John Linton ....I think I miss my mind the most. (I'd like to acknowledge the source of this but I can't remember)
It seems to me that I've become less sane that I used to think I was; either that or I'm having a few really annoying weeks.
I walked out of a meeting with a supplier a few days ago after completely failing to get the two people from the supplier to stop making absurd statements. After a few minutes I stood up, said "I can't listen to this BS (I didn't use the abbreviation) any longer", gathered my papers, and walked out.
In forty years of attending meetings with clients and suppliers I have never come close to doing such a thing. (I'm not counting the memorable contract negotiation meeting in pre-history with Gas and Fuel when the MIS Director got so angry he banged his fist on his desk so hard he broke his hand - thus abruptly terminating the meeting).
I wrote to one of our employees two days ago stating that what he claimed was the case was an outright lie and it was better that he knew I thought that rather than me just thinking it.
I have never made such a comment directly to an employee before - though I've made such comments to employee's managers.
I very rudely told Steve yesterday that how he intended to solve the lack of suitable rack space iin Perth was just plain stupid and was the complete reverse of common sense and was shabby business practice.
In my plain speaking way I have never spoken so harshly to someone I respect and value so highly.
I could go on but it would be pointless - either the examples I've cited make the point or I've also lost the ability to communicate clearly and to go on would not improve things.
..and no it isn't "stress" - I don't think things in my commercial or domestic life have ever been better - at least not in the last twenty years or so.
It could well be rapidly advancing old age I suppose.
Whatever is causing my total inability to accept things that I have barely given a second thought to in the past is becoming a concern to me - maybe its just the quarterly seasonal change - whatever it is I'm going to take a rare week end off and spend it a couple of days in Melbourne and then pick up my middle daughter and drive out to Kardinia to see Geelong unfurl their premiership flag - something I haven't had a chance of doing in 41 years of being deeply interested in the Cat's fluctuating fortunes each winter (since 1967).
With a bit of luck I'll be able to wangle a table at Flower Drum which should bring back memories of some of the truly happy IBM days of celebrating major sales and 100% years when such things were the total focus of my life. I understand that it's still the best Chinese restaurant in Australia but I haven't been there for over ten years.
It will also be nice to have a real beer in a real pub again - assuming such things still exist in Melbourne.
It will also give me a different place and 'atmosphere' to finalise the ADSL1 and ADSL2 plan changes for the last quarter of this financial year which we began to complete yesterday. The reaction to the few changes we made yesterday has been very encouraging and hopefully there's enough left in the 'cookie jar' to provide a completely 'refreshed look' to our ADSL offerings.
Go the Cats.