The Home Straight

A week until Christmas.  We're in the home straight at last and I'm limping through it.  I've had a stomach upset since yesterday evening, the result, in part, I'm sure of the amount of work-related stress I suffered last week, compounded by having to spend Friday evening and a large part of Saturday rushing around doing the Xmas shopping I was prevented, by work, from doing last week.  Consequently, I've started the week exhausted.  On the positive side, I'm only meant to be working three days this week - I say 'meant; as, the way things are going, my plans could easily be derailed - so, with luck, by close of play on Wednesday, I should be a free man until the New Year.  Also on the positive side, the arrival in the US of my great nieces' presents has been confirmed and I finally managed to put up my Christmas tree over the weekend.

My Christmas DVD viewing also finally arrived today.  There's no discernible theme this year, no sub-titles, nothing too weird.  Well, apart from Cannibal Holocaust, which I bought on DVD when Zavvi (remember them) were closing down, but somehow never got around to watching.  I've added that to this year's festive DVD roster, along with the DVD of Once Upon a Time in America, which I bought to replace my VHS version a couple of Christmases ago but, once again, have never gotten around to watching.  Right now, sitting around watching some old films and drinking a few beers seems like the ideal Christmas.  I don't care about revelling, socialising or any of the other bollocks that go with the season: they all require a degree of energy I don't possess right now. 

Despite my desire for rest, there are still things I need to do in the run up to Christmas. I'm currently gathering material for our now traditional video of the 'Lights of Crapchester.', for instance.  (I'm also hoping to complete a couple of videos from footage I've had hanging around for a while now over the Christmas break).  For the past few years I've also released a Christmas-themed edition of 'The Sleazecast', the web's least listened to podcast.  But with 'The Sleazecast' on a lengthy hiatus and its replacement still not sorted, I'm not sure what I'm doing, if anything, podcast-wise this year.  (I am hoping to get the 'Schlock Express' podcast back up and running in the New Year, though).   So, there you go - only a week until Christmas.  If that doesn't scare you, nothing will!