Hard time

I seldom take leave in the run-up to Christmas, reasoning that things at the office will be quiet enough to provide a virtual holiday anyway. Year after year this hypothesis is proven to be hopelessly deluded, as some enormous and urgent job always gets briefed in by one of our inconsiderate clients before they take off for the beach.

This leaves precious little spare time to devote to the soul-destroying task of Christmas shopping. Even as we speak, I lie crippled on the sofa after a gruelling Sunday spent at the shops. The crowds, the noise, the doubt, the exhaustion, the inevitable misplacing of the parking ticket when wishing to make an exit.

Next year I will definitely get my act together and do it all online. And perhaps not use up every nano-second of my annual leave before reaching December.