And so, This is…Christmas, 2024

Wednesday is about books and writing, and reading. But today, it’s actually Christmas. So will aim for something slightly different eh…

In this house, we were all up at 7am for the presents. Which meant, I was up an hour or so before for the first dog-walk of the day. It’s just me and Katy and Oscar up in Hawke’s Bay this year with my folks. My brother is having his Christmas with his family in one of his houses in Auckland. But we’ll probably Skype later.

So Oscar was very much the focus — since my folks still very much want to buy me presents, even though I neither need or want anything from them. I opted, after some resistance, to just giving in and naming a couple of things I’ve always wanted, and so in early December I took possession of a brand new cassette tape Walkman. I’ve been using it for a month and loving it every day. They also bought me Pink Floyd Live at Knebworth 1990 on vinyl. And though it was delivered to my house, I waited to listen to it until right this moment. First spin while typing up this.

So Oscar was there getting to open things from both sets of grandparents and from us, and yes he was spoiled and lucky. He got a Kanye West vinyl, a Stanley Kubrick book, and some other little trinkets — the big ticket item being a new computer, which is a school requirement anyway, so we managed to turn that into a Christmas present, because why not, right? An amazing, expensive gift and something we have to fork out for, so why not make an event of it rather than it just be handed over like a new school bag or anything else from the stationery list.

It was over pretty quickly — the gift giving, and receiving. And we moved rooms for a quick and light breakfast because the main meal of the day is some robust lunch for at least 30 people, even if we’re actually only sitting down with nine. There will be leftovers for the Boxing Day Test, and for after the Boxing Day sales, and for the days after that, enough to see out 2024.

I’ll reflect on the year next week when it’s time to do that.

But to get too excited about Christmas feels tough for a bunch of reasons this year. I have family members away. I know of families that are separated more permanently for Christmas this year. And my heart goes out to them. And of course that’s the atrocities of the Austerity Clown Car that runs this country, and the abominable snow plough that will sweep through America soon as President Musk and Vice President Trump chaotically battle with each other, logic, and the people they’re alleged to be serving in the clusterfuck to quite possibly (quite literally?) end all…

We asked my nephew what he was getting for Christmas, when we saw him earlier this week. “Probably not much”, he said. “But it’s still gonna be a good day, Mum and Dad will be there, and we’ll all have lunch together”.

We took him shopping for, within reason, whatever he wanted, then took his message home with us. He’s got the right thinking.

I’ve got a pile of books I’ve yet to get to, two story ideas, I cannot write, but on the plus side, I am currently 3-1 up in the table-tennis battle against my father. And this isn’t quite the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson of Ping-Pong by the way. I’m extremely proud of myself. He plays tennis at least once a week, and table-tennis about a dozen times more than me. I reluctantly grab a paddle once a year, because I’m just competitive enough to want to only take him on in something where I stand a chance still.

Anyway, they’ll be here soon. The others. And we’ll lunch. And laugh. And the dogs will get extra treats. And we’ll food-coma, after. And talk of going to the gym, but settle for watching Die Hard or Gladiator or The Shawshank Redemption. It’s been a hard year. And these are tough times. And if you’re doing at all well in any way then you are truly lucky. And that’s how I feel. Actually blessed. Family. Friends. Employment. Pink Floyd. And to be currently heading the leaderboard in a very exclusive table tennis club.

Meri Kirihimete