Karma

Sass is an enterprising thing. She and her friends have run a series of stalls at the front of the house selling, well, junk -  DVDs, 1980s 'jewellery' (what the heck was I hanging onto that for?), stationery, toys. Without any input from me, she also implemented some classic marketing tactics; the BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) and GWP (Gift With Purchase). The latter was an outdated magazine.

They even worked out that if anyone asked what the movie on the DVD was like, if they said it was really good, they'd be more likely to get a sale - even if they'd not actually seen it. No wonder we people in advertising have such a bad rap!!

We live right near a cafe so they've actually managed to raise a reasonable amount of cash, not to mention getting rid of a heap of rubbish.

Ever the entrepreneur, she was trying to work out how the team could make money even when they were asleep. (Aren't we all??!) And here's what she came up with:

Wishing Well.

Where your 

dreams can 

come true!!

It has attracted quite a lot of attention. I've spotted people walking past and doing a double take - some even laughing out loud and then chucking in a coin.

I even had a very odd couple come and knock on the door to discuss it (and more so, them)  for a good 20 minutes before I could ease the door closed....

Anyway, someone's nicked it.

I think it must have been Saturday night. I don't recall seeing it when we got home but it was after 2am and I may have consumed at tad more of the bubbly stuff than's generally considered prudent... 

However, I did notice it was gone when I got back from my penance run late Sunday morning.

More annoying than the loss of what must have amounted to at least $4.35 was that they took my plastic container, god damn them, leaving me with yet another unmatched lid that's now just junk!!

We all know karma's a bitch so I'm guessing the small coffee that coin may have afforded them was crap!!

Stepping Off

We'll get back to the trip, but in the meanwhile, I have some news; after nearly 12 years at my current agency - a quarter of my life! - I resigned and finish tomorrow.

Yes, some would think it foolish to pack in my job in the face of an inevitable recession, but I have. And my god it's liberating!! I feel 10kg lighter and I've barely dropped a gram.

I'm on FebFast so no alcohol for the month (I did buy a pass out for my leaving lunch...) but that's been fine as I have been drunk on resignation!!! I just hope I'm still feeling as euphoric come June.

I think my status as Mother Who Works can stay though - even though I have no specific employment ahead of me, I'd best be cracking on and finding something that pays if I want to continue with those holidays. I'm not entirely sure what I will do, but never the less, I'm sure I'll be busy. (My colleague Brett suggested my theigh-high heeled boots have 'income' written all over them...thanks Brett.)

It's the end of an era - 12 years here and 25 in big agency land, but gut instinct tells me the time has come to move on.

So as a tribute to this amazing place, here's a few things I'm going to really miss:

• The real cafe coffee machine that makes a latte as good as any you can buy
• The man who comes to wash your car while it's parked in the car park (yes, we pay, but by god it's convenient)
• All the very nice looking boys (in an appreciative way, not a creepy way!!!)
• The vibrant and dynamic environment
• Soula - who always bends over backwards to help me - professionally and personally
• My crew - ladies, you know who you are
• Lunch out - from pubs to fancy restaurants - I find my colleagues excellent company
• George in despatch who brightens my mornings with his 'hello!'
• Lena the cleaner who I see far too often as she starts cleaning - supposedly after we've left
• James who'll make me a coffee when I've been rushing in back to back meetings and I really should be making my own!
• The intellectual debate
• The creative environment
• The pride of telling people where I work - the brand of this place is awesome
• Perhaps surprisingly, the CFO
• And not surprisingly, my boss the CEO 

So, there you have it!

Stay tuned for the adventures ahead - and back to the trip shortly.

MWWx