Well, today I don't really have much to say about anything. My bi-polar moods seem to be getting the better of me. Earlier I was practically ecstatic about the fact that I had posted a Mr Hudson and the Library video on Facebook, and I even took the liberty of stealing Lady Barron's new German word 'fabelhaft,' to indicate how I was feeling.
Now I'm staring out at the clouds steaming ominously across the Crawley sky up towards London (just in time to dump their cargo on the punters knocking off early on a Friday), and I can feel the corners of my mouth creeping downwards. It reminds me of those old women you see on New York buses heading downtown from the Upper West Side, with their perfectly coiffured hair (untouchable), navy Hush Puppies and red lipstick that looks freshly applied, but which is already sliding into the set creases of their permanently disaproving lips. Down, down, down. Their husbands are dead, they have cats called Alfie and Mittens, they huff if a teenager brushes against their arm and their handbags are never without a fresh tissue. Yes, I can feel it happening. I'm becoming one of them, and it's starting with my lips.
I think it's time for chocolate. Mmm. Yes, I thought you'd agree. More Rolos? I had some earlier, just after lunch, which helps explain my super high. And this low too.
So no. Actually, stop right there. Don't you go leading me astray with just one of your more-ish-looking Champagne truffle chocolates that you brought back from Bruges. Because this mission, you see, is all about no sweets. And not only no chocolate, but none of those M&S white-chocolate coated strawberries (which incidentally, I think they've discontinued), no Rolos, no Polos and no chocolate-coated caramels (one of which whipped out one of the Buckwell's fillings out the other evening, cheeky devil). I am going to stop eating sweets and see if it helps my moods.
No confectionary at all for... um, till the end of the month! Lucky it's a weekend, so at least I can have alcohol. Whew.
Where mission was conceived: Aaaaaaastral Towerrrrrrs
Type of location: Workplace
Idea-fuelling beverage: Not a drop of anything
Likelihood of success: Yeah, maybe, perhaps
Mission deadline: now till Tues 31 July
Showing posts with label in progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in progress. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 July 2007
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Miission 005: Woof, meow, squeak
My new mission is to acquire a pet. This is actually a joint mission with the Buckwell, who is suffering acute pet deprivation.
The main problem with this mission is that we're not really in a pet friendly situation, so we need a temporary pet. We have therefore identified our market as 'London pet rescue services' (as foster carers).
I've taken the liberty of doing a SWOT analysis for this mission - below.
See here if you're unfamiliar with entry level management tools:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swot_analysis
Strengths:
Ability to take a dog to work (the Buckwell)
Experience with a range of pets
Secure environment for a pet
No small children to pull tails or ears
Weaknesses:
Bad allergy to cats (me)
A small apartment with no outside space
Inability to take a dog to work (me)
Tendency to travel often and no one to feed the pet when we are away
Expensive furniture that could be scratched and ruined
No transport to collect pet or pet food
Opportunities:
Foster a small/invalid dog for Battersea Dogs Home
Foster a mother cat and kittens for a cat rescue centre
Foster a shy or unwell cat for another cat rescue charity
Threats:
Estate agents and prospective buyers coming to view our flat may not appreciate the presence of a litterbox
Reliance on charity to provide pet
No choice of pet could mean we end up with a dud
London weather can make walking a dog unpleasant
Where mission was conceived: 2nd floor, Astral Towers
Type of location: Workplace
Idea-fuelling beverage: Licorice tea (again)
Likelihood of success: 50/50 is probably slightly optimistic in London
Mission deadline: Sunday 25 Feb 2008.
The main problem with this mission is that we're not really in a pet friendly situation, so we need a temporary pet. We have therefore identified our market as 'London pet rescue services' (as foster carers).
I've taken the liberty of doing a SWOT analysis for this mission - below.
See here if you're unfamiliar with entry level management tools:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swot_analysis
Strengths:
Ability to take a dog to work (the Buckwell)
Experience with a range of pets
Secure environment for a pet
No small children to pull tails or ears
Weaknesses:
Bad allergy to cats (me)
A small apartment with no outside space
Inability to take a dog to work (me)
Tendency to travel often and no one to feed the pet when we are away
Expensive furniture that could be scratched and ruined
No transport to collect pet or pet food
Opportunities:
Foster a small/invalid dog for Battersea Dogs Home
Foster a mother cat and kittens for a cat rescue centre
Foster a shy or unwell cat for another cat rescue charity
Threats:
Estate agents and prospective buyers coming to view our flat may not appreciate the presence of a litterbox
Reliance on charity to provide pet
No choice of pet could mean we end up with a dud
London weather can make walking a dog unpleasant
Where mission was conceived: 2nd floor, Astral Towers
Type of location: Workplace
Idea-fuelling beverage: Licorice tea (again)
Likelihood of success: 50/50 is probably slightly optimistic in London
Mission deadline: Sunday 25 Feb 2008.
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Mission 002
New week. New mission. To eliminate, ok, maybe not eliminate...reduce the mind-bogglingly annoying and tedious neck and back tension that dogs my desk-bound life.
So what to do about it? Unfortunately I fear that on this occasion my genetics could have the last word, and my computer will have the penultimate one. My dear mother has been telling me about her neck and shoulder tension for about the last 25 years, to my knowledge. And there's a good chance she was also telling me about it for the previous 8, only I wasn't listening. As for the computer, it has me for least 9 hours a day, and that's not likely to change. Er, ...actually, I think I need to stop writing now as the only thing I'm doing so far is to talk myself out of this mission. So back to the action.
I am going to start yoga. Not the sticky, sweating, dirty-sounding Bikram yoga of Bikram Choudury fame. And probably not the chanting, calming, soothing Hatha yoga so beloved by breathy types with limpid eyes(I guess). I like the bendy, onomatopoetic, alluringly-exotic sound of Ashtanga yoga, and I've found a Thursday night class that offers it near London Bridge. It's all far too convenient and easy. So what's my excuse? I need a yoga buddy. So I'll need to convince the Buckwell to come along too. (Ah yes, you've found the mission fine print - my get-out clause.)
Where mission was conceived: 2nd floor, Astral Towers
Type of location: Workplace
Idea-fuelling beverage: Organic Licorice tea (really truly)
Estimated increase in quality of life I expect from the completed mission: Exponential
Likelihood of success: Mission possible but could be scuppered by my genetics
Mission deadline: Thursday 27 July.
So what to do about it? Unfortunately I fear that on this occasion my genetics could have the last word, and my computer will have the penultimate one. My dear mother has been telling me about her neck and shoulder tension for about the last 25 years, to my knowledge. And there's a good chance she was also telling me about it for the previous 8, only I wasn't listening. As for the computer, it has me for least 9 hours a day, and that's not likely to change. Er, ...actually, I think I need to stop writing now as the only thing I'm doing so far is to talk myself out of this mission. So back to the action.
I am going to start yoga. Not the sticky, sweating, dirty-sounding Bikram yoga of Bikram Choudury fame. And probably not the chanting, calming, soothing Hatha yoga so beloved by breathy types with limpid eyes(I guess). I like the bendy, onomatopoetic, alluringly-exotic sound of Ashtanga yoga, and I've found a Thursday night class that offers it near London Bridge. It's all far too convenient and easy. So what's my excuse? I need a yoga buddy. So I'll need to convince the Buckwell to come along too. (Ah yes, you've found the mission fine print - my get-out clause.)
Where mission was conceived: 2nd floor, Astral Towers
Type of location: Workplace
Idea-fuelling beverage: Organic Licorice tea (really truly)
Estimated increase in quality of life I expect from the completed mission: Exponential
Likelihood of success: Mission possible but could be scuppered by my genetics
Mission deadline: Thursday 27 July.
Friday, 29 June 2007
Mission 001
You know those days when you're not quite sure what you feel like eating, but you'd like it to be somewhat healthy with a hint of MSG? Or is that just me?
Anyway, a couple of days ago I was swilling back a few glasses of an average Sauvignon Blanc when the fabulous Lady Barron gave me a bright idea. "Honey", she said, "buy some frozen dim sum and a steamer and away you go". She's done it before in Sydney with great success (although it's called yum cha there), and so now I aim to follow in her culinary footsteps. Of course, it would be much more satisfying to make the dim sum from scratch (and also very 'me' - that's my latent attention seeker/purist/masochist in action). But on those lazy Sundays when it's raining in London, and the Buckwell and I can't be bothered to drag ourselves off to Soho to wait for a table, frozen dim sum would come in very handy indeed.
Now if only this mission could be completed by this Sunday...but I think, realistically, I need to aim for next.
Where mission was conceived: Dreambags Jaguarshoes, Shoreditch, London
Type of location: Bar
Idea-fuelling beverage: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
Estimated increase in quality of life I expect from the completed mission: Moderate initially, then low as the MSG takes effect
Likelihood of success: Mission probable
Mission deadline: Sunday 08 July.
Anyway, a couple of days ago I was swilling back a few glasses of an average Sauvignon Blanc when the fabulous Lady Barron gave me a bright idea. "Honey", she said, "buy some frozen dim sum and a steamer and away you go". She's done it before in Sydney with great success (although it's called yum cha there), and so now I aim to follow in her culinary footsteps. Of course, it would be much more satisfying to make the dim sum from scratch (and also very 'me' - that's my latent attention seeker/purist/masochist in action). But on those lazy Sundays when it's raining in London, and the Buckwell and I can't be bothered to drag ourselves off to Soho to wait for a table, frozen dim sum would come in very handy indeed.
Now if only this mission could be completed by this Sunday...but I think, realistically, I need to aim for next.
Where mission was conceived: Dreambags Jaguarshoes, Shoreditch, London
Type of location: Bar
Idea-fuelling beverage: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
Estimated increase in quality of life I expect from the completed mission: Moderate initially, then low as the MSG takes effect
Likelihood of success: Mission probable
Mission deadline: Sunday 08 July.
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