Awards/rewards
Not only did I present the Data Strategy Awards last night, but I’ve just come off stage from the Sustainable Housing Awards. Over the past 24 hours I’ve presented 38 awards – an average of just over 1.5 an hour. Mathematicians estimate that if I continue at this rate, by the end of 2010 I will have presented an award to every man, woman and child in the country. (They did add that it wasn’t a very good estimate, and that they weren’t feeling very well today and I should stop asking them to do sums.) Whereas last night’s awards were for people who collect data in various insidious manners, today’s were for people who design and build environmentally viable housing. Both contained phrases like ‘the judges felt that the winning candidate combined outstanding strategy with fresh and innovative execution in a cost-effective manner’.
As I’ve observed before in this blog, the range of things people get awards for is astounding. And you’d be still more astounded by how much some people ask to present them (I mean ‘some people’, not me). But luckily I’m not telling you.
After all the bleating over whether I should tweet about the sports show, and whether if so I should read the tweets and risk my poor little ego – I did, and it was fine. About 90% of tweets were pleasant, and weirdly, I found myself not even caring about the ones that weren’t. I think this blog, and the response to it, has given me a lot more confidence that there are always people out there enjoying things I’m doing. And since one of the points of the blog was to chart my attempts at increased optimism, that is (as everyone seems to say these days) full of win (nope, it just doesn’t quite sound right from a 30-year-old) very good. Thanks.
I’m on the train to Manchester now to complete a five-day period that has seen three live shows, the TV recording, two corporate gigs, a couple of important meetings, a quite frantic writing job, and a contract killing in a hotel in Edinburgh (one of those not true). I look forward to being asleep. But luckily, I also look forward to being in Manchester. With any luck I shall achieve both things before the end of the day.
Oh. PS. My (desperately struggling) football team achieved a rare win on Tuesday night. They have a much harder game tonight and I can’t watch, even though it’s on Sky, as I will be on stage and people will quite rightly expect me to face the audience. I was thinking, if everyone could wish really hard, it might help us get a draw or even a win again. A lot of you are not football fans but have generously taken a token interest in it to support things like Mark Watson Kicks Off, so this could be a chance for you to adopt a team without ever having to watch a match or anything. It’ll be useful for moments when sport provides an easy conversational icebreaker, dinner-parties, etc. So, that team is of course Bristol City. Cross your fingers for them at 7.45pm. If it works, we’ll continue this experiment. Thanks for your ongoing and varied participation in my life.
Posted by Gordon Brown on October 26, 2010
Hmmm….. Sustainable Housing gets batter around here with the regeneration we’re getting to the area. Sustainability seems to be the in word with architects. What they do though it create modern looking building that look old fashioned in 10 years time, look like crap in 20 years and in 30 years tare them down and build new Sustainable ones again. Oaff….. that sounds like a rant, anyways I hope you tour Scotland soon, would like to see you live.
Posted by Laura on October 24, 2010
I was at the Manchester gig that you mentioned so thought i would check out your blog, i’m liking it
Just wanted to make a point of saying how much I loved the show on Friday. Its so rare that comedians show the audience so much of themselves, whilst at the same time being hilariously funny. I find myself in quiet moments thinking about that Friday night, and how i can make an impact on people too. So thanks to you I am currently checking out volunteering opportunities!! You made your impact on me, so thank you for an amazing Friday night for so many ways
Posted by Lydia on October 23, 2010
That’s really good that you think the blog is helping you be more confident. Good luck with your shows (although with all your new found optimism you probably don’t need it)
People can get awards for everything. I went to an awards thing at my brother’s college the other day (he got a drama award. We’re very proud of him) and the amount of varied and amazing things the people do there made me feel very inadequate. Hearing everyone cheer for him was pretty awesome though.
Posted by Katy on October 23, 2010
I didnt have my fingers crossed given that your victory on Tuesday came at the expense of my team.
Im glad the optimism thing is working and you’re less bothered by the bad things people say. I like to think we’ve all made this happen
Posted by Tibbs on October 23, 2010
Since the comment I wrote yesterday apparently didn’t go through (stupid work computers), I’ll try to recreate it from memory. Shouldn’t be too hard, as it was fairly brief:
Well, if ever I am ask what sports team I support, I now have my answer! I… don’t really think that’s likely to happen, but still!
That is exactly what I wrote. Word for word. And none of you can prove otherwise.
Posted by Rachael on October 23, 2010
It seems I am too late for finger-crossing but next time I will be on the ball I promise, obviously not literally though because that really wouldn’t help them.
Posted by Joelle on October 23, 2010
It sounds like you’ve had a busy and blood-filled week!
Hope you get the rest you deserve.
I wish I was able to watch your TV shows and come along to gigs, I shall just wait until next year when you come to Perth!
Have a nice trip to Manchester x (:
Posted by Georgie on October 23, 2010
It seems I’m too late to cross my fingers! Stupid time differences. Enjoy Manchester! x
Posted by Anna Lowman on October 22, 2010
Well we got you a draw! I didn’t actually know you were playing tonight, but I assume my general support helped. Reciprocal support from you all for Doncaster’s local derby with Sheffield City tomorrow evening would be much appreciated.
And of course 90% of the tweets were positive!
Posted by Helen on October 22, 2010
The gig tonight was great, glad we were there early. Thankyou for signing my book
We also booed someone minutes after leaving.
Posted by ChrisP on October 22, 2010
nobody should say ‘full of win’ regardless of age. People who use that phrase are generally full of something else.
but MWKO was very good, serious point; not easy for me to watch as I’m in a crappy area for signal and streaming off webpage didn’t work very well (not as slick as iPlayer), but the show was a great.
Posted by hornseygirl on October 22, 2010
…well the experiment seemed to have worked. One to repeat!
Posted by josie on October 22, 2010
good on you being more optimistic!
will cross the ol’ fingers for you as well.
Posted by Helen on October 22, 2010
My fingers are crossed. Also, a very very big thank-you for signing my book at the Brighton gig. It was really fantastic, both my friend and I had a brilliant night and we both went away feeling generally happier and upbeat after a bit of a rubbish week or two – Thank You.
Posted by Anji on October 22, 2010
I can’t help but sort of do an enternal, woo hoo, when you said you didn’t care about the ‘other’ comments! It’s really made me smile.
I have yet to watch MWKO – I’m under strict instictions not to watch it without the OH, who is caught up in a rife FIFA 11 game.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed as well, Bristol is like a second home so I might as well support them for you too. Being a Villa supporter we do a lot of finger crossing too.
Hope you got a nap immune train and that Manchester is treating you well. I wouldn’t mention football there…
Posted by Simon on October 22, 2010
I thought Mark Watson Kick’s Off was brilliant, especially Graham Taylor – who’d have thought he had it in him.
I’m interested in these award presentations – when you do them do you throw in a bit of stand up? A few well placed jokes about sustainable housing or data strategy?
Spookily as I read the bit about Bristol City I looked at the clock on my computer and it was exactly 7:45pm, so I instantly crossed my fingers. I hope it works, sorry if it doesn’t.
Posted by Nuala on October 22, 2010
Am loving the early blogs!
Posted by DeborahF on October 22, 2010
I have a bit of a dodgy track record for teams winning if I support them. I went to see the ice hockey once as I’d always wanted to go to a match. It was Nottingham Panthers (at the time they were top of the league) play Basingstoke (then bottom of the league) and the Panthers lost miserably in what was expected to be an easy win, so perhaps I ought to support the opposition and then Bristol City might win.
Posted by Kathryn on October 22, 2010
Having crossed fingers makes for difficult typing/writing. But I shall try nevertheless.
Posted by Misha on October 22, 2010
I’m sure I could engage in some finger crossing. I have now seen a few matches since the shambles gig where you seemed surprised that I hadn’t. As we”ve observed, coming from Cov means there’s very little to support, at least in my life time anyway. Bristol is quite close to me now however, so I’ll cross my fingers.
(This comment made more sense when I started it)
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on October 22, 2010
My fingers are definitely crossed. Have a good show, and get some sleep. x