Andrew and I are halfway through the sleep challenge. There have been ups (more time in the morning) and downs (feeling like a zombie for 10 long hard minutes).

It’s been refined to include the following:

• Totals – now’s it’s more like a team challenge. This encourages mutual motivation.
• A target – something to aim for
• Rewards  – something to look forward to
• Punishment – something to fear

If anyone has any ideas for better punishments, please leave a comment below.

to me.

A relaxing steak dinner with flatmate and friends was what I needed after a week batting with the printer. I wasted 4 to 5 hours trying to get the thing to work. A mandatory paper-less office might be the answer to my problems.

The highlight of the week was a bizarre coincidence. I lost my phone last Sunday. I went to buy a new one on Monday. I was a few minutes away from making a decision when my friend turned up and told me not to buy it. It turned out that I had dropped it in his shoe in the hallway when I was at his home.

At my church group we debated whether this was divine intervention or dumb luck. In any case I was grateful that I didn’t have to spend any money. The British economy would have to wait before I use my spending power to boast economic demand. 

The snow started to fall last weekend and it was a good end to a fun weekend. I consumed two pounds of steak at my friends stag party. Then I watched Liverpool win against Chelsea and had a pint of beer poured over my head. The snow was light to hold in your hand. My footsteps made a deep crunching sound. It was pure white.

On Monday morning, Deptford was covered in several inches of snow. The trains and buses were cancelled and I struggled to get on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). I did make it into the Canary Wharf office and found virtually no-one there. However, there was just about enough public transport running to meet up with an old uni friend. Who was now a TV reporter for the International Channel Shanghai. I did not order steak.

The rest of the week was spend in a (stupid) competition with my friend, Andrew, to see who could wake up within 30 seconds of the alarm. I’m leading by 1 – but my sanity is suffering. Only 20 more days to go.