After the last 'notes got published, it started snowing! We had at least a morning of very picturesque snow, followed by a week of people complaining that it hadn't been cleared off any side roads.
Jay's latest zine arrived and I put it on my pegboard:
yeah, I know it's what the lad from the west wing had on his desk, but it's still good
CM's birthday is right before Christmas so we had her Brighton birthday the week before—a party on the Friday evening and then a Saturday of brunch, watching It's A Wonderful Life at the cinema (I cannot begin to tell you how strongly I identify with George Bailey), going to the Brighton branch of Waterstones to pick something out and reading it in the cafe (Mask Off by JJ Bola—notes coming soon) and dinner at Bonsai Plant Kitchen, which was the best new restaurant in Brighton I've been to in quite some time.
Then then Sunday was our Brighton Christmas—presents first thing (I got, inter alia, a very nice orange hoodie) church in the morning, playing at the carol service in the afternoon, followed by having all our friends over for a big Christmas dinner. Rather than cooking the whole dinner myself, drawing up a Gantt chart for the oven and turning into George Bailey after his uncle has lost the money, I asked all my friends to cook something and ended up being (mostly) George Bailey after everyone brings him the money. We all sang Green Grown The Rushes-O and watched All Change For Brighton. My friends are the best.
Then I got ill and realised I was completely burnt out.
I don't know if it's been detectable from the fact that these weeknotes have devolved into fortnightnotes and monthnotes but I've been working myself quite hard. There are reasons for this, sure, but they are probably secondary to my inner urge to just push, push, push and do more, more, more. This week was, regrettably, the week that I realised that there was no more in the tank and I needed to just stop for a bit. I was ill in bed and constantly trying to do stuff when I just couldn't. So I decided, for once, not to push, and threw in the towel. I will be doing some re-evaluation of capacity next week, but for now I am just trying to rest.
I was able to get out enough for the Burning of the Clocks, Brighton's solstice tradition. It's like a modern version of the Sussex bonfire society marches; a real get-the-town-out kind of thing. It was cold but (mostly) dry, and everyone seemed to be having a grand old time. I didn't even take any pictures, that's how much I enjoyed it.
Then I had a long, tiring train ride back home, but it was worth it because I get to spend days lazing around eating and reading and resting at my parent's with Lola!
I'm actually sleeping at my grandparents', who live down the road, so every morning I walk from Stoborough, where they live, across the causway to Wareham, where my parents now live. It's a wonderful way to start the day. The river is high, the hills are misty:
And now it's Christmas! To be honest, Christmas Day itself doesn't feel as vital to me as maybe it once did; when you stop being a kid and it stops being about presents, a lot of the best Christmas stuff (yes, I mean the carol service) happens the weekend before. But it's still the only time of year I get to spend a lot of uninterrupted worry-free time with my family—to be honest, the only time of year I get to spend uninterrupted worry-free time full stop, as that's when I know for certain everyone else is off work. It's been good for that, and I'm looking forward to more Seasonal Bits over the next week or so. For now, though, it is time to get some more of that sorely-needed rest. A very merry Christmas to you all.