peterbirks | The Daily Grind

Producing a daily morning newsletter has its plusses -- no-one really bothers me, and all of the "difficult" stuff is out of the way by 11am.

But it also has its downside. One is that I seem perpetually stuck in "the office", where "the office" equals sitting in front of a computer and cranking out 2,500 words before 11am. That kind of rules out going to conferences in interesting places like Bali and Colorado and even Monte Carlo, unless I can book a replacement. And, since replacements for me do not come cheap, the bosses are understandably disinclined to let me swan off to Bali to cover a three-day conference when another journalist is available.

I don't even get time to go to the many morning conferences held in London, some of which I actually would like to attend.

However, the opportunity has arisen for an interesting breakfast at Chez Gerard tomorrow morning at 9am which has led me to reorganize my producing day in a rather complex fashion. I'll get up even earlier, produce as much as I can by 8am, and then hot-foot it to Bishopsgate, have my hour-log chat, and then speed my way to the office to finish off the newsletter.

The breakfast is "interesting" because it's one of those classic George Costanza examples of "When World's Collide". I'll be accompanying work colleague Richard to meet Tristan McDonald, who works for Aon Benfield. So far, so business. Except that Tristan is probably the only other "serious" poker player in the insurance industry in London, and he's just come back from a six-month sabbatical during which he played tournaments worldwide.

What we will actually talk about, therefore, might range a bit wider than the normal insurance industry conversation or, indeed, poker-player conversation. Although the manner in which it will deviate from either is, er, unknown.

Should be fun.

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