Christmas
Look at me, updating again. Hurrah.
Well, Christmas at home was lovely. Having been away from home for three months I really appreciated having my family all around me once again. I'm not religious, traditional or particularly materialistic - I don't celebrate Christmas because of god, mistletoe or to acquire lots of presents - it's just a time of year to be nice to everyone and spend time with people. It's not just one day for me either, it covers about two weeks now when we are freely allowed to have fun and enjoy ourselves. I regret the fact that we have to have a time of year set aside just for this friendliness, but that's how it seems. Still, I'm having a good time. I'm not working either; the Birkenhead store doesn't need any extra help, so I'm having wonderfully relaxing time, sleeping a lot, and generally doing whatever I choose.
Oh, and eating vast amounts of chocolate. Mustn't forget that.
On Christmas day the four of us, my mother, by two brothers, and me, took the dog for our annual walk on the beach. It was lovely. We then came back and opened presents. I think I did very well this year, I got the exciting things that I asked for such as a bath mat and an oven glove, as well as lots of DVDs, books, pretty purple things, and useful things like shower gel and face wash. A good haul.
The meal was pretty epic. I helped my mother with the cooking for the first time, and wrapped forty sausages in bacon to make pigs in blankets. We didn't have a whole turkey as there were only four of us, but we had a mountain of vegetables, a river of gravy, and other landscape images. We ate it all surprisingly quickly - every year my mother comments that the meal takes hours to prepare, and then minutes to demolish. We tell her it's merely a testament to her skill.
We then relaxed and did the typical Christmas thing - watched TV. My little brother disappeared with his Jet Li film, so William, mum and I watched lots of Red Dwarf and 'What Women Want'.
Yesterday my mother and I went for a walk up Moel Famau, in Wales. It's another tradition that's been sort of lost over the years as the boys grew too old for it and I was working too much last year, but this year we decided to combat the Christmas bulge and do something healthy. We had a pleasant walk up the hill, down the other side, and back again, but in the middle of the afternoon it got very misty up there and we chose the wrong path back down to the car park, and ended up on our way to Loggerheads. We then climbed back up, found the right path, and carried on, but it delayed us for an hour and it was almost dark by the time we reached the car.
While we walked my mother and I talked of many things, from family to the state vs private school debate, at one point, while watching a group of studenty type people have lunch, I mourned the fact that none of my friends really enjoy walking as much as I do. I am happy going with my mother, but would like it if I knew a few people my own age, outside the hiking society in uni, who liked it too. Clare was probably the most likely to go walking, I said, but she works too often. I came home yesterday evening and received a message from Clare - would you like to go up Moel Famau on Wednesday? I was speechless - it was beyond irony. I said yes, so I'm going back up the same Welsh hill tomorrow, and then we're meeting my mother and hopefully going to the cinema twice. I'm looking forward to it.
Today - ugh. Today is not a good day. Today I am going out for lunch with my father. Not alone, thank heavens, with both brothers, but still - my father will be there. I cannot describe with how much dread this fills me. I have no desire to go, but am too polite to say no as my father has made the effort to ask me for the first time in several years.
Imagine your least favourite relative - perhaps the aunt who turns up once a year at Christmas, asks embarrassing questions and criticises everything. Now imagine you have avoided this relative for several years, and were quite happy not thinking about them. Then imagine that this relative starts getting back in contact with you, for reasons unknown, and is taking an unhealthy interest in your progress. You are too well brought up to ignore this relative or decline her offers, but cannot think of a worse fate than ten minutes alone with her. Multiply this feeling by a large number, and you are getting closer to how I feel right now, faced with a meal with daddykins.
Let's see, I had my last blazing argument with him when I was in Lower Five - before we even had internet access in our house. That's four years ago, and I've barely exchanged a word with him since. Yet for some reason, ever since I got my A level results, he has started ringing me up, taking an interest, and generally disturbing my equilibrium. Now, I thought my A level results were bloody good, but I still don't see why he has to take this as an excuse to revive prodigal father mode. I was quite happy without him! And now I'm worried that as he has my mobile number, my e-mail address and knows more-or-less where I live, he will want to see me a lot. I. Do. Not. Want. To. See. Him.
Right. Stop panicking. I'll go for the meal. I'll be polite - but not too polite. Don't want to seem too eager for his interest. Then I'll come home, and try and make it clear 'that's it for another four years - hopefully more'. Argle.
Well, Christmas at home was lovely. Having been away from home for three months I really appreciated having my family all around me once again. I'm not religious, traditional or particularly materialistic - I don't celebrate Christmas because of god, mistletoe or to acquire lots of presents - it's just a time of year to be nice to everyone and spend time with people. It's not just one day for me either, it covers about two weeks now when we are freely allowed to have fun and enjoy ourselves. I regret the fact that we have to have a time of year set aside just for this friendliness, but that's how it seems. Still, I'm having a good time. I'm not working either; the Birkenhead store doesn't need any extra help, so I'm having wonderfully relaxing time, sleeping a lot, and generally doing whatever I choose.
Oh, and eating vast amounts of chocolate. Mustn't forget that.
On Christmas day the four of us, my mother, by two brothers, and me, took the dog for our annual walk on the beach. It was lovely. We then came back and opened presents. I think I did very well this year, I got the exciting things that I asked for such as a bath mat and an oven glove, as well as lots of DVDs, books, pretty purple things, and useful things like shower gel and face wash. A good haul.
The meal was pretty epic. I helped my mother with the cooking for the first time, and wrapped forty sausages in bacon to make pigs in blankets. We didn't have a whole turkey as there were only four of us, but we had a mountain of vegetables, a river of gravy, and other landscape images. We ate it all surprisingly quickly - every year my mother comments that the meal takes hours to prepare, and then minutes to demolish. We tell her it's merely a testament to her skill.
We then relaxed and did the typical Christmas thing - watched TV. My little brother disappeared with his Jet Li film, so William, mum and I watched lots of Red Dwarf and 'What Women Want'.
Yesterday my mother and I went for a walk up Moel Famau, in Wales. It's another tradition that's been sort of lost over the years as the boys grew too old for it and I was working too much last year, but this year we decided to combat the Christmas bulge and do something healthy. We had a pleasant walk up the hill, down the other side, and back again, but in the middle of the afternoon it got very misty up there and we chose the wrong path back down to the car park, and ended up on our way to Loggerheads. We then climbed back up, found the right path, and carried on, but it delayed us for an hour and it was almost dark by the time we reached the car.
While we walked my mother and I talked of many things, from family to the state vs private school debate, at one point, while watching a group of studenty type people have lunch, I mourned the fact that none of my friends really enjoy walking as much as I do. I am happy going with my mother, but would like it if I knew a few people my own age, outside the hiking society in uni, who liked it too. Clare was probably the most likely to go walking, I said, but she works too often. I came home yesterday evening and received a message from Clare - would you like to go up Moel Famau on Wednesday? I was speechless - it was beyond irony. I said yes, so I'm going back up the same Welsh hill tomorrow, and then we're meeting my mother and hopefully going to the cinema twice. I'm looking forward to it.
Today - ugh. Today is not a good day. Today I am going out for lunch with my father. Not alone, thank heavens, with both brothers, but still - my father will be there. I cannot describe with how much dread this fills me. I have no desire to go, but am too polite to say no as my father has made the effort to ask me for the first time in several years.
Imagine your least favourite relative - perhaps the aunt who turns up once a year at Christmas, asks embarrassing questions and criticises everything. Now imagine you have avoided this relative for several years, and were quite happy not thinking about them. Then imagine that this relative starts getting back in contact with you, for reasons unknown, and is taking an unhealthy interest in your progress. You are too well brought up to ignore this relative or decline her offers, but cannot think of a worse fate than ten minutes alone with her. Multiply this feeling by a large number, and you are getting closer to how I feel right now, faced with a meal with daddykins.
Let's see, I had my last blazing argument with him when I was in Lower Five - before we even had internet access in our house. That's four years ago, and I've barely exchanged a word with him since. Yet for some reason, ever since I got my A level results, he has started ringing me up, taking an interest, and generally disturbing my equilibrium. Now, I thought my A level results were bloody good, but I still don't see why he has to take this as an excuse to revive prodigal father mode. I was quite happy without him! And now I'm worried that as he has my mobile number, my e-mail address and knows more-or-less where I live, he will want to see me a lot. I. Do. Not. Want. To. See. Him.
Right. Stop panicking. I'll go for the meal. I'll be polite - but not too polite. Don't want to seem too eager for his interest. Then I'll come home, and try and make it clear 'that's it for another four years - hopefully more'. Argle.