Day One Hundred-One: The day is almost upon us

That weekend flew by too quickly, diary. They always do, yes, but this one was especially quick. I swear I only got in a single wink of sleep before it was Monday, and then I was, y'know, still guarding the stupid dragon.

I don't mean that. He's a nice dragon. Nice in that he hasn't eaten me. That's pretty nice of a massive predator whose kind is reputed for destroying cities single-handed. This one looks a little too frozen to do that, though, so…

Anyway. Jeffmas begins this week! It's normally on the twenty-fifth, but we'll all be asleep and the king refuses to miss his day of giving, so we're having it on Friday instead.

Maybe I should explain about Jeffmas. I called it a 'day of giving' on the king's part, but he doesn't really GIVE us anything. On the contrary, we're all supposed to show our appreciation of HIM by giving HIM presents. Those who please him with their gift come into his favour, true, but… he usually forgets who they are by the next day, so I don't think it really matters if you get him something great or not. (Though I have heard that he'll kill you if you get him nothing. That's just a rumour, diary, but I'm not gonna test it.)

So I need to find something. And that's a problem, 'cause when the hell do I have time to look for a present?

Here's my schedule. Wake up at 7:30. Be on my rounds by 8. Stay on 'em until 8, 'cause Captain Cedric automatically takes into account that I'll screw around while I'm on duty. (He's right, but that's still mean.) Get a quick dinner, then head to the tower and watch Apocalyptor for eight more hours. By the time I get home it's, like, 5 a.m. the next day.

Then it starts over again.

… how am I still alive? I only get a couple hours of sleep a night… guess that snooze time while guarding really helps… no wonder I'm the worst guard in the castle, Captain Cedric makes me that way. What a vicious cycle.

But, yeah, how am I supposed to fit getting a present into all that? I'm too busy guarding and freezing my butt off and screwing around. And even if I DID have time, what would I buy?

There's a presentation of gifts on Friday, right by the queen's tree. I have 'til then to figure it out.

Hrm,

Dragomir the Guard