The vigilant amongst you may have noticed a seismic decrease in my blogging activity lately. The truly perspicacious of you will have sussed that this has been the week I returned to work.

For those of us working for Eminent Institutes, work is very definitely a hindrance to blogging.

But there have been changes.
There has in fact, been a very significant change.

First thing I knew about it was when I went into work and there was an empty desk.

Let's have a recap. When I last left the office, Penny was in charge. Silent, brooding Penny. Penny who only communicated by e-mail. Which was disconcerting if you sat within three feet of her.
Penny who needed to control, and amend, and delete and correct. Endlessly. Penny who would take a ruler to measure the margins on reports, but who was unable to recognise the meaning of the content.
Penny who had seen off two of my predecessors in the previous two years.
Since she had been issued with a Blackberry, Kurt and I had got used to receiving e-mails sent at midnight or later.
From last year-end onwards I had been starting to have my own problems with Penny. Problems I may not have blogged about because, well really, how could I have fully conveyed the angst of the sales ledger reconciliation, the grief generated in the posting of deferred income, never mind the full horror of the great year end reserves reconciliation debate of 2010.
Some people may wonder if I'm not wasting my life.  Most days I would concede that some people might have a point...
Sigh. To summarise. Through the last week in April Penny and I were in the midst of yet another difference of opinion. This time it ws around whether to post member numbers on a cumulative or absolute basis.

I'll let you form your own opinions on that.

At our last meeting, Penny stormed out - whilst I went home and had a heart attack.
Which changed things.

A Lot.

Kurt had long threatened to have a nervous breakdown, two people had resigned in the past two years, but the possibility that members of the finance team would now be leaving the building on stretchers meant senior management had to act.
They held meetings with every member of the finance team.
They have listened.

Penny has been physically removed.  Responsibility for team management is now shared between Macy and Kurt.

And we have all agreed that member numbers should be posted on a cumulative basis in line with other journal postings.