A long week

It's been a long, busy week. With lots of work to do, we've been in the office long hours to make sure things have been finished on time. Working until 8.30 both Monday and Tuesday, I felt like I wanted to unwind a little and went to a friendly little Irish bar I know (a little too well). I was pretty tired so I didn't plan to stay long - perhaps just for one or two, or until I'd finished the copy of Focus Magazine that I'd taken to read. (It's been about two years since I last read it, and sadly it seems to have been dumbed down a little since I first discovered that I enjoyed reading it - but I'll give it another chance because it's still an interesting read).

When I went for my usual two drink toilet break, I had to squeeze through two tables, and managed to knock the menu on the table next to me, which in turn knocked the salt shaker and spilled salt everywhere. I apologised, and continued on my way. When I came back, I paid much better attention to what was around me, and made sure I held the menu, grinning at the lady who'd cleaned up the salt last time. As I had successfully made my way through the two tables, I turned to sit back down. Little did I realise that there was a Focus mag sitting slightly over the edge of the table. Of course it fell, and I just got laughed at, both by the salt-pot people and by the people on my table who had noticed what was going to happen, and who tried to stop it, unsuccessfully. Anyway, embarrassed, I decided to have another drink.

It got late, I'd finished the magazine and I was getting bored, so I went over to sit at the bar for one last drink and a chat to the barman, before going to bed. Of course I had to choose the seat next to an English guy who's working in one of the musicals here and a woman who told me she was from Brighton originally, but who had a thick German accent. Confused, I stayed chatting for a while, until they kicked us out of the bar at closing time. I was taken along to another bar that seemed to stay open even longer and had a drink bought for me, before they kicked us out too.

I ended up trying to argue the odds of a lottery (don't remember why!) with the musician and got back to my room at 6am, having had far too many drinks and having swapped my Focus magazine for a New Scientist and a Scientific American that this guy had.

By this point I realised I wasn't going to make it into work on time, so decided I'd go in a little later. I didn't get in until 1pm on Wednesday, feeling slightly sorry for myself and not sure whether or not I was going to get into trouble. At least I'd worked enough hours in the two days previous to mean that I didn't miss any time, but it was still naughty of me to just not turn up until after noon.

Must be careful not to do that again. It was good to meet people though. I was meant to go and meet them in town last night as well, but having had an evening swim I felt shattered and so had an early night instead.