chesnuts roasting on an open fire

I'm not feeling very Christmassy yet.

The presents have been bought, the local organic goose has been ordered, the unfiltered port and the Elijah Craig bourbon have been purchased... most of the material things have been sorted. I'm just not really in the mood yet.

I started stepping out with C. in 1999, but this will be the first time that we will spend Christmas together. C. usually heads off back to France to be with her parents and her brother, and I head down to my mum and dad. This year her brother is going to be in Australia, so C. decided to make the break and spend Christmas with me. Great. She also managed to accidentally invite her mum and dad to spend Christmas with me too.... Actually, that's fine too. I get on well with her parents, and they will head over from France with a car filled with delicious food and wine from the cellar, so far be it from me to complain. Lord B. will also be joining us, which will fantastic not only because he's good company, but also because it gives me someone to nip off to the pub with...

I'm still not exactly brimming with Christmas spirit though.

C. is getting very excited, and is busy making crackers, planning when we are going to get the tree, ordering a wreath for the door and a centre-piece for the table... that kind of thing. It's lovely to watch, but at the moment I'm just looking forward to a couple of extra days off work (I'll be working all but the bank holidays).

Maybe things will change this weekend when I head down to Oxford for the 8th Annual party hosted by Statue John and his housemate the Pollstar.... I think I'm the only guest to have attended every other party, and it is my honour and my duty to help our two (vegetarian) hosts with the turkey that they gamely produce for the 20-30 guests they manage to squeeze in every year.... no mean feat when you consider that we start drinking at noon, and that the "quiet night in" on the Friday always turns into a total shambles.

Hm.

Before I head down to Oxford on Friday, I've got the small matter of a visit to the neurologist out of the way. Maybe I need to get past that before I can really focus on enjoying the best of the season.

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What about you lot though? How are you doing? Swamped by the whole thing? Loving it? Dreading it?

Complete the following in 10 words or less:

"Christmas, for me, means....."

I'll ask again on Boxing Day, and we'll compare notes....