Ding dong.

It’s that time, sweet time again. Another sacrifice of an evening to the devil, the SCAB rota. I’m growing fairly certain now that it deliberately likes to cluster my slots together so it can sit back in its deckchair as it pleases itself over my misery. Well, old devil, I’m missing part of the England game to make you happy.

Instead of being a grouch about it I guess I could use this time to inject a little Christmas cheer into my reflections but alas I’m not going to. Work feels like it’s piling on us the way weight always likes to pile on my belly over the holiday season. And the dial is about to turn up even more in January as we hit Marc’s holiday season – D&AD and all that. As it was said at the beginning of the year, this is a marathon and not a race and I am trying to come to terms with the fact. Sweet Lord Jesus, I could use a holiday.

Even if it was to genuinely pay homage to the prodigal son of the Man Upstairs, it would do me wonders to kick my feet up and just…chill.

I would therefore like to personally express my disappointment that we can’t have the entire month of December off to recharge our batteries and soak up the Christmas relaxation. Ah, we’re no longer children who get such privileges. ‘Tis a shame. I still get this very particular Christmas tingle which I’ve carried from my young days of whipper-snappery. Though diminished, it’s a warmth of cosiness I always try to recapture and stretch out until the bleak morning of New Year’s Day.

The problem is (cover your mouth and brace your tears) we only get one week off for Christmas. Fuck. That was difficult to swallow, wasn’t it? One week. Now, that may seem like a normal amount of time to most but it isn’t in the context of having bulldozed your way through briefs like you’re on angel dust every day of the fecking week for ten fecking weeks.

Half-term came went and went. If that’s anything to go by, it’s probably already January. And I probably have the worst hangover right now. That’s probably why I remember nothing from the miniature holiday I just had. Time is elusive yet time is what I want. I want to watch at least five movies a day for at least fourteen days on the trot – and that’d be just the start of my Christmas plans. I’d also like to see some friends – some friends who don’t work in advertising. I’ve not seen many since starting this course. I’d also like to eat. Like, a lot. Like, a lot a lot. A few good nature walks would also do me too.

Can I do all that in one week? I don’t have a scooby-doo. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the last ten weeks it’s how much you can actually do in a short amount of time. SCAry amounts. Laurence of Arabia (3hr 45m), I’m coming for you.

Love,
F

@frederik_smidth