CHRISTMAS HAPPENS IN...15 DAYS!

Days to christmas: 15

Behind Bens advent calendar door today: A robin

Guess at what will be behind tomorrows: An angel?

Todays christmas song: Don Gardner - All I want for Christmas http://washingtonmo.com/christmas/lyric/1062.htm


OK, so the California Raisins are no longer around to wish us Happy Christmas and Alvin & his brothers have yet to release their 'Chipmonks Live At Christmas' comeback album but, in a country where christmas seems to be slowly dissapearing, there are still other ways to pick up a faint jingling of bells before the big day.

For a start, if you look closely, my local shopping precinct has erected a tree slightly larger than my own and the reindeer decorations they never bothered to remove have once again been connected to the mains. Food stores have invested in all new christmas muzak from the Hammond Organ Society and schools are advertising christmas fairs where many a tired teacher will spend an afternoon, complaining that they only get paid for 5 days and even then they don't get paid enough. Paper chains are slowly being fastened together, secret santas are being dismally swapped (What do you mean my present was insensitive? I didn't even know Dave, never mind realize that his alcoholism had lead to a liver transplant! I thought it was a very nice hip flask!) and children everywhere are being told that 'Father Christmas is a busy man, so obviously all the shop santa's aren't really him, they're his elves, helping him to find out what all the children want for christmas....what? No, you're father and I aren't father christmas. What? No, we're not the tooth fairy either! Now shut up, or we will tell santa not to bring you anything!'

As for my own christmas adventures so far; I've built a guitar for a work colleague, had fun drinking and then restocking my fathers entire supply of christmas booze without him realizing, experimented with baking numerous christmas cakes to no avail and met television chef Rick Stein in pursuit of the perfect gift for my old man. I've fallen in the snow, spent a day listening to christmas jingles in an icebound airport, swung to 'Christmas with the Rat Pack' at the Savoy theatre in London and booked tickets to see Steve McFadden in panto at the Manchester Palace. And, to top it off, I've made arrangements to spend the christmas period with friends, family and loved ones alike. But, better than that, I've made a solid resolution that from now until christmas day I will make a christmas related post to spread the cheer and maybe a little of the annoyance I face in the build up to the 25th. It may not be exciting, it may not be interesting and it may not be any of your concern, but it sure as hell will be...text, on a web page, and that merits a visit, doesn't it?