Sleepless in . . . lots of places

Quick trip up to Sydney. Someone had padlocked a little bear to the chain, so thought I'd include it in the shot

Am always very skeptical of gimmicks and advertising promises. And governments. And Melbourne weather. And Swedish enlargement pumps. But when I was searching for some thoroughly good sleep-in ear-plugs, at a non-refundable $300 – and they don’t even come with a free tv or anything – I took a chance. They’re quickly becoming one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

Squeezing foam into your ears to get a cast is an odd but not unpleasant feeling. Like washing your hair before going to a hairdresser, you hope your ears are clean enough that the cast doesn’t pull out full-size candles. The silicone, erm, implants, come back a few weeks later, specifically moulded to your ears. Being an insomniac, quiet is important, and I’ve taken to wearing a sleeping mask now too. Proper princess level sleeping requirements!

Lakes Entrance. Didn't sleep there. Although in fairness, I didn't sleep in lots of places.

In other news, I’m continuing to chip away at a book on leadership, gathering my notes on over a hundred books and distilling them right down into a single, easy-to-read 300,000 page manuscript! OK not quite that bad, but it’s coming along. I still have to keep approaching publishers for the last book, and pondering attempting one more editorial rampage, which is essentially akin to murdering your own children – things you creatively gave birth to (am sure words and children are exactly the same, right?). Am halfway through two books currently: the excellent dystopian, Orwellian, New York Times Best Seller They Both Die at the End tracing two young lives impacted by a phone call announcing their deaths, which will absolutely be a tv-series; and Kristine Stewart’s Out Turn empowering women in leadership roles. Oddly, there is a kinship with typically more feminine leadership traits: according to research, the new generation of leaders seek to inspire their team; have high emotional intelligence, social and interpersonal skills; form relationships; enjoy participatory decision making; and set realistic expectations and rewards. Male traits tend to be less agreeable and more confrontational, which I don’t really align to. I have no real despotic, megalomaniac desires. Well, no more than usual. I haven’t wanted to take over a country for hours, and my current crop of serfs don’t protest too loudly. Not since I got my new ear plugs, anyway.