So do you want to hear about the therapist, my farewell, UB40, my "plans" or the search for photo paper?

the mug is one of a set of 6 (I have 4 left) I received from my old lovely team for a birthday YEARS ago - they did a card in the shape of a bag too.

Seriously, I thought, "hey, I didn't blog yesterday" and sat down with a cup of vanilla tea (I buy one box every 3 - 4 months because it's so expensive and D R A G out every last mug) and opened the blog editor.

And realised there is just so much to talk about.

Sooooo.

Let me tell you about the farewell since that happened just the other day.

It was... weird.

Typically, when a person has been there as long as I have, you get a big farewell in one of our big areas (it's the hall on the other side of that gorgeous walkway I always photograph).

Mine just had our team of 6 (which includes me) and I requested that our PA and the one girl who left the team but is still at the company be included. Then some bright spark invited ex-boss.... so that was awkward. Really awkward.

That morning I had my usual coffee with my ex-ex-boss and we chatted about all the things and the plans and so on and I said, "anyway, I have to go because I have things to do and it's my farewell this afternoon".

WHAT?

Yes, none of them were even told. Oh well, nothing surprises me at all.

I'd also had a typical email sent that morning with a list of all the things I have to still do while I work from home next week.

Anyway, I planned to take my little white pill for just after lunch so it would be most effective.

And thankfully, that worked.

Went there, ate in comparative silence with all of them, ex-team mate arrived and livened things up. There was a joke, "so do you want to come back to the team since we have a vacancy?" and she said, "ABsolutely NEVER EVER EVER! I actually have work-life balance now and would never want to get back to this (waving her arms wildly)" to which someone made a joke but she carried on. "No-one giving me the look if I come in a bit late or go a bit early NEVER MIND I'm working my butt off at home too," and so on. It was great.

And she said what I believe which is this job is for a single person without a family or at least people that are married without kids.

I started this book over a month ago, wasn't in the right space to read about other people crazier than I am, but this weekend I enjoyed reading it. And can I say it is SO NICE to take photos of "real" books :)

Eventually there was a bit of a speech, and another, and then I felt like I needed to say a few words ... honest but not horrible - like "everyone here knows this year was hard for me, some of you know that more than others....but through this experience I've learnt 3 things...." and I said what those were.

I was asked a bit about my plans, which I also shared in a fairly vague fashion, and then they handed me a gift card from Woolworths and NO CARD. Sorry, but this got to me - D said "on the bright side, no false words to get cross about" ---->> true (D's a gem!)

A few people left, we carried on talking nonsense for a bit... and then we divvied up the food that was left and off we went.

Quite honestly, it was better than I expected. No crying! People didn't push to hear any plans, etc. and I actually had someone recommending work to me that is needed in the company that I could do as a consultant. What in the heck?!

Good idea but I'm not sure.

And that was that.

Low expectations = no disappointment :)

Now I need to work through that to-do list for next week so I can hand in my laptop and be properly FREEEEEEEEEE.

4 days - I can't wait!

Did anything weird happen to you last week?