Holidays

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in America, but I wouldn't even have remembered if my mother hadn't reminded me. I find that I will miss the smells, and the food, and the Parade, but it's not that big a deal. What I find more distressing (for lack of a better word) is that I won't be there for the buildup to Christmas- no Salvation Army red kettle bell ringers, no Toys for Tots, and no Nutcracker (though I'm not sure if this is a bad thing). I know I will be in America for the actual holiday itself, but... at this point, we've lost all sense of what Christmas really is, and it's more about everything *before* Christmas. The Christmas Party for work (yes, they call it "Christmas Party" and not "holiday gathering", and yes, it's off site- they're renting an entire restaurant) is the night before I fly home, so there's a very good chance I will be taking a bus to London the next morning absolutely shattered, and I will be spending the time in lines at the airport getting over a hangover. But I'm looking forward to this party- it should be fun :-)

Things are still the same at work- there's way too much to do, and I've got about half the people I need to do it. I'm disappointed and discouraged with myself, though my Boss has not reproached me at all, and has said that I have been doing an absolutely brilliant job. It's just that there are certain standards I have for myself and my office, and we're not hitting them. I can't seem to make staffing issues move along any faster, so... I'll live with it.