Just back from dinner

...w/ one of Robert's brothers and his family. They're passing through en route to the continent for several weeks' tour.

It was a splendid dinner at a fine restaurant (duck with fennel and green sauce for me); the kids found it a bit 'weird', though dessert went down easily. Hard to argue with chocolate terrine and Eton mess.

The family's strongest observations were about the multicultural mix in London and European migration. Of course they're visiting in touristy London, which is, well, full of foreigners. :-)

And they think the Tube is brilliant. Christchurch NZ doesn't have much public transportation.

I was surprised to hear that Christchurch still has a lot of buildings not yet rebuilt - not even yet knocked down - after the earthquakes a few years ago. The cathedral I can understand would take time, but I'd have thought agreeing on rebuilding the centre of town would be straightforward.

Sadly the handsome limestone 19th c university buildings, the ones that reminded me strongly of Queen's and Kingston, built in the same era, are all gone, lost to the earthquake and subsidence.

Can't talk busy workin'

Flat out at work, full brain engagement. Not a lot to spare.

New contract staff started last week, to help 'transition' the bulk of the content from one website to another.

Our list of authors (scientists who wrote up their own content to publish online) who we were preparing to train to use the publishing software on the new website has been slashed.

We supported 200 authors and editors who published their own stuff on the legacy site; we'd cut the list to 67 still-active users who actually logged on regularly.

We're allowed to train 10 - about 14% of our original estimate.

Guess who gets to pick up all the rest of the publishing? while continuing to 'transition' 135 websites onto the single platform? Joy.

All while we're going through a restructuring consultation about our team, which is the most blatant example of change management w/out admitting to it I've ever seen. This is pushing my 'how dare you?' buttons pretty firmly.

As a result: fewer posts. Still have to write up Coronation (short version: excellent castle, yay for doing court again, I love our pavilion even in the rain, and we have awesome scribes.)

Haggis was lovingly cared for by our new neighbours who doted on her while we were away; well, she's easy to dote on.

Friday's coming, thank goodness.