It’s ALMOST Christmas

So, Christmas is imminent. Well, if you ignore what the retailers have been saying the last few months (Debenhams is so trendy, Glasgow Fort stays open late, MacArthur Glen makes you feel less guilty). All the presents have been bought / made, but I’m a fairly craptastic wrapper. Today is the shortest day of the year. Today is my last day of work before, er, after Christmas. Today is the first time in over three years that I will be getting paid in a non-dodgy manner. Today was definitely the first time the train arrived at Glasgow on time, mainly because it was pretty much empty. Only us plebs who can’t afford the time off have to trudge to work.

At least the weather is milder today.

It’s not my first Christmas away from home, but I think I will miss my family this year. After we left China, I spent three months in Singapore, and I think it’s probably the first time I really got to spend lots of time with my mother. I know she’s received (and opened) her Christmas presents, and my sister’s got hers as well. So I know I’m going to get a bit… sentimental over the weekend because I miss my mummy.

The plans are to see some friends and family over the next couple of days, and spend Christmas with Neil’s family. I don’t really know what to expect; it’s my first real Christmas-y Christmas. Are recipients meant to get multiple presents? What’s the situation with stocking stuffers? If someone doesn’t have a stocking but everyone else does, do they still get the wee presents? And most importantly, how much turkey can I eat before it’s considered totally rude?

I think my favourite Christmas-themed ad on the telly is the Irn Bru ad, a cool animation. The little kid is a total and utter shit for not letting the snowman share his Irn Bru, so he definitely should be dropped from a great height. And he should end up splattered all over the pavement in a splodgilicious mess of blood and guts.

• 22 Dec 2006

• Thinking