Happy Christmas and all that....

"Bah humbug" is my usual cry at this time of year because as a rule I don't like Christmas much. It's not the buying of presents or the carols, tinsel and turkey that turns me off, but more when it all starts. October is far too early to start thinking about Christmas in my book. It should start at the very earliest on 1 December and at best two weeks before.

This year however I'm actually enjoying it. I put this down to having Lily and Sybil around. It will be fun on Christmas morning to see Sybs unwrapping her presents and as I'm not going to my parents until Wednesday next week I'm also looking forward to cooking a Christmas lunch for Lily and me. I image Sybs will want cheese sandwiches or fish fingers. I enjoy going to my Mum and Dad's for Christmas but I haven't had a Christmas at home for fourteen years and I'm really looking forward to it.

Another thing I'm looking forward to greatly this year is seeing some of my mates over the festive period. Tonight for example I'm going out for a meal with about ten friends. Usually I'm in darkest Cornwall and have therefore never been to this annual event. As I'm at home for Christmas I can go this year.

There are things about Christmas I still have trouble enjoying though. The British fashion for festooning their houses with thousands of Christmas lights for example. What brought this on? It never happened in my day. It seems that if someone in the street does it, a wicked Christmas virus takes hold and everyone else has to have a bigger and better display, thus draining the national grid of electricity. I'm not a fan of this false festive spirit either. All of a sudden, on 1 December, people of a certain type suddenly start wearing Santa hats as if that is going to suddenly make you remember it is Christmas and you therefore MUST enjoy yourself. I know its fucking Christmas you idiot! Piss off and leave me alone!! And then if you don't join in with there incessant partying your are labelled a miserable bastard. Well I can enjoy Christmas without dressing up and looking like a complete toss pot thank you very much.

My final Christmas nadir however is wrapping presents. I HATE wrapping presents. It takes me forever, I'm crap at it and they end up looking like a car crash. I know you can buy al your gifts on the internet and many can be gift wrapped but if you decide to buy stuff from the High Street you're buggered. Someone should event self wrapping Christmas presents and therefore save hours and hours of pain for an idiot like me.

Despite my reservations I am enjoying Christmas this year (and if the truth be known I always do really) and hope you all have a Christmas that you choose. Be it at home on your own refusing to be drawn in to all the crap or partying with your family and friends. Have a good one.