Blessed silence
Monday, August 22nd, 2005 10:48 amToday is going to be a better day than anticipated.
My office PC works fine, including e-mail and internet access, but every telephone in the ODPM is dead. I don't know what happened, and I don't care. No telephone distractions all day, and just to be sure, I have switched my mobile off.
I can hack away at various pieces of work in splendid isolation, listening to MP3s on my Walkman without fear of interruption. This is, of course, a GOOD THING. The only blot on today's landscape is that I am both short of coffee, though I have enough to see me to lunchtime, and the water heater is acting up, so my next cup of coffee will get a boost from the microwave before I take it back to my desk. That can be a fun procedure if not done properly; best mix the coffee in the water before nuking it. I learnt sometime back that to nuke the water and then add the coffee meant that it would instantly froth up like something from Quatermass and strip a couple of layers of skin from the unsuspecting hand. A teabag introduced top water in a similar fashion has similarly impressive results. Of course, for that full mad scientist effect, I recommend leaving the teaspoon in the cup and setting the microwave to maximum. I'm not sure that the city lights will dim momentarily, but they ought to.
I have to restrain myself from nipping across the HMV in Victoria station at lunchtime and buying the new Goldfrapp album. - Yes, Bryan buying alternative electronica. Is this the end of civilisation as we know it? (all I can say is that I have traded up my guilty musical secret from Andy Williams, OK?).
Back to work.
My office PC works fine, including e-mail and internet access, but every telephone in the ODPM is dead. I don't know what happened, and I don't care. No telephone distractions all day, and just to be sure, I have switched my mobile off.
I can hack away at various pieces of work in splendid isolation, listening to MP3s on my Walkman without fear of interruption. This is, of course, a GOOD THING. The only blot on today's landscape is that I am both short of coffee, though I have enough to see me to lunchtime, and the water heater is acting up, so my next cup of coffee will get a boost from the microwave before I take it back to my desk. That can be a fun procedure if not done properly; best mix the coffee in the water before nuking it. I learnt sometime back that to nuke the water and then add the coffee meant that it would instantly froth up like something from Quatermass and strip a couple of layers of skin from the unsuspecting hand. A teabag introduced top water in a similar fashion has similarly impressive results. Of course, for that full mad scientist effect, I recommend leaving the teaspoon in the cup and setting the microwave to maximum. I'm not sure that the city lights will dim momentarily, but they ought to.
I have to restrain myself from nipping across the HMV in Victoria station at lunchtime and buying the new Goldfrapp album. - Yes, Bryan buying alternative electronica. Is this the end of civilisation as we know it? (all I can say is that I have traded up my guilty musical secret from Andy Williams, OK?).
Back to work.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-22 10:11 am (UTC)I remember many moons ago watching "Food & Drink" and they demonstrated the dangers. Something to do with milk creating a layer above the heated liquid, adding a spoon broke this and everything bubbled up.
a guilty musical secret indeed
Date: 2005-08-22 12:44 pm (UTC)Now I don't feel so bad for having a sneaking regard for Bing Crosby!
Consider yourself on my "iffy list", young sir. Who next? Britney Spears? Christina Aguilera? U2? Oh dear, pass the disinfectant...
Re: a guilty musical secret indeed
Date: 2005-08-22 02:00 pm (UTC)You aided and abetted in last week's mousketeer torture, which means that you clearly know the tunes and everything. If that ain't iffy I dunno what is...
torture, or, it wasn't me sir, it was Harold Prott
Date: 2005-08-22 02:39 pm (UTC)And you're still on the iffy list - though I ought to be on there too, as I broke into Lipps Inc's "Funkytown" at worship team rehearsal the other day. The only disco song I was ever able to stomach.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-23 12:25 am (UTC)I have Goldfrapp's latest ouvre on order.....