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Dec. 21st, 2006 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
girlofpreyToday wasn't quite like I expected it to be.
The day I expected:
Getting into the office at 8:30 for a calm, relaxed few hours, where nobody really did anything because it was Christmas and only a half day, and mostly I'd spend chatting with the office ladies, both of whom would be in early, joking and winding down. Leaving at 11:30 to go to a local tapas restaurant for the Christmas lunch at 12, with interesting food constantly on offer and plenty of people to talk to in a relaxed atmosphere outside of work. Getting home at about 2-ish and just savouring the fact that I didn't have to work again till Christmas, and never had to do filing there under my dad's watchful eye again.
The day that actually happened:
As fellow office lady Brenda predicted, the last day before Christmas was the day when everyone scrambled around trying to get everything finished before they left. Possibly EVERY LOOSE SHEET on people's desks was put in the filing trays, and they were also tidying their desks, which meant putting files away WHEREVER in the filing room. Except I didn't get a chance to do any filing, because people were constantly asking me to do letters, amend reports they hadn't actually said they wanted done by the end of the day, and type things up. One office lady didn't get in till 11 o'clock, as usual, and they were both busy as hell until we left. About 40 or 50 of us, it turned out, were going for this lunch, and everyone was mostly in their departmental clumps, so I ended up talking to/sitting with my dad most of the time.
Christmas lunch in a tapas restaurant is VERY DIFFERENT from going out for dinner at a tapas restaurant. It took us about an hour to stop drinking and go get sat down. Then another half hour for them to bring out some food. But there were only three things, and when they were finished no-one was sure whether there was going to be anything else, because no-one had a copy of the set menu. Till SOME HERO found one a bit later. So we all sat around, ordering more drinks, not sure if it would be more worth our while to leave as food had ended. But eventually they brought out more stuff, and it was nice, but no-one was sure when things came if more was coming, or if the next thing would be something they liked, so they basically filled up on each thing, and ended up feeling sick. It was a NERVE-RACKING ADVENTURE with spicy potatoes. Then it turned out there was no pudding with this lunch. NO PUDDING. But then half an hour after they'd cleared away the plates they brought out coffee and dessert menus, and it turned out we could HAVE dessert, but we'd have to put it extra on the company tab. We did. Dessert was mainly cheescake and ice-cream. I picked cheesecake.
And then, half an hour later, they brought it, and half an hour after that people had finished and been pleasantly drunk for awhile, and dinner was over, and dad and I decided to leave. Not before dad got some ribbing because of the story I accidentally told about how at last year's work lunch I didn't hear from him till 7.30, when he phoned me up drunk to tell me he was getting on a train, then an hour later to tell me he'd got on a train, and it went to Sheffield, and had waited and got on another train, and it went to Sheffield, but now he was definitely on the right train and would be home soon. It was agreed that mum should be on the platform waiting just in case he was asleep. He was. I assumed, since it was a work do, that they would all know about this. Wrong. Anyway. So we left, and people kept asking if I was staying for another drink, and was I going now?, and why wasn't I coming out drinking with them afterwards?, and I just felt SO AWFUL that I wasn't going to stay out with these nice people who I'd worked with for 7 months and would probably never see again. And apparently liked me. One girl seemed to get a bit emotional about it. I'm always mostly suprised when people like me, because people tend to be quite quiet about that kind of thing, and can still seem to feel a bit awkward talking to you. And I guess because I'm quite quiet, and mostly assume people haven't noticed me. It's nice to find out that people do - but sad that it tends to happen when you're leaving them.
But it was a nice day. The food was different, and interesting, and I learned the sheer miracle of garlic mayonnaise on crusty bread, and they got me a leaving card, and dad and I had a writing war on the restaurant paper tablecloth. And it was fun. Sadly on the way home I was struck not so much with relief that I didn't have to work again till Christmas and never again filing/being bored there, as with complete cluelessness what I was going to do with myself for the next few days. And what I was going to do after Christmas/New Year's about getting a job. And if I EVER WOULD. Mostly I have calmed down now, and can think of plenty of things to occupy my time for a week or so, like looking constantly for jobs on Gumtree. And I can always start volunteering again, to keep busy, if I don't get a job right away. So. It's fine. Really. Probably. Mostly I'm going to catch up on film magazines and watch DVDs and THAT'S THE PLAN, DUDES. And my first job is (hopefully) over. Hmm.
In the evening I went for chocolate and helped mum with her Christmas card deliveries. On our way we saw the WORST CHRISTMAS DECORATION EVER. It was two trees in someone's garden with those tubes of lights things, that seem to move and flash? Except they were both red, and flashed like strobe lights, and at funny angles, and it just looked like two DEVIL TREES, and it was the worst thing ever. Also the streets were icy, and my mother showed almost no care for this fact when having me dash silently to her friend's doors and then away so we wouldn't be seen. Like Christmas ninjas. Escaping SATAN'S WONDERLAND.
Something worth mentioning: the traditional winter pastime of trying to get into the car without getting antifreeze on your gloves. Ah.
So that was my day. Mostly I am glorying in the fact that I don't have to get up tomorrow morning. Or do anything much besides wrap presents and watch DVDs. And that hunt for a job thing.
I remember the days when I thought when I finally didn't have essays to do, I could just relax and enjoy Christmas. Remember them fondly.
The day I expected:
Getting into the office at 8:30 for a calm, relaxed few hours, where nobody really did anything because it was Christmas and only a half day, and mostly I'd spend chatting with the office ladies, both of whom would be in early, joking and winding down. Leaving at 11:30 to go to a local tapas restaurant for the Christmas lunch at 12, with interesting food constantly on offer and plenty of people to talk to in a relaxed atmosphere outside of work. Getting home at about 2-ish and just savouring the fact that I didn't have to work again till Christmas, and never had to do filing there under my dad's watchful eye again.
The day that actually happened:
As fellow office lady Brenda predicted, the last day before Christmas was the day when everyone scrambled around trying to get everything finished before they left. Possibly EVERY LOOSE SHEET on people's desks was put in the filing trays, and they were also tidying their desks, which meant putting files away WHEREVER in the filing room. Except I didn't get a chance to do any filing, because people were constantly asking me to do letters, amend reports they hadn't actually said they wanted done by the end of the day, and type things up. One office lady didn't get in till 11 o'clock, as usual, and they were both busy as hell until we left. About 40 or 50 of us, it turned out, were going for this lunch, and everyone was mostly in their departmental clumps, so I ended up talking to/sitting with my dad most of the time.
Christmas lunch in a tapas restaurant is VERY DIFFERENT from going out for dinner at a tapas restaurant. It took us about an hour to stop drinking and go get sat down. Then another half hour for them to bring out some food. But there were only three things, and when they were finished no-one was sure whether there was going to be anything else, because no-one had a copy of the set menu. Till SOME HERO found one a bit later. So we all sat around, ordering more drinks, not sure if it would be more worth our while to leave as food had ended. But eventually they brought out more stuff, and it was nice, but no-one was sure when things came if more was coming, or if the next thing would be something they liked, so they basically filled up on each thing, and ended up feeling sick. It was a NERVE-RACKING ADVENTURE with spicy potatoes. Then it turned out there was no pudding with this lunch. NO PUDDING. But then half an hour after they'd cleared away the plates they brought out coffee and dessert menus, and it turned out we could HAVE dessert, but we'd have to put it extra on the company tab. We did. Dessert was mainly cheescake and ice-cream. I picked cheesecake.
And then, half an hour later, they brought it, and half an hour after that people had finished and been pleasantly drunk for awhile, and dinner was over, and dad and I decided to leave. Not before dad got some ribbing because of the story I accidentally told about how at last year's work lunch I didn't hear from him till 7.30, when he phoned me up drunk to tell me he was getting on a train, then an hour later to tell me he'd got on a train, and it went to Sheffield, and had waited and got on another train, and it went to Sheffield, but now he was definitely on the right train and would be home soon. It was agreed that mum should be on the platform waiting just in case he was asleep. He was. I assumed, since it was a work do, that they would all know about this. Wrong. Anyway. So we left, and people kept asking if I was staying for another drink, and was I going now?, and why wasn't I coming out drinking with them afterwards?, and I just felt SO AWFUL that I wasn't going to stay out with these nice people who I'd worked with for 7 months and would probably never see again. And apparently liked me. One girl seemed to get a bit emotional about it. I'm always mostly suprised when people like me, because people tend to be quite quiet about that kind of thing, and can still seem to feel a bit awkward talking to you. And I guess because I'm quite quiet, and mostly assume people haven't noticed me. It's nice to find out that people do - but sad that it tends to happen when you're leaving them.
But it was a nice day. The food was different, and interesting, and I learned the sheer miracle of garlic mayonnaise on crusty bread, and they got me a leaving card, and dad and I had a writing war on the restaurant paper tablecloth. And it was fun. Sadly on the way home I was struck not so much with relief that I didn't have to work again till Christmas and never again filing/being bored there, as with complete cluelessness what I was going to do with myself for the next few days. And what I was going to do after Christmas/New Year's about getting a job. And if I EVER WOULD. Mostly I have calmed down now, and can think of plenty of things to occupy my time for a week or so, like looking constantly for jobs on Gumtree. And I can always start volunteering again, to keep busy, if I don't get a job right away. So. It's fine. Really. Probably. Mostly I'm going to catch up on film magazines and watch DVDs and THAT'S THE PLAN, DUDES. And my first job is (hopefully) over. Hmm.
In the evening I went for chocolate and helped mum with her Christmas card deliveries. On our way we saw the WORST CHRISTMAS DECORATION EVER. It was two trees in someone's garden with those tubes of lights things, that seem to move and flash? Except they were both red, and flashed like strobe lights, and at funny angles, and it just looked like two DEVIL TREES, and it was the worst thing ever. Also the streets were icy, and my mother showed almost no care for this fact when having me dash silently to her friend's doors and then away so we wouldn't be seen. Like Christmas ninjas. Escaping SATAN'S WONDERLAND.
Something worth mentioning: the traditional winter pastime of trying to get into the car without getting antifreeze on your gloves. Ah.
So that was my day. Mostly I am glorying in the fact that I don't have to get up tomorrow morning. Or do anything much besides wrap presents and watch DVDs. And that hunt for a job thing.
I remember the days when I thought when I finally didn't have essays to do, I could just relax and enjoy Christmas. Remember them fondly.
