Rise and Shine...

One of the interesting things about working with my Farmer customers who are based in different countries is that I get to work in different timezones.  This is good because I was never a 9-5 Mouse.  Because of this I often work at home, settling myself into my desk just as the birds are chirping into life outside, snuggled in my dressing gown, coffee in paw.  Unfortunately this can mean, if it's a very busy day of telephone calls and conferences, that I am still snuggled in my dressing gown as the mid-day sun is streaming through the skylights (or more usually, the rain is beating down), the coffee has gone cold and the birds have long since disappeared to their daily adventures.  Once, one of my Quality Control colleagues - the ones who check the Cheese orders and offers to ensure that the cheese is compliant with European Taste and Texture standards, tried to dial me into a video conference.  There was I, with bird's nest fur, wrapped in a terry towelling garment that had seen better days, at risk of exposure to an entire office full of tick-box health-and-safety types who would, I envisage, take one look at my bedraggled state and send Social Services round to monitor me as I clearly cannot look after myself.  I am now meticulous and making sure that the webcam isn't on (and I sometimes stick one of my boss Edie's stickers over the little camera.  That'll fox 'em.

Anyway, I had to attend one such call on Monday morning at 7.30. Being a diligent Mouse, and as my colleague from the Cheese Operational Integration Board was also attending, I decided to go into the office.  I wore my new red business outfit (do you like it? The picture doesn't do it justice.)and tiptoed into the silent office at 7am to prepare.

Did you know that you can't even get a decent cup of coffee in  my office at 7am? Yes you can get the bitter, brown, weak excuse for coffee from the free coffee machines, but not the proper stuff.  However, I happened to walk into the building at the same time as the Catering Manager so a little smile, a cheery 'Good Morning', a compliment, 'Oh you won your badminton match? well done', and a little cough, smile 'what time does your coffee machine go on?' accompanied by a desperate look (I didn't have to act this, it comes naturally at that time in the morning), and he switched it on early for me.  

The proverbial Cup of Ambition clutched in paw, I set up the meeting room.  Laptop? check. Remote connectivity on wireless? Not working.  Find a wire and plug it in? Check. Phone on? Check.

By and by, in wanders my Operational Cheese Board colleague, bleary eyed and still shuffling somewhat with the shock of the early encounter. I do the decent thing and fetch her a coffee while she plugs herself in.

We dial in.  The Farmers are all there, discussing their Cheese Orders. All of the Cheese Orders appear to be the Most Important Cheese Orders, but this we are used to.  The meetings are definitely getting better.  The Farmers are more used to the process and we are there to speak for ourselves and manage expectations (i.e. make sure that everything is not just blamed on the Cheese Suppliers)and we roll forward nicely.  Then the Farmers decide to have a coffee break.

So, there are the Operational Cheese Board lady and myself, having struggled in at an indecent hour, listening to the sound of clanking crockery, the stirring of coffee and the dunking of biscuits, and much chatter.  All in Swedish. We imagine that they have a table full of lovely delicacies, Danish Pastries from just over the bridge, Cheese, Biscuits... Having actually attended these meetings on many occasion I know this is just fantasy, but we have missed breakfast you see, and the poor Farmers are probably having to listen to the rumbling of our tummies across the telephone line.

All too soon the conference is over and I pack up my laptop, diary, pens and wires and return to my desk, just as the other colleagues are starting to drift in. I arrive just in time to do a full days work.  I fell like I have done a full days work already*

*I have.

So I settle down, set up and get ready for the next call of the day.

But not before returning to the Canteen to see my friend, the Canteen Manager, and stock up on more coffee and some breakfast. I wonder if they do a good Cheese on Toast...?

Yours Tiredly,
Mouse xx