I survived the 2 weeks.

There were times when I thought I might collapse from fatigue, and many a time when I actually fell asleep at my desk. But thankfully, all that is over now.

My boss will be back tomorrow, and I wonder what her reaction will be after she finds out all that happened while she was away.

Would she be pleased? I really do not know.

I think I did the best I could during the time she was away. Sacrificing rest and enjoyment to finish the work. Though my own work had been piling up during those 2 weeks.

Now that all that is over, I finally allow myself to feel tired.

And yes, I am tired. So much so that I'm thinking of taking a long break.

Not that I have anywhere to go or anything to do. But just staying at home and lying in bed might not be that bad an idea afterall.

I survived Monday.

Tuesday in a few hours and 3 meetings, 1 clean-up to go.

Please eyes, stay awake.

This past week has been crazy my boss went on leave so now i'm the de facto team leader which is really funny considering I'm only a Senior Officer and basically paid peanuts to do the work I do and yet they still expect me to strut around like I really have the authority and power to manage a whole team of clerks who have enough work experience pooled together to squash me and kill me with a stamp like a dead fly.

Did I say the past week was crazy?

And the worst possible thing that could have happened happened during this week.

In my department, we have this dreaded word which everyone breaks out into cold sweat and starts getting into fits whenever they hear it.

Nope, it's not 'retrenchment'.

Or whatever you were thinking of.

It's called 'clean-up' and basically it just means that hey, someone screwed up at their job previously resulting in a whole chain of events which needed rectification or else MAS will come after our backs and now we have to 'clean up' the shit, so to speak.

And I was handed the shit to be in charge of 'cos hey, your team leader ain't around right now, so yah, for your kind attention and necessary action, pls.

I went back to work on Saturday to clean up the shit and no, I'm not proud of it. The deadline is on Wednesday and I don't want to be informed later that the clean-up which I did required another clean-up. Which is why I'm doing my all to make sure that whatever I'm doing right now is right and not full of shit.

I've been sending out masses of emails too. Can you believe that the higher-ranking staff of the world basically just does 2 things and that makes up the bulk of their work and yup, fills out the requisiste 8.5 hours a day?

Those 2 things are: 1)read and 2)reply to emails.

So everyday, I'm doing the above 2 things. And going for meetings. Like every team leader does. LEAVING ME NO TIME TO DO MY DAILY WORK.

Which is why I have to stay back and work late. Only during the night when nobody comes to disturb you can productivity reach its peak.

I have 1 more week of such to go through. And that deadline on Wednesday. And one other deadline. I can't remember which.

Now pray that I don't just drop dead in front of my big boss.

I like lazy Sundays where the only thing that happens is rain.

And all I get to do is remain indoors, cuddled up with a good book, some of my favourite Nightmare Before Christmas music, and the occasional awesome movie on tv.

Recently, I've realised that it takes little to make me inwardly happy. Little in that it takes very little for others to make my day, and that I need to do very little for myself to feel better after a horrid day.

A sms or two from a friend who remembers you to ask after you.

A meet-up with your old girlfriends where the highlight of the day was sitting in the car singing old songs out loud with nary a care as to how you sound.

The thought that in a few months' time, I will get to watch some of the most-anticipated movies ever - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Aug 4, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride in Sept and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in Dec.

The thought of how the Corpse Bride toys will look when they are launched later this year.

Spending hours in Kinokuniya Children's Section just scouring old titles of books that I read when I was young, and remembering that I'd read this, and yes, I'd read that too!

Buying children's books for my friends for them to share in my simple joy.

Staying up late at a friend's place watching my favourite films like Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands.

Being able to listen to some sermons on the road you as you prepare for a long day's work ahead.

I'm thinking of shifting to another blog soon. And so, this may be more short-lived than I'd thought.