It is Gorgeous Landlord's birthday soon. I don't go in for buying pants and socks for men. I think those are boring and thoughtless presents. Except this time: Landlord has expressly asked me to find a brand of underpants he bought in New Zealand that he has , frankly, a worrying degree of enthusiasm for.

He flippin' loves them. They are called Holeproof Underdaks. (I think that is a brand rather than a description) and they are his favourite pants and he regrets not buying more.

I've promised to do my best to track down a company that'll ship to UK.  This is I have done and an order is to be sent today. It took some googling to find a company willing to send these underpants all the way here and this is why I have a large number of cached pictures of hunky men in underwear in my temporary internet files

Well that is my excuse, anyway. And of course it is for reorders that the website is now in my favourites.

It's official. LandlordMa and landlordPa have been invited down for Christmas. He hasn't inivited his parents down in years, mostly because he finds the whole thing far too stressful. He doesn't have the degree of comfort and 'like old friends' relationship that I have with mum when she comes to stay, which is a shame. I think he feels they judge him or something.

Anyway, last night he rang them. His mum met the invite with: "oh, I didn't think you had the room" (we live in a 3 bedroom house, with all bedrooms roofed and generally fit for human habitation - except my room, which is a tip. Room we do have)

He put the phone down with a big sigh. He had finally done it: he'd invited them to stay. I massaged his shoulders and made soothing noises about there now being two of us to handle them, and with not knowing me that well they'll be on their best behaviour. At the end of the day how bad can they be? They'll have been pleased to be invited.

"how could she think we didn't have room?" he asked. I pointed out that this was Ma-code for: I'm hurt you never invited us. This is the excuse I made to myself for you.

He forgets I once had a mother in law. And not only that, we all used to live in the same house together. LIving with your mother in law - not to be recommended. Having his mum down for Christmas is going to be a piece of cake.

Which reminds me, better find a christmas cake recipe and get some mincemeat underway. And plan Christmas dinner.

I have recently been given a new Line Manager. Since I deal with Finance it makes sense to report to the Finance Manager and I don't mind. I don't get on with him as well as with my previous boss, but that is because new boss just isn't that much of a people person. He's not an ogre but it's an entirely different sort of relationship.

anyway, so as of a fortnight ago, I've been asked to spend Friday afternoons at head office, mostly so he can give me lots of extra stuff to do witha "by the end of the day" deadline, irrespective of what I have going on in my in-tray back at my usual office.  I don;t mind too much, it is a much quieter office and I can actually get 5x as much work done as in my usual noisier office but the atmosphere is pretty dead. And also, office hours there are 9.30 to 5.30 so despite staring at 9am here I don;t get out until 5.30 (or later) there. It's only 30 minuites more but I do begrudge it a bit.

So because of this, I generally dread Fridays. I don't get a yippee feeling and the further into Friday afternoon, I get more and more miserable.

Anyway, today, the deputy manager came in and announced that due to Health and Safety issues we are all to leave the building at 1pm. The Fire Alarm isn'tt working and no one is to remain here until it's fixed. So everyone can go home

Cue lots of rejoicing in the office about getting Friday afternoon off. Plans of going for celebratory drinks...Happy Happy Joy Joy

Except from me. There is no way I'll be able to go home if I'm meant to be at Head officer anyway.

poo bum arse