Doing without a water cooler

And if you've got time to blog... does it mean you no longer qualify as busy? My theory, for what it's worth, is that blogging and micro-blogging (my current favourite as this is merely a toe-dipping exercise into the unknown, perhaps shark-infested, waters of 'proper' blogging) is the on-line alternative to a short walk to the water cooler. Since I haven't worked in a real office for quite a few years now, the idea of a water cooler, rather than a kitchen with working cold tap, is a bit modern for me but most of my working life is spent in my really lovely office at home with, in winter, at least one dog lying on/over my feet and in summer, a view of the rosebeds.

At the moment, of course, it is the summer hols (school age children still rule the calendar) and there are girls making what is undoubtedly a big mess in the kitchen and a boy who will need picking up from cricket and taking to golf, though why he should want to do either when it is siling it down outside... But, aside from the holidays, I rather like the peace of working on my own. The only proviso being that sometimes it's hard to tell whether the idea that's popped into my head, has been biffed around in my brain for an hour or two and now seems brilliant, may really be genius or am I actually bonkers? If there was a water cooler scenario then I would say to my fellow co-workers, 'What do you think the idea of a Guinness World Record attempt on the number of people playing Twister?'  Of course, the dogs are useless at brainstorming, and as a general rule, anything with the word 'Guinness' in it sounds like a good plan so I ambush the client with the idea, full of enthusiasm and find them strangely bemused. In my defence, the client in question was a colour printer and could have produced the fantastic Twister mat of biblical proportions... nevertheless...

So, this (and Twitter, my first blogging love) may well turn out to be my water cooler - my 'let's have a break and a chat', my 'what did you do at the weekend?', my down-time from the job not involving laundry or domestic duties and most of all, my 'am I a genius or am I bonkers?'

Oh, and by the way, if I find anyone doing the Guinness World Record attempt on the number of people playing Twister, I shall be hunting them down with the appropriate weapon ... spinner, anyone?