One Woman Goes To ....

Places of work

Today I found myself in two different office environments.

The first to borrow a term was an 'Open Source' Office. Name - Starbucks.

I was there killing time whilst a major tyre change took place . Wonder if Lewis Hamilton ever wishes pit stops ran to a skinny cappucino with hazlenut shot ....

But I was the only idler. Much business was taking place at the other desks - sorry tables.

Nearest to me - a couple of low key attire, high energy entrepreneur types with much dongling, googling and speed dialling followed by assertive management of receptionists going on.

At the table next to them a couple of rattle chewing, gurgling, romper suited chaps were enjoying themselves. Mission - sugar packet, destruction of.

Boys at work - either cutting deals or teeth.

But all happily and productivily coexisting.

The second office, all monochrome and anglepoise. Again very productive and full of grown up swishiness. If you are still into primary colours and plastic accessories and spitting out your food not numbers then we are not quite ready for you yet kind of atmosphere.

And yes I know it could never happen in the real life .....except of course it does- as witnessed above .... it just that it happens in a different package .

Interesting what we find acceptable and workable when it's on our terms.

Is this what Gordon longs to say...

A man on the train, conversing. Naturally I am only hearing one end.

Something, somewhere has gone awry. It seems a valued client is unhappy and is asking for some kind of financial recompense.

Someone from the-man-on-the-train's office has rung him to talk it over. Various numbers are tried for size, sometimes in different currencies, does it sound better in $ than euro. Whichever currency, it's agreed it shouldn't be more than £20k, 'not too much in the grand scheme of things'. ( If they needed my pennysworth, it didn't sound to me as if there was much of a scheme of things- let alone a grand one. But they were working in round numbers and so didn't .)

Eventually a number and the 'as a gesture of goodwill' plan were arrived at.

Satisfied the man settled back in his seat, relaxed and concluded ' well that should make it all Tickety Boo again'.

A world of complications

A small crowd gathers, quiet and still, their attention focused directly ahead. A little further back lurk a few stragglers, not wishing to appear to be part of the group but wanting to absorb the goings on from a distance. Other people walk by, pause, peer and then integrate themselves into the outer edges. The mood is a little anxious, uncertainty but also curiosity hangs in the air. Some look round for an authority figure, someone in uniform, someone in the know. But there's no one around to come to their aid.

A woman points to a nearby sign and reads it out loud but so quietly only her companion can hear. Frustrated, someone else speaks up. This time loudly enough for all, inner circle and oscillating outliers to hear. Momentarily all heads turn towards the speaker and then when he has finished, enlightened and emboldened swivel back to reappraise the situation. With outstretched arms and hands people begin to pick things up and someone starts incanting numbers. Adding then subtracting. On reaching a final tally they turn to the person standing next to them, seeking confirmation and collusion.

We may have given up on ever fully getting to grips with 'credit-default swaps' and 'collateralized debt obligations' but it seems that grappling with new concepts is going to be an ongoing requirement of the financial crisis.

The above scene was myself and other M&S shoppers trying to get our heads round the various combo's and permutations of the Dine for £10 offer.

Seems straightforward is off the menu for the time being.

Dark Clues

I have borrowed a book from the library. It's a diet book. I flick ahead and come across a bookmark that a previous borrower has left inbetween the pages, around the halfway mark. The 'bookmark' is a neatly folded Green & Black's chocolate wrapper. Dark chocolate with cherries to be precise. One of my favourites. The previous borrower and I seem to have similar tastes. So what to make of the clue they left?

Was the wrapper from one pre-abstinence bar or is it a sign that in approximately 150 pages time I will be getting in the car to find a late night garage for that 'got-to-have-it-now-can't-wait-a-moment-longer-sod-the-diet-no-wonder-Posh-never-smiles' fix of chocolate.

There is no way of knowing.

Where you can find it ....

Random things that have made me laugh in the past few days:

Mark Radcliffe on Radio 2 'riffing' with an egg slicer. Jump by Van Halen and then Hotel California resulted in broken (not eggs but) strings. Can't wait to hear as he puts it 'a whole new oeuvre of egg slicer party classics' .

Ronnie Corbett's in the Guardian's Q&A. Asked 'Which words or phrases do you most overuse?' . Answered. 'When I am doing the monologue, I always say something, and I can't quite for the life of me think what it is'.

This from 3BT on the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel sure I should have heard it before. But I haven't. It's very funny and perfect to steal for those inevitable cost cutting conversations.

Today's Steve Bell. Those winking seals are the best.

When breathing in ...

doesn't work.

It's the Cinderella moment of mid-life. Not will the glass slipper fit. But will the winter boots you have set your heart on, zip up over your calf.