Days like this are dangerous for your career.

When the emails that have piled up in your three day absence have not been read in their entirety. They sit there festering. Tempting you into a ‘delete all’ action.

At the same time you’ve just ‘inherited’ the work of a former colleague. He won’t be replaced as there isn’t enough ‘bandwidth’ for a new hire (Translation: the company is too frugal) and there wasn’t enough time to get trained properly. So you feel like ignoring those awkward emails.

Meanwhile for the third successive day the bus to the industrial wastelands of county Dublin have been late, inspiring bitter, dark, malevolent thoughts.

Your customer is shrieking blue murder for an answer different answer to the one that you have repeatedly given, thinking that screaming will inspire you to change your answer – despite the fact that you have zero ability to adjust production plans in foreign factories.

Then suddenly you are messaged by your boss asking why the customer is upset. And despite your attempts to be succinct in your reply, ever more complicated explanations are requested.

And in the vending machine the salt and vinegar crisps – as tart and bitter as you are feeling – are cruelly sold out.

You are *this* close to standing up and walking out, never to darken the door of that office again.

Then you remember that you are an adult with bills. If you can hold out for another week, then this current storm will blow over and you’d be in clearer waters once again.

At least you hope.