Edinburgh is coated with a deep white frost this morning and it feels marvelous! All the way to the office humming christmas carols and thinking about baking some cookies tonight. The office is nearly empty as all have bade farewell until January and the jovial spirit if those remaining makes it fun to be at work.

“My God, John O, you must have gone mad, far to happy for this time of year”, you say? No not really. After four years of living down south and the Northwest, this is the first time I feel as though its Christmas. People are far more festive in Scotland and to some degree it is infectous. I even have a cold, afresh with runny nose and sinus that makes my head feel like exploding. What else says cold weather and warm hot toddies, possibly some mulled wine sitting in front of an open fire?

It will all be over to quickly, and those New Year resolutions will be meaningless by Monday, 6th January, 2003, but for most people this holiday isn’t even about religion anymore. It is an opportunity to stop with busy lives and enjoy some downtime. Getting out of bed late for the next two weeks and not having to rush about will be the best thing ever. I have decided that me and Christmas Holidays are super-dooper-bestest friends. Oh and I forgot to mention, unlike you uncivlised people elsewhere, 2nd January is also a holiday! Take that London!