It’s been a few days again, hasn’t it. I’m not entirely sure where to start.
On Friday morning I travelled to the new offices with my laptop and phone. Within a couple of hours both were erased, and re-installed. My other half joked that I would enter the building as one person, and leave as another. In a strange sort of way, I suppose she was right.
I now work for a new - much bigger - company. It feels strange at the moment - going from being “somebody” to being largely anonymous, in a huge crowd of strangers.
On Friday evening we went to the Christmas party - the company had hired out a huge hotel and pre-booked most of the rooms for us all. I will admit to being ever-so-slightly terrified.
It was big, noisy, and relentless. Thankfully all of the seating had been pre-organised - placing us with people knew. I ended up sitting next my previous managing director’s wife - we’ve known each other for twenty years, but haven’t seen each other for the last couple, so spent much of the “dinner” catching up on our families, children, and so on.
As the night wore on the dance floor filled up, people began to wander back towards the bar, and everybody began to find each other in the crowds of party-goers.
I think one of my favourite memories of the evening was seeing a co-worker that’s been to hell and back in recent years arrive with a somewhat secret girlfriend. Couldn’t have been happier for him.
Of course I danced like an idiot. Fuelled by wine. It’s the rules.
My other half had been suffering with a bad back, so we dipped out of the party at perhaps midnight and returned to our room. I fell asleep watching a documentary about the rise of Julius Ceaser.
The next morning we wandered down for breakfast, and found some of my co-workers to share a coffee with, and to tell stories of the night before. By mid morning we were home again.
We had originally planned to attend my other half’s Christmas party last night too - but given her back, the rapidly dropping temperatures outside, and that we were still dog tired from the night before, we stayed home in the warm and binge-watched Season 3 of “Upload”.
This morning was all about the annual “Santa Fun Run” in town. Three thousand Santa-suit clad runners pouring through the streets like a red tide. It was very surreal. I didn’t do it this year - our middle daughter did - and I wished I had signed up too. I think sometimes though you have to admit that you can’t do EVERYTHING, and just be happy to support those that ARE doing whatever.
This evening I’m having a quiet one. I know tomorrow will be filled with onboarding tasks for the new company. I have a long list of meetings throughout the week - meeting the CEO, CFO, COO, and so on - which I have to somehow fit around normal work. They have weekly workout meetings too - I have no idea what that entails - perhaps some form of thai-chi? I guess we’ll find out.
Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a coffee pot with my name on it in the kitchen.