Blog Week 12: A difficult day and life as a PR party girl.

Sunday 12 February 14.15

Friday was quiet and calm. Nice - just how an office should be. Well at least most of the time.

I have to admit, I do feel a bit down at the moment. Next week contains a certain day with a lot of happy memories. I am trying not to think about it too much, but it is difficult.

I want to go outside, feel the tiny snowflakes on my face, meet up with friends. I just cannot seem to rouse myself right now.

This office merger proceeds in an invisible sort of way. I know because I am Bill's secretary and also as Pierre is always trying to get me to help out with different things. I keep hearing and seeing a lot of things (the interesting, the important and the trivial) and many things do not make much sense to me. But what do I know.

There is a big PR event happening towards the end of the week. So far I have managed to avoid getting involved in the organisation.

Monday 13 February 23.22

Mockney was back with the living. After his night-of-the-living-dead performance last week, he was now very much back to life.

The first thing he said to me as I walked through the door this morning: what do chicks like for Valentine's Day?

That was not a subject I really wanted to discuss with him. I just said chocolates, made an excuse and quickly walked out again.

Later in the morning Mockney told me that giving chocolates is a bit boring given that we are based in Brussels. Apparently there is not one particular special women he had in mind, but a few. So he wanted to give something cheap in price and yet impressive. I just let him carry on talking, trying not to show my growing irritation as I got on with my work. Only when he suggested I go lingerie shopping with him at lunchtime - because he was too embarrassed to go on his own - did I finally explode.

I suppose his relentless discussion of Valentine's day was inevitably only going to have one effect: me turning into Mount Vesuvius. In a very pointed way - god knows what my facial expression was like - I told him I did not want to hear another word about Valentine's day again.

He was clearly surprised and shocked. He muttered an apology and just turned back to his screen.

We did not speak for the rest of the day.

Tuesday 14 February 20.22

Got into the office this morning and there was a card and a small plant waiting for me by my keyboard.

It was from Mockney. He apologised for going on about Valentine's day yesterday and said he would be more sensitive in future. Now it was my turn to be surprised; his gift came as a total surprise. I had such a positive feeling, to be appreciated, and it certainly made me feel great.

Mockney appeared in the office about 10 minutes later. I thanked him for the card and plant and gave him a hug. He seemed quite relieved.

I realised there is another side to Mockney. Sharing an office with him the past few weeks meant I have become familiar with him, but I do not know him.

After my heroics with organising one of the Christmas parties, Pierre has got me involved in organising this PR event for the merger on Thursday evening.

When Pierre asked me to assist with the organising, he said it would be a lot of fun. Yeah sure: I do all the work and others have all the fun.

A big problem is we currently do not know who is actually coming. The invitations went out last year (I was not involved in that) and hardly anyone has bothered to rsvp. It could be that a lot of people are coming or hardly anyone...

Wednesday 15 February 21.03

I had to directly contact 100 people - or more typically the secretaries of 100 people - to find out who will be coming tomorrow evening.

Why have only a few people bothered to rsvp so far?

In the meantime, Bill was back from travelling round South America and so I was trying to deal with all his stuff too. Difficult day.

Friday 17 February 00.34

Got back from the PR event a little while ago. Overall a success, but will have to write more about it this weekend.



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