October

Prelude to year-end.

Plans for holidays heard, discussed. And parties - the girls are planning parties.

The office feels colder - and quieter. Leave days cleared, colleagues absent.

Got to book your diary for January 0-8 dates. Then you realise you have ain't no two thousand and eight calender - yet. Time to visit the bookstore, or get one from the insurance company. (yes, another diary's going to get ditched. its numerical successor is making its presence felt.)

Reports. Lots of them. Are KPIs met? Appraisal - the term pops up. It's taking precious time to do your appraisal, which is more a routine than an appraisal appraisal.

Christmas cards: surprisingly, I bought my first pack. Came earlier than i thought. But that's good; i won't have to scramble for them later. Time to update the christmas card-name list. It promises to get shorter this year.

Christmas jingles in malls: not yet. When they come, you'll know it.

October feels like a dislocated month. September has a nice ring to it. November heralds December, that lovely bitter-sweet month. But October?