“I am the Ghost of Christmas Present,” said the Spirit. “Look upon me!”
Once upon a time, we used to post on here daily. Sure, there’s two of us so the burden was split, but I still don’t know how we did it. I suspect many of my posts were actually glorified tweets. Back then we were new parents of a blog, paying attention to our child all the time. But, now we’ve slipped a little, and out blog may spend rather a lot of its time unsupervised, eating biscuits for dinner and playing out till all hours with the other sporadic blogs. My last post of the year used to actually mean something as a break was unusual, but it no longer applies.
Still, I like the idea of an end-of-year sign off. Soon, there will be shiny new books to take pictures of (or Santa will be in serious trouble), and very likely new reading challenges to jump into, conveniently forgetting previous ones, such as that time I said I’d read all of Dickens (hey, there’s still time!) and last year it was supposed to be all of The Rougon-Macquart Cycle (hey, there’s still — nope, forget it, having too much Zola miserable.)
And so, I hope you all have great Christmasses! I will be slowly eating myself spherical, and indulging in my hobby of driving about judging people according to their Christmas lights. It’s not that I’m totally snobby about it, I can appreciate the kitsch glory of full-on, can-be-see-from-space creations, as well tasteful white lights. There are actually only two things I can’t handle, and if any of these things apply to you, apologies in advance (not really, I mean every word.)
Firstly, blue lights. Especially flashing blue lights. Not twinkly-twinkly, but FLASH-FLASH-FLASH-FLAAAASH. I feel like slapping a POLICE AWARE sticker across their front window. How can they sit there calmly watching TV with an ambulance in the front room!? Does the coffee table think the Christmas tree is trying to pull it over?! Flashing lights scare me. Someone is hurt. Or, someone has broken the law. Best case scenario, someone is trying to land a plane. I have never thought, when being overtaken by a police car or fire engine, Oooh, I could just go for a mince pie right now.
Secondly, people who sit with the big light on. While looking at houses, it surprises me how many people have their curtains wide open and the BIG light on. The big light is there for when you have dropped a pin or the wee screw out of your specs, or for when hanging wallpaper. Who can relax in a room lit well enough to perform a triple bypass?!
On my way through Aberdeen traffic the other night I saw the double, a floodlit living room and a blue-lit tree, flashing violently enough to induce a seizure. I wanted to knock on their door. I had a fake holly wreath on the seat next to me, with lit icicles on it, that I wore at work and regularly said ‘Come in and know me better, man!’ to people (no one got it, not even when I spoke like Brian Blessed). I’d have worn that wreath as issued them with a book or two about hygge.
I am on call over Christmas, but hopefully nothing will happen, and Friday will be my last day before back to work on Boxing day. When it comes to the last day of work, we should to study the work of Kermit, as he embodies the feeling perfectly.
This Christmas I will also be re-watching my favourite version of A Christmas Carol, Albert Finney’s Scrooge. It features one of the catchiest songs ever written in the history of the mankind, and nothing says Christmas like a big musical where total strangers on a street all know how to spin around together in unison. And so, to our readers —
— for reading! See you in the new year!
I won’t be taking a blog break, I’m already too behind. I already only post two or three times a week anyway. Reading your thoughts on lights made me smile, I think we’re on the same page there. A very happy Christmas to you.
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And to you, too 🙂 Two or three times a week sounds epic to me! I used to be able to work on blog posts during lulls in the office, but they’ve gone and blocked certain sites, and I can no longer spend my quiet time on WP. How dare they! 😉
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I loved ‘eating myself spherical’ – great phrase and I will be doing the same. Enjoy your Christmas
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I try to post once a week and I’ve struggled to manage that this year, so I think my blog is one of the blogs leading your blog astray 😀
Wonderful video clips! Wishing you & Sarah a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 🙂
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Ha! Delinquent blogs unite! We have working and study as perfect excuses for our latchkey blogs. Plus Youtube videos…Twitter…feeding cats…etc…if anything, they are lucky they get the attention that they do!
And a merry Christmas and happy new year to you, too. 🙂
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Have a fabulous Christmas. I’m delighted you don’t post every day – it’s far too much pressure trying to keep up with reading daily blogs!
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Happy Christmas to you, too, and thank you! I didn’t think about it that, by not posting I’m doing the blog community a service. I’ll be sure to get some mileage out of that theory next year 😉
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What’s wrong with subtle multi-coloured lights (like the ones I have)??? And have a lovely break – I shall schedule some posts and try to read up a storm!
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Sorry, there’s nothing wrong with them! I should have been clearer, I quite like a bit of colour (just not too much blue!) Enjoy your Christmas reading 🙂
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Oh, no – I meant that comment as in I agree with you about the fierce hideous flashing things and think everyone should have nice gentle traditional ones!! 😄😄😄😄
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Ha! If only the violently flashing ones were illegal in the first place, there’d be no risk of misunderstandings, so really it’s the government’s fault. 😉
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I have issues with the big light being on too. Merry Christmas to you both!
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And to you, too! And glad it’s not just me something is wrong if MacDonalds looks more cosy welcoming than someone’s home 😉
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The big light is overused by so many people, I only use it because me and my flat mate are men and so therefore lamps are decorations that we can do without. We have a plastic plant with a Gizmo on top that does for a tree and one Christmas card between us. I am sure I will be truly domesticated next year. I hope you get many, many books this year, I promise to be envious of the photos.
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Ha! You sound like you live in a sitcom. I do hope you microwave socks dry and have a permanently-evolving modern art installation utilising the medium of pizza boxes in the corner of the room. 😉
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If we get our own Christmas special then that can be arranged! Men Behaving Dully isn’t the most exciting name bu is probably the most accurate.
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It’s the show Dave was made for! 😀
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I must confess to liking a blue light, but definitely not anything that flashes. And as for The Big Light, don’t get me started… 🙂
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Due to my continued limited access to a computer I’ve only just read your post after posting up mine, so double Dickens jinx padlock! Happy Christmas and here’s to another fabulous year of ‘the dog ate my homework’ haphazard blogging!
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Totally agree with you about the “big light”. And any kind of flashing lights – ugh – way too stimulating for me.
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*high five* And I agree, and also totally distracting, I wonder how people manage to get anything else done when there’s a mini-Vegas vibe going in their living room.
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I love Brian Blessed, he really is a national treasure! Forgive me for posting a link to my site, but he’s just recorded a video message for my partner and it’s too good to keep to myself: https://planet-dom.com/2018/02/28/vip-1/
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