Not lethal, but veeeery unpleasant

It's the nose again. This headcold has been plaguing me on and off for three weeks now. Last week, I stayed home on Friday - too little sleep on account of constant sneezing and trying to stop the floods with tons of tissues, general lousiness and a nose the colour of a traffic light - and after the weekend the bug seemed to have buggered off for good.
Yesterday it came back, as buggy and irritating as ever. I've been up since 4 a.m. today and am feeling rather tired and grumpy, not to mention sorenes in the proboscis area and the sensation of my head being stuffed with cotton. Except for the eyes, which are stuffed with sand.
So maybe I'll leave earlier today and have a late start tomorrow. There's chicken broth at home (yum!), and ze boyz, and thick socks. This combination usually helps.
If there were lots to do, I'd probably stick it out, but being at work feeling like an old dishcloth and with absolutely nothing to do is awful. (Well I could go and buy the Ambassador the new TV she so craves, but I rather think I won't)

The best-laid plans

etc.etc.
I didn't go home earlier today, because just when I was about to give in to fatigue and leave, 1st Secretary called, asking whether he could nip over to my office and look at some visa applications.
This would normally be something the head of mission has to do, but since she'd have to speak to me if she did it herself, she always dumps it on the poor guy, on whom she's already dumping quite a lot. If he doesn't vet a few visa applications at least once a week, she ticks him off something vicious.
I rather like the guy, and I don't think I have the right to judge a person merely because he's a bit spineless. I don't have anything to lose in terms of a career, but he does. Hence his sometimes rather mellow stance.

While going through a couple of applications we had this dialogue. Please bear in mind that he's a lawyer and I'm not.

He: It seems so unfair to reject applications because of the lack of financial means.
Me: I know, but it's the law, you see.
He: Yes, but... *thinks* Wouldn't it be possible to, kind of, you know, inform applicants that it's no use submitting an application and paying € 60 for a visa, if neither they nor the sponsor have any money?
Me: *boggle*
He: Because, you see, it would be for their own good.
Me: Erm, I think that, if we made that information public in any way, the media would turn us into minced meat in no time. Not to mention the constitutional court - you can't discriminate people on the grounds that they haven't got money.
He: But it would save them money. And we reject those applications anyway, so why not spare them the expense and trouble?
Me: I think the point is that, while acceptance and rejection of an application is part of a procedure based on the law, non-acceptance on the grounds of poorness isn't.
He: *thinks* I think I can see your point.
Me: *sigh of relief*
He: But still...

I think I managed to dissuade him. At least I hope I did...