Philosophy, cookery and geekery

Another Christmas come and gone. I’ve always been rather ambivalent about it – without wanting to seem Scrooge-ish, people get way too het-up about completely the wrong things, making the actual event rather pointless. OK, it’s good fun, a break from work, and a chance to eat and drink even more than one does at other times of year, but I don’t get at all fussed by the presents – I don’t mind giving a few, for the sake of it, but I really don’t get all that excited by receiving them. Sure, it’s useful to have another thingumy or a better whatsit, but I frankly don’t care if I have them. Money is always useful, especially to a student, but I could manage without it. And don’t get me started on cards, such a waste of paper…! And then suddenly it’s all over, and all you have left is a mound of chocolate to gorge on, a satsuma if you’re lucky, and a big pile of wrapping paper keeping you warm on the fire. And life goes back to normal – excepting the January sales – and you can’t remember what you were up to before Christmas became the main thing on your mind, and it takes ages to get back in the rhythm of normal life.

So, I am at least glad that I’ve had a fairly low-key Christmas this year – main pressies from the folks were a decent dress shirt, self-tie bowtie and a blue-ish pre-done one, for less formal occasions. It’s something I actually need, which is refreshing, and I aim to get plenty of use out of them at the next superhall, whenever it is… Apart from Christmas, nothing exceptional has really happened recently; lots of hanging around at home, not enough work and revision, though I’ve at least found time to tackle a few mini-projects I had hanging around – perhaps I’ll say more in months to come, although some of them were really just collating and editing things ready for this website, in which case they might appear sooner…

Oh, and before I forget, I recently discovered that Courtney Pine is touring this Spring, and in Cambridge (at the Corn Exchange) for a night on 1 Feb. Guess who’s going to see him! Woo! A couple of Devon mates are seeing him in Exeter at the beginning of March – hehe, I get to see them first! Just a little excited, you may notice – Courtney Pine is an absolutely fantastic jazz saxophonist, and I really reckon I’m in for a treat