Management Fraud

First thing this morning, I took the train to Exeter and County Hall, where I sat through 3 hours of regional meeting concerning a well funded transport study, that the County are charged with, from Exeter to the south and west. My "Executive Head" was there and managed to delegate me as the main contact for the council. He gave me a lift back to work, and amongst various topics was the future structure of the department and likely redundancies ("What do you think?" "Depends if they offer me a decent package", "Well I can't afford to lose you", which was nice. Pity I didnt get the manager's job, and a pity you aren't paying me while I do it). At least praise is a small recompense for otherwise lack of confidence in his hardworking subordinate (You see? I'll work for peanuts!)
Then a 2 hour meeting with the regular highways group, during which I had to bluff address 6 items out of 11 on the agenda, and which seemed to go swimmingly, including getting Highways to do some survey work, about which they have been prevaricating for years (to the extent that my group has already accomplished 50%, even though it is not their job).
Then I responded to all my emithers, delegated some, assured a colleague that he would be getting help with 2 of his projects next month, and nominated another colleague for a customer service award.
Finally, I attended my first Cabinet meeting, where my first report was the very last on the agenda (involving working jointly with our neighbouring (and much larger) Local Authority). Having sat through 2 hours of common sense, political bickering, and a fine emollient performance by the mayor and my particular cabinet member, I was praised by name for an "excellent" and "sensible" report (and for sitting through 2 hours of blather), which passed with little discussion. I even had brief contact with a fellow blogger who also spoke publicly to the councillors on another matter. Hallo Dave!
I thanked a councillor for calling me sensible (after all these years of being insensible), and for worrying that if I wasn't there, what would happen, and got landed with arranging a further consultation meeting locally, in addition to the ones that are being arranged by our partners, by my Commissioner. That is going to be a week's work.
So a 12 hour day, for a pittance. And I got away with it.