October!

October doesn't sound too bad until you realise it is the 10th month out of 12. We are 5/6 of the way through the year. The Christmas Shop opened at work today and was the first department to make budget for the day. Some people are organised.

I am dreading Christmas. I have realised that I have 22, 23 and 24 December as my long weekend off, with 25/12 off as a public holiday. Of course I am working 26/12 as is every employee. It is so tempting to fly to Melbourne to see my family (and the Myer Christmas Windows in Burke St!) but it really isn't feasible. So my mother and brother will come here, my brother complaining he is missing the Boxing Day test match, my mother complaining I am doing too much and me frazzled. Plus this year I have the whole W thing. When I was growing up, we always had Christmas Dinner with the O family. J was my best friend. Her parents had separated when she was about 8 I think- her father bringing his latest woman to the hospital to see her baby sister (child number 4) was the straw that broke the camels back apparently. Anyway, every Christmas her dad and his girlfriend would join us. Looking back, I don't know how D (the mother) did it. Us kids never sensed any tension, but looking back I know it was there.

I am tempted to be a martyr and say that W can come over for Christmas Dinner, but the reality is I don't think that I could cope. Physically I think I would be sick if I had to entertain him in my home. Plus my mother would be making lots of viscous comments about him (hmmm.... perhaps it does have merit!).

I think I will just bury my head in the sand and tell myself it is a long way off and put off making a decision for a couple of months.