i just had a really nice tesco-run. after eating crap for about a month i thought i'll treat myself to some proper food. the kind containing vitamins and minerals that is. so, as i was wandering through the aisles, i came across it. the first sense of christmas foreboding. cards, calendars, chocolate...the lot. a warm feeling was expanding inside me, filling me with joy and contentment.

it's bloody september!! what are they thinking. oh, hang on, daft question. they are thinking money. it's not enough that you could save for your christmas vouchers since frigging march, no, now you can start sending out useless christmas cards three months in advance. good move by the post office though to increase the price of stamps just before the christmas rush. i have to admit that i am not much of a christmas sort of person. in recent years i arranged myself with it, mainly trying to avoid it...but at least it's a good time to come home, because all my friends will be there, there's good food and lots of chocolate. but all this hype, honestly, what is the point? i mean, i don't think i shall be getting into a festive mood if people start giving me presents for my birthday combined with my christmas presents (my birthday is in july), just because it seems so convenient to put the two together, since they nearly happen at the same time anyway. and this is not something my frustrated brain is making up. it is getting earlier every year.

soon i don't think there will be any reason to take any christmas decoration down because, well, it's only gonna be put out again two weeks later. actually that would be quite a welcoming development. if we have christmas all year, it's not gonna be that special anymore (hopefully anyway) and maybe nobody will care. and everybody could just be really nice and make each other presents and have a peaceful and harmonious time together without any reason at all, just because it's actually quite a good thing to do. hm...

anyway...do you know those little metal turning things with little spikes on them that produce a sound when they are hit by a metal curtainy sort of thing. i know, not the best or most technical description ever, but i'm sure everyone has seen one of those little music things. they usually sound quite shrill and don't really achieve to capture the full scope of a song. one of the most popular and most terrifying ones is probably 'für elise' (dadadadadadadadadaah dadadaa dadadaa da dadadadadadadadadaah etc...nevermind). now, please imagine this in the sound quality of a first generation ring tone (not the real tones...no no, the really annoying ones that the phone comes with and everybody needs to try out - usually for the entertainment of a whole metro). now imagine about seven different songs (ok, bad versions of songs), put them all in a row, on a loop and make them your default melody for people on hold on your telephone. isn't that just the most wicked way of driving people nuts. i was quite impressed by the sheer badness when i had to listen to it for several minutes today. that is at the absolut top of my list of bad 'please hold the line-music'. yes, i do have such a list. yes, i am bored at work. and yes, i do need to get a life.