The day before the day before Christmas

I am finally back in the santuary of my home and Nick Cave is doing his best to bring peace to my mind once again.  Foi Na Cruz.....I don't really know what it means but it comes from the album The Good Son.  It is soothing.

I braved the crowds at the local Westfields (Southland).  I didn't really need to go for anything in particular, that was the stupid part.  I tried on all the shoes in all the cheap shops before giving up and going to do what I was really out for.  Groceries.  ughh.  The idea of trying to get all the food that I might need to entertain with for several days stresses me out.  I never remember my list and I always forget something.  The cruelest part is that I always remember as I am stacking my items from the trolley onto the little conveyor belt, the checkout person will nod in my direction and sometimes ask me how I am and that is when it hits.  The realisation that I forget something from the deli.  I have been in line to pay for 
20 odd minutes, there is no way I am going back in.  Grocery shopping is even almost as boring as talking about it.

The list of things to do before Christmas is almost finished.  Tonight Chris and I have our "Christmas lights" adventure (hehe some might say adventure might be the wrong way to describe it - but it really does depend on who you do it with).

The last couple of weeks has seen some drinkies with work people and friends that I haven't really posted about.  Mainly because I haven't wanted to
post anything about the people that I work with just yet.....and I have been spending time recovering from them all.

I have survived both my Work Christmas party and my department Christmas party with my reputation intact.  I perhaps even feel more involved and a part of the team after sharing numerous cocktails with the CFO and cohorts without embarassing myself.  They are actually a nice bunch of people.  GB met them on Friday night as he picked me up from La Citta where we had been doing rounds of every different cocktail they had on the menu.  This was after a 4 hour champagne infused lunch.  I was so proud that I could still walk and talk.  

I am excited about Christmas, even though it is just going to be Panda, M and myself.  I have enough seafood to make us plenty full and I even bought myself a Panettone this year.
Christmas Eve with GB's wild and woolly family is always amusing and I suspect this year will be fun to boot.  I have found it really depends on not taking anything personally or serious as to how much fun I find the famiglia e GB.

Time to change the music - "Stagger Lee" of the Murder Ballads.  God I love Nick Cave!

and I believe it is also time for a drink.