Final Day!!

This was it.  Today was the day I finished off at Hewitt Associates.

I started off the day with working my back and tricep muscles at the gym.  Then got into work for my last four-hour shift.

Picture of the back of City Park

When I went to make my last breakfast in the kitchen (porridge oats, muesli and banana) my workmate Ryan came in and wanted to get me a Snickers bar from the vending machine, but the machine ran out of Snickers, so he got me a Toffee Crisp instead.  Was a surprise really.  Had not expected anything from Ryan.  However, he is a kind guy and on my birthday last April he bought me a Snickers bar.  He got me to choose a chocolate bar then so I chose Snickers cos it had peanuts which equals protein.  Haha!  Well he remembered that so that was cool of him =)

 At half past nine Ian and Leanne came over to my desk and gave me a gift bag.  The bag had a Good Luck card, an erasable Pilot pen and an organiser pad thingy.  The pen was the coolest - you can write on paper with one end and then remove the writing by rubbing over it with the special rubber end.  Voila!  Gone!  Soo cool!!  Again, another nice surprise from another two of my closer workmates who have become good friends.  Ryan is another buddy.  Me, Ian and Ryan worked in the same place in our previous job but were made redundant and all came to Hewitt together.  =)

At ten-thirty we were notified it was our monthly Fruity Friday when we get LOTS of fresh fruit delivered to the office for all the staff to enjoy as part of Healthy Eating Hewitt.  It has been going on for a couple of years now and each month I'd always be one of the more eager employees to go grab some fruity goodness.  This time was no different, especially it being my last Fruity Friday.  =D

An example of what we get to pick from =D

What I chose for myself  =9

At 12:10pm Ian came around to my desk again whilst I was doing work.  This time a big group of workmates followed behind and they gathered round to give me more leaving presents!!  =D  This presentation I was not as surprised with because it is a custom at Hewitt that if someone leaves we chip in towards a leaving card and presents for them.  But what I was really surprised with was what they got me!!  After a few words from my team leader and manager I was presented with another gift bag.  This time it was much bigger.  I looked in the bag and took out a big bottle of Appletiser!!  Who thought of that?!  It was David!  He remembered I don't drink and that I'd prefer Appletiser in our nights out.  Haha!  Cool!  There were also two bottles of Kopparberg alcohol-free Pear Cider.  Lol!  Class!  Apparently they are really nice.  And then there was a leaving card signed by a lot of workmates in the office.  Inside the card was a printed out Play.com voucher for £50!!  I was like "Woah!!  This is sooo cool!"  =D  What a surprise!  I had no idea they would have collected that much money towards my presents.  It was also very nice when they said I will be missed =)  I'll miss them too.  Some folk I've been around for three years now, sharing the same floor space and I won't see them anymore or say good morning to them.

After the group disbanded the Polish girls from Krakow who have been training with our team since January came up me and gave me ANOTHER gift bag.  They said they wanted to give me something to say goodbye.  They thanked me for helping to train them.  And they said that I'm always friendly and smart looking etc.  (Makes me blush!)  This was totally unexpected cos these girls I had only known for eight weeks and didn't think they'd get me anything besides maybe chipping in for the main presents from the office.  Inside this bag was a Good Luck card, a bottle of M&S red wine and a box of Lindt white chocolate! =O

I felt so loved.  So blessed by God that so many people expressed themselves to me through these gifts and it really meant a lot to me.  By the time I settled down there were only ten minutes left of my shift and I had to pack up my stuff, shut down my computer system and say final goodbyes to some folks.  And of course, take another picture!  Haha!

A picture with my buddies: David, Ian and Ryan :)

So off we went for lunch at Cafe Sejuiced.  My second visit in three days (the previous one was Wednesday).  The place was quite busy because it was a Friday and of course for a lot of people end of the month is also payday.  We struggled to find a table for the eight of us, but we managed to put three wee tables together to get us all seated.  Again, I was treated to lunch.  This time by Eileen and Roisin (Thanks girls!)  I had ham salad sandwich with Tomato, sausage and pesto soup =)  Wasn't very filling but lunching with the guys (and girls) made it very enjoyable.

(Left-Right: Agata, Eileen, Roisin, me, Bogusia, Dominika and Justyna)

(Same as above, except with manager Lee)

After lunch we walked back to City Park and I parted with them at the front door.  Hugs and handshakes all round and then I walked to my car to put my stuff in the car and drove home to get ready for a driving lesson.  There's no rest for the wicked they say.  Haha!  I feel so blessed and I know I will miss everyone at Hewitt.  I thank God for making me who I am, and for favour among my colleagues.  As I embark on my new journey as a full-time driving instructor I trust that He will continue to guide me and that I will be a blessing to those who are around me too.  All praises unto Him =)

Final Thursday

Didn't go to the gym this morning, so slept in till 8am.  The more I was in bed the more I wanted sleep.  Had to force myself out of bed.  Haha!  When I got in to work people commented that I was finishing up soon and it made it more "real" for me, that I will be leaving tomorrow!!  Ooh!

At one point I was in the kitchen taking a protein drink and a workmate commented that I am quite cut but not the overly big type.  Was a nice compliment.  =)  We had a quick chat about sports and fitness etc.  Indeed it does take devotion and dedication to achieve our body goals and I am quite passionate about it. =)

I tidied up my desk before I finished work and took home my mug and cutlery, went to Staples to laminate a checklist, then Tesco for fuel before I went home for some lunch.

My 3-2-1 lunch: 3 pieces of chicken, 2 sausages and a bowl of rice

Gave a driving lesson in the afternoon then came home for dinner with mum.  The weather was really bad.  Rain rain rain, but I still went out for a drive around Bishopbriggs after I washed up cos I will be meeting a new pupil tomorrow so wanted to check out their surrounding area and start mentally preparing a lesson.  Came home to tidy up some stuff, update my admin then blog!!

So... tomorrow will be my last day at the company!!  Oooh!  I'm going to go to the gym first thing and work on Back and Triceps.  Then have my last breakfast in the office and do some work whilst winding down and tidying up my desk making sure personal items are gone and leave behind what is useful to my colleagues.  I'm gonna miss the place of nice people whom I've gotten to know in the past few years.  =/

Final Wednesday

Back to the blog just in case somebody is reading.  Haha!

Went to the gym in the morning and worked on shoulders and abs.  Made it into work right on time to log on at 0845hrs then went to the kitchen to make my breakfast.  Nothing in particular stood out today apart from my workmate Caroline bringing in two boxes of cakes for our team: box of cream filled yumyums and a box of cream donuts.  She said she brought them in cos I'm leaving soon so that was "occasion".  Haha!  So kind of her.  It wasn't the first time she has spoilt us with her nice treats.  In the end she even gave me the three spares ones to take home so mum and Cat could have some too!  I praise God for people's kindness towards my family =)

After I had my sandwich and the yumyum at tea break I could not manage the banana so left it on my desk.  I also had to leave space for lunch with my colleagues later =P

So at my usual finish time of 1230hrs I went to Cafe Sejuiced with my workmates David and Caroline.  Had expected more people to come along but some had to postpone till Friday as they had a client meeting to attend.  The three of us went by my car (yes, Cafe Sejuiced it very close to my workplace but the sleet and snow was hitting us from all angles!  Haha!).  I dropped them off first before I parked up.  When I joined them at the queue they had already decided to treat me to lunch and did not take my money.  How very nice of them!!  =)

I had ciabatta bread with chicken mayo filling, coleslaw and side salad, with a bottle of water.  It was nice to have something different from the usual soup and sandwiches which Cafe Sejuiced is famous for.  Nothing wrong with soup and sandwiches in general, but I would prefer more meaty food and something more filling.  This time I was more full than previous visits =)

My lunch =9

We were allowed an extended lunch for this occasion, anticipating long queueing time since it was at peak lunch time we arrived 1240hrs.  However the queue was short and we managed to get a good table for comfortable for the three of us.  At the table we chatted about recent developments in the transition between Glasgow office to and Krakow, Poland.  Also talked about smoking, holidays and other random stuff.  At the end, I said a goodbye to Caroline as I will not see her again as she is next back in on Monday and I'll be gone by then.

At the dinner table =P

In the afternoon I gave a driving lesson in the sleet / snow and then came home for dinner.  After dinner I had two telephone conversations which resulted in two more new pupils from referrals.  Amazing!  Praise God for His provision.  As the days of full-time self-employment draws closer, I am reminded that pupils are the lifeblood to my livelihood.  The more the merrier.  All good things come from God!  Hallelujah!  =)

Off to bed now as my eyes are drooping.  Will get a lie in tomorrow.  Possibly to 0730hrs as I am not going to the gym.  =)

Final Tuesday

Went to Body Pump this morning 7am and then went to work.  Got in a bit earlier than yesterday morning and had my porridge oats for breakfast.

 

Typical breakfast: a packet of Oats So Simple porridge oats with additional muesli and banana.

The rest of the morning was just spent working through some processes and paperwork.  Didn't do any filing as there wasn't enough to cause me to take out all the lever arch folders etc.  Shall save up the filing for Friday I think.  Haha!  Here's a picture of my desk as it looked like before I started clearing up my desk in preparation for my leaving.

We're going for lunch tomorrow afternoon in the local cafe place called Cafe Sejuiced.  Popular for soups and sandwiches.  Instead of having a big leaving do for my departure (as a lot of colleagues commonly do) I just wanna have a lowkey lunch with the workmates within my wee team =)

More pics to follow!  =D

Gave a driving lesson in the afternoon, then went home for dinner before going to the local library to read between 1830hrs-2000hrs.  Dozed off a few times though.  Doh!!  Came home to study my Glasgow map and planned my next two lessons.  Reports are out that we should expect snow tomorrow.  Nooooooo!!!  =O

Caught in the Middle

It's not a nice feeling to be caught in the middle.  Between the good and better.  Between a rock and a hard place.  Between two girls.  Between two guys.  Between family members.  Between two job offers.

It's not a nice feeling.  Especially when emotions are involved.

Matters of the heart

Was asked if I was interested in going on a (not so) blind date last week.  It was sort of exciting to hear about it, especially when I heard the girl thought I was kinda cute and would like to go on a date.  Sounded good initially, but after better consideration, my mature self kicked into action and I had to tell the cupid that I am not ready for a relationship at the moment, not until I have settled down with my career first and I would not like to lead the girl on.  No reply since I told her that.  But it's fine, cos I know I'd rather nothing happen now than a simple "just friends" date that leaves things open-ended.  That would suck and leave things awkward.  However, I do thank God for giving me that opportunity to choose and I hope my decision was pleasing to Him.  I am sure God oversaw the whole thing.  The girl herself is a Christian too.  God has great plans for us.  =)

Songs of Solomon 2:7b reminds us "never to awaken love before it is ready."

Sometimes I forget and I always think "what if...?" and weigh up the potentials with another partner.  Do they have what I'm looking for?  Would I be what they are looking for?  Are we compatible? etc etc.  If the majority of answers are affirmative then my mind wanders and I start thinking how I could make my feelings known.  But then again, if I do and she reacts badly to it, what will I do?  Or if the result is positive...what then?  These are the sorts of questions I ask myself as well.  It's crazy.  It's just the excitement of chasing, of flirting.  It's nice.  Aye, I'll be honest, I like it.  But along with all actions comes re-actions and / or consequences.  And being the careful and sensible person I am I find myself stopping there and not allowing myself to proceed.  Only for a moment.  Then later the thoughts begin again.  Then stops.  Hahaha!  Talk about a vicious circle!!  =O

Beginning the countdown

So it's almost the end of the week after I handed in my notice of leave to my HR company.  I guess now's the time if I had a monthly calendar, for me start red crossing off the days of the week until I reach the final "D-day" which will be Friday 26th February, where I will have circled several times.  But no, I don't have a calendar and so I won't be crossing out anything. Instead, I'll just note down how things progress as my days in the office come to an end.

Monday (1st) was when I handed my notice in to my manager right at the end of my half-day shift.  He was a little surprised to receive it now, although he had been expecting it since a few months back when he took up this position (my previous manager emigrated to Australia and is currently enjoying the sun and beaches with his family!).  The shift from 8:45am-12:30pm went by quite smoothly without any problems.  I also managed to print off some driving instructor stuff before I packed up for the day.  Making using of the otherwise limited resources whilst I still had the chance.  Haha!  It was tonight that after praying I decided to ask AA for pupils.  I set my maximum pupil number to 2 per week, just to start off with.  I wait and pray.

Tuesday (2nd) I went to Body Pump class for 7am and felt fresh for my shift.  But for some reason I got a bit frustrated with the usual training of two people.  Dunno why, maybe I felt a frustrated because of something petty.  The frustration appeared when I felt my "good intentions" were not appreciated.  I couldn't wait for the shift to end.

Wednesday (3rd) Shift was better than the day before.  Had checked my AA diary for new pupils and didn't see anything.  In the evening a potential pupil who happened to be a friend contacted me asking if I were free to go out for driving lessons.  We had a discussion about lessons before Christmas but nothing came of it, mainly due to the horrendous weather at the start of the year.  Was told they would do lessons once the snow cleared.  However, the snow was pelting down yesterday when I was asked if I were available.  How ironic!  The weather had been nice in the past two weeks but no signs from the pupil but now that it's snowing (again!).  Excitement bestowed my heart as I called the pupil to arrange our first official meet up in a few days.  In the back of my mind I reminded myself of God's goodness to me, blessing me with this pupil at this time :)  Later on I checked my AA diary again and lo and behold a new pupil was assigned to me!!  Whoo-hoo!  Someone quite local as well which would make lessons much more convenient without the long travelling time.  Two pupils in one night!  Thanks be to God!!

Today... well this morning as I was leaving Greens Gym, I had to wait for the car park barrier arm to raise before I could drive out.  A man saw me stick my fob at the machine and then called out to me, "Big man, how much do you charge an hour?"  I told him the price and then he said he would be interested in taking some lessons.  Looking at his age and the fact that he told me he had not been driving for thirty years due to injury helped me conclude he has a license but just needs refreshers.  Nonetheless, I gave him my card and asked him to call me later to discuss lessons etc.  I could not stop any longer as there were cars waiting to leave the car park too.  My heart was so happy and filled with glee because again I felt God's provision for me.  Three pupils in two days.  Ok, I won't count my eggs before they hatch, maybe only two in two days, but still, I was definitely reminded of God's love as I drove to work.  It added another spring to my step, along with the excitement after Circuits class.  =)

So it goes to show, when God blesses you, nothing can stop it.  It's just amazing and so overwhelming!  Praise God!  =D

Handed in my notice

I handed in my notice to my manager this afternoon just before finishing my half-day.  The four weeks count down or one month, whatever they want, starts today.  I will be a full time driving instructor as of 1st March 2010.  Things will be very different then in many ways.  =)