I usually work from home, occasionally going out to meetings or to run workshops for clients.
The great side of that is that I can walk the dog, and come straight in and sit at the desk and start thinking, working or whatever. The down side of that is that I often sit in my dog walking clothes all day long. While that’s definitely slovenly it too has its obvious advantage in that I’m already dressed for the next dog walk which comes just before dark (because she doesn’t like the dark much, but is better if it becomes dark while we’re out, rather than venturing out into the dark). And truly I guess it doesn’t matter, but given that I used to be oh so smart at work, it’s a bit of a come down.
Today though I have an important and scary telephone meeting where I’m pitching to do some consultancy for a small Swiss bank. Small they may be, but they are big enough as a business to get involved in Formula One sponsorship.
I started writing my notes early this morning, then at 7.30 I took the dog out for an hour. I came in, showered, tidied my beard (if i said I had a shave people would expect to see me clean shaven rather than just a bit neater), quick squirt of perfume (Penhaligons Castile) and then dressed in an ironed shirt and great trousers, I even put shoes on.
And it has worked. I feel ready to take on the call. In fact I’m really looking forward to it. But I am scared as hell. It has been years since I did something like this. I’ll be reporting back. 20 minutes to go.
It’s our niece Carol’s birthday in a couple of weeks and she’d said she wanted a utility dress.
I think Mrs G was a bit worried when I suggested that I knew just the thing and even where to get it.
There have been times when I would have been awkward and bought my understanding of a utility dress from somewhere like Labour and Wait, something in heavy cotton twill with lots of pockets for balls of twine, scissors, pliers and the like, but not this time. I have regular emails from Republic since I bough Carol’s brother a G-Star hoody a couple of months back, and a recent one featured just the ticket.
Women’s dresses are not generally my thing. I barely even notice them, but Carol’s I’ve now ordered and hopefully I will get some points from the family for getting it right. I even managed to avoid ordering anything else for myself.
That was about it for excitement yesterday. A dull and sometimes wet day in Manchester can be hard to take inspiration from at times.
Today I’ll be chasing a couple of invoices to pull in enough money to pay the accountants bill. I used to think of friends as cheapskates when they’ve used book keepers who work from home to do their accounts, but next year I’ll be thinking seriously about doing just that. My income is OK, but paying half of a month’s money to the accountant upsets me deeply!
I’m not that bothered about going to a fireworks display tonight.
For years I’ve loved it and can still remember that first time I was taken to a big professional display.
One year I took my mum up in the London Eye at dusk to watch displays over London and it was truly fabulous.
I’ve had the most fun when mates have clubbed together and we’ve spent a few hundred quid on getting a decent selection and letting them off ourselves, though how we’ve avoided anyone getting hurt I really don’t know.
I’ve put my declining interest down to age – and concern for the dog. But age is being thrust at me rather too frequently at the moment. I’m a big fellow and a tad chubby, but not so heavy that I’m worried about it. OK perhaps it slows me down a little, but I can still hammer up the huge flight of stairs to our flat without having to catch my breath. So I was a little put out when my sister sent me this link to buy Xenical online. Put out at the suggestion that I might need drugs to help me slim, but then also quite intrigued that you can buy slimming drugs and many others off the internet. I guess there’s no reason why not actually, all the prescriptions are checked by a specialist doctor.
And that thought too just goes to reinforce the onset of middle age.
Do you know what?
I don’t care a jot. I’m happy to be my age and only regret not listening to older folk when I was younger. In fact I didn’t listen to much at all when I was younger!
Hopefully I don’t need the Xenical yet – but there are others who I’ll perhaps suggest it to. Subtle , every step of the way.
I’d forgotten my somewhat impetuous online ordering spree last week and so was delighted when the postie rang the bell this morning to say I have a big parcel to collect. I wouldn’t even have minded if I had to go up to the depot to collect it.
Inside were both my nephew David’s and my G-Star tops. Excellent. That only took a couple of days. Easy. Just a shame I didn’t think to get David’s sent to him, I can’t imagine the lack of personal wrapping paper would bother him too much.
I’m still pretty fragile from Sunday night’s bug and I use that as my excuse not to do any real work, but instead assemble the new desk I bought at IKEA last week. IKEA furniture has the ability to make a man feel like a god, or a dunce, and I’m hoping for the former, to help rebuild my mojo as well as giving me a new work space.
This one goes well, not perfect first time, but also nothing that a deft bit of tweezer work couldn’t put right. Within an hour I’m finding stuff to fill drawers that I didn’t even own before – where does stuff come from?
It’s my nephew David’s 15th birthday next week. Well he’s actually my god son, but he calls me uncle and so in my confused state I think of him as a nephew. When I asked what he wanted for his birthday Steve, his dad, advised using Republic to get him a hoody. Apparently anything from Republic is cool these days in David’s eyes.
Within a few minutes I’ve ordered David a G-Star top. David may never have heard of G-Star for all I know, but I just love the ads with the spud ugly chess master Magnus something, and of course the girls’ ones with the ever luscious Liv Tyler.
But that’s not the story. Next up I’m ordering another one (not the same, but too similar for us to be seen together) for myself. This wasn’t because it was cheap or anything – at nearly £70 it’s probably the same price in the G-Star shop in town, but it was just so convenient and spontaneous. Also I get the thrill of shopping twice – once just buying it, and then again when it turns up. Hey maybe even a third time when I have to go to the post office to pick it up!
Blimey – I must watch myself. Online gaming and now online shopping, all in the same week.