Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Coldplay

I can't do overnighters like I used to. It's officially a fact.

Cleared out a ton of work yesterday, left the office at 9.30 pm with a stack of books and went home to start preparing my slides for a seminar this morning. The Boss asked if my slides were ready earlier that afternoon. Yes, I said. They are ready. But at the current time, they're in my head. I'll spend some time this evening getting them from my head into MS Powerpoint.

He must think I'm nuts. The seminar is tomorrow morning, I'm the first speaker and the slides must not only make their way from my head onto Powerpoint, but also 50 sets of the slides have to be printed, bound and handed out by 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Or else.

"Some time this evening" meant the rest of the night, ending at 7.30 a.m. this morning when I emailed the slides to the office for mass printing followed by an insane rush to the hotel to give the seminar. At times like these, I say Thank God for gingko bilobar.

Now I'm completely wiped out, with all of today's work in my in-tray and the clock ticking towards 5 pm. Am so tired. I feel like going home, but no freaking way am I going to do that with all this work uncompleted.

I didn't use to be like this. I used to be so chipper. I used to love overnighters because of the bragging rights. Yeah, I can say oh so casually to my colleagues. We were here until 4 a.m. Signing was at 9 a.m. Completion is at 3 p.m. Want to go pubbing tonight? My personal record for an overnighter is 38 hours straight. No go home. No change clothes. No brush teeth... (but the less said about that the better). And I'd feel fine. Yes, I've fallen asleep while typing out amendments to the contract, but who hasn't?

Now all my molecules just want to go home. Home, to a warm bath, a meal that's not eaten in front of the computer nor purchased from the horrible food court downstairs, and then sleeeee

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:29 AM

    *wince* i can't do that sort of thing anymore, seriously. if i don't get at least 7 or 8 hours a night nowadays i become a complete zombie :} don't know how you do it, most impressed!

    incidentally, i read this post about 5 times trying to find a reference to coldplay in it. doh. :)

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  2. Oh. It's an internal joke.

    Despite the best intentions and painstakingly handwritten reminders in my office diary, I never get down to preparing my seminar slides and notes until the night before I have to give the seminar. Sometimes the hour before, even.

    As a form of encouragement, the Hubster will start playing "Coldplay" sometime around 5 a.m., when I'm throwing up my hands (and guts) in despair.

    You know that song, that goes "I was scared/I was scared/I was tired and unprepared."

    He is one sick puppy, that man.

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  3. Anonymous4:42 AM

    your seminar preparation methods remind me of my exam preparation methods ^^;;;; :))))

    re. coldplay... LOLOLOLOL!!!!

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