Well it is becoming more tolerable at new-job. While I am still not loving it, my extreme distress at the prospect of being there every day is waning. So perhaps all will be well, although perhaps it is more that I was actually *in* the office for very little of the time this week. I’m co-ordinator for 2 departments, so I experience the joys of 2 departmental christmas functions.

Thursday saw the smaller of the 2 departments conducting an off-site planning day. I was quite chuffed when all in the department were shocked to discover my age – particularly as I’ve been feeling quite the withered old hag over the past few days – the shock appeared to be genuine – for they kept interrupting the meeting at various intervals to stare at me and comment, “i can’t believe how old you are, there is no way you have children!”. The meeting followed by lunch at the blue olive (where the food was sensational, but the service was really quite crap). I had yet more wine(!) & lamb with beetroot on a large fried patty made from risotto (& the usualy jus & brocollini)- spectacular! (and what a fab idea for using any leftover risotto one might have at home!). I expected the lunchtime conversation would be stilted and awkward, but I had a surprisingly marvellous time.

Yesterday afternoon saw me in the Botanic Gardens with even more wine(!) and a catered picnic which was eye-rollingly delicious! (catered by the chef-boyfriend of the chicky I am replacing). The weather was gorgeous, the harbour wonderful (I managed to avoid the freaks, so had quite a pleasant time). The tampa sailed past and everyone cheered (as I’ve heard it, quite different to the reaction the tampa incident had at batshitcrazyorg).

I arrived at work on Friday morning to find a promotional book/let for new-job (recently published for a major anniversary) propped up against my monitor – attached to the front was an envelope with my name on it (I was not special, everyone got one). I expected to find a christmas card inside the envelope and I was right, but what I didn’t expect was the $30 gift voucher from Myer – not an ipod, but better than a plastic batshitcrazyorg picnic blanket.

In other news, my baby girl turns nine on Monday!