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Current mood: cattarhal
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Intro
The week began with an ominous horoscope. I know I shouldn't pay attention, but they've been so unfailingly accurate for the past 6 (yes 6) years that I read them slavishly. My favourite was Raphael in Scotland on Sunday but at some point he trimmed his Byronic locks and renamed himself Ralph with a commensurate dumbing down of his predictions. His place has been taken recently by a woman who I seem to recall goes by the name of Cassandra; not a propitious monicker, if you know your Greek mythology, as I do. Anna Estaroth in Saturday's Scotsman is not bad but tends to a somewhat downhome, oats and sandals, view of life despite being named after a Pictish goddess.
The theme for the week was how teamwork would be confounded.
The Spider
Architecture is a collaborative profession and other than the odd starchitect - Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Richard Rogers - depends on mutual support and a sharing of experience. A team will contain a range of personality and ability, what it does not need is a loner with neither personality nor ability and who is trading on pitifully little experience. Thus the Spider who managed during this deadline week to so narrowly define his work that he offered no help to others in our mutual toil. His consternation-causing departure for the pub at 5.30 on Thursday evening as the rest of us contemplated yet another long night ahead has been neither forgiven nor forgotten.
Sharon Tweed
Sharon Tweed (formerly Evil Sister 2) who has been toiling under some unexplained personal cloud for the past two months, to the extent that her workspace became known as Rage Central, seems somehow to have recovered and is back to her normal self, being merely difficult. She was busy on Wednesday cajoling some data out of a reluctant structural engineer and, when she had succeeded in the telephone charm offensive said to him coquettishly that, as she had promised, "there will be Viennese Whirls." I suggested that while she might be thinking biscuits, he was probably thinking sexual favours. It was kindly meant and got a laugh round the office. It was nice to see her colour up.
VJ
VJ has started to take part more in the general chat. I used to wonder that as a student of mine (as are so many architects currently working in the UK) she was inhibited speaking to her former lecturer/tutor in case she appeared stupid. Working together on a couple of buildings recently seems to have altered the dynamic, which is cool.
Maginnis
Maginnis (formerly Evil Sister 1) was still complaining on Wednesday that her legs were stiff and sore from Friday's dancing (see earlier blog). I offered to massage her thighs but she was having none of it. Ah me. She and Sharon are off to West Kilbride (a town that has baaaad memories for me) today to dye wool. I tell you, these women and their obssession with scratchy fabrics.
The Bluesfather
An irritating little cough on Tuesday had turned into a full-blown cold on Wednesday, which gave cause for concern at Blue Wednesday. Two great perfomances by Lindsay and Fiona were followed by my singing mostly in a low G and playing several instrumentals to save my voice. Still it went well with a great audience, still about 50 strong at the close, and I was asked by a young German if I'd give him guitar lessons. I declined, much as I had declined the offer of session work in Newcastle, simply because my guitar playing is not up to it, my knowledge of music theory negligible and I'd just be teaching him a lot of bad habits.
Working late this week and the cold finally kicked in on Friday night when I slept through for 14 straight hours. I'm still feeling shit but I'm up and about feeling shit rather than prostrate feeling shit.
Roo
Roo is in Hong Kong on honeymoon with Stacey (see earlier blog) but had left a note in my diary to the effect that his birthday is on the 15th and he'd like a song. The plan is that I'll get a spot at OOTB on Tuesday, Maginnis will take her new camera and video the performance and we'll email the result to Roo for his birthday. I'll play Simma's Song which he really likes, personalise the lyrics a bit and just hope this cold has gone and my voice is recovered.
10:18 PM
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