Ding a ling a ling a ding dong ding

At last I am feeling Christmassy. It all started on Saturday when I was exposed to the circle of loveliness* whose loveliness was enhanced by a piece of pig bigger than a pig.

At Temples this morning, while waiting for my toast, Christmas songs were being played over the radio and instead of the usual running for cover before my ears start bleeding, I found it most cheering.

I even went so far as to attempt to do the remainder of my Christmas shopping at Leadenhall Market this lunchtime but that wasn’t successful.

I think it may be time for me to put up my Christmas decorations.

Today’s music in my head: the Christmas song that goes “Ding a ling a ling a ding dong ding”


* Similar to the axis of evil except lovely, rather than evil and a circle rather than an axis. In fact, nothing like the axis of evil at all. The circle of loveliness is created by many lovely people sitting in a circle and I was not drunk.

Good Days

I’ve been having some good days this week (mostly Tuesday).

Reason 1: Praise from an outsider

One of my clients described me to a senior director from a well known insurance company as my ex-boss’s “replacement” on the account (my ex-boss has twenty years experience, was a chief actuary and a past president of an actuarial association)

This senior director doesn’t know I’m not qualified. He doesn’t know I have less than two years’ experience.

He said of me, after I had presented my report to the client, that I did a really good job of the claims analysis (although he’s suspicious of someone who doesn’t drink wine).

Reason 2: Christmas Party

I managed to wangle a ticket to the Employee Benefits’ Christmas party that I went to on Tuesday. Since my departure from the department things have changed around. The actuarial bods now work in a different office and the consultants who were based in this different office have been moved to London. This means there were a few people at this party who I knew by telephone and e-mail but had never met before.

They are nice. I am the champion at standing on one leg.

It’s also quite liberating not to have to worry about what I can and shouldn’t say to people as there will be no repercussions the next morning when the actuary I love to hate has to decide who should carry out the piece of work no-one wants to touch.

Four other girls and I got changed together. I was very impressed that we all managed to end up in different colours.

Reason 3: Procrastination is good

This is very dull to explain. Suffice to say I was meant to be assisting a broker with some work that I didn’t want to do and during my period of procrastination the broker discovered someone else with access to better software for the job. So my role in the project has become one of offering my services to someone else if on the off-chance they need me. Being pleased by the outcome is probably the wrong attitude to take, but I’ve had a nasty cold during which I had to work to get out a report to the client on time. (Reference reason 1 above)

Reason 4: My nasty cold is going

I had a nasty cold for two weeks and at last I am beginning to feel better. Although I am still a one-woman goo factory (you probably didn’t want to know that but it gives me the chance to type “goo”).