Oh, Christmas has come early for you lucky readers, hasn’t it? After the all-round excitement of yesterday’s Part One of the 2010 Anti-List, here comes the second and final part. Here’s some other stuff I’ve liked this year. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry »
Just when it seemed like all the snow had passed, more was on its way, and the blanket of snow across Great Britain remained in place. Yet still, some hardy souls persevere with their New Year’s resolutions. But, apart from being prompted by a calendar, why start any resolutions now?
January is not the time for running, dieting or abstaining from alcohol. Now is the time to indulge! “But why?” I hear you cry.
December is our main feasting month of the year, of course, mainly because of Christmas. But also, the wintery climate helps. Big stodgy meals, staying inside and partaking of warming drinks is ideal behaviour for December’s weather. And with January even colder, and more wintery, why stop now?
We all overbuy provisions for Christmas. I’m sure most households are still full of Christmas food and drink purchased before the holiday, along with any consumable gifts that followed. Waste not, want not, as the old phrase goes, so let’s use it all up.
This weather is ideal for staying in and working your way through whatever treats you have to hand. And that is sure to cheer you up if you haven’t seen proper sunlight for days on end. Plus, the extra padding will keep out the cold when you do venture out!
Let’s face it. In this weather, at this time of year, nobody wants a salad or a light dinner. In these conditions a hearty meal is what’s required, and is what’s necessary, quite frankly. And if a snifter of whisky or a good red wine warms the cockles, all the better.
Plus, who is really able (or willing) to actually exercise at this time of year? Outdoor activity, bar sledging, is a no-no, and I doubt anyone is excited at the prospect of fighting their way to and from the gym. The countless lapsed or unused gym memberships are proof of that.
So, there you have it. Now is the time to finish up all those goodies, to cuddle up in the warm with a loved one and let that Christmas spirit continue (or perhaps just start rather early). There will be plenty of time for healthier eating and exercise regimes when the weather improves. And we’ll be far more likely to stick to any plans then, when the sun is shining, than now, when the elements are against us.
Cheers!
(So, what are your plans this month? Healthy or unhealthy? What food or drink do you turn to, to keep the cold away? Have you exercised? Have you managed to keep any resolutions?)
One of the most well-known Christmas songs was, prior to a re-write, really quite depressing…
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last
Next year we may all be living in the past
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, pop that champagne cork
Next year we will all be living in New York.
No good times like the olden days, happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more
But at least we all will be together, if the Fates allow
From now on we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
I hope your Christmas is a lot more fun and light-hearted! Thank you to every single reader and commenter this year, your interest and support are really, genuinely appreciated.
Have a very merry Christmas folks!
We think in generalities, but we live in detail. Alfred North Whitehead
English mathematician & philosopher (1861 – 1947)
The web and the wider world are full of ‘best of’ lists, looking back at the past year and indeed the last decade. However, I thought I didn’t have a whole lot worth adding to the more general debates, such as best albums, best films, best sportsmen and women. Does the world really need another end of year/decade review?
So…instead I’ve decided to compile a list of some ‘little’ things I’ve enjoyed this year. Maybe this will offer a tiny insight into my world, and hopefully prompt some thought on those little things in life that make the world a more enjoyable place. Life is all in the details.
1. The seaside
This year I’ve been to the seaside several times with my Significant Other, and had a wonderful time on every occasion. In the UK we’re really lucky in that you are never that far from the sea. Maybe there is some primal pull, but more likely it’s great to regress to being a kid again, with ice creams, crazy golf, dashing around the arcades, skimming stones and fish and chips on the beach. We realised that we can jump on a train and in an hour or so effectively be on holiday, if only for the day. A great way to ‘get away from it all’, and cheap too!
2. Actually going to the football
I used to go to games all the time years ago, but I think following a team week-in, week-out is probably a young man’s game. Saying that, there’s nothing to stop me going to see a match from time to time, and I’ve got back into that this year, again accompanied by my ever-supportive Significant Other. We live close to Charlton Athletic, who late last season started giving tickets away as they hurtled towards relegation. This season has been far better for them, and popping down the other week on a whim and catching a game was a lot of fun.
3. Piccolo coffee
I was never a big coffee drinker. But this year I’ve fallen for the trendy coffee brigade’s fancy drinks. A piccolo is kind of like a very strong, yet miniature, latte, essentially an espresso topped up with a little milk. I’ll often grab one from a little coffee stall near work, generally at lunchtime, to kickstart my afternoon. It is absolutely delicious, and a welcome change from the luke-warm, sugary, whipped cream abominations from the big chains. I’m on course to become a coffee snob!
4. Scoring baseball
More to come on this soon, folks, I promise. But generally speaking, I had real fun following this year’s MLB season. Even though the Mets were beyond rubbish.
5. Staying in on a Saturday night
I used to get rather jittery staying in on a Saturday night, worried I was at home while everyone else was out having fun. No more. I think I’ve finally hit full-fledged Grumpy Old Man mode, and so can’t abide jostling crowds and overpriced drinks in trendy bars, or nightbuses home from dingy nightclubs. Also, I’ve loved spending some time with my Significant Other, a takeaway and some crap telly. Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor, Match of the Day, bed. I never thought this would be my idea of bliss!
6. Spicy chilli peanuts
My snack food of the year. I’ve bought a big tub of them for Christmas, and can’t see it lasting long. Plus, I can kid myself that peanuts are a healthier option.
7. Cain’s Mild
My drink of the year. A classic beer from a Liverpudlian brewery. Full of flavour, but low in alcohol, so I can drink plenty of it without falling over. Coveting a can of mild, again, suggests I am now truly an old man, in heart, mind and increasingly in body. This is not a bad thing. I think I’m actually growing into myself.
8. The New York Review of Books
On the surface, this is a periodical with a load of book reviews. But really, they are just a launchpad for articles on much wider issues, so an issue might throw up some interesting perspectives on all manner of things – the fall of the Berlin Wall, Theodore Roosevelt’s environmentalism, the new ballparks in New York, prison reform, schooling…you name it. It is refreshing to see such a wide range of issues covered, and for writers to be given the room to cover them in sufficient depth. Plus, it makes me feel a bit cleverer for reading it.
9. QI
It’s bloody brilliant, isn’t it? And like number 8 above, I feel a bit cleverer for watching it. You can never have enough trivia stuffed in your brain, as far as I’m concerned.
10. Listening to Christmas songs
I love Christmas songs. Big Rock Candy Mountain feeds my addiction with some weird and wonderful efforts, but I’m just as happy with the more mainstream fare. Phil Spector’s Christmas album is probably one of the best (not just Christmas) albums ever. Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You is my number one guilty pleasure. To me, that song is perfect. It’s a shame that in just a few days I won’t be listening to these songs for another year…
So, what little things made your 2009 a good one? I’d love to hear about whatever helped make your year.
A first for the blog, a very brief piece of fiction, for this festive time. Let me know what you think! And apologies for the terrible pun in the title.
Christmas was not a happy time at The George for Reg.
In the last week of November Cathy the barmaid had hung up the Christmas decorations. Reg, being Reg, threatened to tear them down. In the end, he only removed the tinsel that hung over his seat in the corner. He also removed the mistletoe that mysteriously appeared there soon after.
If nothing else, Christmas made Reg punctual. At noon each day he would be waiting as the doors were unbolted, primed to secure his seat. He would not risk losing it to an unsuspecting gentleman wearing a paper crown.
By mid-December, Reg was plagued by the parties of revellers patronising The George. At any one time there was guaranteed to be someone acting festive.
On one occasion a group broke out a rendition of ‘Deck The Halls’.
“Tis the season for bloody amateur drinkers, more like,” grumbled Reg, to no one in particular. “Bring on January, when they’ll all have gone back to their gyms and widescreen televisions, and us proper drinkers can get some peace.”
Reg drained his pint of Best, got up from his seat, and left the pub, letting in some snow on his way out.
A gentleman wearing a paper crown immediately slumped in Reg’s seat. “Tis the season to be jolly,” he sang, raising his pint of lager, to no one in particular.
Wait until next year 