Full time Office Manager

This week has been a bit mad. Our lovely office manager - Maria - is expecting a baby, and it's due in the middle of summer. This week 2 of our reception staff were off ill and she was running around far too much for a lady in her condition. Our HR manager, a lovely lass called Trish, asked me if I could help out. I duly stepped into the breach and did 3 days answering the phones!!!! (it took me one and a half days to master the switchboard..yikes!). I did one late night - when I didn't finish work until 6pm, and then my normal 'at home' day on Friday was surrendered also. Normally I finish work at 3.30 and work from home Tuesdays and Fridays.

Anyway - apparently I did such a good job that they've asked me to cover Maria's job when she goes on her 8 weeks maternity leave in July and August. That'll be 8 solid weeks of 5 days until 5.30pm. I think I will spontaneously self-combust.

I know that many of you reading this will be thinking 'idle bugger' she only works part time...and it's true, but when I add up all the hours I've worked in my life since I was 16..(.and as Christian will tell you if you ask him, I've had many weird and wonderful jobs - including being a rat catcher for Rentokil, and a 4 month stint as a milkman) it certainly adds up to more than 39 x 49 x 48 (that's hrs x years x weeks)..so seeing as I've already done all the hours for a full life of full time working, now is the time to start taking things easier. Also, if I do more than about 30 hours per week I get seriously over tired and start snapping at everybody - Dan will tell you that today has been a 'snappy' day!!!

Anyway, I'll let you know in the summer how I get on. I think I'll get the sack by about the middle of the second week.