Just the tonic

Given that I seem to do a lot of moaning and groaning, I thought I'd post a good news story today. Well, good news for me at any rate! BTW, it does start off moany but gets more positive...

Today was anticipated to be the day from hell work-wise. Not only did I go wine tasting last night on an empty stomach and on top of a late, wine-fuelled night on Monday, but I also had meetings scheduled from 9am-3.30pm. And they were predicted to be nasty meetings.

My alarm went off this morning at some ungodly hour - I wanted to get in early to try and get on top of things and ensure I was prepared for the meetings - and I was in work by about 8.15. Unheard of for me. And nursing a mild hangover. My stress levels were high. I went to my 9am (internal) meeting and walked out of that within about three minutes. Told them I couldn't do it and had to get on with a costing. What a diva! Then by 10am I'm in a taxi en route to client meeting numero uno. I was predicting a tough meeting. It was a breeze and all went swimmingly. Client meeting two went even better. I bonded with my client-side counterpart and I actually think that project might go OK now. Just time to get a sandwich and try and get my head around client meeting number three, which I wasn't looking forward to. That meeting went well too.

All that worrying had been in vain. Back at the studio I debated with a colleague - who had been at all four meetings too, and who had also expected the worst - whether it was silly to have worried unnecessarily about something over which we had no control. But the conclusion was that maybe we wouldn't have perceived the meetings having gone quite so well had we not been so anxious and pessimistic. By assuming the worst, we'd ended up being pleasantly surprised. (That's kind of what happened with me and my skydive too.)

Then, the icing on the 'now suddenly good day' cake was that my big boss said he was going to M&S and did I want anything. I jokingly said a gin and tonic. Lo and behold, within about 10 minutes I was served a quarter bottle of gin, a bottle of slimline tonic, a glass, sliced lemon and ice, on a tray at my desk. At 3.30 in the afternoon. God, I love that man! I tried telling him that it probably wasn't the best idea for me to start on the G&Ts so early in the day when I had a shitload of work still to do, but it would've been rude not to have a couple after he'd gone to all that effort.

What a great day today turned out to be! I feel lucky to have such lovely, supportive colleagues - I received so much practical and emotional support from everyone today. That really made it. And I love the big boss's live for the moment mentality. Sometimes a G&T at 3.30pm at your desk is just what you need. Sod convention and work for a moment; life's too short.