I love the Alphabet man
Tonight the Alphabet man did more to fill me with the faith in humanity and the joy of the season that Christmas should inspire than anything else has this year. Which is not to say that I've been feeling Scroogeish at all, but I have been trying to mentally play down the holiday. Anyway, so today I've been feeling very poorly. I think I might be getting ill. This was not helped by the fact that I had to walk all over town, first to the BUNAC office for loads of mail (!), and then to the grocery for the supplies for a couple of mandatory Christmas dishes. I had to get some cash from the ATM, and oh ho, it wouldn't take my ATM card. Fuck. So I had to walk a mile up the street to another ATM, and lo, that one wouldn't take it either. So clearly my 300 quid (aka $500-600) withdrawl for my rent money the other day has caused my bank at home to panic and block transactions with my card. So I'm going to have to call them. Gah. Yeah, so there I was, feeling really ill, walking all over town for cash. I ended up using one of my credit cards to get an advance. Went back to the grocery, got my stuff, walked home. Then I ate lots of chocolate, and have been huddled on the couch under a blanket ever since. Except for a few minutes ago, when I went to Alphabet Video across the street for some movies to keep me going through my solitary (and potentially ill) Christmas eve. I took 7.50, thinking SURELY I wouldn't need that much. As it happened, the total came to 8 quid. Damn. So I was like oooh, I don't have quite that much, and I was about to tell him to put one of the movies back, and he was like well, I'll just note on your account that you owe us. I was totally astonished! This would never happen at home. So I told him I had 7.60, and I'd get him the rest next time. And he went one better - he said we'd call it even for 7.60. I nearly had a heart attack. I LOVE him. I'm sure it helped that I rented dreadful chickflicks that probably don't get rented very often, but still. It was incredible. I feel so warm and fuzzy and aaaaw.
Yesterday was the office Christmas party. We started off partying at the office, and then moved to a pub down the road. The party started at noon, and when I left the pub at 9, there were still tons of people there. At the end of the day, I was the only sober person left. There is something so WRONG about people getting drunk with their bosses! And with their employees!! With the exception of like two people, everyone ended up acting like utter tools. This 47 year old VERY senior guy made a bunch of comments about a 27 year old's breasts. I couldn't believe it. He'd find himself strapped with a sexual harassment case if he was in the States. He also got tears in his eyes while he and I were talking politics and he started talking about Clinton taking action against the Serbians. This other guy kept hitting on me, and the more he drank, the more irritating he became. And apparently he's married with children. Another woman got absolutely plastered and started being really rude. And EVERYONE was talking sooo close to each other. I was like whoa, back off. Still, I actually had a really good time. It was nice to have the chance to speak to everyone in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Generally speaking, the people I work with are lovely, very very friendly. I ended up getting an invite to a New Year's party, should I decide to attend. So in spite of being witness to everyone acting like total idiots, my dignity is still well intact, and I'm quite glad that I went. It was a fun night, and I got to take home aaaaall the left over food! Yeah! It was kind of embarrassing, because the woman who gave it to me told EVERYONE that I was getting it because I'm not getting paid over the holidays, but I'm not above free food.
Oh, and when I went to the BUNAC office today, I ran into one of the two girls that I really got on with on Monday when I went out for a BUNAC outing. So I got her mobile number, and she lives with the other girl. Yay! I'll have to see if they want to hang out over the holidays.
I hope you're all having good holidays!
Yesterday was the office Christmas party. We started off partying at the office, and then moved to a pub down the road. The party started at noon, and when I left the pub at 9, there were still tons of people there. At the end of the day, I was the only sober person left. There is something so WRONG about people getting drunk with their bosses! And with their employees!! With the exception of like two people, everyone ended up acting like utter tools. This 47 year old VERY senior guy made a bunch of comments about a 27 year old's breasts. I couldn't believe it. He'd find himself strapped with a sexual harassment case if he was in the States. He also got tears in his eyes while he and I were talking politics and he started talking about Clinton taking action against the Serbians. This other guy kept hitting on me, and the more he drank, the more irritating he became. And apparently he's married with children. Another woman got absolutely plastered and started being really rude. And EVERYONE was talking sooo close to each other. I was like whoa, back off. Still, I actually had a really good time. It was nice to have the chance to speak to everyone in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Generally speaking, the people I work with are lovely, very very friendly. I ended up getting an invite to a New Year's party, should I decide to attend. So in spite of being witness to everyone acting like total idiots, my dignity is still well intact, and I'm quite glad that I went. It was a fun night, and I got to take home aaaaall the left over food! Yeah! It was kind of embarrassing, because the woman who gave it to me told EVERYONE that I was getting it because I'm not getting paid over the holidays, but I'm not above free food.
Oh, and when I went to the BUNAC office today, I ran into one of the two girls that I really got on with on Monday when I went out for a BUNAC outing. So I got her mobile number, and she lives with the other girl. Yay! I'll have to see if they want to hang out over the holidays.
I hope you're all having good holidays!