Game Face

Nae inspiration, so you get my miserable mug again. Actually, there's a reason I don't smile much in my self-portraits - I genuinely don't like my smile. It's almost as if my mouth is too big for my face or something. End up looking like one of those muppets whose head is effectively sliced in two.

Back from lunch at the Mussel Inn with Iain and James, which was as entertaining and delicious as ever. Cycling jacket and shoes on, trouser leg tucked into the sock, no need to change out the work gear...

And after last night's blip just watching the days till Christmas. T-10 days and counting...

I'm finding it hard to get excited about it so far this year. Too much I'm trying to do I think, tying up a load of loose ends. Which is odd when you think about it. 25th December (and the New Year) are just arbitrary points in time. If you're not religious (see blips passum, of which there are many, to see my own particular stance) then the date of the 25th really is truly, utterly random (though to be frank, it is for Christians as well given it's not when Jesus was born and was actually nicked off the Pagans as a way to turn them more easily to Christianity).

Ah but, I hear you cry, it's a time for being with family and showing your love for one another. Which I would accept but for two small things that niggle. Firstly, shouldn't you be doing that year round with your family? And secondly, how many families do you know who get together at Christmas and don't have at least one minor falling out, together with the stress of one or more members of the party being responsible for the big Christmas dinner?

Feck it, I'll declare my interest. I like presents. And I like the day off to enjoy them. I like giving presents as well - I'll not lie and say I prefer it more than receiving presents, but it's a close run thing. I like getting something for someone that they weren't expecting. As long as they love it. Which but for a few notable examples I've managed to pull off in the past.

The other thing I like doing is actually going out on Christmas Day. I love the quieter streets and roads. It can be a walk round the block, a tootle into town, or a wander into the countryside. Shorn of so many people there's a quality to moving around that isn't normally present unless you get up at some ridiculous hour (which for me is the main justification to getting up really early for anything).

Hell, it even makes me smile... :)