I am feeling flat. Not too bad. Just like it’s going to take a lot of effort to pump some energy back into my body. I’m a bit sad. A bit bored. A bit frantic. A bit strange. A bit WTF is it all about ish, which is no doubt a fairly typical feeling after the recent loss of a parent.
I’ve decided that I need is a Christmas party to cheer myself up. It’s at times like this that I think back to my working days and pine for the mad Christmas parties we used to have. EMI in the ’80’s. Christmas parties don’t get much more decadent than that. A party like that won’t answer my WTF is it all about question, but would certainly delay it for a bit.
I missed them most when I left work and stayed at home with young children. Then there were no Xmas parties at all. Even worse than that though was making the mistake of moving into the “health” industry latterly where the chance of a rave is highly unlikely. This year, so far, the only Xmas party I’ve had was our annual book group night out. Five girlies went out for a lovely civilised dinner and between us we ordered ONE bottle of wine. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? What sort of Christmas party do you call that? Rubbish.
I have to say that I am slightly worried about a) myself and b) my family and friends because when we were in charge of events – namely my father’s Memorial (is that meant to have a capital “M”? – I feel it should) we succeeded in consuming 60 bottles of champagne. Not a bad effort. But possibly a little inappropriate. I’m now really worried that all the Xmas parties will be dull in comparison. I mean how many parties do you go to where you start dancing at 4.30pm?
The book we discussed at civilised Xmas book group was “The Slap” by Christos Tsiolkas, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2010. It provoked a good discussion, even if I was grumpy about not going clubbing or dancing on the table and can way too clearly remember what we talked about. We gave it mixed reviews – we didn’t all enjoy it or would necessarily recommend it, but it was quite a brave contemporary book. Actually I’m guessing that men would like it more than women. Set in the Greek community in Melbourne, a family member slaps a child at a BBQ – the impact of this event is looked at through the eyes of eight different people. It’s quite a misogynistic book – with some terrible descriptions of what the author must perceive as stereotypical sex scenes with women (he’s gay) – all terribly cliched.
ANYWAY. I must stop dreaming of wild Christmas nights out and go to the pantomime and find a Xmas tree and go and buy some bloody presents.
Must get a grip.
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December 15, 2010Sweetie, if it is any consolation, I too remember the wild Christmas Parties in my Baker Street and Chancery Lane days – but I don’t miss them one iota…..I’m not going to any parties at all….(I admit I have the stinkiest cold/chest infection thing but that would not normally stop me!). The first thing I will do to acknowledge Christmas is to go to Midnight Mass at the local village church (although it is held at 10.30 pm because the bulk of the congregation is so old, they all want to be in bed by midnight!) I’m trying to ignore Christmas this year..not even sending cards – it all seems too pointless – and I’ve not lost anyone. Hope you manage to ‘pull through’ but don’t beat yourself up about it – I think it’s allowed. X
Family Affairs
December 15, 2010Darling. We SO need to go clubbing after your 10.30 midnight mass Lx
Dumdad
December 15, 2010“It’s quite a misogynistic book – with some terrible descriptions of what the author must perceive as stereotypical sex scenes with women (he’s gay) – all terribly cliched.”
I agree with this sentence. I read this book in the summer and, at first, was intrigued and found it absorbing. But the sex scenes were unnecessarily brutal and it was obvious that this gay man has no idea what goes on between man and woman. Okay, perhaps one of the relationships could have had rough sex – but all of them?! No. That marred the book for me somewhat. So it was a curate’s egg of a book: good in parts.
Wild Christmas parties? I wish. Christmas used to be a time of utter excess but times change as we get older and have kids and responsibility etc. Aaargh, we turn into our parents. That is why I love the rock stars who party all the time – they’re doing it for me! Rock on.
Family Affairs
December 15, 2010I want to be a rock star x
Lynda
December 20, 2010“The Slap” gave my bookgroup the best discussion we had ever had. Unusually we have three men in it (none are gay) and the youngest of them loved the book. The other 2 men liked it but agreed with the rest of us about the sex. Two people have no children and they were probably the 2 that liked it the best.I haven’t wanted to re read it. The same happened with “We Have to Talk About Kevin” – great discussion but most of us were fairly repelled by the book.
I hope you have managed to fit in a party or two. I’ve been reading about the snow you have and the chances of a white Christmas. It seems strange – we are spending Christmas next to or in my sister’s pool!
Family Affairs
December 20, 2010Yes, just proves my theory that men like it! A hot Christmas. Lucky you Lx