It's Christmas time and all that malarky, and it's been another busy week trying to get things done at work before all my staff start shooting off for Christmas leave, and I'm trying to remember everything that's happened this far... cause it's kinda been jam packed.
Monday
After being dropped the bombshell that one of my Developers had got a new job, it's the last team meeting with the developer there and job specs sent out to all the respective agencies to get candidates for sifting and interview.
More or less a day of work, getting ready for the inevitable disaster that will be month end, working day 6. My team shoot off home, and I guess that's my destination as well because I've got my final installment of the Leadership Development Course for Finance Staff. I don't particularily want to go, but my staff have been bugging me about it. They enjoy to see me suffer.
Homewards it is, for an early night as I've to get to this Leadership Course early.
Tuesday
*groans*
You know it's going to be a long and painful day when I arrive at the Insitute of Minings and Minerals
to be greated by .....
a pile of jigsaw pieces in the middle of the table......
So, the 1st exerciseof the day is to assemble the pieces of the jigsaw together...a Disney Jigsaw. A friggin Disney Jigsaw.
Already, this has set the tone for today and I'm not happy. The next 'exercise' is to stand on a bit of A4 paper so your feet don't touch the ground.
Oh for fucks sake!
I'm already disengaged from this exercise, and the day will be torturous. Making jigsaws and standing on bits of paper? Seriously? Is this SERIOUSLY how I'm expected to develop my 'leadership' potential.
I 'tolerate' for want of a better word the rest of the day, where we break out into smaller groups and 'talk' about god know's what as I'd zoned the bullshit out. Of course there's another exercise that is designed to piss me off even more.
They brought an 'actor' in, who spoke very loudly.... and then he made us stare at a woman whilst she thought of a 'good' person, and then a 'bad' person for nearly 2mins. My tolerance for bullshit has hit rock bottom. I'm tempted to leave the room right there and then, cause this is SERIOUSLY pissing me off, but I brave it through the rest of the day, even when we are made to stand in a circle and I'm dreading the enevitable group hug which thankfully doesn't happen but we are made to hold a box of celebrations and pass it round saying what we got from this '9-month' course.
When it gets to me, what do I say? Do I tell them the truth? Do I tell them what I REALLY think?
No, I don't.
But I do tell them something that's true.
"I got a mug"
It's true....
After 9 months of Leadership Development... I won a mug back in June. And lets leave it at that shall we?
So after that day of hell ends I find a pub with Trevor to have a couple of beers, unwind and recover from that day of 'Leadership' training.
Now, there was a ray of light at the end of the day. I was supposed to be meeting up with Tim that evening (yes I know it's all weird and akward), and he was 'supposed' to be organising a night out. Lets see, we are in London, lets go see a play, a comedy, a drama... or perhaps the cinema, or organise a nice meal in one of those fancy London restaraunts that you hear about in the press where all the celebs go. You know, to kinda make up for all the shit we'd be going through these last few months.
But remember, this is me we are talking about. And after the day I've just had with 'Leadership Development', I'm not due such things.
Yes he turned up, but had he bothered to organise anything?
No. Silly me for even having the slightest thought about anything like that. Why did I even bother getting dressed up?
It's a walk through town, and eventually settling from some bog standard italian restaraunt next to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Somehow I'm getting that sinking feeling that I'm settling for second best. Or is it even third best?
And with that we go home.
Wednesday
He leaves. I go into work later.
It's a fairly non-eventful day, and I'm well... not really in a great mood. I did try and meet up with Tim for drinks at lunchtime or afterwork, but that didn't happen. Busy. Maybe tomorrow after work? That's all that's promised.
Work is finished up, and I'm homewards bound and decide to pop into the Shakey for a pint. I have the paper, and it's a pint of Litovel for me. However I do contact my flatmate Sharon who'd had the bad news that she was being made redundant, so I drag her out to the pub for a few drinks and pizza. It's never a good time to be alone when you've been made redundant.
Sleep.
Thursday
After a bit of a ropey start to the day, it's off to work.
It's a bit of a quiet day, and we have the impromtu decision to all head down to the staff canteen and partake in the Christmas lunch. Of course there's the hats to be worn, the pulling of the crackers and telling of bad jokes which much groaning at the quality of said jokes.
It was actually quite fun really.
But of course after such a large lunch you do feel kinda sleepy, and should really retire to the livingroom with a glass of port or sherry to digest.
Now, the living room I can't provide - but I can provide the Port.
I pop down to the offlicense beneath the office and come back with a bottle of Port for the team, which we enjoy throughout the afternoon. I know, rather naughty of me - but hey, it's Christmas and it's probably the last time we'll all be together.
Most of the Port drank, the team leave and I get ready to head home, but try Tim again as he mentioned yesterday that he could meet up for a drink afterwork..... no answer. Several more tries, and no answer so I go home, getting a text from him hours later saying he was busy, work etc etc etc.
Fine. Whatever.
Oh, and to make matters worse? I found out I have to go to Swansea next Wednesday, there and back in a day.. .a friggin 6hour commute. Not a happy bunny.
Friday
Tis the day of our 'Friday Crew' Christmas lunch!
I'm in a festive mood, despite the obvious dissapointments, thus the downloading of the 'Christmas Hits (Deluxe edition) onto the iPhone.
Oh yeah baby, I'm armed to the teeth with Christmas tunes and ready to Rock and Roll my way into the office with Santa's Reindeers.
It's also my developer's last day to day :( Card and present done for the developer, and presented by Andrew.
Santa's huge sack is bulging with presents.
and of course his little 'helper' is also getting into the festive cheer
Oh yeah....
We decant to the White Horse and Bower (just the local boozer next to the office), to start off the Christmas Secret Santa present opening with Derick dressed as Mr Claus
and we all had to sit on Santa's knee....
Even me....
Oh it was so much fun, and we filled the whole pub with laughter as each present was unwrapped. It had to be under a tenner and 'fun'.
and a lot more bottles of Becks :)
Once we finally finish the present giving it's all into cabs up to Belgo's for our Christmas meal.
where we all settle down, donning on Christmas hats and munch down on mussles, beef, waffles
The food, and the Belgium beer was just fantastic. Lots of good humour banter was to be had, and after we finish up the truely scrumptious meal we leave Belgo's and some of us head up to the Intrepid Fox for a night cap.
What's funny, is that the Intrepid Fox is a bit of a Rocker's bar... and here's a bunch of Civil Servants in suits and ties (of course not me). Matt was promtly told to remove his tie by the bar staff
At least he found a suitable location for it......
After a few drinks people start heading off, some home.. some clubbing. I drink up and head homewards, after having a brilliant night out with the Friday Crew :)
Saturday
Ouchies.
Head's a bit fuzzy, but I have work to do! Armed again with the Crimbo loaded iPhone and it's down to Oxford Street early on to complete the Christmas shopping. I get there for around 10:30am... and by 12pm it's all finished and back on the bus to Stokie.
I loathe shopping.
Even having to dodge the pink reindeer on Carnby Street
and a weird art installation on Charring Cross Road..
But I make it home safely and pop into the Londesborough for a well deserved pint and a spot of lunch with my flatmate Sharon
where it just had to be Steak and Chips after the trauma of shopping..
And I SO needed that
it's then off home, where I have a wee snooze then start the wrapping.... 3 friggin hours of wrapping up presents. I'm so shit at wrapping up, and after 3 hours of being covered in cellotape and glitter I'm finished.
Order pizza in, play SL... well I tried to play SL but my router and laptop were giving me no end of grief, so it's a shut down and go to bed.
Today
I slept loads!.. and I mean loads. Over 10 hours of much needed sleep. Feeling all cozy and rested today.
Time to get a washing on, and catch up on some TV I'd recorded and generally chill :)
Oh and for those of you who don't have an Advent Calander?.
You have plenty of time to catch up :)
And do your bit for the evil Machine that is X-Factor http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104 Buy 'Killing in the Name of' an stop Simon Cowel's nasty little grip on the Christmas number one slot!
