Wednesday, December 03, 2008

One doctor for every four polar bears...

2009 is really coming up quickly, isn't it? Before I know it, it'll be my birthday (31st).

I don't know what to do for my birthday this year. It's a real conundrum. I usually do a lunch time thing so that New Year's Eve celebrations don't get in the way. But that's getting harder now that a lot of people have... what are they called...? Oh yeah - jobs.

So my lunchtime things tend to involve lots of actors, musicians, writers and artists. The lawyers and doctors don't get to celebrate with me. To be honest, although that sounds like a good thing, the conversation is always a little hyper. Too many actors and musicians celebrating together need a lawyer or a doctor to bring things back down to earth every once in a while. I find a good ratio is one lawyer for every three actors, or every five musicians.

Doctors have a much stronger effect and you can get away with one of them for every seven musicians. Still only three actors though. Four actors, undiluted by any sombre profession, are likely to lead to dramatic hi-jinks. OK at New Year's Eve, not so good at a birthday lunch.

Writers are different. Writers tend to become morose in groups. So you need actors to brighten them up and stop them (us) moaning.

Anyway, more on the maths of inter-profession mingling another time.

Before I go - a big HELLO to everyone at South Hampstead High School, where I was yesterday. I had a great welcome, and it was especially fun for me, since that was the school my sisters attended, and one of my cousins is there now. So it felt very odd seeing posters for my books up in the hallways, but great to be received with such enthusiasm.

Also interesting to hear the SHHS version of the Jimmy Coates adventures: a polar bear, a mountain-top thriller, a tongue frozen to an ice shelf... It was all going on.

No comments: