So That Was Christmas

After months of build up it dashed past so quickly I almost missed it.

The day itself had all the proper elements to make it enjoyable. Hangover to start since my birthday is Christmas Eve, it was a big one this year, opening pressies with Boyfriend, then a mad dash round relatives to drop off presents before tucking in to a traditional Christmas meal lovingly prepared by someone else (SCORE !!!), then lolling about in front of a real fire with a glass of bubbly stuff, trying to not to feel too much like a stuffed turkey. Bliss really.

While I very much enjoyed the pressie swapping with Boyfriend there were other pressie swaps too, and not all were as. . . . I don't know the word for it. It's not that I'm not grateful that people went to the trouble of getting pressies for me. I love receiving and giving gifts. It's fun. I just don't see the point of people splashing their hard earned cash on things that, to be quite honest, I neither need nor want. Not that I would let that show. Gifts should always be received gratefully and gracefully.

Think about it. Of the presents you received, assuming you participate in any gift giving and receiving at this, or any other time of year, how many where things that you actually wanted, needed or were pleasantly surprised by ? Maybe you did better than me but only those closest to me managed to hit it. I used to think Boyfriend was some kind of freaky psychic but I apparently have all the restraint of a five year old when I like something, making it easy. And I thought I was all grace and restraint.

Apart from some fabulous and beautiful gifts from those who really know me, and those who agreed it would be more fun to arrange a day out shopping, lunch and all, so we could pick our own, I ended up with the usual toiletries (the kind that shops only put on display when anticipating a buying frenzy, and no one ever actually uses), nic-nac's (again, things only found around this time of year), socks (of the novelty type, obviously purchased as I am always to be seen in novelty socks), socks (of the non novelty type, which I don't usually wear but are useful to have), potpourri (????), makeup brushes (of the type to disintegrate on use), and other bits and pieces which I will try to figure out what to do with until the appropriate amount of time has passed before I give them to charity or something. On that point, I have never figured out how long that is and I still have boxes of stuff from ages ago that I have never used but they were gifts and it seems mean to get rid of them.

I don't know the deep financial issues of all my friends and family but I am sure that their money could have been better spent, maybe on themselves, maybe on the kids, maybe it could have gone to a savings account for a rainy day, something more worthy. Apart from all the stuff I liked. Obviously.

I am also sure that I gave people gifts they didn't need or want and weren't pleasantly surprised by. Although I did aim to purchase the ones I wasn't sure about from shops with good exchange policies, just in case. That's the other part too. I know how stressed about getting the right thing for people I was. I planned and re planned what I would buy for them, second guessed myself so much that I was doubting things I knew were right in some cases. I tried to think as if I was the recipient. Was the item to their taste rather than mine ? Was I spending the right amount of money ? Some people don't like you to spend too much. Spending too little isn't an issue, I'm a student. I don't know if other people did anything like that but I'd much rather they didn't. It's too difficult, and a bit stressful.

I think next year I'll ask that anyone who wishes to grace me a gift should donate to charity or do through one of those alternative gift thingys. If I can actually be that selfless. Or if they really want to get something for me personally then a book token. I can, and do, spend hours in book shops, perusing the shelves for new and interesting things, so a book token is more than the sum of it's parts. It can easily be a whole day out.

If this all sounds a bit spoiled bratish well . . . it wasn't meant that way but what the hell.

Boxing Day was more of a treat as I got to spend time with the folk I love most in the whole world. Well almost all the folk I love most.

Not really related, just 'cause it makes me laugh. A little bit of Eddie Izzard