Getting Christmas shopping done on the internet is a wonderful, stress-saving exercise, but it does leave one prone to not receiving the presents in time. Uncharacteristically I've done most of my present shopping early, but I've had to chase up four packages (a quarter of what I've ordered), all of which have mysteriously disappeared and need to be sent again. That's quite a high proportion of what might charitably be called "mislaid" goods. But then the postal guys deserve a Happy Christmas too and this year they're going to be living it up with 12 bottles of Cava, some Christmas tree decorations, some candy canes and some ladies' slippers. If that's all the work of one man then he should be pretty easy to spot. I wonder if he's the same one who got my cheque book too. It's almost like you can't trust postmen, once the most honourable professionals around.
Also I had to walk to the post office to pick up two of my other presents. I felt pretty smug for getting it all done online, but it might have been easier to go to the shops. At least then I could be fairly sure that I'd got what I paid for. All in all it's still preferable to the torture of fighting your way through the crowds of Christmas shoppers. But I wonder how much the internet shopping companies add to the cost of their items to cover the loss of produce and the cost of posting out replacements.
I tried to work on the Rasputin re-write today but my brain and body are flagging and I was tired enough by mid-afternoon that I needed to have a nap. The notes I have had from the executive who commissioned the script are sound, but I fear that pulling at the threads of the script might make it all fall apart and I will have to start again. The hope that it would be a day's work have proven to be optimistic. I need a holiday and luckily I am going to get one, but I won't enjoy it as much as I should if I haven't finished the script. But there's still a few days to pull it together. My wife is on a similar tight deadline for the second draft of her second book. And she's ill now too. But I am sure we'll both push on to our goals. Either that or we'll have to have our laptops out at Christmas dinner.
A couple of very surprising ego boosts for the end of a busy year. Time Out picked RHLSTP as its
second favourite comedy moment of 2012. In seven short years I have gone from being the worst thing in a comedy year (according to the Daily Telegraph) to the second best. I am very proud of the Leicester Square Theatre podcasts (they're no Me 1 vs Me 2 snooker but they're still OK) and it's gratifying (if meaningless) and for me, rather unusual, to be given such a nod.
Even more satisfyingly Keith Allen was selected as the worst. It's like finally the stars have aligned in my favour.
Just as bamboozling is the fact that the Fist of Fun DVDs appeared amongst all kinds of impossibly arty films in the BFI's Sight and Sound
DVDs of the year. It's been a struggle getting these made, especially for Chris Evans (not that one), so to see our stupid and flawed ancient TV series get recognition in such a respectable film journal is as ridiculous as it is thrilling.
And talking of gofasterstripe, the book version of "The Box Lady and Other Pesticles" (
already available on kindle) has had a very limited print run as an old-time old-fashioned book. One day it might be a collector's item, so
snap it up if you fancy it. Whether I do any more of these is entirely dependant on demand. If enough people want them I will keep churning them out (every now and again).
If you order by 2pm on the 19th you should get it in time for Christmas. You know, depending on who is delivering it and whether they take a liking to the package.
There are more Christmas ideas in my
Christmas newsletter.
