.

Lo and behold? Found it, got the ISBN…and a copy ordered from Amazon for a mere £3 with free postage.

I’m well chuffed!

[Haighus]

Found out the conference I'm attending today has free food. Winning.

[mdgv2]

Definitely a win!

May you eat your body weight in tasty canapés!

[Haighus]

Its in an airport hotel too, so I was expecting extortionate food otherwise.

[herzlos]

Airport hotels are the worst for everything except early morning flights.

Free food on the other hand is always a win.