H aRRgh!!

I have had a troubling feeling for a few weeks now that I am somehow becoming my Assistant's secretary.

Moody responses to simple requests, not answering calls, and a general demeanour of ill-founded superiority to everyone in our office has led to this conclusion, and events today only further cemented this.

It’s that time of the month for compiling our board report.

As you may have guessed from the somewhat clever title of today’s blog, it isn’t something I particularly enjoy doing.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that it is, by and large, the most mind-numbing task I am required to do.

You may recall that last week I wrote about our plans to help integrate our foreign exchange workers both into their new jobs and new lives in the UK.

Generally, once we’d sorted out a few reservations and got a final plan together, the proposal has been very well received.

You’ll notice the use of the word ‘generally’. Inevitably there is always one who wants to spoil the party…

What a wonderful start to the weekend.

One of our longest serving pains in the backside resigned with immediate effect today, to the jubilation of everyone.

To say that his absence record has been patchy would something of an understatement.

The attentive amongst you may recall that on Friday I wrote about one of our 'favourite' employee's resigning.

It's fair to say I toasted that wonderful news on Friday night, but I was wary of counting my chickens before they had hatched, as we had not received official confirmation in writing.

Thankfully our friend did not disappoint today.

At a time supposedly dominated by seasonal cheer and goodwill, our office has become embroiled in a bitter dispute.

Sadly it has become apparent that one of us is a thief, and with only a handful of us currently in, nobody is free from suspicion.

It has been an almighty struggle to stay awake this afternoon.

Has it been one of those painful, monotonous afternoons of inputting inane data, which tends to happen every so often? No.

Instead, my struggle to stay awake has emanated from a lunch of epic proportions.

Our department was taken to task today by one of our Executive Managers, who shall be referred to henceforth as Scrooge, in keeping with this festive time of year.

Corporate Governance is an issue our Senior Management are taking very seriously, but Scrooge really does need to take a chill pill, as I believe the youth of today say.

Earlier this week I was bemoaning the lack of festive spirit shown by one of our Executive Managers.

I'm sad to say that today I joined him in his scrooge-esque ways.

What a day.

After nearly being late due to levels of frost that virtually rendered my de-icer useless, I ran in to work to find out that a colleague would not be in due to illness.

Obviously these things cannot be helped, and on a normal day this wouldn’t have been a problem.

Today was no normal day, however.

Today has been our last day at work before the Christmas holidays and the office is in a very festive mood.

We’ll be closing our doors until January 2nd, so have been exchanging cards and the usual pleasantries.

Some people do have to take it too far though, don’t they?