The Pleasure Reports are notes on the pleasure I found in my life each week. This purposeful focus on pleasure began in 2010. I was working with countless managers who were working themselves sick, our aim was to establish new ways of working that would not make them sick. And then realising that whilst ‘not sick’ might have been a good aim to start with, it was a terrible one to stop at. How about ways of working that are a pleasure?! And so the study of pleasure began with The Pleasure Reports – a weekly record of -how many things were a pleasure -how many a pain and -what the pain to pleasure ratio was that week. I thought I’d do it for one year and ended up carrying on for three. You can read the whole story of how it began here and here.
Week 32 in the year of pleasure.
The Pleasure
Seventy two points, fifty one last week
And a 72:1 pleasure to pain ratio
Seventy two is the most so far. Woo!
A selection of the pleasure
My birthday and I had a good time
This may not seem remarkable to you but birthdays and I haven’t always had the best time.
Plus being when it is, at the end of August, I’ve always had this idea that it’s going to be warm and I’ll be able to sit outside and drink wine with friends.
Yet for all of the years I can remember, it’s been cold and wet. Not just ok with a cardi on and a pashmina, but really too cold to sit out.
And if it didn’t start out cold and wet, it became so as we’d sit there, outside drinking wine and trying to pretend it wasn’t really that cold.
And then it would rain and we’d give up.
This year I put the heating on and dropped any expectation that it would be warm on my birthday. Ever.
With tea in bed, cards to open and the heating on, I began the day warm and happy.
Then it actually got warm outside.
Then the sun came out.
I watched suspiciously from inside. Sent someone out to check the temperature. Looked left and right for impending rainclouds.
And there were none.
Ladies and gentleman, we have a record.
I sat outside, on my birthday, drinking wine and it was warm.
My wee man came home especially to wish me a happy birthday.
*Happy smiles*
Our time together lately has been sparse. Of roughly 4 seconds duration.
That’s how long it takes him to get from the bottom of the stairs to the front door as he departs on another sociable outing.
So I was touched that he’d come home especially and decided to push my luck, it was my birthday, and put in a bid for some more time together.
I’d like, I said, for us to come up with something we both like to do that we could do together.
Regularly.
Once a week, for at least an hour.
Thank you.
And he came up with an idea! My wee man!
*Mactime* is born.
We’ll sit together, macs on laps, and share stuff.
I’m always sending him links to things I think he’ll like, and he usually does like them.
He’s excellent at finding new music and knowing what I’ll like.
Now we’re going to have time sitting together sharing them rather than sending e-mails.
And there may be beverages.
We had our first one right there and then. TED talks from me, we watched one together and it was a great one and he liked it and he played me music by the xx and I love it and he made me a mix that I might be able to write to as there are no peaks of chaos in them to take my mind away from what I’m writing.
Woo! *Big smiles*
Then just when I was thinking this is fantastic and declaring myself unable to be more delighted with my birthday, my gentlemanfriend turned up with gifts of such exquisite taste that I held them close to me and rocked back and forth making noises of pleasure.
This birthday will not be forgotten. My 47th.
Sunshine, mactime and exquisite gifts.
And some online friends threw me a pleasure party! Everyone brought pleasures. It was the best.
Hyperbole and a half
Allie draws and she thinks. Hyperbole and a half is her blog.
The facial expressions on her drawings make my mouth hang open in wonder and she makes me laugh.
The Pain
16 times in one day is too many times to hear “I’m sorry we’re very busy, perhaps you’d like to call back at another time”
Especially 4 days in a row.
Wouldn’t you say?
The pain I did something about
A creative and clever idea came into my head about another source of the information I needed.
I called and got through and they were helpful.
Better. Normal breathing has resumed.
The Pleasure Posse
A selection from The Pleasure Posse who’ve been using the #itsapleasure hash tag on twitter
Have you all been away on your holidays or something?
I’ve been here all by myself this week
@paulineesson Working in the garden again. Sun is shining. #itsapleasure
What about you?
I’d love to hear, your pleasure, pain or pain you did something about
You’re most welcome….come and talk pleasure and pain in the comments
Or of course you can tweet about it. And if you use the #itsapleasure hash tag we’ll all be able to see.
–
Belated happy birthday! Sounds like you had a lovely time. You should try having a birthday in February. I’ve had beautiful sunshine and been outdoors, torrential rain, snow, high winds…. Good to hear you’ve moved on from the previous week. Sometimes it happens, whatever it is.
Pleasure
– A wonderful Bank Holiday that encompassed a good gym session, lunch at the local fry up place (I felt I deserved it), cooking apples and learning about chords.
Pain
– Physical, ongoing, getting very boring. Even my Personal Trainer today said I’m a mystery!
– Project managing. I don’t like. Don’t want to do. Won’t be offering again. Inanimate objects, fine. People, no thanks.