White coffee. In contrast to black coffee, white coffee is usually a sign that everything's OK. It means one of the following:
- I'm working from home and indulging one of my simple pleasures;
- I'm working from Guildford for a bit of respite from customer-facing stresses, enjoying the constant supply of fresh coffee, and have sufficient slack in my day to be able to wander over to the kitchen to pick up a steaming mug of stimulant;
- It's the weekend and despite the fact that I should be caning the water and replacing all those fluids I lost rowing, I'm drinking coffee. Because I Can And It's The Weekend. It's a small rebellion against my otherwise healthy-ish lifestyle...
It seems I've been declared fully recovered from illness, or at least fit enough to have work dropped upon me from a great height once more. (It's unfortunately the case that any illness causing absence from paid, client work is seen as an opportunity to pick up whatever overhead has hit the top of the company priority list - this week it appears to be my turn to write an environmental management system. But of course, it's what I've always aspired to doing...) Still, it's never a bad thing to have work to do from one's own home with a bottle of beer on standby.
So, yes, today's white coffee is of the working from home variety. I'm working from home. I'm also falling asleep at random times of the day (and making the most of it as all too soon I will be back with my nose to the customer grindstone). In fact, I hope to put in an appearance with the customer just as soon as I can contemplate wearing a suit instead of a sleeping bag. Come to think of it, I wonder what my chances are of creating a new wave of sleeping-bag-inspired office fashion?
![[Mother+of+Shrek+winner!.jpg]](http://bp0.blogger.com/_wmVJl3A0om8/R2DjlQJtYfI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/sDljl7IClfw/s1600/Mother%2Bof%2BShrek%2Bwinner!.jpg)
22 comments:
For years I used to drink very strong black coffee and then stopped drinking coffee for several years and now indulge at work meetings only. I can't turn down free stuff.
I now judge the success of work meetings by whether we got coffee or not. I have simple standards.
Does this eman you are NOT racing this weekend? See nag in previous post's comment box...
Random,
I sympathise. I can't turn down free stuff either, unless it's the stuff which comes from the Klix machine, which is foul.
I judge the success of work meetings by how few people are there and how little time was wasted - it usually indicates that decisions and progress got made. And biscuits. Biscuits make meetings successful.
DJ,
Your comment slipped in under my radar. At the moment, I don't know. Probably not - I was contemplating going back to work today but having got up and showered and got dizzy, the prospect of a twenty minute walk is a bit daunting...
Re wearable sleeping bags : )
(BTW, I followed the Signs)
Prof. Northerner,
Welcome. Any Sign Reader is more than welcome here. Northern ones even more so. But pray, what brand of Northerner are you?
Ah yes, The Selk Bag. I am well aware of these, they appeared on my xmas list, and I was in fact planning a follow-up "Shameless Plugs" post in which these would have featured prominently, But, alas, you have beaten me to it. On my own blog, an' all. Sigh.
Have you tried one? Are you a Selk wearer? Are they in fact as superb as they first appear? I have concerns that perhaps they're not as warm as they look (following a gloves vs mittens line of thought), and at a hundred ish quid a try, I'm tempted to get a second opinion before rushing out to buy one. I did regret not having one whilst ill recently - they look just the thing for recovering from whatever it was I had...
But, I am now gibbering. Regardless, you are welcome.
A Selk bag? I am glad they are not standard attire at my office!
Enjoy your coffee. Personally I prefer a cup of tea and a cream cake!
Kahless,
Now you come to mention it, I think I would have been a bit perturbed to have turned up to my lunchtime meeting in central London to find three of the directors and four of my colleagues sitting around the table in Selk bags.
Yes, on reflection, I can see why the suit is so popular a choice for office-wear...
Sorry to have stolen your blogging thunder. I confess I am not a selk owner (Selkie?), I just heard of them second hand from a fellow desk slave who was shivering in their garrett (sp?)
I am of the White Rose variety of Professional Northener - is that a Good Thing, or the Wrong Answer?
Currently residing in Essex, and also an ex-scientist - which rather explains why I felt compelled to contribute, in my own small way, to your blog. That, and I don't like lurking.
That's prob far too much info for now.
Hope you are fully recovered,
PN
Prof. Northerner,
Really, you are welcome to pre-announce my blogging thunder at any point. And very welcome to contribute, or to lurk, come to that. As lovely as it is when people choose to say hello, I'm also mindful that men under 5'10" are particularly known to find me intimidating. I don't know why. I'm totally harmless, unless I'm about to race or about to infect you with whatever strain of dysentery is de rigeur at the workplace. As far as I know, dysentry cannot be transmitted by blogging.
Any colour of rose is fine here. Whilst I'm from the right side of the Pennines myself, I have nothing but admiration for the Lancastrians who sit out their lives being rained upon and steadfastly refusing to move to Yorkshire. Make no mistake about it - these are the people who ensure Yorkshire remains unspoilt...
Hmm, Essex, you say... I wouldn't know much about that - as soon as I could articulate my thoughts I persuaded my folks to up sticks and move north to the People's Republic of South Yorkshire. Better schools, you see... And the science - what brand of scientist are you?
Anyhow, I do hope the weather has seen you right today. Cheerio...
The 'Mickey Mouse' variety, according to some people!
Environmental Science, to be more exact. Lots of 'ologies': ecology, pedology, geomorphology, meterology, hydrology... you get the picture.
Only then I came 'darn sarf', and as you may have noticed, there aren't many National Parks or stonewalls down here. Being warden of a flooded gravel pit in Pitsea didn't really appeal, so I switched horses.
And now I've switched again, and have been spending far too much time reading other people's blogs as a displacement activity, instead of completing my final year dissertation.
Talking of which; time to polish that final draft.
Once I've made another cup of tea, sharpened my pencils, tidied my desk...
Prof. North.,
Ah... an 'ologist'. Fun stuff - lucky you. Now, PUT THE INTERNET DOWN and make your way quietly back to your dissertation.
BTW, are you any good at dry stone walling? I keep having notions of a dry stone walling flash mob on the M25 or M1 on a Friday afternoon - let's face it, a small wall covering a couple of lanes wouldn't add any addtional delay to anyone's journey, no-one is at risk of getting hurt (average traffic speed approximately 5 mph...), and it'd give the motorists something appealing to look at instead of the brake lights of the car ahead...
Re: Stone Walls
No experience per se, but I do make a mean rockery.
Does that count? If so, I propose to build one on the M11, at the Stansted junction. Could be fun : )
Say this May Day Bank Holiday?
As you may have guessed, dissertation has been submitted. Time to paaaarteee!
Ah, small problem. Finals. Put party on hold till June...
I so could now work at home. Like you, I'd probably be either nodding off all the time, or be slumped in front of the tv or surfing the internet. I think even if I worked for myself, I'd have to get out of the house!
Prof. North..,
A rockery is an excellent call. Shades of Monthy Python...
Bank Holiday likewise - no danger of anyone moving at any speed whatsoever.
Weenie,
I'm usually quite discplined when I work from home, but after illness and when I'm not expecting any customer contact, well, it seems only natural to work flexi-time and build a post-prandial nap into the proceedings!
Hmmm..quite a qhile sinc eyour last post, they must be working you double time to make up for your sick leave.
DJ,
I'm hoping normal service will shortly be resumed - but yes, I've had a few extra curricular bits of work, including a logo competition to win a bottle of wine (but more importantly to prevent us having to operate under the banner of some of the previous entries).
I love your Any colour of rose.. comment! My wife is of the white rose variety, so of course, I had to email the paragraph to her! Me I hail from where the sun is upside down, so I'm immune.
Meanwhile, I'm drinking coffee which barely satisfies the description of either black or white - it has a splash of milk in it which is all that I had left, and strangely it looks and tasts black and white simultaneously.
I can't say I'm sure what this signifies other than the fact that I clearly need to go out and buy some more milk.
Rob,
Your wife is a white rose? You no doubt understand something of the bitterness and hostility which the Roses reserve for each other. But well done. You chose the right colour!
Trousers,
Is it a bonus that it tastes both black and white and you can have two experiences in one, or would you rather experience the blackness and whiteness separately?
Clearly, you need more milk. How on earth will you have your hot chocolate before bedtime without replenishing your supplies?
I wouldn't say it's a bonus, as such, though its not unpleasant by any means: but I would prefer to be anchored in the familiarity of it being one or the other.
Meanwhile, this morning, I'm drinking black coffee because I chose to go to the pub last night rather than going to get some more milk from the shops before (or even after) they closed.
Hot Chocolate? The only Hot Chocolate I currently possess is a greatest hits cd.
Trousers,
I fail to see how one can go through a winter without hot chocolate, particularly if indulging in the outdoors.
Incidentally, I had a mug of tea at a cafe earlier. It tasted of pineapple. 'Twas really most bizarre...
Post a Comment