rue the day you let it slip

So, the weekend.

I have been staying on-site this past week, to be near at hand. It's been convenient - I don't think I could have handled the late nights and early morning starts and still remember to eat and sleep, otherwise - but it's not home. So I came home last night, to chill on my own, and to do laundry. After a week surrounded by people, I needed the solitude and silence of home - to recharge, gird my loins, so to speak, before returning tomorrow to College for our last week.

We had fifty plus very late enrolments, which created havoc for the timetabling and scheduling I devised. I was heard to mutter violently to people, "Late enrolments suck. IDIOTS. Completely disorganized kids. Stupid. We should have said enrolments closed or something, last week, just to give us enough time to process all these."

Someone said, two days later, "We should charge a processing fee for late enrolments."

Why didn't we think of that?!!

I have no idea what I did in the first two days. I have a vague recollection of either being on the phone to some random person, or sitting in front of the computer wrestling with timetables, or cajoling the photocopier, or running around but not exactly where I was running around to. Either way, I suppose I was busy, and my stress levels were dangerously high. But me being me, I didn't notice.

My team members noticed, however, and ordered me out of our office for a break. I ignored them. They repeated the order. I answered the phone and dealt with an enquiry. When I ended the call, I realised Chris and Michael was behind my chair. Before I knew it, one said to the other, "Okay, let's do it."

They gripped my chair, lifted it - with me still in it - and physically carried me out. In between my, "GUYS, PUT ME DOWN", I yelled out, "Late enrolment coming tomorrow!" They wheeled me across the floor to the lifts and would have dumped me in it to take me downstairs if I hadn't jumped out in time. As it was, someone was trying to block all possible means of escape.

The looks on the students' faces as the boys rolled me across the floor and me shrieking my head off ...

It was funny and a good joke. But as I went back into the office to resume work, they yelled at me to get out again. I got the message, grabbed my phone and left. Can't remember what I did with myself that afternoon. I was amused, but figured that was that. I could go back to work the next day. But that night, they announced that I wasn't going to work till 9.30am. I got a little upset then.

True enough, I wasn't allowed to leave till the rest left. And when I finally arrived, they kicked me off the computers. I took myself off to chair a lunchtime session and when I returned, Al yelled, "Make sure you're in the office at 3pm."

I asked why. He wouldn't say as he sped off somewhere. When he got back, he repeated his order. I asked why again. He turned to Kell, "Tell her she has to be in the office at 3." Kell repeated it, then turned to Al, "Why?"

"Because Cynth is taking you out at 3pm."

"Why? What for?!!!"

They were kicking me out again. I rebelled and said, "I am not leaving with Cynth" and stalked off to find P. But Cynth tracked me down, so I had to leave with her. Two hours later, I was the proud possesor of a brand new leather handbag and a little more relaxed.

By the next afternoon, I had decidedly chilled. Sarah said, "You looked spaced out, Liv. Where did you disappear off to this morning?"

"Yeah, where were you? I turned around and you weren't there," said Kell.

I smiled mysteriously, "Was with Pete."

"What did you do? No, don't answer that. I can guess."

I laughed and finally, started to enjoy myself.

Apart from the financial side of things, which Kell has now taken over, thank goodness, everything else is running itself. I didn't have to do a thing yesterday or even the day before. I said to P, "I answered five emails, made two phone calls, drew up a poster for Chris, went on a walkabout with Chris and Adri to stick posters up. Isn't that wonderful? You know what, I even wrote a personal email yesterday!"

I'm having fun.

Thanks, Chris. Please, pass on my compliments to the rest of your team.