Unseasonal Cheer

I had my now infamous and annual "Christmas in July" feast yesterday. Being American, Bond was at a bit of a loss as to what this entails and certainly, why.

It should be patently obvious that the media influx of Northern Hemisphere based Christmas specials where everyone huddles around a fire, eating roast meats and warm drinks, does strike some discord for those of us in the Southern half of the world. The post-Christmas lunch snooze is both a consequence of a heavy carbohydrate intake, and the exhaustive heat sapping one's energy.

Not being one who enjoys sweating, and being an avid fan of Christmas sappiness, I pine much of the year for a cool festive season. Last year I achieved some satisfaction by locking myself in the house for nearly 36 solid hours with the air-conditioning set as low as possible.

So when winter rolls around, it has become my habit to imagine a time of festivities and good-will toward man, and a feast with friends. I prepare a playlist for the iPod of Christmas songs - actually a sub-playlist. My actual Christmas playlist runs for three full days without repeating one song. The playlist used this year only ran for nine hours. I place some selected decorations around the house, attach the wreath to the front door and crank up the stereo. As with any festive event, there is a mass of food, many drinks and, hopefully, much laughter.

It is wonderful to be surrounded by so many lovely friends for this annual event. Often December is so busy, that such an event could never occur then anyway. The day was long, but satisfying. Although, by the time all had left, I was a little sad. I had a fridge full of meaty leftovers, but noone here to share them with.

Merry Christmas everyone and most especially to you Bond.