Writing City and the ghostly hand

Today I am still going for the Olympic medal for Snorting like an Old Horse – well, we have to win something at the Great Games, don’t we? And I am also minuting for Britain, so what the heck, maybe I’ll go for that one too. You never know your luck.

Still, at least after last week’s fiasco, I’ve managed to fit in a calming morale-boosting chat with the boss, who is always so good at this kind of stuff. So am now feeling more like a normal human being. Don’t know how long that will last then … To the end of the day might be good!

Had the first meeting of this term's University Writers’ Group at lunchtime – a small but very high-quality cohort of three turned up. And that included me. Must be my native charm, I suppose … Still, we had a good session, with lots of writing plans chatted through, and one writing game done, which showed voice and strengths. Heck, I have the vocab after all. Anyone might think I even knew what I was talking about. I’m hoping we can increase numbers throughout this term, so the group can be more viable again, but we’ll have to see.

This afternoon, I’m still struggling with those minutes. I think it’s when someone uses the word “strategy” that my brain slips into the graveyard slot. I really need to get them done or mostly done by tonight as next time I’m in (Thursday this week), I have another meeting to perform at.

Meanwhile, our kitchen disaster continues (at work) – last week, the kitchen light went entirely, so we’ve spent several days trying to get Estates & Facilities to come and fix it. Ho hum. Don’t wait up. Our photocopying machine is also there, so producing copies of anything is now rife with mystery. I was so desperate yesterday that I rang up the E&F secretary and left a message on her voicemail begging for help and telling her that I thought the kitchen might be haunted by a ghostly hand and we were afraid. Very afraid. Well, it had been a long day. I was very tired. Doesn’t seem to have worked though, as she hasn’t rung back. And I suspect that the hand might have been mine. However, as Ruth says, it does mean we don’t have to worry about how dirty the kitchen is any more as we can’t see it. So there’s always a plus side. The Dean of Students meanwhile is itching to change the lightbulb himself, using only a screwdriver, some stickyback plastic and the Blue Peter cat, but I fear that can only end in tears …

Tonight, I’m out minuting the Goldenford meeting. And with the launch of Irene Black’s eBay book, Sold to the Lady with the Lime-Green Laptop, coming up this Sunday, I suspect it’s going to be a pretty busy evening! And I must remember to give Jennifer the cheque for two copies of Pink Champagne and Apple Juice which I managed to sell last month, hurrah!

Today’s nice things:

1. Calming talks with the boss
2. University Writers
3. Laughing at kitchen scenarios.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website