Insomnia

Currently having another of my sleepless periods - not expecting it to last long, but who knows? - following a press day which, given the circumstances, could have been significantly worse.

As I suspected, I was on my own till the early afternoon, as my boss had wisely played it safe and stayed indoors till it looked as though the roads were in a fit state for travel. By the time she arrived, everything was proceeding nicely, apart from one or two hiccups.

The Copy Controller working on today's magazine had been distracted at various points in the day by her attempts to train a new recruit who, it seems, is just not shaping up. There was also a point where there was altogether too much chatter between her and a Salesman with aggravating Britpop hair and a somewhat arrogant swagger to everything he does. I politely interrupted that and reminded her that, if she wasn't too busy reminiscing about getting a Fireman's Lift at the Christmas Party, I was sure there was a magazine to put out.

And, oh God, the Christmas Party.

I tried to hear as little as possible about it... And everything I did hear served to remind me why I loathe Christmas Parties with the folks I work with. Excessive alcohol consumption, ill-judged advances and, in the case of one of the Designers, further evidence that he's going nuts: confronting the aforementioned Copy Controller over her dalliances because "I like you... You should be going out with me!"

I'm still obsessing somewhat over the Publishing Director's message in my card... Not least because several folks at work can't believe she'd be "so unprofessional" as to write something like that. I should just let it go, because she's just spiteful and pathetic (and she went off on holiday today, leaving a message to the remaining Sales staff that they can leave early on Christmas Eve if they hit their targets), and it really shouldn't bother me. I mean, really, it only bothers me because I cannot believe she can be so small minded and spiteful about the Production Department that has made the titles she inherited among the best in London. Or maybe that's just my nostalgia talking.

At the end of the day, having completed the magazine, there was a touching and tearful farewell between the Property Manager, my boss and me, in which I scammed a kiss with the line "If I promise no tongues, do I get a kiss?". Not remotely smooth, but very me.

It's rare that I find my opinion of someone in the workplace changing so dramatically as my opinion of her. When she first started, I absolutely loathed her, as she seemed to be duplicating the mannerisms of a manager I didn't like much. When she moved into Property she became a very large thorn in my side for quite some time. I'm sure I've written some very choice things about her in this very blog. But then, when the Property team moved in right behind me, I saw and heard the way she dealt with her clients and her team, saw the passion she had for making it all work smoothly, and realised that - annoying as she could be - I absolutely loved her. Not romantically, that would be weird. She and I swim in very different oceans. In a relatively short time, she had changed the way I looked at her and thought of her so profoundly and earned more respect than almost any other colleague in my entire career so far. I'm very glad to have been invited to monthly get-togethers between her and my boss (and probably others I shall live to regret), as I'm sure I would miss her terribly otherwise.

One of her team proffered a goodbye earlier in the day, while I was busy... and I believe I gave her quite short shrift. She is a prime example of my first impressions being too optimistic.

I think there are only a couple of other goodbyes I'm keen to make... and maybe a couple of 'stay in touch'-type farewells. Then it's just a case of writing some recommendations for my already-departed colleagues.