My readers, who work in the pressured world of FX, might not appreciate this but I’ve had a really stressful week. It started off when I stupidly put the wrong type of fuel in my wife Rachel’s car. Those who know her will vouch that she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She is known to many as Annie Dotal; she observes things and when she comments, it is clear that Annie Dotal evidence is always right. Anyway, as Annie Dotal explained to me, in words of mainly one syllable, putting diesel in a petrol car is really very stupid, especially when the car is used for the school run. Still, a few hundred pounds of my savings later, and the problem has been rectified.
I’m also getting stressy about a bike ride I’m doing in July with various muckers known as the City Winkers. The ride will go over various mountains in France, and given my lack of fitness this year, it’s going to cause me a lot of pain; no doubt that will please a few of my readers.
It’s widely reported that many real cyclists are not averse to taking pharmaceutical aids and that a drug called EPO is a real performance enhancer. I recently found a tub labelled EPO in Annie Dotal’s bathroom and took the lot. My performance is not better, but my pee smells like roses and my mood is considerably calmer. Something tells me that it’s not Evening Primrose Oil that’s popular in the peloton.
Work has also been tougher than normal. I don’t like upsetting people, I really don’t. But what I dislike even more is people upsetting me. Now I’m not what anyone would call a sensitive soul, but believe me, the antics of some market participants – and it is a small minority – gets right up my nose. This is the third time I’ve said this since this column has been up and running. If I’m going to write something about you, I will contact you. If you then proceed to try to give me the run-around, don’t whinge and moan when you see the copy. I’m a simple soul who happens to have been once, a long time ago, a spot trader. That means most of the questions I ask are not complicated and should be answered in at least T+2. Anything over that is effectively a forward as far as I’m concerned and by definition a bit boring.
