Got nothing done today, as friend Clare has also started working from home and discovered displacement activity in a big way.

Clare is part of new trial by BBC to see if producers on various programmes can work a few days each week at home.

The idea being that this saves the corporation office space, saves Clare travelling time and frees her from all the disruptions of working in a busy environment, leaving her to concentrate and work and, therefore, to be more productive.

The only flaw in the theory is that it also allows her to stay in bed much longer in the morning and piles upon her all the distractions of home, plus the fact that, by being distracted, she also distracts others (self for example) therefore bringing down overall productivity throughout the country - a John Prescott sentence if ever there was one.

Anyway, briefly checked email in the morning, before getting down to work, to find message from Clare:

To lizzie-e@ ... first day working from home.

Have already cleaned windows, been to supermarket and done some internet Christmas shopping - and it's only 11am.

How u? Is baby boy still using pink, gay girls' blanket? If yes, will go up to loft later to find macho boys' blue one and send it to you. D'you think 11.30am too early for lunch?

Clarex To clare.xxxxx@bbc.co.uk Dear time waster, had own lunch at 9.30am, in order to save time later having lunch - though am now hungry again and thinking of stopping for elevenses.

Baby transvestite boy very attached to pink blanket and does not wish to be gender stereotyped by right-on p.c. radio producers.

What happened to the work bit of working from home? All fine here? What site did you Christmas shop on?

lizziexx After a few more emails of this nature, I was about to log off and get on with some work when Clare emailed to say she had just discovered a fantastic web site, selling anything from Teletubbies to vintage utility bills.

So naturally, having an enquiring mind and wondering what on earth a vintage utility bill was (perhaps one from the days when gas and electricity suppliers supplied gas and electricity, rather than gas companies operating phone lines and electricity being purchased from Birmingham NEC or something similar) I decided to take a look.

I somehow got drawn into a bidding war for beanie baby Po (the small red Teletubby) which, as middle monster regularly loses the one she has been joined to since birth, forcing self to abandon work and launch full-scale search and rescue party, seemed like a productive way to spend much of the day - at least it did at the time.

TTo clare.xxxxx@bbc.co.uk Very unproductive day. Spent past hour bidding for teletubby before deciding £30 too much for a comforter. (Perhaps I should wean boy off gay, pink baby blanket before they too go up in value - do you have time to get up to attic and search for blue one?). Will now have to work all night to make up for lost time. You?

To lizzie-e@ ...

Very productive day. Have done more in past hour than whole day in office, plus shopping, cleaning and catching up with friends. D'you think am justified in clocking off at 4pm?