Blog Week 74: The ghoul, the bard and the bubbly.
Monday 24 April 22.56
As I mentioned last week, Hairy's predicted face-to-face encounter with an ex took place today. Literally. She opened the conference door to find him and his colleagues on the other side. Her jaw dropped and she started blushing. It took her a little while to regain her composure. She looked like she had seen a ghost (or perhaps a "ghoul" flame!).
Old Timer described it all to me. I given up wondering how he knows this stuff. But he loves telling me (and it gives me something to write about).
Tuesday 25 April 23.51
The firm is having a retreat in the US in a few months time. And like all good retreats, each office has to produce a video, who we are, what we do - you know the sort of thing. It is meant to be harmless fun.
But of course it is not. Every office wants to have the best (funniest, slickest) video.
Bill has put Shakespeare in our charge of our office video. Initially Shakespeare was going to write, direct and produce the video himself. But then he realised how much work it would take. And how the whole thing could turn into a poisoned chalice: get it right and everyone says how great it was and what they did; get it wrong and everyone smiles to your face and says what a rubbish job you did behind your back.
Shakespeare is political enough to know this fact. So he has delegated most of work to office new person,Too Kool. The idea is the video will be a quirky newcomer/outsider's perspective of the office. His instructions to her were the video must be "worthy of the bard". She had no idea who he was referring to and thought he wanted something to do with Brad Pitt. Cannot wait for the results.
Thursday 27 April 23.36
Pierre had arranged a lunchtime support staff meeting today. The fact everyone was inside on such a sunny day didn't help much. He asked how things were going and received a few complaints mainly concerning that old perrenial of pay (ie we want more).
Pierre is great at listening sincerely and not making any commitments. How many times over the years has he heard support staff asking for more pay? How many times has he said he will look into it? How many times has anything ever happened?
Thankfully the meeting didn't last long. So we got the chance to soak up some sun.
As it is holiday weekend (well next Tuesday is a holiday), there was an office drink in the early evening. Champagne was cracked open; the catered food was different, but good. It is interesting the way people in the office have goldfish memories: arguing (however politely) one moment and friendly smiles and chat a little while later. It is a convention that keeps our office machine going, greased with a little bubbly.
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