HAPPY NEW POST (YEAR,WHATEVER) .

Well, christmas shopping turned out to be less traumatic than I feared. Just as the rude, aisle blocking, trolley ramming, que ignoring, loud, obnoxious, etc, crowds were about to make me lose the plot Mon takes me aside and buys me a chocolate thick shake and a giant melting moment biscuit.

Was the first time in years that both sisters and thier husbands and offspring were going to be in Downsville for the occasion but Mon and I were going to Nebo for christmas. Everybody understood etc, what a shame I couldn't be there with the whole family for the first time in ages. Then we decided not to go to Nebo and stay home instead. That was when I got the brilliant (misguided) idea to keep it secret from everybody else and then surprise them with our presence (and presents). Well long story short, I won't be doing something like that again any time soon. A substantial part of a successful christmas seems to be preparation.

And now it has passed. New year was nice, Mon's birthday was on new years eve. Small party with fire engines roaring past just before (or was it after, things got a little blurred towards the end) midnight as some enlightened soul thought that starting a bushfire for the new year was a good idea (no it wasn't me, not even so much as a candle in a bucket [ask the Simonster or Jimbo to explain if you're curious, don't know me and happen to know the two mentioned above {that's probably just you emmajeans, though it's likely that I'm overanticipating any actual curiosity}]).

Foolishly exposed myself to the addictive (I can give it up any time I want, really) evil known as ebay in my search for gift ideas. Got some nice presents for people. Got some duds. Got some shit I didn't need, including a razor sharp axe (for a decorative item it really is ridiculously sharp) which I inteligently (what the hell was I thinking) mounted above the phone. No prizes for guessing what happened there, fortunately the wound was small and the bleeding easily staunched (now it has been turned around so the blade is not right above the reciever).

Had a great storm last night, lots of thunder and lightening and pouring rain. First decent shower that we've had for ages. More fuel for Downsvilles justifiably feared humidity (perhaps not quite so fearsome as just plain uncomfortable, insidious and annoying [why didn't I head down to Canberra with everybody else?]). Waiting for the promised follow up rain but it's looking less and less likely.

G.P. tomorrow to see if this irregular heartbeat of mine is worth looking into.