Why can't I have 2 birthdays?

I was in the supermarket when I got an almighty and I do mean almighty shock.
There I was looking at the Xmas bargains, all that stuff the people didn't buy that the supermarkets are now going crazy trying to get rid of.
As I walk down the aisle I'm looking over the rows of shelves stacked with festive goodies, all heavily reduced, mince pies, xmas cake, xmas crackers, yule logs, gold foil wrapped chocolate bunnies....... hold on! am I going nuts, did we skip a few months, chocolate bunnies and sure as eggs is eggs strange oval shaped chocolate treats.....

Am I missing something? Isn't this stuff for easter? I mean... that's a sweet deal, you get to celebrate your birthday and no sooner have you got that out of the way, your getting set to celebrate your next one.

OK... I know, easter is when he died, but then later was reborn... so in some ways it's like a second birthday....

So I've told all my friends, that's it, I want 2 birthdays too.... why shouldn't I?

So what are you all getting me?

Are we nearly there yet?

Well, survived Xmas without Over Dosing on Turkey and booze, braved the Boxing day sales and lived to tell about it thanks to my pointy elbows (out of my way, that last gift set is MINE and no I don't care how many grand kids you have..... sweet heart), so practically bought all of next years Xmas presents for half the price (Yes I like to plan ahead).

All said and done really, I'm more looking forward to next year, there's some uncertainty on the job front, but I've decided I'm going to set myself some goals to achieve, nothing too specific just specific enough to keep my focus and my eye's and ears open for passing opportunities to achieve my goals but also to give me that all too necessary kick in the backside I require from time to time.

I have no plans for New Years eve, not even planning to stay up for "The bells", even going to miss Jools Hollands hootenanny.... this is extremely unusual for a Jock. Instead I want to get up early, go out for the day and generally make a fresh start to the year.

2009 will be a good year, no matter what happens.

Merry Xmas?

Well once again it is upon us, silly season, it's now December the 24th but also for me now the end of the working day and working week..... Bah Humbug!!!!!!

Unusually for me I'm not feeling as festive as I usually do, usually by now I have decked the halls, baked a xmas cake and been so merrily intoxicated I have away in a manger'd. As I look around I count 3 pieces of draped, not even hung pieces of tinsel, adorning various bits of furniture.

So I'm just home from work, my head is still frazzled and I have made no festive plans at all.....
This is extremely unlike me.... Xmas is important to me, the rest of the year can be a total bag 'o' bollocks as long as I have a good Xmas.

So here's what I'm going to do tonight.....  I have a bottle of mulled wine that I acquired several weeks ago.... I have "It's a wonderful life" on DVD I have 2 glasses at best left of my Cognac, one I will have in about 10 minutes, the other after Xmas dinner tomorrow. I'm sending out for a takeaway and sticking in a 40watt bulb then I'm going to drink the Cognac while I have a bath... order the takeaway so that it arrives just in time and slowly seep into a mulled wine inflicted stupor and remember the words of Charles Dickens... the generally acknowledged expert in celebrating Xmas.

and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!  And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

For everyone else here's The Ramones

Merry Christmas Baby - The Ramones (HQ Audio)

Love will tear us apart.

As this is my first ever post I want to put something on here other than test,test,test.
So thinking back I thought I'd like to share something I saw a few weeks ago when visiting a friend in hospital.
I'd finished visiting and started to head for home, in the hospital I reached the stairs which were a short wide flight of stairs, I stopped for a second to put on my coat before heading out.
On the stairs just in front of me, a young looking nurse was there helping an elderly man down the stairs, there was maybe only 8 steps but she was helping him take them one at a time. He was holding onto her arm and her hand was gripping his firmly, both seemed oblivious to my presence and seemed to be looking slightly down and ahead and looked like two people just out for a stroll. As they took each step one by one the nurse was part humming part singing the chorus of a song, "Love will tear us apart" as the companions took each step, "Love, Love will tear us apart... again".
I stopped for a moment until they'd got to the bottom of the stairs and left through the doors, still walking hand in hand.

I doubt either realised how it must have looked to someone watching and for me makes it all the more special.

Love Will Tear Us Apart- Joy Division