Happy anniversary to Us!

Upon conscious recognition of the date last night, it came to my realisation that I, along with my colleague, have now clocked an official 6 months at our current post. Not only that, but the 28th of the past month also marks 18 months of my own personal time here in Den Haag. Rudimentary math then suggests that I have only been gainfully employed for one third of my time abroad...a minor detail that is now inconsequential as the end has most surely justified the means. PROST! SANTE! CHIN CHIN! CHEERS!I think some champagne is in order...although when is champagne NOT in order, really?

Speaking of the date it is VERY difficult to believe that it is December 2 and that the Christmas season has officially started in a large portion of the world, especially since I look out my window and see sun, grass, and even some leftover blooming flowers that time forgot (I am quite surprised they survived the storm of last week). In three weeks I will be in Porto, and considering how fast the weeks go by I will be in Porto before I know it, experiencing what is only to be good times and good people. Mmmmm the butterflies are a flutter in the tummy again, WHEEEE!! I'm even thinking of planning a little New Year's pre-party in my hotel room of the swank hotel that I am returning to (yes, the one I almost burned down...they have yet to link the credit card confirmation with former destruction of hotel property so I am safe for the time being).

But I do think that some Christmas festiveness is in order around the Flat (time in which may be shorter rather than longer due to further recent developments on that front). I will search out a tree, I think, but NOT in the middle of the wilderness hauling a saw, two grumbling family members and dog through waist deep snow and -20 temps. NO, I am going to get my tree like ALL CIVILISED Christmas celebrants should: from a supermarket parking lot. It's what Jesus would have done I'm sure and after all, it's all about him this season, is it not? (**sarcasm alert...risk of offending Blog readers....hehehehe ah well it's not as if I'm after widespread readership**) Oooh it does get you all warm and cosy inside...AND I can't wait to break out my FAVOURITE holiday movies that I watch incessantly throughout the month of October.

I just wrote October. And by October I of course mean December, and by holiday movies I mean the those that should occupy the top positions on anyone's Christmas movie watching list: Love Actually, Home Alone, Muppet Christmas Carol, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (NEVER gets less funny!), and la creme de la creme, White Christmas. In fact, a midnight viewing of White Christmas has become the religious establishment of my household as midnight church was replaced with the Pope on tv which subsequently was replaced with White Christmas when the Canadian Broadcasting Company decided that Bing and Danny would draw a larger audience than the Papalship...

Hmm I have just conjured up a GRAND idea! Movies...Christmas...happy...gathering... party...friends with home theatres....hafta go write an email...