August update - What's occurring?

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Greeeeeeeeeeee – tings! It’s been a while, how have y’all been? Well I hope. So what’s been happening with the family Mudpie over the last few months I hear you ask, well we’ve been on holiday which was awesomeness but I’ll add another blog for that but a few other key events have happened since we just last, the biggest of which being me getting a new job (and if this is the big news it also means there’s no news of another baby on the way, thankfully...) but anyway, my job..

Going way back to when I started this blog in 2004 I took a career break from my job of 6 years to go backpacking around the world, hence the Travelblog, but when we came back Fiona couldn’t get a job in Edinburgh which meant we moved North to Dundee and I got the first job I applied for, with a Law Firm. Fiona moved on to another job further North in Aberdeen and we moved house again to Montrose and I kept my job and we both commuted 35 miles in opposite directions.

Over 6 years later I still worked for the same Firm although my job had evolved somewhat into something that I really enjoyed, I was well respected internally and extremely knowledgeable in my field but unfortunately I didn’t feel like I was getting the recognition I deserved externally and certainly wasn’t getting rewarded as well as I should have been for the work I was doing in relation to other companies and industries. So it was with a little bit of sadness that I decided to start looking at what else was out there around Easter time.

I applied for a few things and was offered two positions, one in Dundee doing a similar type of job but moving from Legal to Mechanical Engineering, the pay was good but job itself sounded quite dull if I’m honest and as I was sitting on that one I was offered the job I really wanted, and in turn accepted, which is in the Oil and Gas industry up in Aberdeen.

It’s a really good job with a great company and I’m convinced it’s the right move for me. It has opened me up to exposure in sector that I’ve always been interested in but have found difficult to break into and it’s still growing despite the recession, in fact the Oil and Gas sector seems completely oblivious to the fact that there is a recession on the go!

I was sad to leave Thorntons and all the good work and friends I’ve left behind but it came down to a choice between staying where I was, being conformable and earning decent money to being ambitions and taking a risk on something new that had better rewards and career opportunities. I’ve been here a couple of months now and am beginning to find my feet, it’s difficult coming from somewhere where I was in the thick of everything that was going on and most things had to come through me to being on the periphery and almost learning my trade again. I’m sure I’ll get there though.

So what else has been happening? Well the weather here has been nothing short of horrific, the worst summer on record, wet, dull and wet. It’s even been cold at times; I hate it and was so glad of a fortnight in Italy last month to get some heat into my bones.

Fiona and I went to a wedding of one of her colleagues, Jenny, last month – we had a great night and stayed over in the hotel without the kids which was nice. One of us had a little too much to drink and felt horrific the next morning, only to be reminded that he or she was the undisputed dancing champion of the world after winning a dance off with moves that included the robot, skipping on the spot, tap, Irish and the sprinkler. I’ll leave you to guess who it was....

Moving on, swiftly, we had Ella’s baptism last Sunday which was really nice, a big crowd of family and friends in the chapel then on to a local hotel for a great feed and a few drinks, many laughs and a great catch up with people we don’t see enough of, although it is nice to see them outside of a funeral which is where the family normally father these days...

As per usual Dundee United are still the world’s greatest Football team and start the 2012/13 season tonight against the might of Dynamo Moscow, I’m looking forward to the home leg in seven or so hours but unfortunately I won’t make the away leg in Russia next week due to work commitments, bad times. Lois got her first season ticket for United this season at the ripe old age of three-and-a-half, she has very little interest in football and will probably never come to the games but I’m trying to bribe her with a fun filled day of cinema, McDonalds then football and she's nearly convinced, maybe...

So that’s us about up to date, Fiona’s preparing for her return to work on the 12^th of September but before that we’ve got her sister’s wedding in early September so a few days off for that and I’ll try and add an update after then.

All that’s left to say is Go Team GB!

Italy blog to follow in the next few days, which will actually be dated before this so you might see it first.

Hmmmn,

Over and out.

Mudpie Inc.

PS - More photo's to be added later...

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Photos

Ella has turned into a teddy...
Not sure where she was, probably breaking and entering somewhere...

Lois
Or DJ LoLo as she likes to be called...

Generation Mudpie
The family unites to create a superpower...

Lois hits the beach this summer
Freeeeeezing it was

The Home of Football
The World Famous DUFC take on Everton