taken, at least, on the way out

Apparently part of the European working time directive states that everyone should take at least twenty-five days holiday per year, at least according to the stuff on the intranet at work. I know there are some rules or guidelines somewhere stating how much break one is entitled to take for a certain amount of hours worked but it would be a lot better if all European office chairs featured buzzers and prodding-arms which forced people out of their seats at least once every six hours just in case they get distracted by an issue during their normal going-for-lunchwalk time and forget to go outside until it's technically outside the permitted hours of lunch. Still, I went outside anyway as I needed to buy coffee today as I'd run out of grounds this morning; I subsequently forgot to pack a muffin, probably because I associate it with the coffee even though I then stuck the washed but empty flask in my bag to prolong the life of any coffee I might have bought during the course of the day.

A pity there are no European directives concerning the fitness of purpose of cold water machines in offices. The one just beneath this bit of wall managed to produce half a cupful of reasonably chilled water just before I left this evening but that was probably only because it had been left to whirr in peace for half an hour or so since the last use. Being kept underneath a dull but very hot lamp probably doesn't help matters very much.