I've been convinced all day, that it's Wednesday today. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking. Someone decided that we were going to have a bit of an impromptu party in our office today. So lunch consisted mainly of crisps

The strangest part though, is everyone talking about all their preparations for Christmas. I think the favourite question at the moment is 'are you ready for Christmas?'. I am. I'm ready to go home, sleep and actually be productive (hopefully). But all the things they're having to do amaze me. There seems to be:

• Turkey, which no-one likes but they all have to have because it's traditional
• Get tree - cue arguments over real or not, and how big, and decorate said tree
• Moan about having to put up with relatives for a whole day
• Spend lots of money on crackers
• Shop for presents. Do not entertain any thoughts of actually asking people what they might like under any circumstances whatsoever. Spend hideous amounts of money.

Preparations for Chanukah, on the other hand, consist of:

• Buy candles
• Find book

Give me Chanukah any day. Although I would like to decorate a tree, it looks interesting.

Dad rung me up at 6.01pm today as they're going shopping tomorrow morning and mum was trying to plan dinners. Although given that she has the really nice sausages (Turkey Viennas, as far as I know the nearest place that sells them is Sainsburys in Whitechapel) that was a bit of a stupid question really. A couple of years ago I was home for the whole of passover and I had those sausages every night. They don't get old, they are that nice.

I felt after the weekend that we'd had Christmas though because we'd had the work Christmas party on Friday and then I spent the weekend watching videos. And I've been watching everything on tape delay so there are no adverts on anything either. The only thing telling me it's Christmas are the lights on everyone's houses I see on my way home. And the annoying people on the way to the leisure centre which has something that starts singing as you go past and frightens the life out of me.

I had forgotten until they said on the radio this morning, that today is the shortest day. It's all uphill from now on.