Like I said last week: I want to hate Starbucks. I know they’re evil. But they make gingerbread latte, and I am Weak. I never realised how cheaply I was willing to sell my principles, until now.

I’m back here in the office, working on the next version of Ninth Art’s code – I’m moving the site over to sexy OO code, now I know how to do it, in order that everything be much, much prettier than it was before. But there’s part of my brain taunting me with the knowledge that I have a bottle of claret back home, and mulling spices…

“The peel of a bell, and that Christmas tree smell, and eyes full of tinsel and fire” – I believe in Father Christmas

I can’t help it. I’m a sap for Christmas. I kvetch and moan about the tendency to start Christmas in November – I don’t believe the holiday season needs to be dragged out so it loses all it’s power, but come the end of the first week of December, I’ve got the Christmas CDs on, and am in a thoroughly festive mood. I would put decorations up, but I’m lazy. I might drape one of my bookshelves in fairy lights, this year, I guess.

For some reason, I have started waking up absurdly early. It’s pissing me off.

And now, I’m going to the pub.

Marysia was in town on Friday night/Saturday staying with Andrew and I. It’s always nice to catch up with people you don’t see often enough. Especially when they bring Buffy Season Six videos. Spent Friday night watching them. Saturday, the three of us went to see LEGALLY BLONDE which was fun in a “very obvious American teen feelgood movie” sort of way. Then we went for food, which turned out to be a bit of a disaster, really. Should have just gone to Garlic’n’Shotts.

Then on Sunday, I went out to see SHREK, at a UCI kids club showing, and wound up seeing Harry Potter as well. Loved them both.

Capsule Potter review: A few lines that worked in the book don’t work so well on-screen. Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), while played more or less perfectly suffers from getting quite a few of these lines, and to be honest, suffers from the fact that she’s not a very developed character in the first book. Rupert Grint, playing Ron Weasley is utterly perfect. Daniel Radcliffe (playing Potter, like you needed me to tell you) looks perfect, but is often a bit eclipsed by the all-star cast around him.

Still, this is a kids film, and the horde of kids in the cinema loved it. Frankly, so did I. Yeah, it was a bit iffy in places, but that’s only really occurred to me since I saw it – while I was watching, I was totally caught up in it, and I enjoyed it more than any film I’ve seen this year. Really looking forward to seeing it again next weekend.

I’ve been listening to the same album on repeat since it arrived on Tuesday. Not ANGEL PASSAGE, which has been delayed, apparently, but Tanya Donelly’s “LOVESONGS FOR UNDERDOGS”. Much like the lyrics for Lantern, which I quoted a few days ago, the whole thing is big grin music.

God loves me. Roll on April.

Wishing my lfe away, today.

Roll on December. Going to Edinburgh for a few days at the start of the month, for the first time in over a year. Can’t wait.

God, I am so sick of feeling tense. Not stressed, just physically tense, especially across my shoulders and back. I have no idea as to why I’m tense across there, but I’ve been like this for the last few days, and it’s really beginning to get to me. I just can’t seem to relax them. Anyone got any suggestions?

It’s a bright blue sky in November and it’s cold. The sun is shining off the Thames. I’ve just been out in this brilliant, clear air to buy myself an apple, which is just fucking delicious. The CD with this song on it should have arrived at my flat this morning. I love this time of year. It feels like anything could happen.

“Come on what’s-your-name

I’ve got a good game

I’ve got a story

Hope you like ’em gory

And it’s much too late for bed

Come on tiger why so tired

I’ve got good game plus i’ll let you win again

And it’s much too late for bed” – Tanya Donelly, “Lantern”