eiffel_71 | (no subject)

An e-mail went out at work today about Leap Week at the end of this month. Jane asked why we were having a whole week with no new households to interview; I was glad to be able to oblige her. I explained that our programme is based on a 52-week year of four 13-week quarters, but the calendar year comprises 52 weeks and a day, or in leap years 52 weeks and two days, so every five or six years the odd days add up to an unwanted week.

That seemed to make sense to Jane. "I didn't think we'd had a leap week for a long time."

"Once every five or six years," I reiterated. Paula, who's been here seven years, couldn't remember the last one, but Jane did. "You refused to do the activities."

"They had us cleaning cupboards," Paula retorted, her memory jogged. "I don't come here to clean blooming cupboards."

I told the girls how someone at the staff meeting had suggested a shopping trip to Lakeside as one of the leap week activities. Jane and Paula loved that idea but we all agreed the supervisors probably wouldn't go for it. Jane agreed with my suggestion of snakes and ladders, Monopoly and a quiz. The e-mail simply says we'll be doing "activities beneficial" to the telephone unit and the office, but, worryingly, the notes from the Thursday nighters' staff meeting reveal that someone there wanted cleaning the booths to be included.

I remarked that the most logical place to put the leap week would have been between Christmas and New Year when only a handful of us come in. Paula agreed. Steve said the management would never have thought of that because it's much too sensible.

Home just 15 minutes into Litex Lovech v Aston Villa.