No.115 Of Fix-It Fever & Other Stories

Unaccountably I seemed to have developed a kind of fix it fettish at the moment. I'm just in a fix it mode or should that be mood. In the last three days I've fixed the garden (if weeding qualifies as "fixing") my MG (if getting the mechanics out to it qualifies as me fixing it). I've fixed the puncture in the back wheel of my bike and in the front wheel of my spare bike (if taking aforementioned gear to the bike shop in Randalstown allows me to claim this too). I've arranged for someone to fix my garage door on Wednesday that is broken and jammed half open and I've fixed something on my mobile that never worked but now does (something too small to mention and possibly embarrassing to share). I'm pleased I'm in this kind of mood because being from the "I'll get round to it another time" school it happens rarely. But hey make hay when the sunshines?

The sun is not shining right now. This morning I refused to wear a jacket out of the house thinking it is summer and to do so will only invite bad weather. Now I can't get out the office because it's lashing down and I'll get soaked in just a shirt above the waistline. Boy how decisions can go badly wrong on you hey? No coat, no umbrella - which I could fix that..

No.114 Tricks of the Mind & The Weather

We're back on the road! Me, the MG and the North Antrim Coast road were at one early Saturday morning as the wheels kissed the sun blessed tarmac and we shot round one bend into another. Oh the utter joy of driving!

I'm reading Derren Brown's book called "Trick's of the Mind". It's a great read. He doesn't hold his punches and sets out to be both polemical and challenging. It's interesting how he squares his faith (or may be his former faith - I'm still early on in his book) with what he does. I'm also reading The Articulate Executive by Granville Toogood. Great name hey? I've decide the best way to read is to read two books at the same time. I have a very low attention span and usually put down a book after 20 minutes thinking I'm bored of reading when I'm probably just bored of that book and need to substitute it for another. That's the theory. We'll see and no doubt I'll report on this great new technique in due course.

The weather is teasing me at the moment. The Beeb forecast rain all day which is why I'm in a at work. Through the window I see only sun. Just when I decide to wrap things up and head out the rain comes.

No.113 Of Gratuitous Bay Reversers & Other Serious Criminals

I arrived early today for the early bird swim. In fact so early I beat all other early birds and the staff of the pool into the bargain. As I sat there in the car whiling away the time I watched someone else try to park in a carpark that was empty but for me. The person chose the far set of bays. This much made sense I guess because they were nearest the entrance and required therefore the shortest walk (though if she was swimming to get fit it might strike some as an unusal irony that she had to get so close). But then I watched as the car swung round and the driver attempted to reverse into the space. Three goes at this and the car was finally perfectly between the lines. Why not head for two bays end on and drive into the second bay so when you return you can also drive out forwards but you've not spent time (and a bit of petrol) reversing in? I wonder if these people (shall we call them "gratuitous bay reversers") are also the people that drive right up to roundabouts and stop then look to the right to see no cars in sight anywhere bar two in the mirror slamming on their breaks desparately to avoid a pile up?

I feel a national debate coming on...

No.112 Of Dragon's Den and the Devasting Effect of Lathargy

I've been whitevan man today. Picking up furniture, shifting bikes with punctured wheels to the repair shop and moving a filing cabinet for a friend. Vans are damn useful things - I could have done none of this lawfully in a convertible but I guess that wouldn't have stopped me giving it a go.

I've just been catching up on Dragon's Den from last night on Playback. It had some great entrepreneurs on including a woman from Scunthorpe who charmed them all and a former barrister who looked strangely familiar. Where are all the loopers nowadays and those that would go into the Den thinking they really know best? Peter Jones seems to get taller, Bannatine more miserable and Meenan younger looking with every series (her surgeon has clearly made a good investment).

Hot and sticky weather all day today. This has to be my worst type of weather - it makes me fell really lathargic even to the point that I can't be

Riddle: What am I?

No.110 Of Yoyoing and Dogwalking

I've had a yoyo networking experience today. Up and down. Up and down. I've experienced probably the most useful half hour of networking ever and the most useless/frustrating too both in the same day. But hey 8 meetings in five hours is some going.

The line up for our 11th Annual Review is now confirmed and looking really good. We've got some superb speakers over a great range of topics. If I wasn't chairing the event I'd go to every parallel session myself.

It's been pouring off and on all day today. As I type I see the tap is off at the moment so I must away and fire the neighbour's dog along the riversedge whilst there's still a chance of us both not getting soaked.

No.109 Of Tables & Chairs

Wow!

I'm getting the hang of this auction thing now. Tonight I purchased a kitchen table and six chairs for £70. It would have been £30 if it hadn't been for some guy in front of me muscling in at the last minute. These are to go in the kitchen. The existing table there is to be transported into our new board room. Oh it's all be carefully worked out you know. All we need now are five more board room tables and a whole load of carpet.

Dublin tomorrow and six meetings including one with a Twitter contact. She's the only person I've met to date who also has a Twitter seminar under her belt so I'm curious to find out how it went for her.

Ho hum off home for to prep for Dublin.