A day to be forgotten

I really am at a loss for words to describe the day I have had today. I can, however, say with absolute certainty that I hope I never have to experience another one like it.

I have felt rather low most of the week, as if I have been in a fog unable to find my way out. Yesterday was the exception, when the fog appeared to lift, only to come back much thicker this morning as the alarm clock was waking me up to the reality of another day. What sort of perverted mind decides to invent a bloody alarm clock??? (I did google it but will spare you the details)

Getting out of bed was the first mistake of what was to become a day I’d rather forget.

I was in no particular mood for work and felt that a day at home hiding from the world would be much nicer than the harsh reality of the office. I usually walk to work which is a 30 minute journey that normally prepares me for the day ahead and also avoids the need to stew on a bus which takes more or less the same time once you factor waiting time into the equation. This morning, I was moving at a much slower pace and convinced myself that getting the bus would be a good idea. This was mistake number two! The bus arrived and for some unknown reason I literally fell onto the bus scraping both my hands and knees in the process and not to mention making a complete and utter fool of myself. I got my ticket and found a seat avoiding any kind of eye contact with the rest of the bus, who I suspect had found the whole drama rather comical. A girl came and sat next to me and kindly gave me the change I had forgotten in my rush to find a seat and forget about the whole affair!

When I got to work a colleague asked sarcastically if I had decided to crawl to work. When I spotted the two lovely marks on my knees I understood the question and felt that explaining my foolish bus entrance was easier than trying to come up with a story that would sufficiently explain the state of my trousers!!! I then discovered that I had traveled the whole journey with my fly undone.

At this point I was beginning to think that getting out of bed really was a big mistake and I was right; the day did not improve in the slightest.

The other Mortgage Consultant in my office is on holiday, which means I am looking after his clients as well as my own and I am not sure whether or not all of his clients have some secret way of communicating with each other, but they all seemed to think that ringing me continuously today was a great idea.

It may be an idea to explain that I have a very odd relationship with telephones, a condition I have picked up from my previous job, where my mobile/cell phone would ring non stop pretty much every day. It got to a point where I just stopped answering, which presented me with 20 to 30 messages at the end of each day, the majority of which were a problem that had to be dealt with by me. Why do it yourself when you can get other people to deal with it for you? Even at home I won’t answer the phone unless I know who is calling me (caller ID is a much better invention than the alarm clock).

As if the phone wasn’t enough, emails were flooding in too, at a similar speed, all containing tasks/requests/problems! But not just a task or problem; no no no! An URGENT task or problem to be dealt with! My to do list is now growing at super sonic speed and I am beginning to mentally shut down which is beginning to worry me because at this point it’s not even 10am!! Realising that I have another 7 hours of this doesn’t exactly boost my enthusiasm!!!

Luckily the client I was meant to see at 10am cancelled which gave me a chance to start on my to do list, which was beginning to look more like a novel in the making than a list. With the phone still going at regular intervals followed by more emails I was beginning to wonder if this was a bad dream that I would soon wake up from, but no such luck!

I also started to think that I would have a better chance of winning the lottery than completing my endless to do list.

At one point after lunch I had to get out of the office just to get away from the constant demands. I actually think I know what a dart board may feel like during a championship!!! I went for a walk and started to think that getting run over by a bus (as opposed to falling onto one!) would be a welcome change to my day. Resting in a hospital bed (in my mind) seemed very similar to a holiday on a tropical island!

My rational mind kicked in again and convinced me to go back to the office to try my best at reducing my list of tasks which had grown further in my absence and I did what I could. If the result of my day ends up being a P45 (pink slip) then so be it!

I am at home now, hiding from the world, at least until tomorrow when I am back at work, the prospect of which isn’t exactly filling me with joy!!!

Next on my to do list: Find a job that does not involve having to deal with members of the public or win the lottery (whichever comes first)!

With that, I am signing off in the hope that tomorrow, I will be greeted by a friendlier day!

So long and thanks for all the fish