Happy Christmas everyone. My warm flat is more or less ready, and I’m in post bath torpor winding gently towards snooze. I thought about going to midnight mass at Chelsea Old Church, but I’m not gonna be up that late. Bedtime is earlier for me at the moment while it’s dark. I wouldn’t want to snore in church. And anyway, the last time I went the vicar just berated us all for being tourists. We were all tipsy anyway.
Nothing will start early tomorrow. I doubt we’ll eat the main meal until like half six so the day will mostly be about the little snacky things. The fridge is packed to the gills.
It was nice to have Brian here. Felt like old times. We had good years in this place together. We are good at winding down together. Today was very pirate themed. We watched Hook and then we sailed the seven seas as a pirate crew in Sea of Thieves together and had a rarely successful voyage, mostly as a result of collaborating with someone. I sunk a galleon and then someone attacked our friends boat so Brian filled them full of holes while I swam over to their boat and stabbed them in the back while they were trying to repair the damage. Foul deeds on the high seas. They sunk and we sold all their stuff. Then, much to the consternation of our new ally who appeared to want to go on to more adventures, we set fire to our own boat, scuttled it and quit the game. Much to do in the morning. Can’t be playing games all night.
While we watched Hook we peeled two big bags of potatoes. The flat is serviceable, even if the little room that used to be mine has become a repository for crap. The living room is mostly clear although there’s still plenty you could break if you were committed about being drunk in it. There are some Christmas elves coming tomorrow who have past form in such behaviours. But there’s something reassuringly familiar about this. We did this lots. We have consistent threads running through it. The shopping was a little more streamlined than it has been some years. We still ended up with pre-cooked quail’s eggs and caviar and all sorts of things we might have been better off avoiding, but the quantities are better than they have been previously. Hopefully it’ll all get eaten but nobody will be hungry. That’s the dream. Or thirsty. Five bottles of prosecco between ten of us, one of whom is teetotal? Plus some beer and a box of red wine… Some years I’ve bought a bottle of gin and whisky and they’ve both been empty at the end. It didn’t feel necessary this time… I don’t think anyone is going to be drinking too oblivion. But it’s unlikely my blog will make much sense unless I’m clever and write it early.
Lovely to be back able to do this though. A two year hiatus what with Jersey and Lockdown. Christmassy Christmas! Hooray. And now a happy sleep with my electric blankie. Enjoy your celebration wherever you are. Pop in if you’re local. Xx
AlBarclay 