Be my Valentine

It's Valentines Day today.

Unlike everyone else I would like to extend the wishes of this day to all of those woman (or men) out there who have been emotionally or physically abused by their partners.

That is not love and I truly hope that you use today as the day to escape from it.

Please read the blog that Nick posted up on his today as I really think that this writer has captured what love is, and what love isn't

Enola - What is Love Anyways Part 1 and Part 2

I hope all of you have a wonderful day!

The Amazing Executive PA Miss M

I decided that I should come back to work today - as wonderful as my extended weekend was I don't want people starting to realise that I'm not really doing any work.

However when I got in this morning I got pulled aside by one of the PA's to the Directors and asked if I could help out as her counterpart to the Director of Factual and Entertainment was off sick.

Gulp

So I have a new seat and vantage point to the office, (I had to leave Steve and Frank behind since I didn't think it was fitting to my executive persona) and am doing mundane tasks like typing up memo's and compiling ratings for this week's television. It is very bizarre though - I can see my colleagues at the other end and I keep waving at them longingly - as all the bigwigs keep coming over and scaring the crap out of me.

Miss M: Singing along to the radio We all just want to be big rockstars! Does a little chair dance (You know what I'm talking about people)

Head of Production: Stares at her and smiles

Miss M: Oh crap she so saw that! Hi, don't mind me but I'm just relishing in having a radio near me

Now they think I'm really weird. How about this one?

Miss M: Stares into space (but unfortunately it is in the general direction of where the Head of New Programming is making a cup of tea)

Head of NP: Sees Miss M watching him Oh I'm sorry, did you want some tea?

Miss M: No, no! I was just staring into space!

Oh great. Now he either thinks I'm a slacker or that I'm a demanding PA who thinks he should be making me tea. Neither is good.

I think I liked it better when none of the bigwigs knew me ...

However if I'm back doing this again tomorrow I might come dressed for the part. Always nice to have an excuse to wear pencil skirt, shirt and high heels.

Reruns and Retries

Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple streudels. Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles. Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings ... Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes. Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.

(So it was a good dream alright?)

Alarm goes off

Miss M: Seriously? You have got to be kidding me?! I only just went to sleep!

So that was the moment I realised that I didn't really have to go to work - who would want a showless co-ordinator with a snotty nose and horrid cough wandering around the building?

I didn't know who to tell I wasn't coming in though since I don't really have an official boss so I emailed 2 people on my floor and my line manager. I'm hoping that none of them mind.

Basically I'm chilling out at home watching reruns and music videos. Hey has anyone noticed how many old school boy bands are making comebacks these days? I got the whole Take That phenomenon (sort of) but I just saw Wet Wet Wet! I thought they'd died or something ... "J" from F1ve was attemping a comeback via The Show not to mention the fact that I'm hearing some rumour about New Kids on the Block reuniting?!

Who actually liked them the first time round?!

Isn't it good that I can spend my day worrying about the things that really matter?

Work Smurk

To Line Manager
From Miss M

Hi, can I pop down and have a chat this afternoon?

To Miss M
From Line Manager

Sure - I'll be free by 4pm

4pm

Line Manager: So what's on your mind Miss M?

Miss M: Well I was just wondering when I'm going to start on my new show?

Line Manager: We're not really sure yet

Miss M: What you mean, you're not really sure?

Line Manager: Well due to the contract with the celebrity we want to work with not being finalised quite yet we can not give you an official start date

Miss M: Perplexed expression But I'm still working here?

Line Manager: Oh of course, we don't want to lose you and the show could start any day now.

Miss M: But it could also not start for another month?

Line Manager: This is true

Miss M: Really confused But you still want me coming into work even though I'm not working on an official show?

Line Manager: Yes

SWEEEEEEEET!

I'm so going to pull a couple of sickies this week!

On the plus side she also agreed to give me a pay raise once I start on the show ...

The Magic Eight Ball

Nothing important gets done in the office without consulting The Magic Eight Ball. It is a time honoured tradition and the only way we make decisions on pressing matters.

The Magic Eight Ball is all knowing.

Everyone from the lowly runners to the Executive Producers come over and ask The Magic Eight Ball questions so they know what decision to make and I swear that it has affected many an outcome on our shows.

Today though The Magic Eight Ball appears to not want to help us. It is answering very vaguely or it is basically refusing to give us an answer at all - instead saying the following

CANNOT PREDICT RIGHT NOW

What a cheeky bastard. I quite wanted to know if the boy that I have a rather large crush on at the moment will ever get it together with me and my boss most certainly needed to know if she was going to have lost lots of weight at her weigh in tomorrow!

Isn't it lucky that we don't need to know any of the REALLY important stuff today?

So these are some of the following questions I have heard asked of The Magic Eight Ball over the past few months.

Should I go with company x for our filming equipment?

Will tonights show go smoothly?

Is the budget going to be large enough for (some stupidly expensive procedure that they wanted)

Am I going to get laid at the wrap party?

Will I be leaving work on time this evening?

Do I look fat in this outfit?

You know - all the important things in life!

P.S: Do you think one can trust a Magic Eight Ball to make decisions for you? Or are we all living in la la land?

3 years on ...

Tomorrow is my third year anniversary of living in London. I am unable to establish whether I am happy or sad about this. What started as a fun idea of running off to London for a while has turned into me actually putting down roots, starting a career and finding myself -3 years down the line - quite settled in this strange city.

I honestly did not expect to enjoy myself so much here, I thought that I might last 1 year or perhaps 2 if I pushed it, but did not expect to find myself building a life out here in London. These days my job is brilliant, I have some truly wonderful friends and I have found a hobby that fulfills my life in the spare time that I have.

For any of you out there who read my blog and think that working in TV seems like the perfect job let me tell you that this has been a long hard struggle to reach the place that I am at. I have worked 18 hour days, I have been paid next to nothing and I have worked contracts only lasting 2 days and then been out of work for another week desperately trying to find something else before my bank balance reached zero.

Which it did. Plenty of times.

I have become heavily in debt trying to chase this silly dream of mine but the in the long run it has all been worth it. The experiences that I have had and the unbridled joy in knowing that I am achieving my dream make every horrid aspect of this job bearable. And let me tell you - the stress has sometimes made me want to give it all up but I guess I'm addicted to the challenge.

TV is not for the fainthearted but it is unlike any job you'll ever have.

Overheard in the Office

Miss M was just sitting at her computer, minding her own business and putting a call sheet together when she noticed 3 of her senior Creative and Production staff gathered around one computer. This was the conversation that followed.

Series Director: Oh wow, I could dress my dog in that outfit!

Director: Why would you do that to your dog? No one wants to dress as the pope. Hey but look there is an adult version of a Father Christmas outfit, maybe we can get a contestant to wear that.

Line Manager: What kinky shit are you people looking at?

Series Director: What do you mean?

Line Manager: Dressing up in a Santa suit ...

Director: Stares at her blankly Umm ... what's wrong with wearing a Santa suit? People do it every year?

Line Manager: Goes bright red Oh, I thought you were looking at an adult kinky costume website

Series Director and Director start laughing hysterically

Series Director: Why on earth would we be doing that?!

Line Manager: Well .. I don't know .. Stranger things have happened in this office!

And that my dear reader is very true. But I shall leave that for another time.