*Banging my head against a brick wall*

You may recall my post last week about the people I work with and the cockups they made whilst I was on holiday. Due to me being dead efficient and all, I managed to smooth over the problems, get the clients happy again, and generally return all to what appeared to be the happy state it was before I went away.

This morning I found out about all the problems that they'd *not told me about*, and a whole new raft of seriously upset clients (including my biggest spending account) sailed over the horizon waving their fists in fury.

So, once again, bang goes my bonus, just after I'd rescued it last week - and this time there's no chance of me rescuing it as it is far too late to do anything about it.

It's not often work gets to me this badly.

Me, me, and more me

As I’ve decided that my employers can whistle if they expect any work from me today, I plan to waste my afternoon with surfing & posting. So here’s some stuff.

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A CINEMA:
’Lost in La Mancha’, the docu-thingy on Terry Gilliams attempt to film Don Quixote. Not really a cinema film, more the sort of thing you’d find of channel 4 – and probably will in a few months time. Worth watching as an example of how things can go badly tits up.

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW:
Still trying to get through ‘Clarissa’ by Samuel Richardson; 6 million words long, and for hundreds of years the longest novel in the English language. I go back to it from time to time and I’m currently having a good run at it.
In between, I’m reading “Ash; a secret history” by Mary gentle, which is very well researched & written paint-by-numbers mediaeval heroic fantasy.

3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME:
Nuclear War. “One Hundred Megatons! KaBoom! Spin the wheel of death!” Ah, many happy afternoons.

4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE:
Private eye, most likely. It never fails to reinforce my view of humanity as venal, selfish, and pointless.

5. FAVORITE SMELLS:
Creosote, frying onions, Chinatown, fresh air.

6. COMFORT FOOD:
Cheese – Jarlsberg mostly.

7. FAVORITE SOUNDS:
The absence of human noise; no traffic, or distant music, or idle chatter. The sound of nature.

8. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD:
Doing something even though I know I won’t succeed – but having that moral imperative to do it anyway.
Being in a completely subjective situation where whatever you do a proportion of people will hate you for the choice you make, and having to do something anyway.

9. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
”Where’s the snooze button?”

10. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE:
Wendys; sadly their attempt to launch the UK franchise failed & was taken over by McDonalds.

11. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME:
Natasha.
Assuming that it is a girl.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME?
No one film: Spaced Invaders; Toy Story 2; Aladdin all come to mind.

13. Finish this statement, "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY, I WOULD....?
Waste it, just the same as I always do.

14. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
Only when I’m in a car, and only when I’m driving alone – that way, if I crash, I don’t kill my passengers.

15. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Only when Jenny is staying. I’ve always wanted a cuddly stuffed tiger like Hobbes, but I’ve never seen one on sale.

16. STORMS--COOL OR SCARY?
Storms are great; I remember dancing with & copping off with someone in one of the worst lightning storms I’ve ever seen in Southern Cemetary in Manchester – tres goth, darling

17. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
F reg Mini Metro. Paid for by the fruits of my own labour, no less.

18. FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK:
Red wine by volume, but I’ve recently developed a taste for Drambuie.

19. Finish this statement, "IF I HAD ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, I WOULD LOVE TO...":
I used to have a dream of being locked in a fully-stocked library for a few years…also go to the gym lots. Write the perfect game. Finish my book.

21. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
My hair is like me; too beautiful to dye.
(Other crap one-liners available on request)

22. GLASS HALF-EMPTY OR HALF-FULL?
At the moment, I’m just grateful that I get a glass at all.

23. HOW MANY DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS HAVE YOU LIVED IN?
Doncaster/Manchester/London.

24. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX:
The top of the Temple of the Jaguar at Palenque in Mexico. Best few days of my life, those were.

25. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH:
Karate, because I respect the skill of those involved.

26. SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON THAT SENT THIS
I stole it from puddingcat, who is my wench and is the finest wench that a chap could ask for.
(I hear that you can get finer wenches by paying for them, though)

27. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED?
Nothing! I tidied it on Saturday! And hoovered!

28. TOILET PAPER/PAPER TOWEL--OVER OR UNDER?
Does it matter? What sort of person cares?

Wanted:

Person going to ICC willing to share costs on room - or even give crash space :)