Hannah Swithinbank

So, 'twas the season

I have had such a nice week. Mostly I’ve been hermiting in my living room with some books (getting into David Foster Wallace and M.R. James, amongst other things) and learning to use the Wii Fit that Santa brought. But I have broken out from time to time – to friends on Christmas Eve after the Carols by Candlelight, and had people over a couple of times. It was a bit weird getting up alone in the house on Christmas Day and having no one to open my stocking with, but after that, it was all good. Well, apart from when I forgot that scones needed self raising flour, not plain. Ooops. Fortunately they were inessential. Did church, then went for a walk along the Pier and East Sands – it was chilly and a little misty, but otherwise fine. Then home to open the rest of the presents, and cook the duck. G. and Daniel came over to help eat the duck and piles of roastie potatoes, watch new Doctor Who and Wallace and Gromit, and play some Mario Kart. Much fun all round.

Since then I’ve been reading through Simon Schama’s new America book, which I really really like, and not doing the stuff I was supposed to have been doing like sorting out all my unprocessed photos from Spain and Cornwall. Peoples came over yesterday to play games, except then it emerged that Evan and Mel hadn’t seen Black Books, so we introduced them to that, and then some Blackadder, and then Dr Horrible, all partaken of with much cake and a couple of bottles of red wine. Tonight Beth and I are going to sponsor the movie making career of Baz Luhrman and help Hollywood moguls stop worrying about Hugh Jackman’s sexuality by going to see Australia. Then I’m going to go back to hermiting and sleeping till Mel and James arrive on Tuesday.

Merry Christmas

Have a fabulous and blessed Christmas wherever you happen to be.

what is happening to my BRAIN

Last Thursday, when I got into the department, and emptied all my stuff out of my bag to find something, I also found that I did not have my house keys. Cue Panic. So I walked back home again, to find them in the front door. Ahem. So that was nearly an hours walking in and out of town because I was a STUPID FORGETFUL PERSON.

This morning, I slept in. This is in no way ‘cos I stayed up last night watching Sports Personality on the tivo-thing, and getting very excited about Chris Hoy winning, and bemused because populism acutally yielded the correct result for once. Anyway. I got into the office at about 10.15, and thought, “Well, I will just look at what I have to do today.” And then I realised, OH MY SAINTED ZEUS, THE CAR. MOT. TODAY. 8.30. AHHHHHHHHHHHH. So I ran home, picked up the car and drove it round the corner to the garage, and then walked back into the office. Another hour’s walking, because I was a STUPID FORGETFUL PERSON.

Grrrr. My brain is a disaster zone. A caps-lock happy DISASTER ZONE.
And I have a chapter to finish this week, and I’ve only done the first (of four) sections. *weeps*

But I came home and there was my Christmas parcel from Miss Melanie, which is VERY exciting. And under my tree. Look, MAH TREE. It’s very dinky. And all the fairy lights have now died, and Woolworths is sold out and going bust. Woe. But Christmas Tree. And presents. And soon I can be on holiday. In my own home.