One of my New Years Resolutions is to write shorter carpevia updates, but if it’s anything like the no-eating-a-kilo-of-cheese-per-week resolution… but forgive me, I ramble.
The holiday season is very different here because it’s basically Christmas and Summer Vacation all rolled into one. All of my classes and writing groups and client offices basically shut down from mid-December thru mid-January–each ending with a big party with food and afternoon wine and cheerful goodbyes.
There were xmas bbqs, fresh tulips sold along side wreaths, Salvation Army bands in shorts, and sounds of White Christmas lofting through the sunshine of the open-air malls. Michael and Nicole (from the radio show) go camping each year with the family and open their prezzies around the campfire.
And so it was that our schedules were cleared and Charles and I were free to look forward to three whole weeks of report writing (a large project with an aggressive deadline). Three weeks holed up in the living room on two different computers, breaking only for more decaf coffee and the occasional piece of toast. No friends called, no movies viewed, conversation turned to grunts and Charles began growing The Beard. There were even a few days in there when he refused to shower–a problem I cunningly resolved by luring him into the bathroom with a piece of old tofu and then, once distracted, gently nudged him into the running water.
Our saving grace was the couple of days that we took off to join Charles’ family at the rented house on the beach. Sleep, kids, presents, swimming, food, cricket, and more food. Lovely. But I must say that the highlight was the rousing game of Scruples where true characters were revealed and the Young Family Will was mentally rewritten with every question.
We also managed to take of the evening for New Years Eve which we spent in Manly (a suburb of Sydney where all of the surfers live) with my friend Louise. We watched the Manly fireworks in person and the Sydney ones on TV–the word on the bridge this year was ‘Peace.’ Then up early the next morning to see the sunrise on the beach. Louise went for a surf while Charles and I swam. A great start to the year.
And the final piece of news is that Charles and his brother Richard have opened up a new office for their company Digital Wranglers. It’s a good space that we’ve been busy filling with stylish yet conservative, good quality yet inexpensive, matching yet unique, stuff.
Hmm. I’m not sure I’ve accomplished my goal of shorter entries. Better not go into the politics of the pile of clothes that seems to be growing on the bedroom floor near Charles’ side of the wardrobe. But fear not, the wedding is still on!