chrimbo look forward

I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year.

Well, I'm looking forward to the holiday.

This year has been absolutely manic - I've never known a period like it since I joined the company.

I've booked a smidge over two weeks for holiday - my first day off is the 23rd and then I don't come back until the 10th.  I've actually also booked the 12th off so I can do my last few bits of Christmas shopping, so that means from the week of the twelfth I have two four day weeks, followed by two weeks completely off and then a four-day week when I get back.

The only real plan I've got for that period is to go visit my dad over the Christmas weekend.  I'm not planning on staying for very long - just until the Tuesday, when I'll head home.

I have to confess a part of not staying very long is my Dad tends to have a bout of depression at Christmas.  It's fairly obvious this is linked to the fact that Christmas is the time of year my mum passed away.  Although I suspect it also punches a bit of a whole in his traditional "I hate Christmas" thing.

Not that I'm saying I think he secretly likes Christmas, it's more that he liked certain aspects of our Christmas - the family gathering and, in particular, the big meal my mum would cook.  I miss that too, of course, but I think it all just reminds him too much that she's gone.

My sister will also be there, though hers will likely be a flying visit again.  She works in a pub, so she tends to take advantage of the overtime and extra hours, I think.  Well, she could also make it a short break for the same reason as me.

I'm also not staying over in Devon for any extra days or anything, so the rest of the time I'll be able to chill, watch lots of stuff and get some of the jobs done I like to do over Christmas, like give the flat a good clean and do a full back-up.

So yeah, I think I'm actually looking forward to Christmas this year - especially if it stays quite mild like it has been.  we've had way too many super cold winters in recent years and it would be nice to have a mild one for a change.

Plus of course that will help reign in my heating bills even further, which would be a nice Chrimbo present in and of itself.