It's coming up to Oscar time

The powers-that-be will be announcing the Oscar nominations this month. I've had a look at the 'maybe' list. All nice, righteous films and folk. I see Judi Dench may get a nod again. I well remember when she won last time for Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role and she was absolutely astounded because, as she said, she was only on screen for a few minutes and only said, like, one line.

Of course, in my mind, Julie Walters, should get this current BSAinaFR. She was positively brilliant in the last Harry Potter Movie (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II) - but marvellous as Julie is spitting out the famous 'Bitch" line that everyone is waiting for, she can't do it better than Stephen Fry on the audio book! He was totally magnificent.

I wonder if Fry's audio books of Harry Potter were required listening by the entire Potter film cast because it's so weird that many of the film cast share the same speech intonations and rhythms that Fry does in his readings (released before the movies). Especially noted is the bit where Dumbledore and Harry are on the railway platform in 'Deathly Hallows'. Dumbledore's speech patterns are exactly the same as Fry reading the same words.

Christmas Day 2011

Talk about a hot day ... and I mean the weather. I wished all day I could have been at the beach. Instgead I had to go to lunch at the Angus Inn in Lower Hutt with a friend (not J....., my wonderful swimming friend). It cost $100, repeat $100!!!! What a waste, especially when there wasnt really that much food to choose from. As my friend said, the table decorations looked more like they were for a children's party, not Christmas. Not a sign of anything Christmassy. Cardboard hats, streamers weaving in and out of plates and cutlery, hooter horns blown non-stop by the few children there, and crackers. By the time we made it to dessert, they werent replenishing the course and there was virtually no trifle left. My friend couldn't eat his steak medallion because it was so raw (and this after snobbily looking at my steak when I pointed the redness out to him and he said that the steak was meant to look like that).

On the way home, I couldnt stop off at beach because I was so full with food, I thought I would probably sink if I went for a swim. I had to go home for an hour and then hit the berach about 4.30 pm. It was quite crowded.

Again, what a waste of a hundred dollars.

I HEART CHRISTMAS

What is it about Christmas that makes so many people hate it? I love Christmas, plus the days in November and December that lead up to it.

Last week I was trawling around a store lapping the Christmas Fever up, with Beyonce happily Christmas singing in the background. I went into another store and there she was again with the same song. A couple of stores later, Beyonce again. Same song.

I sing along with that kid rabbiting on about all he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth. "Snoopy's Christmas" is my fave Christmas song. Grandma getting run over by a reindeer has me in two minds. I feel real guilty trilling along to it. I mean, the old woman dies, yes? Suffice to say, I watch the skies on Christmas Eve. We senior citizens just arent too nimble when it comes to being around reindeer. The beasts are so much more sharper than us on their feet (hooves?)

I play Christmas CDs in the car, I wear a red and green Merry Christmas t-shirt, jingle bells dangle from my ears. My to-die-for Gucci bangle that rarely ever leaves my wrist is replaced by a $2 Shop snowman bracelet. I'm like some sort of Christmas vampire who just sucks it all up. Funny when you think about it, because I have no loved ones to buy presents for and I don't get any presents. My friends are under strict instructions not to buy me gifts and I have been known to, not once but twice, leave the city over Christmas to get away from well-meaning but misguided neighbours who try to ply me with Christmas survival packs because they figure I'm alone and sad.

When will couples in a relationship realise that single people are not lonely depressed misfits? Sometimes, well quite often really - gasp! - we singles look upon couples as the sad depressed ones. But - ssshhh! - don't let on about this. We let couples happily live with the idea that singles are the ones missing out on life ... instead of it truly being the other way around!

My goodness, have I gone off on a tangent. Sorry about that. So, back to Christmas: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND A HAPPY 2012!!!!!

Our last swim for year

We made it! Well, no, we never actually 'made' anything physically, like doing woodwork or baking a a chocolate cake. But we did complete our last double swim for the year 2011. For readers who've come in late (that third follower of mine, are you out there?), we decided this year to swim at least twice a month at Hataitai Beach. No mean feat if Hataitai Beach had been miraculously transferred to, say, Northland. The winter sea is very (very) cold in a Wellington winter.

At the beach yesterday, my friend's Loved One presented us each with a certificate and I received a gold(ish) cup, too, in definitely deserved recognition of my swimming position as 'Leader'. Oh, J-----, thank you so much for orchestrating the whole thing; noone could ask for a better "co-leader". Because I am such a magnanimous guy toward the lesser person, I will share the cup with you, month and month about. Kudos to both of us. And isnt your Loved One fantastic? He sits there patiently on the changing rooms' deck throughout our every swim , guarding our clothes, timing us in the water and never complaining, even when the day is freezing. I can see he is so proud of you.