breaking the rules

My goodness, what a grumpy, miserable poppet I have been this week!

I recall that last time I quit drinking I was equally grumpish for the first little bit. I’m hopeful that is the cause and I simply need to ride it out. Also, I need to get out and run.

It is quite amazing what such things can do to your brain.

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Yesterday Heather, Knut and AnxiousMum went for a boozy lunch to celebrate exceeding our 2014/15 target by an enormous amount. This after two years of massive failure under Hecate. Yay!

Well, they were very (very) boozy, I stuck to pineapple mocktails and lime and soda. It was all very civilised, we congratulated ourselves on our teamwork through the year and I didn’t miss alcohol in the least.

Afterward we adjourned to an amazingly hipster bar for another drink (more lime and soda for me). And, wow, I had always known that AnxiousMum was particularly horrible, but she exceeded expectations when she “I can say this now because I am drunk” announced that the reason we succeeded was because we were all equals** and that if Heather, Knut or I were ever to be internally promoted she basically would do her best to make our lives as difficult as possible.

This is particularly tricky as she is actually in the position to do this. And tricky as there is a particularly plum dream job potentially in the offing in about six months. Triply tricky because I know she has recently been complaining to MrT that we have been leaving her out of meetings – yes, meetings that she absolutely has no need to attend – and having conversations without her … ummmm.

I asked, “so what you’re saying is that you wouldn’t be happy for any of us if we achieved career success?” AnxiousMum agreed that was exactly what she was saying. Bafflingly, she really seemed to think this was an acceptable thing to say and we’d be fine with it.

What?! This is the teamwork and collaboration we were only just congratulating ourselves on? The three of us were just completely gobsmacked and the party broke up soon after. Probably fortunate I was entirely sober because if I had been in my cups I would have informed her just what a contemptible human she is.

tl;dr photographic interlude

Vincenzo then joined Heather and I for post-work drinks in Newtown (more lime and soda). This was really excellent and I had such a great time – probably a better time than if I had been drinking, which is I think a first for me in a pub!

It was a lovely (if very cold) evening, so I enjoyed a very nice walk home. After which the texts flew between Heather, Knut and I agreeing that we need to urgently develop a strategy to deal with the AnxiousMum crazy.

Just what the hell is wrong with people?

**actually we’re not equals at all – you will recall that she was supposed to report to me in the restructure until she made all sorts of threats to Dr12 and he decided that I needed to be saved from her crazy so I could focus on delivery.

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Today I slept in until 9am – this is unheard of! I mean, I did get up at 5:30am to feed the beasties, but unusually went back to sleep soon after. Generally, the routine is: feed kitties, make coffee, try to sleep but already my mind is racing, give up on sleep, read stuff on tablet, drink coffee, drag self from bed for shower at about 7:30.

I very much appreciated the rest! Though not the loss of half the day.

Later in the morning, Don and I walked to the butcher, baker and fruit and veg. We’ve been trying to minimise our grocery store visits, so generally will make a fresh food run on Saturday/Sunday – though generally we drive. The quality at the individual stores is much superior and it’s satisfying to patronise the local businesses.

Then I pottered for the remainder of the day – did some mending, messed with the worm farm, folded laundry, ermmmm … actually I think that might be all I did.

I look forward to the lifting of the gloom this week.