![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A semi-festive post
Dec. 23rd, 2011 08:55 amTo all those who celebrate Christmas, I wish a wonderful, joyous, conflict-free holiday that they will hopefully be able to spend with whomever they wish to spend it. To those who don't but get Monday off as a holiday -- enjoy the long weekend.
That's the festive part done.
As to myself, I'm looking forward to the long weekend, which is going to be un-christmas-y.
Work is... ok, I think. Since there isn't really anything I can do about the downgrade from deputy to worm -- right now, without Irene, I wouldn't have time for much else besides administrative work anyway -- and since there is a certain advantage to getting more involved with consular and administrative stuff, I've decided to make the best of it and enjoy it as much as I can. The aforementioned advantage concerns the future: whether I'll be returning to Vienna or moving on to another place, the probability of me having to deal more with consular/administrative than political tasks is rather high. In Vienna, there's no way I can get into the political department, and if it's another posting, well, the next boss is more likely to be like the present one than like the former one. And should I be lucky enough to hit the jackpot once again by either getting into the political department or having a boss who actually makes use of my talent, I'll be more than happy to leave the administrative/consular stuff to somebody else.
Last night we had the Embassy X-mas do at the residence; it was a bit stiff and contrived, but otherwise pretty much ok. New!Ambassador's wife actually talks, which is kind of an improvement over The Frozen One. The food was nice, the wine cheap. What I found a bit strange was the fact that apparently the minions aren't worth a proper tablecloth. The table was covered by something similar to, though thinner than, the material you use to cover ironing boards. Colour silvery-grey, and paper napkins. A bit like the Malfoys giving a party for Muggleborns... The tableware is the point where the comparison ends, though -- there are no other detectable similarities between Lucius & Narcissa and the ambassador and his wife. *cackles*
I'm mildly looking forward to receiving my prompt for the LMHG exchange. Mildly, because I'm also a bit worried whether a) I actually *can* still write and b) whether inspiration is going to strike. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, because knowing me, I also know that writing is 95% escapism, and if I need to escape, things can't possibly be quite right. A dilemma, but there you are.
These last weeks have been dedicated more to watching dvds than to reading; I'm already biting my nails for season 4 and 5 of Six Feet Under to arrive (with the diplomatic mail, on December 30), because I got totally hooked on that series. In the meantime I've got season 2 of In Treatment (every bit as brilliant as the first), and season 6 of How I Met Your Mother. And, thanks to Ana the Lovely Assistant, an illegal copy of Game of Thrones she pinched from her boyfriend. I'm still going to buy the original dvds once the come out next March, but my willpower is simply not up to waiting if somebody offers me the possibility to watch it earlier.
I also got all four of the older Batman movies (the ones with Michael Keaton and George Clooney respectively), and Black Swan, and two movies I've been wanting to re-watch for ages: the original French version of Three Men and A Baby, and Total Recall.
And there's the to-be-read pile as well, should my eyes get tired of the tv screen.
The fridge is well-stocked, there's wine, and vague cooking projects ghosting through my head.
All set for the long weekend, then.
*waves*
That's the festive part done.
As to myself, I'm looking forward to the long weekend, which is going to be un-christmas-y.
Work is... ok, I think. Since there isn't really anything I can do about the downgrade from deputy to worm -- right now, without Irene, I wouldn't have time for much else besides administrative work anyway -- and since there is a certain advantage to getting more involved with consular and administrative stuff, I've decided to make the best of it and enjoy it as much as I can. The aforementioned advantage concerns the future: whether I'll be returning to Vienna or moving on to another place, the probability of me having to deal more with consular/administrative than political tasks is rather high. In Vienna, there's no way I can get into the political department, and if it's another posting, well, the next boss is more likely to be like the present one than like the former one. And should I be lucky enough to hit the jackpot once again by either getting into the political department or having a boss who actually makes use of my talent, I'll be more than happy to leave the administrative/consular stuff to somebody else.
Last night we had the Embassy X-mas do at the residence; it was a bit stiff and contrived, but otherwise pretty much ok. New!Ambassador's wife actually talks, which is kind of an improvement over The Frozen One. The food was nice, the wine cheap. What I found a bit strange was the fact that apparently the minions aren't worth a proper tablecloth. The table was covered by something similar to, though thinner than, the material you use to cover ironing boards. Colour silvery-grey, and paper napkins. A bit like the Malfoys giving a party for Muggleborns... The tableware is the point where the comparison ends, though -- there are no other detectable similarities between Lucius & Narcissa and the ambassador and his wife. *cackles*
I'm mildly looking forward to receiving my prompt for the LMHG exchange. Mildly, because I'm also a bit worried whether a) I actually *can* still write and b) whether inspiration is going to strike. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, because knowing me, I also know that writing is 95% escapism, and if I need to escape, things can't possibly be quite right. A dilemma, but there you are.
These last weeks have been dedicated more to watching dvds than to reading; I'm already biting my nails for season 4 and 5 of Six Feet Under to arrive (with the diplomatic mail, on December 30), because I got totally hooked on that series. In the meantime I've got season 2 of In Treatment (every bit as brilliant as the first), and season 6 of How I Met Your Mother. And, thanks to Ana the Lovely Assistant, an illegal copy of Game of Thrones she pinched from her boyfriend. I'm still going to buy the original dvds once the come out next March, but my willpower is simply not up to waiting if somebody offers me the possibility to watch it earlier.
I also got all four of the older Batman movies (the ones with Michael Keaton and George Clooney respectively), and Black Swan, and two movies I've been wanting to re-watch for ages: the original French version of Three Men and A Baby, and Total Recall.
And there's the to-be-read pile as well, should my eyes get tired of the tv screen.
The fridge is well-stocked, there's wine, and vague cooking projects ghosting through my head.
All set for the long weekend, then.
*waves*
