Monday 21 December 2009

The countdown to Christmas starts here I guess.  Today I wake up cold and wishing not to move out of my bed or my apartment or to anywhere that may have been subjected to snow.  Outside it would fortunately appear that we did not get any further snow during the night but what has remained is sufficient enough to freeze and cause complication.

I’m feeling a slight back twinge today and I fear that this is from my fall on Friday night.  I really hope that this isn’t going to turn into a long term problem.

When I check my phone this morning I discover a text message from Thom who describes my Facebook Cull blog as “genius” and asks if he can show it to someone at the FHM website.  At first I read this as FNM and I wonder why someone on the Faith No More website would be interested in my crap.

The drive to the station is so so, some people are happy to take risks on the road but in this climate I am more than happy to drive safely like a pussy.  I really hope those risk takers wind up wrapping their cars around lampposts later on today.  A valuable lesson could well be learned here.

Today the station car park is still covered in snow.  Its fucking disgusting after all the money that I (we) pay to NCP and National Express that they can’t be fucking bothered to get someone to put down some grit or salt.  They really do just take the piss out of us.

Unsurprisingly the 6.59AM is late leaving today but for once I am not in a hurry which is fortunate because it turns out to be a slow roll to London.  Eventually I step into work just before 9AM which is noticeably later than usual for me.

The day begins badly when I sit at my desk to discover that the latest pen has disappeared from it.  This is without doubt the work of the IT Guy.  Combined with it being a Monday morning this gesture really fucking annoys me.

Today the consultant is in (if he bothers to show) so with that in mind I quickly tear into work with the mentality that the more I get done before his arrival the less queries there should be (or more answers I should possess).  To our surprise and shock he trots in around 10AM, unfortunately amidst a session of conference calls occurring elsewhere within the world of management.

Briefly we speak and he quizzes me on my progress with the November accounts and a few areas of the figures that are in question.  It all goes quite well until he makes some comment about the intercompany reconciliation.  Currently this is the first time in a year (since he first touched them) that these accounts reconcile.  He however is now claiming that there is a difference and how they previously reconciled.  This sends me up the wall, talk about not being on the same page.  Just last week I sent him an intercompany matrix which he proceeds to tell me he did not have the time to look at.  Why waste my time now asking me questions to answers that I have probably already previously supplied?

Fortunately/thankfully he only stays barely an hour as the atmosphere (I feel) turns awkward frosty.  “Have a nice Christmas.”

With him gone I am once more able to tear into work and get a lot done with regards to the closing steps of the November accounts and in the end my day resembles a productive one.

As the day begins to turn dark outside the heavens open up and a blanket of snow quickly comes down and settles over London.  Suddenly it seems London is getting what we got in Essex on Friday.

Originally this evening I had decided to hit Oxford Street and nail my Christmas shopping (after my failure on Saturday) but with the snow in mind and public transport to wrestle I figure the safest bet is to just get home before everyone and everything gets snowed in.

In the end though when I return to Colchester things aren’t so bad after all, not that I hang about instead choosing to head straight home, avoiding St Helena Road in the process.  Indeed as I pass said road I spot another car rolling back down it unable to go the course.  Where is the old guy that used to be in the army when you need him?  What the fuck is it with that road?

Beyond getting in I don’t do much with my evening, such is the Christmas way.

On ITV is A Night Of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards.  It looks like a cheesy attempt to look like the Oscars cobbled together by Simon Cowell.  Ouch.

I fall asleep.