MONDAY, DECEMBER 2
On my morning walk to my cold car, I check my phone. 7:24 AM – it’s dark, raining, and windy. “Hooray, Advent…” I think, as my car key falls into the quarry-sized puddle next to the entrance. But no, I won’t let meteorological adversities spoil my good mood. Not today! After all, this is the most romantic time of year – full of candles, full of fragrance, full of cookies and sparkling children’s eyes and… mud on the key. I get in, turn on the seat heating, and turn the key. Naturally, what must happen, happens: In my mind’s eye, a blonde, blow-dried figure in a red gondola smiles as they ascend the mountain. “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart…” it blares from the speakers. Finally, it’s that time again. Joyful happiness – a wonderful Christmas!
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4
“So, we’re planning it so that Hildegard and Manfred will come to us on the 23rd already. That way, we’ll have less stress after the celebration, and there will be enough dishes. Ursula and Gerd will then come between Christmas and New Year’s. I’m just curious if Thorsten can restrain himself a bit this year. It’s almost a tradition for him and Manfred to argue about the garden decorations at Christmas. It has to be bright – and blink. But you know how it is…”
Irritated, I turn my gaze from my screen to the office aisle. With tinsel in her left hand and a cup of “Inner Peace” tea in her right, Simone stands with Jakob at the printer. ‘This woman has a voice… But why tinsel? Decorating the printer? Or Jakob?’, I think, as I involuntarily follow Simone’s Christmas planning. Isn’t there also an “Outer Peace” tea? Presumably, I’m being too un-Christmassy again. I forgive myself – after all, Christmas is coming soon, and everything needs to be planned, invited, and cooked for. Well, good for them.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10
“It’s enough to drive you crazy. You create a wish list for Serafina at an online retailer, and what happens? It gets updated a good two weeks before Christmas Eve. Of course, my wife also went on a big shopping trip this weekend. Guess what she treated herself to then?! Exactly the juicer I ordered for her on Thursday. It’s enough to drive you absolutely mad…” Good heavens, poor Thorben. You’re already so romantically digital, and in the end, it just leads to gift frustration again. Christmas always comes as a surprise, doesn’t it? And I’m slowly no longer sure if I’m in the office or in Santa’s workshop at the North Pole…
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18
Our office is slowly emptying. A wave of colds, full overtime accounts, and early winter holidays are taking their toll. So here I sit, covering for Karsten and Andrea. I really enjoy doing that – very much so, in fact. Both of them, as a small thank you for covering their vacation, placed a bowl full of cookies on my desk. “Laaaft Krifmefff,…” I sing to myself, as I pop another walnut double-decker into my mouth. Could be worse! “You’re coming tomorrow evening too, aren’t you?” a voice calls from the neighboring desk. Turning around in surprise, only a “To what?” comes from my crumbly mouth. “Why, to our Christmas market visit. Mr. Koch invited us for the end of the year, didn’t he?” Right, there was something about that. Another wonderful tradition of the department. And of course, I’ll be there when the department head invites us to a nice Christmas market visit!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19
After a grueling workday titled “Surely all of this can still be done this year, right?” with 516 cookies and five cups of “Inner Peace” tea, I now find myself in the midst of a large crowd at the Christmas market. It smells of waffles, cinnamon, bratwurst, and… exhaled mulled wine. “Nice that you’re here,” Rebekka whispers to me, having thawed out a bit after her second hot drink. “Want some candied almonds?” I don’t need to be told twice! While the honey-almond mixture is still working its way into the gaps between my existing molars, Mr. Koch taps his mulled wine glass four times with a pen. “Dear staff, it is a great pleasure for me that you all accepted my invitation today […]. Surely in the coming year, we will also […] master challenges […] highly motivated team […]. I am proud […] dynamic […]”. He really is a nice guy, Mr. Koch. And I’m also pleased that half the Christmas market is now also devoutly listening to our boss’s words. One could almost think that the municipal brass band had reverently ceased all musical endeavors. And indeed: After Mr. Koch’s final “Thank you very much!” even bystanders with children in their arms, as well as the nice lady behind the sausage counter at the bratwurst stand, applaud. Oh yes, Christmas is simply the time for gathering and joy. Are there actually any restrooms anywhere at a market like this?
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20
“He-lloooo…lo…lo…lo – is anyone…one…one…there…ere…ere?” Well, it looks like I’m alone in the office today. At least one has the opportunity to calmly attend to one’s last tasks. Since no one can be disturbed, I turn on the radio. “Last Christmas,…” Thump – the radio is off again. Well, then it remains quiet here. Since the phone also seems to have quit working, I use the time to tidy up a bit. What you find there… An old invoice I had unsuccessfully searched for for two whole weeks in June. Or here, remnants of a walnut double-decker next to my laptop bag – fortunately from this year. I equip myself with a bucket of water and some paper towels to bring a cleansing end to the year and my desk. Loud knocking noises pull me from my thoughts. Who on earth wants anything else today? …KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
“Hello!! A package! Hello?” Wondering who would be crazy enough to order a package to the office, I walk towards the delivery person. “Hello, good afte…” “Hello, package here!” he presses an approximately 1m³ package into my hand and disappears without a word. Ah, yes – for Joachim Maximilian Koch. Too bad he started his vacation with yesterday’s Christmas market visit. Since, as usual, the packaging material is torn at one corner, I accidentally see what’s inside. How lucky can one get?! Speed dial pressed – two rings. “Yes, hello, Koch he…”
“Hello Mr. Koch, this is the remaining lady from the office. A package was just delivered for you. I believe it’s a Christmas present… If you like, I can bring it to you… I still have an awful lot to do here, but I’d be happy to make a detour on my way home.”
“Really? That would be super nice!! I’ve been waiting for it for quite a while.” That’s exactly what I wanted to hear… And anyone who now thinks I’m an exemplary helpful person is, on the one hand, absolutely right. On the other hand, a Carrera race track, if unpacked carefully enough, can also be repacked true to the original… And with that, I postpone my cleaning plans. There’s still time for that after the holidays.
In this spirit: Happy pre-Christmas greetings and a wonderful Christmas!