The Annual Moral Superiority Treat

[skyring]

For some reason Kerri almost always forgets my birthday. I don't think she's ever actually gone all the way through to the next day without giving me a birthday greeting and/or hug, but often it's lunchtime or thereabouts. It's because I'm the day after Christmas, you see. There's this big emotional buildup to the 25th and we're on the downhill run after the day. But for Kerri her birthday comes in isolation so the event I'm looking forward to so when her day dawns, my clock has ticked down to zero and I just look over at the pillow beside me and say "Happy Birthday, dear!"

And of course I get a certain amount of moral superiority, when Kerri realises that she's forgotten the birthday of her husband for the umpteenth time in a row.

But Patrick O'Brian teaches us that moral superiority in a marriage is not worth having, so I end up feeling guilty.

Never mind. I've had a marvellous Christmas and Boxing Day. We lazed, we ate, we watched movies, we had a great family dinner, albeit only the three of us, and best of all we got an email from our daughter, who has manage to traverse all of Vietnam and is now in Hanoi, counting down until she flies out tomorrow. We pick her up early Tuesday. Unfortunately the apartment in Sydney has fallen through - some nonsense about not being able to contact the owners overseas - so we'll drive up early and drive straight back.

Finished one book and started another. The first was fantastic, based around the woman who placed the following ad in the New York Review of Books: "Before I turn 67—next March—I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me.". As one might expect, the woman is fascinating and so is the book that resulted. The second is legendary - one of my Secret Santa books, except this one came from Angus & Robertson online and I have no idea who sent it. I haven't read Mansfield Park before, so I'm reading it now and enjoying Austen's delightful and insightful prose. It's another world, but like Shakespeare, the characters are timeless.

I'm pretending it came from Annuncial and I'm weaving it into my rewrite.

I'm also reading The Jane Austen Book Club. Amazon has it online in a searchable format, so all I need do when the free pages run out is to search for a word on the last page and I get a fresh set of free pages, two forward and two back from the searched for page. Tedious, but cheap.

It's been a joyful holiday so far, and every promise of more to come. Kerri is off until the 4th of January, so all are relaxed and happy. DS especially. He's deep into World of Warcraft, which seems to consist mainly of killing things and gathering skills and charms and weapons and spells and going on quests and getting superglued to the computer.

Comments

[rendiru.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday Pete!

I hope you have a wonderful, joy-filled year!

[shendoah.livejournal.com]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I have a copy of the Jane Austen Book Club

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to give it to you at the NZ convention if you haven't finished reading it the hard way.

Re: I have a copy of the Jane Austen Book Club

[skyring.livejournal.com]

You are far too kind, and O how I wish the New Zealand convention was next week for I am with child to see that blessed land again, and to meet and remeet with a host of wonderful Bookcrossers.

But I need the Jane Austen knowledge now, for it is essential background for the rewrite of Manly Books. I shall keep on with Amazon - the hard way, and thank you for the offer.

HBP

[skyring.livejournal.com]

Thank'ee kindly! If next year is anything like the last, then it will be one to remember with pleasure in my declining years. Joy and happiness.

HBP2

[skyring.livejournal.com]

Thank'ee, Shen! A glass with you, ma'am!

Happy Birthday

[irascignavojo.livejournal.com]

I've got pretty much the same game with our wedding anniversary. 4 years it was a draw, we both forgot, this year I won The Annual Moral Superiority Test in september and likely will win again in December. Our legal wedding was the day before new year's eve, we were the last couple of '98, but somehow preparing new years eve always gets the attention so we used to forget our anniversary until it was over. This year she forgot in advance, so she'll work day+night shift and will not be here at all. tut,tut.... :-P

Re: I have a copy of the Jane Austen Book Club

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

In that case, email me your address and I'll put it in the mail as soon as I can get myself to a post office. Might be a few days, but hoping the Christmas crowds are gone by now.

Re: I have a copy of the Jane Austen Book Club

[skyring.livejournal.com]

No, it's OK! I'll read it online, but I do thank you for the offer.

Cheers, Peter

Re: Happy Birthday

[skyring.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's not so much the wedding we celebrate as the dinner we had the night before, just we two single folk at a fancy restaurant outside in their courtyard under a pergola in the mellow November evening. We split a bottle of champagne and had a very pleasant, romantic dinner for two. Just us and the football team celebrating the end of the season at the next table.

Re: I have a copy of the Jane Austen Book Club

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

ok. If you change your mind just let me know. And good luck with the research.

A Late Happy Birthday from another boxing day baby!

[resqgeek]

I spent the 26th on the road, driving to my parents', so this is my first chance to catch up online. Sounds like you had a better birthday than I did!

Re: A Late Happy Birthday from another boxing day baby!

[skyring.livejournal.com]

Heh! All too often I'm driving! Or camped in someone's spare bedroom. This is the first Christmas we've had at home and/or with no visitors for a very long time.