Allergic? Psychotic, more like.

via Gordon, a story I’d missed on the BBC about people who are allergic to christmas.

This will come as a surprise to some people, but I think this is absolute bobbins. People seem to use allergies as an excuse for many things now, in a similar way to how depression is an excuse for just about every work-shy sickie-puller on the planet. True allergic reactions can be bloody nasty – I’ve seen people have major ones to things like nuts and seafood, and they never joke about “being allergic to work” or anything else.

So yes, I can see that people who are allergic to latex would have problems with festive balloons, etc., and that dust-allergic people might have a reaction to a fake christmas tree that’s been in the loft for 11 months. But allergic to Christmas itself? Get a grip.

There are many ways I could describe my feelings about Christmas. Most of them would involve a large selection of four-letter words, and probably some frothing at the mouth. But I’d never say I was allergic to it. I don’t even have a phobia about the Festering Season™. I simply dislike it. (Well, OK, bloody loathe it – but that’s still not a phobia)

Mayfly

Looking back on it, my 2002 Mayfly Project entry was this :

Split up, pissed about, started d4d, found work, read logfiles, wrote loads, avoided Christmas. Good year.

A year in 20 words. Quite a challenge – so, what am I going to put for this years? I’ll add it in here when I’ve decided…

Well, I’ve done two – one for the site, one for me. Maybe that’s cheating, I don’t know. D4D™’s one was :

Ambled along. Fought Wileys. Lost. Huge support. Changed URL. Carried On. 100,000th visitor. Thought about redesign and MT. Strange Year.

Mine, on the other hand, has been slightly more challenging, and has now been decided on as :

Dental work. Loads of it. Met friends. Lost friends. Stayed working. Two breakins. Moved. Manic. Huge SAD fit. What’s Next?

And that’s that. Roll on 2004.

In the meantime, add your own year to the Mayfly Project. Thanks Meg.

Pissed Off

While I was in HMV yesterday, I spotted a long-time favourite film of mine, Nikita, on DVD – brilliant. However, it’s the bloody dubbed version, rather than the subtitled one – it’s still a good film, but I bloody hate the dubbing. It’s so annoying, watching lips move and not match the words.

Gnomes

Ah, the joys of a failed sense of humour. I love the idea of sending a letter to gnome owners threatening eviction of said gnomes because they’re in violation of planning laws. Having done my fair share of gnome kidnappings, along with a couple of “world tours” for the hostage gnomes (including sending postcards home – I like having friends on round-the-world journeys!), the idea of an eviction notice just makes me grin evilly…

Reminiscence

I was looking over some of the older stuff here on d4d™, and it’s occurred to me that I really haven’t done much on the other sections in the last couple of months. Hopefully come January that’ll be rectified. I’m currently working on a piece for the Thoughts section, primarily about looking back over 2003, what I’d thought I’d do, and what’s actually happened.

In that context, Depression, and it’s Seasonally Affected cousin can be quite interesting – they make for interesting background voices when looking at hopes for the forthcoming year. Maybe I should put the “what I want to do” part on hold ’til March or April, allow the sunlight to sort me out a bit first – but where’s the fun in that?

So there’s a new Thoughts piece being written, and I haven’t ranted in bloody ages. I’ve got a set of photos that I really should sort out – maybe I’ll do that tonight. They’re from ages back, and I just haven’t got round to doing anything with them. So there’s stuff in the offing, I just need to get my finger out with it all. Fun fun fun.

Piss

I knew there was something I’d forgotten about this Festering Season™. Now I know what it was – presents need to be wrapped. And yes, I’ve no focking wrapping paper. Bugger. Ah well, that’s the purchase list sorted out for lunchtime today, anyway. And I thought I’d been so organised, yet it’s the basics that chuff me up yet again. Arse.

UPDATED : There, fuck-up sorted. I now have enough bloody wrapping paper to (hopefully) do everything I need to. And not a santa or snowman in the lot. If I’d been more organised I’d have sourced the black wrapping paper I got last year. Against all my best intentions, it actually looked really good, particularly with Silver pen being used.

Spirit of Christmas

Oooh, that’s worrying – two posts about the festering season, and nary a swearword between them. I must be mellowing. Maybe it’s this flummin’ headache…

Anyway, pop over to Uborka and read Pete’s heartfelt letter to Santa, along with the replies in the comments box. Very silly, but it’s made me laugh. Now, all I need is a darkened room…