Happy New Year!! The last two weeks have gone with a blur but Christmas for the Gambles was a total winner. Noah was on form, presents galore and it was the fantastic glut of food, drink and great company that you can’t possibly go wrong with. I scored some serious points on the karma front – at least three church attendances – possibly four – so I am feeling pure and spiritually sound. I even gave away my Nintendo DS lite to a small orphan – I say mine, it was a freebie to PetAir – but that isn’t the point, I’m hoping it still counts in Gods eyes. I love the Christmas services, although I do feel a bit sorry for all the regular church goers who have their congregation invaded by the people like me who are trying to make up for lost time towards the end of the year. Obviously you get double points for Christmas services so the Church becomes a hub of the community.
Noah simply loved the melee of cribs, animals and race around with all the village children wanting to be shepherds. The vicars and priests also really got into the community feel of things, rebelling against health and safety and dishing out about 50 Christingle candles to all the children under 5 – definitely added some spice to things. I caused a little consternation amongst a couple of the elderly ladies in the congregation as I was clutching a basket containing Noah’s small stuffed bunny rabbit and teddy bear. Noah was of course nowhere to be seen with Cordelia in hot pursuit, so as I stood there holding the basket, a very nice elderly lady asked me what I was I doing clutching a couple of animal toys. I tried to laugh it off by explaining as a vet I felt very uneasy about leaving home without any animals, it may have been a passable joke had Nigel, the Thatcher, not joined in and told the lady he felt the same about being away from his job and pulled a large clump of straw from his pocket. It was definitely time for another mince pie.
Mad Uncle Eddy was also on form. Having been the lead singer in a Glaswegian rock band, and still sporting a totally shaved head and large anarchy tattoo on his upper right bicep, he was a bastion of Hark the Herald Angels sing, in what was a resounding finale to the Christmas Day service. I think I had the edge on him during Silent Night and the impromptu Away in the Manager that the organist sprang on everyone – having once played Joseph in a church navity as a child, I was totally in the zone for it, but he edged ahead with Come all Ye Faithful and left me for dust towards the end. Never disappoints does Mad Uncle Eddy – he got Noah a toy electric guitar for Christmas – brilliant – makes a heck of racket though.
Anyway, reliably back up to my fighting weight of a 100kg, I left home at 3am this morning and am currently enjoying 15hours of Iberia economy on my way to Costa Rica. The plane was made in about 1940 – I have a useful ashtray on my seat, about 3cm of leg room and it is a packed flight. It is also exceptionally bumpy and we’ve been told the flight will take two hours longer than normal due to extreme winds. No entertainment system so TV is a no go. Love it – as is Adam who hasn’t made his feelings known to the cabin crew no more than two or three times so far. Good to be open about things on your mind. Marc is sleeping and snuggled up to a couple of elderly Japanese tourists who seem to fussing around with his blanket – best leave them to it. Great news for Chris, who is pinned beside me and has taken the place of Nathan for this last shoot of the series (big shoes to fill there buddy), and it means we can chat solidly. Good discussions to date – are ogres stronger than dwarves, who would you rather have help you out in a fight (against a Barbarian horde) a Samuri or a Ninja, if Chris rates himself as a 2 on a scale of nimbleness of 1-10 – how nimble is an elf and when did banana exports being in Costa Rica (1880). You can see it is a long flight.
We’re all in good spirits, geared up for the final mission. Can’t wait to get there, get a touch of kip and then hit the zone for some 2010 hardcore healing.
