The Christmas Card

While queuing in the post office today I eavesdropped on the conversation of the two ladies behind me.  I couldn’t help it.  They had encroached in to my personal space and they weren’t using indoor voices.
 
They discussed two things during the ten minute wait; the first was how one didn’t have a television (that was weird), the second thing was about how many Christmas Cards each had sent and received.   The two women known as L because she was on my left and R because she was, yeap you guessed it, on my right, started talking about it because R, was posting belated cards.
 
L had sent 78 cards and received 11.  A rate of return of 14%
 
R had already sent 93 cards and received only four. A rate of return of 4%
 
I had the same issue this year (and years before).  I sent 53 cards in the end and nine came to me.  Four of those were addressed to my dog.  If you add those to me and Cara together we got 16% back.  In relation to L and R I got the better end of the stick and I’d been feeling hard done by.
 
What does this say about the tradition of sending cards at Christmas?  Clearly some people are still doing it, some aren’t.  Maybe they intend to send them, but just don’t get around to writing them out before mid December.  I’m with R, send them anyway.  It’s the thought that counts regardless of when they arrive.
 
There is something nice about receiving that hand written envelope in the mail box.  You know it’s a card from some far flung place, is it a friend or family member that though of you at one of the loneliest times of the year (seconded only be Valentines for singles).  Is it from a new friend that you randomly added on Facebook so you could play games?  Is it from someone that you only really hear from at Christmas?  Is it from a company you did business with at some time in the past and now they are reaching out to remind you they exist? 

Is it from a relative that has been estranged?
 
It doesn’t really matter.  It’s something for you without anything required in return except a little love.  No bill to pay, no insurance to renew, no reminder that you’ve been slack.
 
Unless of course you haven’t sent any cards...then the person that sent the card you now hold in your hand is wondering...’where’s mine?’
 
There’s still time to post them for this year :-)

Taxi!

It took me two hours to get a taxi on Friday night. I left the club on Oxford Street at twenty past one in the morning. I was tierd after a great night and jusy really wanted to go home. Actually, thinking about I didn't really want to go home I wanted to stay, but I had pre-christmas appointments starting at 10.30 on Saturday. So my need for sleep compelled me to leave. I was escorted by a friend out of Hellfire. He very kindly offered to wait with me.

Picture if you will to two people in fetish wear, surrounded by pissed bogans on the Friday before Christmas. He was dressed in head to toe black latex. I was dressed as a naughty schoolgirl right down to the really short skirt and ribbons on the back of my socks. Couple that with wanting to go 20kilometres from the city centre. It wasn't looking good.

I eventually walked to a hotel and asked them to book me one. May attempts to get a taxi to come to me, standing on the street had ended in spectaular failure. I finally climbed into the back of taxi at 0320, I was cold, cranky and very tired. I crawled into bed and wrapped myself around Puss for warmth at 0355.

I am never not driving again.

A Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with ribbons
2. Real tree or Artificial? neither, just being me, I do with a massive santa who sits in the corner
3. When do you put up the tree? Any day in december
4. When do you take the tree down? just after new year
5. Do you like eggnog? you mean snotnog?
6. Favourite gift received as a child? Archie
7. Hardest person to buy for? any bloke
8. Easiest person to buy for? any woman
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Cards and a newsletter, which reminds me...
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? pipe glue
12. Favourite Christmas Movie's? the Sound of Music
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? when ithink about it or can afford too
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yeap...
15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? fruit jellies
16. Lights on the tree? what tree?
17. Favourite Christmas song? Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris (I know it's not technically a christmas song)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Christmas Day, at home to veg out, then travel.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Rudolf, Donna, Blitzen, harry, bob, cyril, albert and bob 2...ehh only a couple ;-)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Fairy, Ohh Todd, you'll be missed
21. Open the presents Christmas morning or afternoon? Am I getting presents this year?
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Too weird having fake snow in teh window when it 35 degrees outside.
23. Favourite ornament theme or colour? Red and gold
24. Favourite for Christmas dinner/meal? champagne breakfast with scrabbled egg and salmon
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? to have no more money worries
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Todd
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? Simone