Snow Woe

There's a phrase 'be careful what you wish for' and in the last two weeks I have come to understand the true meaning of this little pearl of wisdom.

You see, my normal morning goes a little like this:

6:00am: alarm goes off and dog-walk clothes go on.

6:10 - 6:45am: unimpressed terrier gets dragged out for a walk while I dawdle behind dreaming of working from home (this dream involves long baths taken at mid-morning and delicious aromas of freshly brewed coffee drifting into my study as I type my best-selling novel).

6:55 - 7:55am: desperate attempt to find work pass, pack bag, locate the car keys I have lost from the night before (they are always at the bottom of the bag I've just packed), shower, re-pack bag without the car keys this time, dry hair, wear something smart (doesn't always go the way I'd planned) and generally try to make myself look human so I don't scare my colleagues on arrival at the office.

8:00 - 9:30ish: drive to work convinced for the entire journey that I've forgotten something massively important, while using every expletive I know to describe the road works and traffic that are holding me up.

But then it snowed here in Scotland.

It snowed so heavily that I could barely find my car, let alone drive it to the office. Trains and buses ground to a halt and for the last two weeks, my dream of working from home came true. Well, nearly...

6:00am: alarm goes off and Blackberry, mobile and computer go on.

6:03am - 7:30am: throw back cup of coffee, call work for update, throw Kevin out the door for a dawdle with the unimpressed terrier, wonder why I can't focus on my computer screen properly, panic that I've missed something important in my morning update, panic that I still can't see the computer screen properly, realise I've forgotten to put on my glasses, put on my glasses, bombard my colleagues with emails in between checking my Blackberry/mobile/inbox in case I've missed something that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

7:30am - 7:33am: have quickest shower ever while ensuring there's enough of a gap in the shower curtain so that I can still see and hear my Blackberry/mobile should a message come through that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency, worry about what might have pinged into my inbox in the last three minutes.

7:33am - midnight: check Blackberry/mobile/inbox, update my work, catch sight of self in mirror with scary unblow-dried hair, recoil, check Blackberry/ mobile/ inbox, update my work, worry I've missed something that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency, bombard my colleagues with emails in case they know something I don't, check my Blackberry/ mobile/ inbox, eat pack of Hula Hoops, check Blackberry/mobile/inbox, update work, worry I've missed something earth-shatteringly important, make coffee while continuing to check Blackberry/mobile and panicking that something which must be dealt with as a matter of urgency has pinged into my inbox during the 30 seconds I've spent in the kitchen making coffee, and so it goes on until...

12:20am - fall into bed clutching Blackberry/mobile, Kevin tries unsuccessfully to prise them from my grasp, worry about what might have pinged into my inbox since I last checked it three minutes ago, wonder what happened to that long bath and best-selling novel I had once dreamt of.

If it weren't for the fact that I know it's thawing because the water from the - previously frozen and now burst - mains pipe is cascading through our building, I'd be using my teeth to dig a channel from here to the office so I never have to do this again.

Why? Because apart from the reality of the situation completely failing to live up to my dream and the fact that I think I'll need more than a few glasses of champagne and a massage to get over the stress-ridden 24 carat World of Angst that working from home creates - I'm really missing my workmates.

Mr Burns & His Incredible Knitted Beard

There is clearly a lesson to be learned from cutting a picture from the Sunday Times 'Style' guide and sending it to my Mother.

Up until today, the only beard in our house belonged to Hobbs and graced his fuzzy, little face in a Will Shakespeare way.

Now, thanks to Mother and her knitting skills, I have to live with this:

Words cannot even begin to describe my fear...

Computers - Crash or Credit

I have to apologise for the lack of any update over the last few weeks - basically it's because I've been mourning my beloved Mac.

For months it had been crashing, stalling, refusing to start up and generally displaying worrying signs that all was not well in its little world.

Admittedly, it was so old in computer years that I was expecting a telegram to arrive any day from the Queen and Steve Jobs, but after one final - and rather monumental - hissy last weekend, it shut itself down and has remained sulking ever since. No amount of button pressing, cajoling, or re-installing will raise it from its cyber slumber.

There was nothing for it but to weigh up the cost implications or repair against renew. The latter won and I'm typing this on my teeny, tiny, new net book.

I hate to admit this while my Mac sits in the study - its keyboard still warm from my touch - but I love this dinky, little delight that responds to my every need and fits happily in my handbag.

The only downside? I had to buy it on my credit card. I know, don't say it...

Broadcasts & Barbours

It seems my stint on Radio 4 didn't have too many listeners screaming and running for the hills, so I was invited the following week to talk all things debt and shopping for BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio York and Radio 5 Live.

While we all know that I love the airwaves - I must do, I had to get up at 6am to do one of the interviews - I really do hope that anyone in debt or with a shopping addiction gets something from these interviews; something that might just help them come to terms with what seems like an impossible situation.

If I'm perfectly honest, doing the interviews even helped me. For a couple of weeks I've been strolling past the window of a particularly lovely shop during my lunch hour - and there, waving to me from behind the safety of the glass, is a delicious grape, quilted Barbour.

Blissful Barbour

Just before I did the interviews, I had convinced myself that I could afford it and definitely needed it, but after lecturing to all who would listen about shopping only with cash, buying nothing but necessities, leaving your credit card at home (preferably sulking in a drawer because it hasn't been used in ages), I realised that I had to practise what I preached.

So, the delicious Barbour remains in the window, my credit card remains sulking in the drawer and I can sleep with a clear conscience.

Jenni, Gill & Me

I've always thought the programmers at BBC Radio 4 had incredibly good taste - which was why I was rather surprised to receive a call from them, asking me to take part in Woman's Hour on Friday.

The subject was women facing bankruptcy and I was on with Gill Hankie MBE (Director of the Bankruptcy Advisory Service) to discuss the implications of insolvency and how it's sometimes being portrayed as a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card by certain publications.

A very serious subject, but I had a super time and feel more than a little honoured to have shared the airwaves with Jenni Murray and Gill.

My only horror moment was on arrival at the studio; realising that I really was the only one there and had to operate the whole set up myself. Having worked in radio, it wasn't too daunting a prospect, until I read the instruction sheet I'd been left.

Number one instruction was: Switch on the 'cooker switch' before entering the studio.

We all know how I am with cooking! I crossed my fingers, flicked the switch, went into the studio and waited for the inevitable smell of burning - which usually accompanies that action - to start...

** You can hear the podcast by clicking the BBC Radio 4 link in the first paragraph