A month from today is Christmas. This year, I commence Christmas leave on the 21st and return to work on January 11. I don’t know yet what I’m doing Christmas day, but that’s not unusual.

I have tentative plans to head down the coast to Wye River for a few days after Christmas. I’ll be pitching camp with the Cheeses and associates, and even bought a tent for the occasion. Rigby will be minded by X for that period, and I expect I’ll mellow out completely while I spend my time drinking and eating and laughing and reading and body-surfing and going to the pub, all in the bright coastal sunshine.

I need the break, but it’s close enough now that I can count it down.

I’ve been so busy, but the good news is that two of my projects should be launched within a week, which takes the pressure off. The other one – the big one – I’ve had to pause as UAT failed.

That’s a major annoyance, but not surprising. I feel pretty relaxed about it really because I know I’ve done the right thing in not trying to push it through. I’ve asked the vendor to come up with some satisfactory answers and an assurance I can trust that every contingency is managed. The formal pause allows me to draw some breath as well, and take a break from the headlong rush.

I’m still hoping to get it deployed before Christmas.

And that’s my working life – flat-out, but currently under control. The sun is shining, the bars and restaurants are opening up, and Christmas beckons.

Do it all next year, but worry about it then.