Encore une Fois

[whotheheckami]

Tuesday
I crawled out of bed at 07.00 feeling grottier than a grotty thing on a grotty day in Grot-land! I quickly necked a slack handful of paracetamol and assorted cold remedies, said my farewells and dragged my sorry carcass into the car for the drive to work.

I endured the morning and toughed it through a couple of meetings before a colleague and I clambered into the car for the 5 hour drive to Beauvais. I happily handed the keys to Cliff and let him drive to the tunnel whilst I dozed away the miles. the journey went very smoothly and we arrived in time to have a relaxed dinner at the hotel before a much needed early night.



Wednesday
I'd decided that I really needed to sleep and so I'd taken a sleeping tablet. Consequently, I'd slept well but could have done with lots more! Work was very bitty and I was unable to get much good information from the French senior managers because they seemed more interested in blame-shifting onto their colleagues! The highlight of the day came in the afternoon when I was forced to sit with the delectable Sophie and help her to understand why two similar reports were giving her conflicting information (because they're not actually "similar" they just look it)

Cliff and I packed up at 7 and headed to a wine warehouse for some retail therapy :@) before grabbing a quick dinner and an early return to the hotel. I went straight to my room, even refusing a night-cap - I am ill after all! I settled down with Stranger In A Strange Land before drifting into the land of slumber before 23.00.



Thursday
This was the first day that I actually felt a bit better in the morning. I slept solidly until 07.30 and had time for a long soak in my whirlpool bath 'wheee - bubbles without beans' before breaking my fast and heading into the office.

Cliff and I headed out for some more alcohol-related retail therapy where I discovered something that could make next Thursday very messy indeed. Le Beaujolais Neauveau est arivee on 20 November. My liver is quaking in anticipation, probably at the memory of the year when the saying: "It tastes like real wine after the third sip glass bottle!" emerged from my barely functioning lips. I wonder how nasty this year's offering will be?

Cliff and I headed to my favorite restaurant with the car making lots of happy clinking noises. We ate extremely well (filet mignon pour moi) and returned to the hotel for a nightcap of a couple of cognacs.

I didn't sleep briliantly and spent a couple of early morning hours reading my book and watching the TV (free porno - how civilised!) ;@)



Friday
Packing took minutes and gave me time to abuse my alarm's snooze function before having my standard French breakfast of bread, jam and hot chocolate. The day dragged by; especially as we'd decided not to try and get to the M25 ahead of the Friday rush but to stay at work until after 6pm. The offices were deserted as Cliff and I headed to the car park. Most of our French employees manipulate their 35 hour week to achieve a rewarding extension to "le weekend!" I don't think I'll bother staying late again on a Friday - there was no one available to talk to and all I had to keep me occupied was to carry out tedious financial analysis on a coal-fired laptop in Excel of ridiculously large files - how relaxing!



Tuesday
I crawled out of bed at 07.00 feeling grottier than a grotty thing on a grotty day in Grot-land! I quickly necked a slack handful of paracetamol and assorted cold remedies, said my farewells and dragged my sorry carcass into the car for the drive to work.

I endured the morning and toughed it through a couple of meetings before a colleague and I clambered into the car for the 5 hour drive to Beauvais. I happily handed the keys to Cliff and let him drive to the tunnel whilst I dozed away the miles. the journey went very smoothly and we arrived in time to have a relaxed dinner at the hotel before a much needed early night.



Wednesday
I'd decided that I really needed to sleep and so I'd taken a sleeping tablet. Consequently, I'd slept well but could have done with lots more! Work was very bitty and I was unable to get much good information from the French senior managers because they seemed more interested in blame-shifting onto their colleagues! The highlight of the day came in the afternoon when I was forced to sit with the delectable Sophie and help her to understand why two similar reports were giving her conflicting information (because they're not actually "similar" they just look it)

Cliff and I packed up at 7 and headed to a wine warehouse for some retail therapy :@) before grabbing a quick dinner and an early return to the hotel. I went straight to my room, even refusing a night-cap - I am ill after all! I settled down with Stranger In A Strange Land before drifting into the land of slumber before 23.00.



Thursday
This was the first day that I actually felt a bit better in the morning. I slept solidly until 07.30 and had time for a long soak in my whirlpool bath 'wheee - bubbles without beans' before breaking my fast and heading into the office.

Cliff and I headed out for some more alcohol-related retail therapy where I discovered something that could make next Thursday very messy indeed. Le Beaujolais Neauveau est arivee on 20 November. My liver is quaking in anticipation, probably at the memory of the year when the saying: "It tastes like real wine after the third sip glass bottle!" emerged from my barely functioning lips. I wonder how nasty this year's offering will be?

Cliff and I headed to my favorite restaurant with the car making lots of happy clinking noises. We ate extremely well (filet mignon pour moi) and returned to the hotel for a nightcap of a couple of cognacs.

I didn't sleep briliantly and spent a couple of early morning hours reading my book and watching the TV (free porno - how civilised!) ;@)



Friday
Packing took minutes and gave me time to abuse my alarm's snooze function before having my standard French breakfast of bread, jam and hot chocolate. The day dragged by; especially as we'd decided not to try and get to the M25 ahead of the Friday rush but to stay at work until after 6pm. The offices were deserted as Cliff and I headed to the car park. Most of our French employees manipulate their 35 hour week to achieve a rewarding extension to "le weekend!" I don't think I'll bother staying late again on a Friday - there was no one available to talk to and all I had to keep me occupied was to carry out tedious financial analysis on a coal-fired laptop in Excel of ridiculously large files - how relaxing!


Mel went shopping and he bought...
20 bottles of red wine
12 bottles of white wine
6 bottles of rose wine
2 bottles of baileys
1 case of Stella
1 case of Hoegaarden
Yummy chocolate for Mendi and Pixie

PS. Pixie and Mendi gave me a lovely welcome home last night :@D