Working anything but 9 to 5...

IT'S been a hectic old week at news central, but we're just about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

There have been a few late nights and early mornings - all work-related, nothing at all to do with fun, you understand.

Last week's full council meeting was okay for, oh, the first three hours, but then the reporter's bench took the unanimous decision to down pens in the hope it might bring a swifter conclusion to affairs.

Half-an-hour later, and we were away.

It's a good trick and 90% of the time is one that's a sure-fire winner.

We're currently working a bit hand to mouth at the moment, because of the continued absence of reporter Ed Stilliard.

Incidentally, his nickname in the office is Eduardo - despite the fact that he's from Sandhurst, not Sao Paulo.

So of course he was the first person I texted while watching the Arsenal game last week.

Unfortunately, he couldn't shed any light on the link between the name Eduardo and broken legs. (For those out of the loop, he's currently recovering from two broken legs.)

Anyway, this week young Ed called to ask me to send him on some press releases by email, because he felt up to doing some work.

Ah, the wonders of modern technology. Someone 125 miles away can turn press releases into newspaper stories from the comfort of their wheelchair.

He did, however, warn me he might get tired and not be able to complete the task, but I guess that's what happens when you absent-mindedly leave several pints of your own blood on the A47.

Unfortunately for us, the work doesn't slow down and we still have the same amount of pages to fill, and the same amount of meetings and night jobs to attend.

This job has never been, and will never be, the subject of a Dolly Parton hit record.

It's one of the reasons we all signed up in the first place - the unpredictability and the sense that you never know what you'll be doing when you come in to work.

Take yesterday for example. I left work Tuesday night knowing exactly what I had to do the following day, and what stories were going where.

The next morning, I'm writing about an earthquake that shook every bed from Newcastle to Southampton.

It certainly keeps you on your toes - and journalists are nothing if not adaptable.

Personally I think I'm well-suited to the job - mainly because I've got the attention span of a goldfish!