How strange to think about the way in which my desk is actually a small island. Everything handy, in reach, familiar, taking up my day. I need a holiday.



My department's taking the day off tomorrow to rejuvenate. We're going to see the Apocalypse exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, then the Anthony d'Offey exhibition. Then a big boozy dinner at our creative director's flat.



Then he goes away on holiday for two weeks. That worries me. The department energy and mood seem low and people are testy and uncertain. Hope tomorrow helps. It's going to be a long two weeks.

Just as I'm starting to think about a grecian sun-filled holiday, a ferry sinks in the Aegean Sea and 45 people are dead. Seems I can't plan a holiday without courting danger. And, oh boy, do I need to relax.



The Labour Government is actively doing damage control over the petrol crisis, the pensioner tax, the Millenium Dome and one can't turn on the TV or flip through a paper without seeing Tony Blair's sweaty face. And Mo Mowlam went away....we're sad.



But, in good news, my latest project, BT.com won an award as the fastest download time of any major British commerce site. Cool. Hopefully it does well in user testing too.

Innocue vivito, numen adest

"Live harmlessly, the spirit is close."

Tuesday had a meeting in Bristol. We took the train through a verdant green, foggy countryside to the city infamous for its underground music scene (think Massive Attack, Goldie, Tricky, etc.) but, as we were there only for the morning, we didn't get to experience it. The train passed through Bath, one of England's first planned cities with its sparkling rows of Georgian houses and cathedral spire. Must plan a weekend trip soon. I always enjoy train rides through England -- even when one must pass through areas like Swindon.



Flathunting is proceeding slowly. The market's incredibly active -- which means flats are snatched up before one has the chance to see anything. Saw one flat in Farringdon. They wanted £300ppw for a flat smaller than what I've got now, that had no eating area, was in a dingy building on a busy road, and had a view of the Royal Mail parking lot. When I suggested I was looking for a better view, the agent said, "well, all the red trucks ARE cheery." I wonder if I shouldn't stay the winter in South Kensington.



Not quite sure about the new Madonna CD -- it has it's moments, but isn't as immediately likable as Ray of Light -- maybe I'm too old for the club music thing.

How quickly the last Summer turns into the onset of Winter. Four days! It is cold, grey, and dark in London. The steamy summer air has been replaced by the damp cold. I turned on the heat yesterday for the first time and layered the second duvet on my bed. It doesn't get depressing until January, and I quite love autumn in London, but its a shock to see it get dark at 7pm when it was light until 10 only two months ago.



A.S. Byatt has a new book out -- the Biographer's Tale -- and the jacket hints at a relevant point about trying to understand people from things like Blogger: How do we put the idea of a person together? How do we ever know more than fragments, moments, pieces of a person and not a whole one? As usual, will be thought-provoking.



Listening to my new CD, Madredeus, a Portuguese band recommended by the lovely Giovanni. Very relaxing music -- perfect for this job and the quick descent into Winter.

Berocca is not tasty.



Clancy's in town today. I'm slammed at work, but want to leave and go hang out with him as he's only here for two days. I hate work -- it's always getting in my way.



Krupnick is tasty.

There is a ridiculous gas (petrol) crisis in the UK. To protest the high prices of petrol, several groups have blocaded delivery tankers so that many parts of the UK are without petrol. The British seem to disregard this very French protest and refuse to let the country come grinding to a halt because of the (legitimate) concerns of farmers and others dependant on petrol for their business.



Nomura, the Japanese financial backers, have decided not to buy the Millenium Dome because the Nme has been reluctant to handover financial information. They're talking about tearing it down if they don't find new buyers -- now I'd go see that.



In good news, Lance and I had dinner at Zilli Fish in Soho. Had a wonderful salmon stuffed with spinach and crab which will be a new favourite.

Will this headache never go away? I'm struggling through work, when all I really want to do it go home and go to bed.



Stepping up the flat hunt in Islington. I really want to be out of the dull cosiness of South Kensington. Now if I can only fine the perfect flat for less than I want to pay my life would be perfect.

Busy weekend. Friday, the office went to the London Eye for our Summer outting. True to form, the weather was awful -- hot, humid, wet, cloudy. But, a day off is a day off. The London Eye (also known as the Millenium Wheel) is actually quite impressive. Here are the photos. We then took a cruise of the Thames to see the river view of London, including some of its most famous buildings. Of course, drinking lager on a swaying boat does something to one's inner balance, and I spent hours afterwards feeling as though I were going to be pitched over.



Last night went to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I was reluctant to be excited about a Glam rock musical about a East German transsexual GI bride. But it's deliciously trashy -- and has a surprisingly strong performance by Michael Cerveris as Hedwig. Watching the show transform from a rather predictable drag story, to a deeply moving, troubling show is inspiring. Go see it if you can.

Tonight I'll be co-presenting Collaboration: Organic Experiences with Team Structure to the London Advance for Design. This is the first time I'm speaking to this group of London designers. A bit nervous, though I quite like the presentation which I'll post on my site soon.



Had drinks last night with Nick and Neil in Soho, then dinner at the always delightful Busaba Restaurant. Wonderful Thai food served by beautiful people in big, flowing, charcoal grey pants.

Had dinner last night with our CEO and his wife and their charming little baby. We ate at a Sudanese restaurant in Notting Hill. Sudanese food is a lot like middle Eastern food -- grilled meats and rice and hummus.

I'm co-presenting a talk about collaboration with one of our engineers and can't get him to meet with me. Isn't that ironic.



John and Jason have been together for a year. I'm jealous [oops, I mean happy for them. Yeah, that's it.]

The Divine Comedy are brilliant.

Bought a digital camera this weekend and have decided to become a more active chronicler of my life. Now I wander my way through my day wonder what this and that would look like in a photograph. The great this about it is that I was able to quickly show my friends and family a bit of my London life.

Went to Paris last weekend. Stayed in the Marais. Got soaked on the Eiffel Tower. Marvelled at the renovation of the Opera. Bought expensive stationery at the Galeries Lafayette and new CDs from Patricia Kaas!



Ate moules frites at a Belgian restaurant near Montmartre and found tiny, perfectly-formed crabs the size of the fingernail of your pinky inside the shells and inside the flesh of the mussels. I'd never seen that before, but was assured by the waiter that it was normal. They must grow the crabs and the mussels in the same tanks.



My French isn't as out of practice as I thought, though it's by no means fluent. I understood most of Buffy, le Vampire-Slayer.



Then this week I had dinner with Giovanni. I hadn't heard from him in weeks and was worried he had taken offense at something I might have said. Instead, a friend/mentor of his had died and he had been dealing with that. But Giovanni's very consistent, and seems to have handled everything with a certain maturity. I also got to meet the boyfriend, Giovanni (I kid you not!) who, behind his quietness, seems lovely. They're an annoyingly cute couple but it's hard to begrudge Giovanni the happiness he seems to find in the relationship. I'm glad we're rooted in friendship.



It's important now in light of certain situations I'm being asked to go through. Must act with grace, must act with patience, must have a vodka martini.