Phew.
The first thing that we noticed was an ease.
I’m still friends with people who were regulars. They live in other countries now, or up in Scotland.
Lunchtime came and went. I knew that at some point it would get busy. But we were all enjoying the peace and quiet, while preparing vast amounts of food.
We get a mix of sober and drunk. We never know who or when. It is a saloon door.
Morning found me driving Santa and his luggage to the Mandarin Oriental. Santa is a wonderful authentic and inspirational human. I love that he has decided to make himself like that: “You are going to have a wonderful life. I came here specially to tell you.” He’s using his trauma and the things that nobody said. Good on him.
At the flat it was very chilled in the morning, we prepped all the food. When people got involved it was positive. I always use making blinis as a stealthy test to see what people are going to be like. I’ll make them part of a factory line for something that is only designed to give them pleasure. Just occasionally they will be a dick about it. This year everyone got it and got stuck in. It is only very rare that someone doesn’t get it and behaves like a tit. It’s good to know where the douches lie though when they have found their way to us.
It was such a lovely bunch this year. No energy vampires. It all just fell out as it fell out. I ended up running the hat game. And it was competitive. It’s always interesting to think of the people who came up multiple times. Charlie Chaplin and Pikachu. 7 people put in 4 names each. The ones we had back were either a clown that deliberately looks like a fascist dictator, and an electric Pokémon. We need fantasy right now. The world…
Very very happy that a friend appeared most of the way through. His sister is in prison this Christmas. Ugh. For caring about something. I feel terrible for them, to think about what it must mean to be pulled away by the law. It was protest. But what a very real thing to have to put up with. Well done her to have pissed someone off enough. I’m happy he knew the door was open. That is exactly what we’ve set out to do over the years. “The only saloon door in Chelsea,” : Charlotte Keatley 2017. Still the case.
Merry Christmas all. I’m a happy tired boy.
AlBarclay 