Raspberries, baby vomit and life

Lots of random, irrelevant and pretty insignificant things passed through my head today...

Sunglasses: I've never really worn sunglasses. I now have a super pair of sunglasses and I really like them - they also make driving in early evening sunshine very enjoyable.

Stereotypes: My wife has just got her new car - a Nissan Qasqhai. My little Twingo pales in comparison. I shouldn't mind....I don't really like driving (even with sunglasses) and I am never at home. My wife works with horses and drives a lot. But still, isn't it the woman who has the little car. Sounds sexist I know.

Raspberries: Long live the summer and fresh fruit.

Babies: How do they grow bigger when they seem to vomit greater quantities of food than they actually consume.

Life: Do old people get sick of living? I remember my Granny saying to me she was ready to go. Maybe this is difficult for younger people to hear because we've still got so much living to do. Will I get bored of living at some stage?

There you go; unrelated and meaningless twaddle.

Signing off

Another RFP done. Timelines were tight, but regular communication, clear responsibilities and treating people like mature responsible adults has ensured that we've got this one in on time. It looks pretty good too. Seems like the insurance RFP wasn't a freak event and that the nightmare RFP before that really was just a blip......let's see what the outcome of each of these bids is. Orals for this one are next Tuesday, the 9th June.

Hurrah for the pound

Many of you know that I'm a true European (read: highly mixed up individual). Therefore you can imagine how important the GBP EUR exchange rate is to me given the fact I am based in the UK but spend a lot of time in stroppy France. I'm delighted to see the pound climb to the heady heights of 1.15 EUR today up from nadir of parity in January. I'm not sure if this is a long term resurrection (history suggests it should stabilise around 1.30 EUR), but it does make things a bit better for me. Although on the other hand it does actually mean I will now have to repay a rather large debt to my wife (it was premised on the exchange rate hitting 1.15 EUR). There you go, another life lesson, every blue sky has a grey cloud lurking somewhere!

Newcastle United

The last 10 days have been so hectic that I’d completely forgotten to mention the relegation of my favourite football team, Newcastle United, from the Premiership to the Championship. They were indeed worse than Hull City and Sunderland on the last day of the season, but in honesty the problems run deeper than that. My view: if you change your manager 4 times in the same season and run your club like a soap opera, then you get what you deserve.

Football matches and indeed league titles, like our Accenture projects, are not won in a heart beat. Although you do need a couple of star players, most success is built on day in day out activities that ensure the foundations are right. In Accenture language this is called “Business Operator”. In honesty it’s not really interesting, but it’s essential e.g. finding out who is staffed where and when people are rolling off their projects. However as you become more senior, this type of activity becomes increasingly important.

I think there is a similar lesson that holds true in life more generally. You’re probably better off being likeable but average, rather than an obnoxious know it all. Or as my Glasgow Granny would have said (of my Uncle Ed no doubt), you’re better off being born lucky than rich. Unfortunately Newcastle United was neither.

Good morning Vietnam!!!

Unlike the vast majority of people in Accenture, I'm not one for ridiculously late nights. I am much more of a morning person. We're now entering that period of the year that only serves to reinforce this lifestyle choice. Waking up in the summer morning to see bright blue skies was always a joy. The prospect of a warm and sunny day always puts a spring in my step. When you add in a happy gurgling little baby at 7.27AM each day, then this only adds to the happiness. Just a shame I suppose that I have to spend another Sunday writing a different RFP response and sitting on calls with the IDC. Grrrrrrrrr. At least I managed to ride a couple of horses yesterday.

On a different note, happy birthdays to our AIMS friends in France (Mickael Gaborit - yesterday) and Norway (Willy Koulichev - today)!

A good night's sleep in store

I couldn't resist a second posting today.....I've now arrived in Cork ahead of tomorrow's meeting. I've checked into my hotel. All pretty standard fare so far - gym, bar, non smoking room, internet connection etc. However I have to confess that it is the first time I have never had to worry about potential noise from the neighbouring rooms....I can say that safely because it is the first time I have stayed in a hotel that has a graveyard as a back garden. I peer out of my large bay window and all I see are rows and rows of tombstones. God bless Ireland. Here's to a quiet night's sleep for me.

Health facist pays tribute to Subway

My Dad has been known to call me a health fascist. He takes the time to enjoy life in the south of France. He sups bubbly blond beers, savours fruity red wines, eats fine cheeses and nibbles dark chocolate in the early evening sunshine, all the time lamenting that I'm a bit of a fitness freak and asking me where it all went wrong.Therefore I am sure he will be happy to hear me give maximum respect to the fast food chain "Subway".

The reason why I am paying homage to them is not actually because of their new range of "Extra Greasy Cut Your Life by 10 Years" sandwiches, but it is actually because they provide a free internet connection in Bristol airport. As I wait for my flight to Cork in Ireland, I was slowly losing the will to live in an airport that can only be described as a poor man's Stansted. However it was Subway that has provided me with the vital link to the rest of the world. On top of that, I consider the fact that there is a power socket sufficiently close by as nothing less than divine intervention.

So therefore the moral of the story is not so much as junk food is actually not that bad, but more, I can't survive without an internet connection. The other piece of good news is that this internet connection this afternoon has ensured that I don't have to sit in the hotel this evening and do the day's emails....that way I can get to the gym and go for a swim! Long live Subway I say.