Another year over

[j4]

I suppose it's about time I wrote something here.

I spent Christmas at home with just my parents and my sister, as usual. I can't think of many better ways to spend Christmas -- it seems to be dreadfully unfashionable to say this these days but I actually love my immediate family very much, and enjoy spending time with them.

Thank you to addedentry, lnr, ewx, ejde, angua and rejs for Christmas presents; thank you to everybody who sent cards, especially rysmiel and jiggery_pokery. I'm sorry I was utterly hopeless with Christmas cards; I feel as though Christmas crept up on me and hit me from behind.

I got back to Cambridge on New Year's Eve, and worked in the Carlton from 8-11pm. I've never seen the pub so busy; I barely had time to breathe for the first 2 hours. My party clothes (black velvet dress, purple corset, purple tights, New Rock boots) were ... appreciated. (There were lots of Rocky Horror related comments. Some of the regulars ran a sweepstake on what bra size I took.) The guitarist in the lounge bar was dreadful.

After finishing at the pub I then went to Relativity's New Year party. I changed into my 15" platform boots, kindly taken round to GR for me by sion_a. I have very few opportunities to wear them. It was a pretty good party, all things considered; only one or two 'down' points and I don't see much point in going into them here. The fireworks were pretty, and could be seen from inside without venturing out into the rain. There was an entertaining game of "I have never" at some time in the small hours of the morning. sion_a and I didn't get home till gone 6am.

I've been inordinately lazy for the last two days, spending most of the day lying in bed reading Agatha Christie novels. Today I had the bizarre experience of reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles while "Dead Man's Folly" was on TV in the background (sion_a was watching it). Had to get up today to work at the Carlton again this evening, though, and I'm supposed to be working at Oxfam tomorrow morning (which will mean getting into town for 9am).

* * *

I've more or less avoided email, LJ and news from Christmas until now -- I needed a break from being constantly 'on call'. I don't have very much in the way of emotional energy at the moment. Or, to be perfectly honest, any other kind of energy.

* * *

I've tried a few times to write a kind of roundup of 2003, and every time I've tried I've ended up in tears and unable to write anything useful. I will try again some time. I'll also post New Year's resolutions when I feel able to do so. To be honest though at the moment I don't feel that I have enough control over my life to be able to resolve anything more specific than continuing to breathe.

I hope 2004 will be better, for everyone.

Comments

[imc.livejournal.com]

Yes and no. . .

It's nice to start your own traditions and bring up a son with the idea of `this is what we do at Christmas and it's jolly good fun' - but on the other hand, if you go and visit parents then you get Christmas dinner without having to have done all the preparation first. :-)

We were with my parents this year - we'll probably be with bopeepsheep's next year, and then the year after that, when smallclanger is old enough to sit up and take notice, we will be at home with just the three of us. There's probably just about time to get the house tidy by then, too.

[k425.livejournal.com]

That's a good way to do it - it's what my ex-husband and I did (well, one set of parents, home together, other set of parents, home together, rinse, repeat). However, I know enough people who had to go to family for Christmas and didn't enjoy the experience that it's not what I want to do. Besides which, my family are in Herts and Bloke's family are in Somerset, and the driving involved with a small baby aren't as easy as just going on our own!

Besides, I don't find doing Christmas dinner to be too hard, even with a grotty cold (me and YB) and a research project on YB's daily activities. I quite enjoy it!