He walks into the first staff meeting of the year, without his coffee, grabs a free fritter from the T Hos boxes, and sits down in his prescribed place. He remembers then that he's a leader. A group leader. Oh my. No coffee and he has to be alert. He waits there then, listening. Playing the attentive, engaged colleague. He smiles, he sighs, he slouches, he sits up straight. At the earliest convenience he begs the pardon of his group and steps out for coffee. Fortunately, when he gets to the staffroom, there's enough to fill his capacious steel (copper and chrome) travel mug - which he does quickly. He heads back to the meeting. He does not detour through the office, though he's sorely tempted to find something, anything, that's interesting in there. Stepping back into the meeting he pauses, takes his first sip, and then heads over to his table group. They've started. They're sharing. What could be better? He does his bit. He tries to keep it light. He tries to keep it real. Honest. He steers clear of bitter. He steers clear of snark. For the most part he manages. The meeting goes on though. No matter what positivity he spins into it, the thing gets no shorter. It brooks no seconds. It will not be out-bridled. And still, despite a second cup of coffee, his eyes burn and his lids droop. Is it decaf? Is it old and out of schvunk? He'd like to think so, but he's pretty sure that's not it. He squints up at the ceiling. The diffusers can't keep up. The blue tubes buzz, whine, and emit on. What's to be done in the face of the twin ballasts of economy and industrial design?
The ride in: 13'C, Wind 20 ks NNW
The ride home: 18'C, Wind 15 ks NW
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