Welcome 2008? Well, maybe next week!

Stuffed full of turkey? Christmas pud gone to the hips? Smelly cheese upsetting the milk in the fridge? I'm sure that's not the worst of it.

The bins are stuffed full and overflowing. They haven't been emptied for over two weeks. Christmas paper, old advent calenders, broken down cardboard boxes, empty Roses tins, torn stockings (that's Christmas stockings) - I'm not going to moan.

The worst thing for me is the fact that the turn of the New Year brings ever closer the submission date for the latest modules of my Masters degree. I'm sick of reading stuff about behaviour management systems in schools. And when I'm not sick, I'm tired. I am despirate to get the work finished and move on to the next phase. But... I've lost the impetus.

My new year resolution is going to be one of encouragement - I will encourage and encourage and encourage. People will get their work done well before submission date for fear that I will come along and encourage them. Folks will be running for the exits when they see my beaming, smiling face coming towards them with encouraging, heartening words upon my lips. Damn right they'll get their disertation written up. Where am I when I need me?!!

Head down; keep going; sparks flying from the keyboard. And maybe next week I will be in the right frame of mind to say, "Welcome 2008 - Happy New Year everyone!"

Happy New Year, everyone!