Christmas Round Up

As ever, after the long months of build up to Christmas at work, the hectic and exhausting sprint through the last couple of weeks as we sell, sell, sell, and the all to brief few days off, it's hard to believe it's all over. About now I'm normally focused on a trip back to Scotland for New Year, a bit of family time, and general unwinding. Unfortunately we're no longer allowed to take holiday in the first week of January, I'm not happy about this for a few reasons (it makes it very difficult to get any time off with my partner for a start), but mostly it's the general unwinding.

I say this every year, but retail really sucks the joy out of Christmas. People can be horribly rude, but what really bothers me is the over consumption - we sold about 30 tons of booze in the week before Christmas, it's a lot of bottles and a lot of money. The chances are it's also a lot of over extending or outright debt - and for what (apart from keeping people like me in work)? I keep deleting the things I'm thinking here on the grounds that nobody wants an anti capitalism rant from someone who may well just have flogged them a bottle of very expensive champagne - but my current mood is exactly why I need some time off to regain a sense of perspective.

Meanwhile I was lucky enough to be given some generous and lovely gifts, including some excellent books, I have Christmas cake to look forward to every night I get home (it may well see me through to lent), the tree is still up and looking suitably jolly, and there's a lot to be grateful for.

I've mostly been rereading books that were childhood favourites (The Scarlet Pimpernel, and The Dark is Rising particularly) and enjoying them, and am making tentative reading plans for next year. My old years resolution should probably be to finish a couple of half read books before midnight on Sunday (I'm especially looking at you Zola...) There are also knitting plans, and other things to look forward to as life slips back into a less festive routine.