Hang a shining star upon the highest bough...

It’s the first week of December! November was a blur, geeze this year has just flown by. So, ok I’m going to start with something I’m super duper excited and passionate about… MY FIRST EVER REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!! Natalie took me to the park around the corner, we picked out ornaments and decorations and trinkets for the flat and then we went outside to the trees! Oh they were all lined up in different sections depending on sizes, and of course Natalie went straight to the end with the biggest trees. There would have been close to a hundred trees there. We compared quite a few and judged them on height, size, shape, bushiness of the branches and green-ness. It was wrapped up to make it easier to take it home, but it was so big even all wrapped up that the front seats were pushed all the way forward. I was right up against the dashboard, thank god we only had to drive 1km down the road. We got it inside and had to saw 1in off the bottom, shove it in water in the stand and tighten it. Godl twinkle lights went on first and then the decos came out! Natalie likes it colour coordinated, all silver and gold and shiny. I miss ours back home where anything goes, it’s colour-madness and ordered chaos and it was beautiful. Our tree this year is a different kind of beautiful, plus is smells magical. There’s no tinsel on it but I made up for that by shoving it all over my bedroom, and 4 rows of twinkle lights and a fake mini tree and spice-scented pinecones. I think I want to go buy more.

Listening to carols every day!

I’m overdosing on C-Grade Christmas movies that are on Sky TV. I don’t have any of the classics on DVD here so I have to hope they come on TV so I can record them to watch over and over again later. I mean Love Actually, The Santa Clause, Home Alone and The Holiday, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Oh! And I’ll Be Home For Christmas.

Things at work are good, I was working with a great guy but he’s gone on holidays so I’m stuck with randoms every day. I don’t dislike anyone at work but some people you just don’t get along with as well as others; like 50yo gentlemen and the only thing you have in common is food. Strangely enough, ok not so strangely, there were no awkward silences on those days. Man, can I talk about food. I’ve been really lucky and have been paired up with some great, strong women, it’s nice to be around them.

Unfortunately, I’m still having trouble with my license so I won’t be able to drive for so many more months. Yes, I’m angry about it. Yes, I’m going to have to start at square one again. No, no one can help me with it, I just have to order more forms, fill them out and send them off again. My original forms were lost, then they found them but they were out of date at that point.

Life after the Camino is a hell of a lot better. I feel stronger and I know that I can handle all those tricky things next year has in store. Apart from the license issue, I don’t let anything annoy me, I just shake it off. Because nothing can be more annoying than some douchebag tearing you apart and pushing your buttons when it’s week 4, you’re already super hangry after 6hrs of walking (30km down with 8 to go), sharp shooting pains through your knee and ankle with every step and not wanting to complain about it, everyone you know is an hour ahead of you, your last rest was over 2hrs ago and have only had an ugly industrial landscape to keep you company. I can now tolerate anything with a smile on my dial.

I have my Berni arriving shortly so I’m looking forward to pretty much nothing else. I have warm clothes ready for her because Melbourne winter doesn’t even begin to compare, even without the wind-chill factor here. As soon as the sun sets at 4pm! Mr Jack ‘The Jerk’ Frost sets in. She arrives next week at 0630, I’ll have to have caffeine IV in order to cope. I think the day she lands is the only day until after Christmas that I don’t have planned. I’m going to sew her to my hip and we shall not part. Sorry, Berni, YOU. SHALL. NOT. PAAAAARRRRTTTTTT. I bought her plane tickets to VIENNA FOR THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS! and a present to unwrap on Day 1 but also something little to open on Christmas day. I have the entire menu all sorted for Christmas, it’s part Christmas-from-Home and part Embracing-the-Brit. Danny will be here for NYE and Berni and I are determined to have him absolutely smashed for most of it. Sorry Danny, but you and your liver are doomed. DOOOOMED! We all have our Christmas jumpers at the ready woohoo! We have tickets to watch the fireworks in the city. All the pubs will either be ticketed or packed but I’ll try to find a half decent restaurant with drinks and bring some sneaky hipflasks into the city.

I’ll leave it there for now, I’ll write something after Christmas!

"The most enjoying traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin. Thith tree is a thymbol of the thpirit of the Griswold (O'Farrell) family Chrithmath."

"Well, isn't that a pretty picture, Santa rolling down the block in a panzer. Well kids, I, I certainly hope you've been good this year, cause it looks like Santa just took out the Pearson home. Incoming!"