Monday means not only a new working week but also the start of December.

DECEMBER!? Wait just a cotton-picking minute, where did the year go?

The answer: I honestly don’t know. It seems just like yesterday that I was moving into my flat. Maybe, just to be ironic, time speeds up as you get older? Everything seems to be whistling by so fast!

So, December. Well I know Christmas is now officially coming as Woolworths have turned on their Christmas music, there’s a tree in Dereham town square and Mum posed the annual question (‘So which Christmas decorations do you want this year?’) which means that the Yuletide festivities are definately on the way. Oh and the Radio Times has started bumping it’s publication schedule meaning the bumper two-week Christmas issue is eminent. Basically this translates to: I’m avoiding Norwich until at least the end of January and I have to poke my clients with a large stick to ensure my yearly ritual of being in credit and having nothing on my credit cards on New Year’s Eve.

It’s weird and slightly anal but it puts me in good stead for the year ahead.

I spent the day doing my accounts and updating my personal site again with my latest articles; I hate it passionately but it’s kind of theraputic in a way – as well as allowing me to keep taps on overdue invoices. I owe about £500 on my work credit cards and while I know i’m due more than that – at least double – whether I see it before January is a different matter.

But Christmas means the journalism industry is slowing down; editors are getting that last issue of the year (and the first to be published in 2009) put to bed. These issues are normally done in house as much as possible and are often a little more ligthweight than normal, simply due to time and financial constraints. A side-effect of this is my workload slackens considerably giving me more opportunities to relax or do something else (like blogging and actually playing games). I can do the boring housekeeping chores like cleaning out my inbox and in-tray, sorting out my DVDs and shopping for pressies for family and close friends.

I’m spending the festivities with my family: Yule this year is on the 21st and I’m not sure what I’m doing yet, aside from getting up to watch the sunrise. I’ll probably end up curled up on the couch with The Ginger One drinking hot, spiced cider and watching Miracle on 34th Street, my favourite festival film which distils the season into two hours of entertainment. As for Christmas I have a feeling my Parental Unit is coming over again; we’re spending Christmas Day at my brother and sister-in-law’s (along with her parents and extended relatives). I’ve never actually had a proper meal at theirs and this will be the last Christmas before my little neice/nephew comes into the world. Should be fun and I must remember to record Doctor Who.

I’ll certainly nip into Azeroth (as long as I get my new provider sorted by then – come on BT! Give me my MAC code!) I love visiting Ironforge each year for Winter’s Veil, sitting on Grandfather Winter’s lap, picking up my gifts from under the tree and riding a flying reindeer across Outland and Northrend. I might even try to get to 77.

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year. Yes it’s now an excuse to curl up on the couch, eat turkey and drink (although not too much). I don’t take holidays or rather I do but cave to Editor’s demands, this is the one point in the year when I have no choice but to relax and enjoy life and you know what? A part of me can’t wait!