and on the first day

things went quite well at my new job.

The payroll person asked for my bank details (always a good sign)

My line manager, who is the company chief exec, confirmed that I have an office to myself, if you don't count three printers, two filing cabinets and the world's most intimidating photocopier (and I'm definitely not counting them)

The payroll person, wearing a different hat, asked me to pick what I'd like to order for my office christmas lunch (which was a pleasant surprise on my first day). I've chosen parsnip soup because it sounds delicious, even though I never choose the soup at group meals because there's always too much and it's far too filling; and duck confit with toulouse sausage and braised red cabbage, being tempted by the red cabbage even though I fear the dish as a whole may be too rich and too fatty; and chocolate pot brulee, because it mentions the word chocolate and thus could not be avoided. We only have four weeks to wait for this feast, which is rather a dire thought as it means christmas is nearly here, and as yet I have done nothing about it.

Apparently we get paid for a four hour midday break on the day of the christmas lunch - which I think means that we get to go home once the meal is over instead of stumbling blearily back to the office and failing to do anything useful for the rest of the afternoon.

How remarkably sensible!