At casa Pink Tape we’ve already cracked open a second bottle of Baileys and reached the stage where all the good Quality Street have been scoffed. Also, the dog has chewed half the tree decs. This sort of debauchery and destruction is not usually seen until at least December 23rd – frankly, we may have peaked too soon…

I’ve even finished the present shopping and done my annual hoover under the sofa. This is decidedly not normal.

I’m cheerily counting down till my last day at work on Friday, but the traditional christmas sensation of ‘feeling like I’m clinging on to sanity by my fingertips until I can collapse for two weeks to gather myself back together to do it all again in January’ – is missing. I found myself greeting one of the silks in my case with a rendition of Feliz Navidad on Monday – not sure if he or I was more surprised (His face said he’d have preferred a simple good morning). Normally I’m all bah humbug and head down at this time of year.

How much of this unusual scenario is down to the Legal Aid Agency paying me enough of my very aged debt to be able to afford Christmas AND the traditional January tax bomb, so that I don’t feel faintly sick throughout the whole of the holiday period, I don’t know – but I suspect its a contributing factor. As is the relative steadiness of being able to focus on one trial for a two week period rather than constantly switching from case to case and hearing to hearing day upon day, and juggling four million impossible emails before breakfast each day. Trial mode has a rhythm that is soothing (subject to any mid-trial catastrophes of course).

Undoubtedly now I have said all of this some thundering disaster will immediately swoop down and spoil my xmas – a week long flu perhaps, or a nice dose of tonsillitis? Who knows what gift I will receive, but it all adds to the Festive excitement…*

Anyway, to those of you who are in fingertip clinging mode, may you make it to the weekend and relax. Treat yourself kindly, at least until January.

I’m feeling pretty fortunate this year, and particularly when out xmas shopping have found the level of street homelessness all around really shocking. I’ve just made a donation to Crisis at Christmas. If you would like to do so too you can do so here.

Feliz Navidad!!

*post script – about half an hour after typing this I did a spectacular slippery-socked tumble down the stairs onto my arse, wept so volubly I scared the dog, and am now a riot of ouchy bruises. Hoping that’s the bad luck I so successfully predicted… Afterwards I said ‘Oh, I feel better now, I think I needed a good cry – I was a bit like a coiled spring’. And hubby said wearily ‘You’ve been like a coiled spring for weeks, my love’. So maybe I do really, really need that break after all….