Crazy busy days

It's midnight and I should be long asleep but as that seems to be the case most nights lately I'm not entirely distressed. The knowledge of an impending four day week undoubtedly helps.  I probably would have been in bed an hour ago had LB not insisted on plugging what he considers to be a major gap in my childhood by having me watch Back to the Future with him...

In truth it was a lovely end to a weekend that couldn't come fast enough after a very busy week. The last fortnight in fact has been huge. And by huge I mean exciting and overwhelming but also exhausting and stressful and non-stop. The learning curve continues to be steep but when I manage occasionally to take a step back from it all I realise how incredible it is that I'm getting to learn about everything from film production to social media and online communities to the politics of big business and big ego. We had a breakfast meeting at The Ivy - The Ivy - of all places last week with one of these said egos and it was just ridiculous. The air was so thick with swagger and the kind of self-assurance that can only come from shitloads of money that it choked the air like a dirty old man's cologne. You know you don't belong in a place like that when you feel the need to photograph the lift as evidence you were ever there. I mean really, can there be anything more narcissistic than a mirror gilded elevator shaft?

This last week has felt like progress though on the work front. I've started to take things on independently and feel more and more confident about my ability to succeed in the role - though we have training this week on the content management system so that might prove a make or break moment for someone whose job title involves two of those three words. This week also involves fun things like meeting Jefferson Hack and arranging interviews with experts at the Royal Academy and Whitechapel and going to meetings at Tate. I just love saying "meetings at Tate" - they could be about re-stocking loo rolls and I'd still get a rush. Retail on Kings Road feels like a lifetime ago. Thank. God.

.......................

Ok. So I wrote all that three days ago. The early hours of Monday morning got the better of me in the end and it is now Wednesday eve and there is one more work day until the Easter long weekend. Things continue in the theme of 'crazy busy' - the interview with Jefferson was yesterday and despite the fact he kept his sunglasses on throughout the entire filming process (we were in a conference room in the basement of his offices) he was thoughtful and articulate and really so lovely to the teenagers we took along to do the interview.

Today was website training and despite my reservations it was really positive and the only time I felt like crying was when I smacked my knee into the corner of my desk. My latent insecurities about doing this job, working in education, having innovative ideas were someone allayed by the resurgence of old IT skills I thought had long since been relegated to the back rooms of my brain.

It hasn't been a terribly social week but after the financial exertions of the last two weeks, with my various girly dinner dates, not to mention an outing for cocktails at Bob Bob Ricard (apple martinis To Die For....) a few quiet nights at home has been just lovely.

Weekend before last Lovely Boy and I took the sunshine with us to Southbank for the Chocolate Festival. The pictures I think speak for themselves but not having had breakfast before we left, churros and dipping chocolate with cinnamon certainly set the tone for the rest of the day....

Chocolate for breakfast, brunch and all in between and then a highly recommended pizza for lunch in Brixton. So good. And trawling the Afro-Caribbean inspired food stores afterwards offered plenty by way of juvenile amusement.

Last weekend was more sunshine and a visit to the Wellcome Collection for a fascinating look at filth...

And this looooong weekend has a barbeque, a lunch, some drinks on the river and I'm hoping a visit to the V&A for a new photography exhibition on contemporary South Africa. Oh. And some work for Artlink, who have a launch in London in June for their Indigenous issue. I finally finished my crush-inspired piece which will feature in the issue and hopefully once I have this full-time work palava a bit more sorted I will be able to do some more writing. But one thing at a time. First up: long weekend. Then: a royal wedding and a visit to London - finally - from one of my dearest Sydney friends. Long may the sun shine.

11.04pm. Definitely time for bed.