It's not over til the girlfriend arrives

I can't believe people were shopping yesterday. It's bizarre. I mean, I appreciate that christmas has no spiritual meaning to some folk, but why go back out there in the midst of the throngs when you could be sat on your backside, chilling out. I love this time of year because it's the only opportunity I get to do just that. I live my life at 100mph. I had a good christmas, it was quiet and spent with my nearest and dearest, except my girlfriend. She was at home with her nearest and dearest except me. It's nice that we can both be with our families. Some people find it odd, I just think it's fair. Why should either of us have to choose? She's coming to join me later and then we'll be together for the rest of the festive period, and I'm really looking forward to having her back with me *grins*.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Eat less
2. Lose weight
3. Spend more time with family
4. Spend more time with friends
5. Spend more time by the sea
6. Do more exercise
7. Do less procrastinating (I won't do this straight away..lol)
8. Work less
9. Cook more
10. Play guitar more

Deck the halls and all that

So Christmas is virtually upon us! Only 3 sleeps to go! And then it's the day, and then frankly it's all over. It's quite disappointing really. I am looking forward to the break, to not be working ANYWHERE and to have some quality time with my friends and family. Yee hah. Not that I don't understand the spiritul side of it, because I do, but having previously not celebrated for many years, I find that if I just think of it as time with my family etc it's got more meaning than a desperate attempt to buy buy buy.

Marriage or CPA?

"Gay marriage" is the talk of the town but it isn't marriage at all is it? It's a civil partnership agreement and that's something else entirely. I have to say I'm in favour of the CPA's because they serve to protect couples in joint terms - financially and otherwise. Having seen If These Wall Could Talk 2 and been impacted by the sheer ignorance and cold-blooded treatment of the bereaved 'widow' in the 1950's section I'm damn sure I want to be treated appropriately if and when anything happens to my loved one. I think the only thing that the gay community should be wary of, having seen something similar happen, is throwing themselves into a CPA blindly after a month of a relationship (it was love at first sight don't you know!) and then realising that it's not meant to be after all..this is a legal process..not just a holding of hands and exchanging of rings..so not as easy to reverse as moving all your stuff out, along with the cat. I think it's a positive move, not for pride's sake (because who the hell is proud, really, it's not about that it's about getting on with your life quietly and without repercussion) but for the genuine couples who are in it for the long haul, to offer protection, boundaries and rights just like the heterosexual community has. And people who oppose it? Well they need to sit the other side of the fence for a while and maybe then they'd realise that we aren't all out there trying to make a point. Some of us are just trying to live our lives with a persuasion dictated by gene, not by eccentricity, and want to be able to get on with it the same way everyone else does.

The big Four Oh

My brother is 40 today. Happy Birthday Paul. x

Lovely Mum

My Mum came to visit H & I in Liverpool this weekend. We had a lovely time, wandering around the shops on Albert Dock and chilling in the Ha Ha Bar with lattes (well, tea in my case) as it was starting to get dark. It was really nice. We went out for dinner on Saturday night and then more shopping yesterday. When she went home on the train yesterday there was a big gap where she'd been. I miss my Mum. Wish I didn't live so far away from her. Roll on Christmas!!

Icon Shmicon

So Pete Doherty has once again been arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs, having been caught driving erraticly and fleeing the vehicle when stopped by the police. Surely such behaviour puts the general public at risk? Or is he not held accountable cos he's a professed celebrity? Does a potential death at the hands of his drink/drug influenced driving not count? When are they going to charge this idiot and bang him up so he can sort himself out? I find it ironic that Kate Moss was publicly hung, drawn and quartered for alleged cocaine abuse and yet Mr Doherty can be observed to be a smackhead and suffer no consequence. I don't believe he is the gifted musician that many of his fans say he is. I think he needs help before he self destructs. And in the meantime? Save the column inches, please. I'm sick of the sight of him.

Christmas Choons

My favourite carol is Once in Royal David's City and as for a Christmas pop song - I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake. The latter reminds me of childhood Christmas celebrations. Those were the days. Not that these days aren't any good, but it was more magical then. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

Shoe on the other foot

So George Bush thinks the American people should have faith and be prepared to carry on making sacrifices in Iraq does he? Funny how none of his nearest and dearest are on the front lines, facing suicide bombers and snipers every day isn't it? Just listening to him on the radio makes me seethe. I assume they haven't yet talked the Iraqi politicans into signing over the oil as "thanks" for what the US have done. Once that happens, the troops can pretty much come home when they like can't they?

Absenteeism

Yes well I know I've been out of action for 12 days - it's all the excitement of Christmas! Hmmm. Well not quite. And I'm not sat mesmerised by traffic at all, but given my irritation at the ongoing debacle that is the streets of Sheffield I thought I'd better lie low for a few days. Which turned out to be a dozen. Oops.

Traffic

My office is on a rather busy stretch of road in Sheffield, connected to where they are in their infinite wisdom building the new section of ring road. You would think they would plan with a view to minimal rush hour holdups but, alas, no. I'm sitting here at my desk and in the background all I can hear is the sound of engines running, cars stuck in a constant jam outside my window. It's oppressive. I've had enough of it. It's been like it since 9am this morning.

33 on the 3rd

I'm 33 tomorrow. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel any different, because I don't really. Altho I do like to reflect on my life. When I was 23 I made a life-changing decision. Will I do the same when I'm 33? Will a decade make that much difference? Who knows. All I hope is that by this time next year I'll be settled and living on Merseyside with H. Whether or not that will prove to be life-changing, only time will tell..

Christmas Anthem

Fairytale of New York

It was Christmas Eve babe in the drunk tank
An old man said to me, won't see another one
And then he sang a song 'The Rare Old Mountain Dew'
And I turned my face away and dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling this year's for me and you
So happy Christmas I love you baby
I can see a better time when all our dreams come true

They've got cars big as bars
They've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It's no place for the old
When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir were singing 'Galway Bay'
And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip
In that bed
You scum bag
You maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir were singing 'Galway Bay'
And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams
From me when I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir were singing 'Galway Bay'
And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day

www.justiceforkirsty.org

Hello Baby

Saw Lily again yesterday - she's 11 weeks old now. She was full of smiles and gurgles, desperate to communicate, wriggling and frowning. It's amazing to see how she's changed, even since last week. I'm really loving watching her grow, and seeing how A and C are changing as parents; where once they were tense and anxious, now they are relaxed and in control. It's really cool, and makes me smile.

Google dictionary definitions

Faux pas: a socially awkward or tactless act

Malice: feeling a need to see others suffer

I'm quite good at the former. I'm Sagittarius, after all. The latter doesn't interest me unless it's the US President.