Crisis? What crisis?

This is just so fantastic. After many months of collective negotiation, I have, like many other academics, received a pay rise. It will add to my monthly pay cheque, after tax, an additional £1.14. According to Amazon, that means I can afford two extra pencils a month. And I can assure anyone who cares that two pencils' worth of increased productivity is terrific value-for-money! I can't wait till my next pay cheque. I'm already thinking Faber-Castell, though if I just had the patience to save up for three months, I could instead afford a small box of Lamy ink cartridges for my fountain pen. Hmm. There are clearly some difficult choices ahead. I almost regret that pay rise.