Are you back at work? Are you having a tough day? I’m pretty sure you’re not the only one who is suffering through all the moans and groans. Here’s how my day went yesterday:

7am : Alarm goes off. I stare at my phone with disgust. Didn’t I just close my eyes and fall asleep a few minutes ago? With one eye open, I start checking the notifications from social media.

7:23 : Still scrolling through Facebook newsfeed

7:41 : Yawn, stretch, look at time, yelp, jump out of bed and head for shower. Forget to put phone back on charger after having scrolled through so much. At the back of my mind, I know battery power is already at 72%

7:58 : Get out of shower and start rummaging through closet wondering what to wear, and for the umpteenth time tell myself off for not taking out my clothes the night before.

8:25 : Make up done, hair done, eat breakfast in a rush getting lipstick on chin and teeth. It’s my superpower – even I don’t know how I manage it.

8:30 : Load car with umpteen bags – handbag, lunch bag, laptop bag, paper bag with shoes to take to shoemaker to be fixed.

9:02 : Saunter in to work and start wishing everyone I see a Happy New Year.

9:03 : Ok enough already with all the wishes. The New Year started on 1st January. It’s 3rd January. You don’t say Happy Birthday to me for a fortnight do you? All goodwill and cheer leaves my body like my soul just left my body.

9:05 : Get to my desk and my chair is missing. Welcome back Kamal.

9:13 : Steal a chair from someone who seems to have abandoned their desk. Karma at work works like that, by the way. Unpack laptop, produce fresh new 2017 diary from one of the umpteen bags which receives admiration because it’s fancy and has butterflies on it,  remove fancy new water bottle with flourish, and pens as well but promptly hide them. Pens get stolen here. All set. Start tapping away at laptop.

9:17 : Colleagues start pouring in and regaling me with their holiday stories and antics. We decide to take a Snapchat break and play around with the filters while trying to find a flattering angle to hide the post-holiday weight gain. Also we admire Aleema’s wedding ring. That’s what she got up to over the holidays.

9:19 : First day of serious diet and I’m starving. About to have an emotional breakdown with the lack of Christmas mince pies and a double cappuccino.

9:20 : “tap tap tap tap tap tap” Replying to emails and checking if HR has sent an email to announce another public holiday any time soon. No such luck. Get on to Google to check how many public holidays we have in 2017.

10:01 : Stand up, stretch, swig from shiny new water bottle because water is life and I have to show SOME commitment to at least ONE New Year Resolution.

10:15 : Started chatting with Riya and Vikash post show as they came out of the studio from their show on air. Riya animatedly tells me how she overheard someone talk about me at the hairdressers. Turns out it was someone I know and she was not saying anything bad. I was low-key looking to get my low blood sugar anger on someone but I had to curb it. She was saying nice things.

10:25 : I put on my headphones to block out chat from around me and start tapping away at my laptop in earnest. Work is getting done. I’m suddenly filled with self-righteousness and studiously ignore everyone around me. Pete taps my shoulder to say hi and nods in approval that I’m busy. Pete likes to see people doing stuff. Productive stuff. Also I work fast in silence. Even my kids know they should only disturb me if there’s blood or someone died.

11:58 : WILL YOU LOOK AT THE TIME? It’s time for me to go into the studio and start my show at Noon. I love being in the studio and am suddenly energised.

12 Noon – 3:00 : Join me every weekday from Noon to 3pm on Kenya’s Premier Asian Mix, only on East FM Kenya.

3:03 :- Have a quick chat with Irfan who is starting the next show and come out of studio feeling like I accomplished a lot. Get to my desk and start working on tomorrow’s show prep and creating posters for other shows on East FM.

And that was my first day at work. How was yours?