I had a list of forty-eight important tasks I needed to get done - the past week at work

Monday

Returned from France through the tunnel (not driving myself - I was in someone else's car).  Across the Queen Elizabeth Bridge.  A brief stop at Harlow.

The rest of the day I spent doing nothing.

Tuesday

Misty drive to work this morning.  I felt very tired even before the working day began.  Luckily I found a parking space even though I arrived at the office just after 9.

I had a list of forty-eight important tasks I needed to get done this week.  Unfortunately meetings continually got in the way, so that progress with this list was slow.  Today was dominated by a meeting of the Working Group - I contributed to the discussion but I do wonder whether anyone understands what I am saying.

New Market Research Officer Jane started today.  Ostensibly she reports to Research Manager Felix S, but because he is moving departments she will actually report to me (the Research department is being merged with my Marketing department).  I was perplexed when reading her CV to see that she has no actual experience of market research.

As usual when someone new starts, the rest of the department took Jane out to lunch - this time to the William IV pub.  Beer and toasted sandwiches, and it was mild enough for us to sit out in the sunny garden.  Jane is aged early twenties, big blue eyes, light brown hair, slightly plump ("puppy fat" said Margaret), wide mouth, slightly flaring nostrils (particularly when you talk to her directly, as if she is trying to inhale the words you are speaking).

All afternoon Jane was talking to Josey S (PR Officer, recovering from a disastrous office romance).  Josey was supposed to be mentoring Jane and showing her how the department functions, but I suspected they were just gossiping.  Several times I heard the phrase "Ed Sheeran".

Wednesday

Media interview this morning, with a radio station wanting to talk to a director.  The only one available was Ryan M, Operations Director and we held the interview in the tea room on the top floor.  As usual Ryan M was not terribly erudite.  As part of her induction I included Jane in the interview as an observer.  Josey S also came along as she is meant to be PR Officer (although she hardly does anything).  After the interview, as we were going back downstairs, I heard Jane whisper to Josey "So that's him".

In the afternoon interviews for another Marketing Officer as Meryl (my deputy) is moving to different section of the NGO.  HR Manger Yasmin and myself held the interviews.  We saw five candidates, all of them fairly strong professionals.

In the end we decided to give the post to Ron J, a disabled person who has been working as an unpaid intern in the NGO (but I think a charity pays him a subsistence and had arranged the internship for him).  Ron J is aged 60, affected by a progressively debilitating disease.  He had previously worked as a senior manager in a commercial company, on a salary four times higher than the one we were offering.

"I think you just felt sorry for him" Jasmin said as I made the final decision.

Actually I wanted Ron J to be given the job as I think he will be an ally against my boss Tom D.

Thursday

Boring sort of day.  Ron J able to start immediately, and during the morning I arranged his induction.  Tom D obviously does not like Ron, probably because he is more experienced than Tom and is able to talk to CEO Alec Pressberg as an equal.
  
Friday

A day when time seemed to drag, although I had plenty to do.

I felt very disillusioned about working at the NGO and thought about resigning before my contract comes to an end in December.

Leaving work at 3.30 (using up TOIL time) I went with Felix and Ryan to a local golf course and each of us whacked a bucket of balls reasonably competently in the range before playing nine holes of the course.