Personal: Life Update

Well, it seems I’ve managed to sort out that data parser I was working on – it finished its first successful run at 2.34am this morning. However, I was just falling asleep before it completed as I’ve just been too tired to do much (amount of code added to the parser since last week: 6 lines of regexp’s – number of runs to attempt to parse the data – I’ve lost count!).

So now I’ve got 1Gb of SQL statements that I’ve got to load into a database whilst combining at least another 85Mb of unstructured data to it. Then I’ve got to parse out HTML/PHP pages which has dynamic remote XML/SOAP parsing systems with cachability whilst ensuring the whole database can be searched – and then I’ve got to work on stage two which is “data expansion” as then I’ll have enough data to seed the new system which will use the dynamic SOAP system to capture even more data whilst another system spiders a few items. It’s hard work (even the theoretical planning and timeframes a beast), but hopefully I’ve have a helluva good system by the month end if I can actually get time to work on it.

Why don’t I devote more time to it? Well, let’s just say this – I’ve been at work 3 days so far this week and yet I’ve spent so long in the office I’ve already done 4 days work if you count the hours (Monday was systems upgrades and hardware modifications to the sales machines, Tuesday was finishing off the coding for a dynamic employment site along with finalising some bits with two new billing systems/CRM systems I’ve written, today was “manual labour” – move lots of stuff half way across the building and up a floor and then totally rearrange and rewire the office). And tonight I need an early night as I’m going “preliminary job hunting” tomorrow.

No, I’m not looking for a new job already – but I’ve decided that I want a change of career (I’m looking to go into the educational field – blame my GESF and her flatmate: although there were suggestions about me becoming a teacher even back when I was in secondary school and Grammar school). But for that, I need “paper qualifications” (I’ve got plenty of knowledge and experience, but no official piece of paper to say I know X, Y or Z). Therefore, before I can “get into” teaching, I need to get a degree. So first step is tomorrow – go down to the “Course Choice Fair” by the Open University at The Underwood Suite, Leicester Tigers’ Rugby Ground (in Leicester) between 5 and 7.30pm and find out what my options are.

I already know I’ll probably be looking at 3 years study at a minimum (IIRC, it’s three years university education full time for a teaching degree), then I’ve got to do a year NQT (Nearly Qualified Teacher training) before I become a teacher. So we’re looking at 4 years minimum. But, of course, I’ve also got to hold down a full time job whilst doing this (as I’ve got a mortgage to pay off and a cat to feed), so it’s probably double that.

Consequently, I’ll be looking for a new job around 2011 – somehow, I don’t think I’ll be handing in my notice any time soon 😉

Sheesh. 2011. I’ll be, like, 32 then(!). *gulp* That’s old – I’ll have to see if there’s a quicker way for more to become a teacher then – but that’s why I’m going tomorrow.

Anyway – I’m off to bed now: last night I was a bad boy (yes, I need spanking 😉 ), and stayed up until 1.30am reading – but it was Michael Crichton’s Prey . I just wanted to read a chapter of the 544 page book, but it was just so gripping so from 10.30pm to 1.30am, I was reading it all (occasionally checking on the cat, checking/restarting the aforementioned parser system and other things).

ALLO!