Seasons Groanings/Greetings - A Blog of two minds

Christmas has left me (unsurprisingly) in two minds, I started to write a post about how bad I was feeling, but half way through suddenly realised I also had a lot to be thankful for.

So, being the democrat I am, I thought I'd give you the chance to see both frames of mind I have about the season.


The Humbug Mind

I'm not one who complains about Christmas, because as the man Andy Williams said, 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'. But today I'm feeling restless, reticent and thoroughly rude about the whole jolly season.

My reasons?

I am in some serious need of sleep. Now you could argue that this is self inflicted as I partied a little too hard on Saturday night, and waaaaay too hard on Friday but I had good reason with the return of Distracted from Dubai and the annual Twickenham Christmas meal and bun-fight.

However my party-hearty attitude left me unforgivably tired, hungover and incubating germs on Sunday. A day I wanted to be fresh, engaging and healthy for. Which left me in a downcast and dejected mood today.

Also it doesn't look like I'm going to get much more sleep over the next couple of days due to working Christmas day for twelve hours, followed by another twelve Boxing day.

Bah!

Add to that the germs I incubated exploding into a cold that has rampaged across my sinuses and it all adds up to a very unhappy Christmas chappy.


The Magical Time of Year Mind

I can see how it's easy to get down around this time of year, and not about the usual things like dark mornings and nights or not having that someone special in your life, but it's also the whole run up to Christmas that can be pretty hectic with big (usually drunken) nights out, rushing to finish jobs at work and mad dashes to fight through crowds of people to find presents.

Is it any wonder that some of us end up with stinking colds and asleep in the gravy come Christmas day?

But you see it is Christmas and that alone should put a smile on your face.

My reasons?

I spent all of this weekend in some way or another with people who make me feel very happy, and although I used up a huge amount of energy (and quite a few hours of sleep) on them, the warmth and the happiness that I feel when I am with these people put a glow in my heart and a spring in my step.

I may be tired, I may have a cold but I also have good memories of smiles and giggles and presents and Christmas food, and because it's Christmas the tired only comes right at the end of the day, just when I'm ready for bed anyway!!

Sure I have to work Christmas and Boxing Day, but I've now had two Christmas days, one with my parents and one with my friends and feel well and truly stuffed with the cheer of Christmas. I've had presents both big and small, each one of them touched and delighted me and will help pass the time during those shifts.

Hoorah!

Plus, what better time to have a cold than when you're at work? At least I'll be rid of it come New Years Eve!

Shifting

Things I've picked up on while working a night shift.

No matter how much sleep you get during the day your mind always shuts down around 4am, nothing you can do to prevent it.

It's better to eat normally rather than trying to have 'regular' mealtimes throughout the night.

You get much more done than you would during the day.

It's nice to have someone read you 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' as a bedtime story, even if you're not going to sleep.

It's convienient to be up if you have a friend in Dubai that you want to chat to. (When's the next update coming Distracted?)

Nothing more to see here, move along.