Treadmill

Just like running on one of those infernal machines, I feel like I'm constantly putting one foot in front of the other but going nowhere. The absurdity will kill me.

I spent the week working my arse off and there's little to show for it. In fact, I spent each morning putting out fires instead of doing my job.

An example: Bank H and Bank W are both paying partners in section X of a magazine. Bank W decides to withdraw and put its money in section B of the magazine. Bank N replaces Bank W as a partner in section X. Bank H complains and says Bank N should never have been allowed to replace Bank W because it means that Bank H is not the only bank in section X.

Well, I'm sorry, Bank H, but can't you see you were NEVER the only bank? Besides which, there was never a deal for exclusivity. What difference does it make if the other bank in section X is Bank W or Bank N? Aargh! I have to reason with these people. And be polite while doing so.

Another example: Client A holds an editorial meeting whereby arrangements are made to include a particular piece of information in their magazine. The information will come late, a week after official deadline, from councillor L. I received a PDF version of a brochure to be sent out to Client A's members and am told that this is what I must base the article on. I write a 3/4 page article based on the scant information from the brochure.

I send the proof copy of the magazine to Client A for approval. After sending the proof copy, I receive a PowerPoint presentation via email, which I'm told will help with the article. I send a PDF proof to councillor L to check that the article is okay. Councillor L tells me that the article isn't big or deep enough for such an important issue and why didn't I use the PowerPoint he sent? I tell him that the article is not meant to be representative of the entire issue but clearly points to further information down the track. Not satisfied with this, councillor L calls councillor T (my direct 'boss') to see if we can't have a bigger article.

Councillor T calls me. I tell him 'it's your magazine, you can do whatever you want to but it will cost you $400 for my time and my designer's time, three days delay to print and $3,000 in ad revenue because we will need to cut an ad page to give it to editorial'. After all of that, both finally agree with me to have the more in depth article in the next issue.

Seriously, these people drive me nuts. Also, although I'm capable of plenty of things, time travel isn't one of them.

Today: optometrist AGAIN (and will go next week too) for a visual acuity test. Ate at two new places in Chatswood, ripe for review. Shopped for a number of birthday gifts including for as-yet-unborn niece (Cecilia). Bought some new 'professional' clothes (now with added consumer guilt) having discovered that half my professional wardrobe either doesn't fit me or is falling apart.

Tomorrow: going to high tea at The Observatory with Nestor the friendly dragon and will probably sink more money on birthday gifts. Can people stop being born already? And don't even start me on the cost of wedding gifts...