Bringing my life back online

It's Christmas Eve, and I am finally home for more than a couple of days after several months spent in a hotel with work. I had anticipated being at work today, but a list went around the company email system yesterday detailing who was going to be in and on-call. My absence from the list was a pleasant surprise. In all honesty if I had been required to work today it would have meant a disaster at home; Wendy has been housebound with the children for the last four days due to snow and ice – my return has engineered her escape to buy groceries, and have a couple of hours to herself before the real mayhem starts.

I wish I could report that I'm full of Christmas spirit, but I am not – at least not yet. I've had absolutely nothing to do with festive activities so far this year – my life has been consumed with work, work and more work. I've done no wrapping, no putting up of decorations, and have been Christmas shopping for a grand total of 20 minutes. Wendy and the children have done everything.

Throughout it all a nagging voice in my head has been repeating "you only have a few special years while the children are small, and you're missing it!" It would be easy to become angry with my employer, but another voice tells me that I am lucky to have a job that keeps a roof over our head, and which rewards me for the work I do. I am much more lucky than many.

This morning feels very much like bringing my life back on-line. I'm unpacking bags with no intention of re-packing them; or at least not any time soon. The months spent in the Birmingham Hilton Metropole taught me many, many lessons about living from a bag – with no ties, and no place to call home. While navel gazing one evening a friend on-line pointed me towards the upcoming movie "Up in the Air" – it will be interesting to watch given my recent experiences.

For the past months the iPhone, netbook, and a 3G data card have been my best friends – they have afforded a continuing connection to the internet and my wider circle of friends. Given the demands of working most days and often continuing late into the night (of my own choice, to both complete my work on time, and at a quality I was happy with), all of my relationships suffered – both at home and further afield. The Christmas break is affording me the chance to correct that somewhat.

Random change of subject – "Goodbye" by Miley Cyrus just began playing on iTunes. Wonderful, wonderful song.

If I don't get a chance to write again before tomorrow, best wishes for you and your family this Christmas. I will no doubt be online at various times over the coming days, so shout if you see me online!

Homeward Bound

Goodbye Hilton

Avatar

This evening myself and several colleagues headed out to watch the new James Cameron movie "Avatar" at the local cinema. Stunning. No other words for it. Absolutely stunning. It was a privilage to witness a movie that will be talked about in years to come.

In recent days I have begun to hear rumblings from movie critics that Avatar wasn't all they had hoped, and that was backed up by the views of my colleagues this evening. After thinking about it for a while, I would perhaps turn the argument on it's head – many movie goers will not "get" Avatar.

If you care about the world, about the way we (as humans) mistreat the world around us and each other, and have any kind of rebellious or anarchic streak in you, you will enjoy Avatar too. If you have an open mind, and even a little escapism in your heart, you will be enthralled by it.

Wonderful, wonderful movie.

Outside the Christmas Loop

While watching our children talk to their grandparents in Cornwall on Skype this evening, I got the first real sense so far that Christmas is coming. Lunatic levels of excitement were in evidence (followed by all manner of threats at bedtime to bring them back down to earth again).

This year I have been absent from just about everything aside from the Nativity plays; which I was able to attend more by luck than judgement. While it would be easy to castigate my job for removing me from the planning, preparation, and general business of making Christmas happen, I am also aware that I am rewarded for my work, and that the money earned pays to keep a roof over our head, and to make nice things happen from time to time.

I managed to find half an hour to go Christmas shopping for the most important member of the household yesterday lunchtime. She told me not to buy her anything this year, but that's not really allowed, is it. Everybody has to have something to open.

Most of today has been spent tidying up, washing up, and/or washing and ironing clothes ready to go away with work again. I'm hoping I will be back before Christmas Eve, but there is a chance I might only arrive home late on the evening of Christmas Eve – having missed putting the kids to bed, reading to them, or anything else worth doing… I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.

I'm clinging to the rather miraculous achievement of having secured the time off between Christmas and New Year. Time to play with the kids and all the stuff we have got them (that they have absolutely no idea about).

It crossed my mind while talking to colleagues a week or so ago – that your entire mindset changes when you have children. You can and will do pretty much anything required for them, and to help them – and you invariably do it in such a way that they never know you did. Explaining such actions to anybody who is still single, or without children is pretty pointless; I don't think anybody gets it until they are in the middle of the mayhem that a family engenders.

p.s. if we're going to be seeing you over Christmas, don't expect a card from us – we're trying to abide by the rather sensible rule of only sending cards to people we will not see. If you're not going to see us, and you haven't had a card, it's because we're a bit rubbish at posting things

Wendy

Peter Pan at the Theater

Snow stops the world at home

While I'm holed up in an office building at the other end of the country, the schools at home have closed on the final day before Christmas after the snow fell in the night. I'll admit to being just a little bit jealous

I think it snowed last night

Lovely Weather!