Happy viewing

Yesterday a very nice man came from Time Warner to fix up a HD cable box to our lovely Sharp Aquos TV. He was on time, polite, competent and patient. The new TV is now producing pictures better than we've ecer had and we're paying less for more channels, many of which are in stunning (and stunningly wide) HD.

I bought the TV while Jude was away - it's multisystem; so it will go wherever we do and work with whatever bits of kit we buy and it's rather nice. Jude was disappointed with the size at first (she's wanted 6 more inches?!?!?) but I'd done my geometry and knew that 26" was the perfect size for the 'living room' we've carved out of our loft space.

Not much else happening. The rain is falling and the temperatures dropping (last night dropped to 18C - brrr), my scans are due next Friday, my cough has abated, my underwear is ass-blood free and all is well with the world. Time I think for archery class.

Burnt (burned?) Out and Angry

Over the past couple of days I've been, accurately, described as 'burnt out' and 'angry'... I've also been offered a new job and seem to have tickled more than the fancy of another prospective employer. Strange how I can come across as a hollow shell of a man to some and a vessel full of light to others. The truth of course is that some situations depress me (travel to eye wateringly expensive cities against the orders of my doctors, being seen as billable rather than useful, futile work that proves effort but provides no momentum) and others invigorate and energize me (conversations with smart people, a shared sense of purpose, systems that trim fat rather than pork up timelines and fees).

The truth is that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. An offer of employment that gets lost in the mail is either a sign that the US Postal service isn't all it should be or a cosmic sign that all is not right with the offer. I'm turning into Jackie Stallone, Dionne Warwick and Nancy Reagan - offering up lamb's livers for divine readings. Very odd.

Of course I'll be offering up my own liver for oncological reading soon - my 3 month scans are due Sept 1st. How time flies. I could be 1/8th through my expected life span or three months into a total and long lived recovery. I'll be happy when my ass stops bleeding (a painful tale, believe me)

Again an unpleasant place at which to stop and another abstract moan into the void of cyberspace (is it still called cyberspace or do I have to talk blogosphere these days?) - more tomorrow.

I like lodges

There's a restaurant near my house called Lodge. It has acrylic antlers and waif thin waitresses with under arm tattoo-ing. Nextdoor is the Lodge general store - which bakes its own bread and sells things that are bad for you with labels that make them seem good for you (ORGANIC chocolate spread) and then there's Lodge212 - good people who do good work and seem to have fun doing it. I like them best of all. And so I've decided that Lodges are the future (oh dear I'm coming over all Faith Popcorn) - that the laid back, wood panelled, hint of manly musk in the air life is for me. Now where is that 'lumberjack' shirt?

Golf Clubs

bandaid
Originally uploaded by stevenjude.

I've been accused of owning golf clubs... I don't; but my wife does. I did of course try to learn to play golf, taking lessons in Australia - but that was more in the hope of seeing an in-town Will Smith than actually mastering the tricky game.

I did however watch a golf movie last night - The Greatest Game Ever Played; which was just predictable enough for my (not English as a first language speaking) mother in law to follow post two glasses of white wine and just entertaining enough to stop me from throwing another shoe at the TV.

Started a proper diet today - the weight has been creeping on for weeks now; so it's time to really grab the cliche by the wotnots and start on a regime so punishing it would make a dominatrix weep. I do enjoy punishing regimes - there's something about denial that brings out the best in me - said he sounding very Karen Carpenter.

Work continues to be an 18hr a day marathon with no distance markers. But I have days off Friday, Monday and then Thurs, Fri, Monday so it'll be short weeks.

No more beer pitch to worry about either. So all I need now is a quick global strategy on a tricky brand, a dual language blog with 6 country participation, a panel of 100 experts willing to talk at short notice, an academic symposium and for Harvard to agree my long term research proposal. By Thursday. Easy.

Arrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!