...taken in reverse order.
No, I have not been fired. Just couldn't think of another word beginning with 'F' (well, apart from that one) to mean being potentially redundant.
Which is what has happened in our office this week. It started like this, but the small print (so small it hasn't been announced as I understand) reads that our Middle Eastern offices also have to lose some lawyers. Possible alternatives include client secondments, periods of extended unpaid leave, pay cuts or part time hours. All of which would have sounded great a few years back - a chance to do that year long travelling adventure that it has been my biggest regret in life never having done when I had the chance, post-University - but circumstances are such that now the threat of redundancy comes at the worst possible time personally, professionally, and financially. [Insert the afore-mentioned 'F' word here]
All of the 14 non-Partner lawyers in our office are potentially under threat. I have reasons for believing (genuinely not deriving from misplaced delusions of grandeur) that I am safer than some. But nothing is for certain. And when I look at how Michele and I were doing so well out here, only to have now reached a point where the possibility of redundancy has come about when what money we had made we have locked into a house that is now worth less than we paid for it, it is depressingly unsettling.
It just feels that there is a certain inevitability to the way bad things come in 3s. Or 4s. Or many. All at the same time. And always at the wrong time.
Rather like the fact that my football team (if that is still an appropriate description given their current position in the Championship) went into administration this week. It has happened before to Wimbledon. And also almost to Leeds. But I genuinely feel that with Southampton, the end is nigh.
Whilst I don't understand how other teams that are consistently in debt seem able to continue operating whilst remaining in debt, my little south coast team seems to carry with it a suicidal desire to fail lately. Beaten at home this weekend by the only team worse than it in the league, and never having mustered a challenge for promotion back to the Premiership since it was relegated from there, it is not going to need to be docked 10 points for going into administration in order to guarantee being relegated even further - it should be able to achieve that all by itself.
On a lighter note, we bought Jack a new fish this weekend to replace dearly departed Bob. Actually, we bought two fish - a sucker fish that cleans the tank for us, which he has called Barney (because he likes to "Clean Up, Clean Up" - Barney fans will understand the reference), and also a second gold- (well, more like pastey white) fish, which Jack has called BJ (Barney's friend).
So far, after two days, both are still alive. A little bit of good news in an otherwise gloomy world....
