Grey Day Miscellany

A grizzly, dank, rainy day – much of which was spent re-packing boxes and angrily counting books against a big exhibition order which arrived in a parlous state from DHL. Why I bother…rant, rant.

Depressed at the news that John Wiley (big mega-US publishing house) has taken over Sybex, one of the few remaining privately owned publishers in my line of business. I like several Sybex UK employees (one is a very good friend) and worry that their jobs are on the line.

And I have to take up Sudoku again (having only just hurled it aside because everyone is so much better at it than me). Apparently it is very good for people of my advanced years as it keeps the brain active and (according to the Mail on Sunday) also keeps Parkinson’s Disease at bay.

I’m nearly half a stone down on this GI diet that everyone is doing (the one with the traffic lights). I’m pretty confused though, as beer and red wine are okay but alcohol is banned. Seafood is a “green light” (hoozzay!), and grilled steak is fine too. The wife (bless her) says that pistachio nuts are fine but the type that I stocked up on in France last weekend are “red light” as they are salted. Rats!

When in France I started to pen the “Ranting Nappa’s Guide to Small Business Survival” but got bored when I reached the chapter on Business Plans.

I watched some of the Premiership/Championship play-off matches on TV and, while sympathising with the plight of the elder brother (bless him), felt that the it’s a pretty stupid system as all the teams looked and played “championship” rather than “premiership” football and the winners will almost certainly come tumbling down again at the end of next season.

On the subject of football I can only cry “Play up the Arse(nal)” next weekend. Those Manchester United “supporters” are still getting on my nerves. At least they still have a team to support. The whole idea is to back a team through “thick and thin”, but no-one has pointed that out to the self-pitying United fans.