The Lone Painter (or Hi-ho Orchid White, Away!)
Sunday January 16, 2005 - Permanent link to this post -
I've spent this weekend decorating the study nursery ready for the impending arrival of Junior Lambert, whilst Nicki's been at her Mum's, shopping heavily.
Today, the second of my decorating days, I got to thinking how much I'd acheived, and in what an organised manner I'd carried it out. I got everything together on Saturday morning, cleared the room, took up the carpet and then shut myself in there until I'd done all I could do. I even missed a damn meal [sidenote: my weight went to within 3lbs of my target weight with just two weeks to go yesterday].
I did pretty much the same today. Shutting the door to the room until everything was as done as it could be (i.e. not being able to paint over wet paint).
This is not the way I usually decorate. Usually, the painting of each wall is punctuated with a cup of tea; the fourth is accompanied by a nice biscuit. Then, there'll be a good coat of 'looking over' before moving on to the second coat (which I usually despise doing - you can't see where you've gone!).
So why have I been so uncharacteristicly efficient this weekend? Was it because I had nothing else to do? No. The Xbox is sat right downstairs, it's disk drive chugging seductively. Was it because I'm on a deadline? Maybe, but the baby's not due until the end of April. Could it be because I just like painting? Not bloody likely.
It's because I was alone. In a room, on my own, doing a job. There was nobody there to put the kettle on or shout up to tell me that Football Focus has just started on BBC One, and nobody making me a nice bowl of soup for my lunch. I had nobody to show my work off to during my 'looking-over' periods. And it meant that I just got on and did it.
It's not that I don't want Nicki here, or don't miss her when she's not. That's not what I'm saying. I love being with her and wouldn't change it for the world. What I'm saying is that after 24 years, I think I've found how I like to work: on my own, with no distractions. In a place where the only noises are my own (not withstanding those of the Five Live commentators on the radio).
Now if only I could acheive these conditions in my job.
