Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The birthday of darling Steve, and reflections on Christmas

It is today! Hooray! Today Steve is 23 years old (GOD that’s so old!), which means he is three years older than I again and all is right with the world. When we met he was three years older than I, and it always seems weird for him to be only two years older, even though he spends more of the year that way.

Steve has a new high-powered job in computers that I do not understand — he explained it to me but computer language just baffles me so I listen sweetly and take absolutely nothing away from the conversation except that it has something to do with PHP, which I also do not understand. But it’s a good job, so yay, darling, I’m glad that on your birthday you have a pleasant computer job that you enjoy.

Today we are celebrating by having calzones (I was going to take us to Nando’s, the Portuguese restaurant, but I’m buying him a proper present instead and making calzones) and watching Jesus Camp. And having a present for Steve, which I almost bought yesterday but then I was like, naaaah, he wouldn’t want that, and I bought some other stuff for his Christmas gifts, but conversations between yesterday and today have provided a few clues that he might actually want that, so I’m going back and getting it and it will be a nice birthday present. (Steve, if you’re reading this, it’s just a big pile of poop. Reindeer poop, in keeping with the season.)

I love buying presents. Christmas is bad for me because it indulges me and I just want to buy more, and more, and more, and more presents for everyone! Because I love it so much. Whenever I am feeling glum lately, I look at my Advent calendar which only has 21, 22, 23, and 24 left to open (well, actually, it has 14, 22, 23, and 24 left, because I don’t know what went wrong but I somehow opened 21 prematurely and failed to open 14, and then 21 wouldn’t close properly, so I just decided to make 14 the stand-in for 21, as they’re the same day, just a week apart), and then I look in my closet, which is where all the presents are, and it cheers me up greatly. We have stockings, and an exciting and mysterious present for me from Uncle Jim and Aunt Gina, and the presents I have gotten for Steve, and in just a few days I’m going to be getting up early and putting all the presents out underneath the little flat Christmas tree.

I would also like to take a moment here to thank Mumsy for being such a Christmas goddess all my life. I get all choked up when I think about the wrapping extravaganza that her room becomes in the days leading up to Christmas. Plus I am going crazy with curiosity about this present from Uncle Jim and Aunt Gina, and it’s taking all my willpower not to unwrap it now and just pretend I did it on Christmas Day. So thank you, Mumsy, for hiding our presents from us until Christmas morning. I plainly am not to be trusted.

It is freezing here, finally! Steve says it’s -3 C in Colchester and Ipswich, and I am all about the coldness at Christmas. I have long-sleeved Christmassy pajamas that are dying to be worn. I went shopping yesterday and I was as happy as a clam because I did not get hot once. I was nice and cool all the time.

I saw a starling! Like in Mary Poppins! It flew into my flat by the windows and I took a picture but as soon as I got close enough to take a good picture, it flew away.

Also, I was just thinking about 101 Dalmatians, and you know the part where they come back with all the puppies and Roger says, “Why Pongo, you old rascal!” ? You know that part? Is Roger implying that Pongo has fathered all of these puppies, and is he looking upon it with approval? I mean, I think that even a young virile Dalmatian like Pongo would have difficulty producing that many offspring along the road to finding his own original fifteen puppies; but if he could manage it, I really don’t think Roger should be encouraging that behavior. I think it shows a lack of sensitivity to Perdita.

Well, this post has been all over the place. I shall pull it all together by saying that 101 Dalmatians ends at Christmastime, which I love, and today is Steve’s birthday. Happy birthday, Steve!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was going to accuse you of having had too much caffeine or sugar, but I don’t think there is enough in the world to fuel a post like this one.

Anonymous said...

Awww, Jen. A Christmas goddess? This is a totally new image of myself. I think I’ll jusst sit here and let that image seep in and become part of my self-image. Christmas goddess. Yeah. Yeah, that’s me.

Anonymous said...

Jenny. I am sorry to keep stomping on your deepest desires, but I just discovered this.

Google ‘indigo child’.

Anonymous said...

*makes sound to mimic dropping of a big bomb*