A New Day Dawns...

So, I've finished work.

After my last post, I had a few cups of coffee (yes I know, but I needed the stimulants) and then went to work, all the time thinking - knowing - that it would be my last walk to work. I put the mp3 player on and listened to some old time tracks by INXS, Gwen Stefani, etc.

Got to work and had a quick meeting with my boss who proceeded to dump a load of work on my nearly clean desk. I had a quick sifter, realised I would get perhaps one job done and then started beavering away on it. Meanwhile, my replacement was getting the rest.

All through the day, people came up and congratulated me on my imminent departure and asked when I would finally fly out - even though I had emailed everyone in the company with that information (I did feel by the end of the evening that I should have had it stickered to my forehead).

The last lunch is normally a time for a departmental reflection - where the boss buys the leaving man/woman a last lunch. I am proud to say that he didn't.

In fact, it got to the point where everyone else had got to the restaurant (Nandos by the way) except all the people in IT and me. I was then grabbed the secretary of one of the Directors and dragged away to the restaurant for some much needed food and chat. My boss turned up 30 minutes late, stayed 30 minutes and then left with his cronies.

After lunch, one of my colleagues (a senior guy) grabbed me and took me off to the coffee room/chill out area and told me to stop working (after all, what would they do - fire me an hour before my leaving presentation?).

Presentation time came. My boss launched into a speech about how I was a gamer, how I was a geek, how I was going to be missed and finally, that I should stay off computer games because it was a pointless exercise.

Sort of like working for him, I thought ironically.

I really didn't mind the leaving speech - because everyone I knew at work was there to see me off. My workmates had got me a wonderfully large collection (which will soon be changed into Singaporean dollars) and the very friendly secretary had got me some goodies from the various clothing departments - 2 wallets, 2 caps, a bag, some boxers, a belt (which doesn't fit me) and a sort of keyring thingy (don't ask me, ask Elsha). All in all it was a wonderful surprise and I told everyone assembled the truth - I would miss everyone and I would definitely keep in touch.

Shortly thereafter, we headed down to the various pubs where people continued to ask me when I was flying out and, more importantly, bought me beers through the night. It was a very good night but, boy, I was drunk by 8.30pm.

*******

Next day, Bufu (don't ask, it's a looong story) and I headed out to the Game On Exhibition at the Science Museum to check out some old, old games and some newer games.

After that, we headed out further to Temple Walkabout where we met up with Horse for his birthday bash and oh so didn't get involved in Kiwi drinking games!

It was actually a very nice day out where otherwise I would have spent hours on World of Warcraft getting more and more bored...

*******

Today, we met up with another work colleague (now ex) and Scythe (whom I used to play AC2 and WoW with before his wife, who also played, got pregnant). A nice meal in a local restaurant with a glass or two of wine and we came back and slept our way into the evening.

...which leads finally into me building this Duron 650 that I am typing on at the moment as the other two computers we have, have been reserved for selling off this coming Thursday.

So no more WoW after that. Elsha smiles a lot at that thought but I haven't yet told her I have loads of computer games that will work on this pc.

*Ouch*