Overschrijvingsopdracht

I have spent the day dealing with my invoices, sorting scrappy little stained receipts and unknotting snarled up Belgian administrative quagmires (watch me mix that metaphor - sooo... it's a bog full of STRING? Yes, yes it is, that's exactly what it is) and am now a poor, broken shadow of my former self. I think we all know that my former self wasn't any great shakes either, so you can barely imagine the sad spectacle I now present to the world. Thankfully "the world" is the 14 old ladies who have braved the slush in my neighbourhood to stare in shop windows at slightly dusty chocolate santas, the dog, and if all goes well - it rarely does with her - my sister tonight. Occasionally I break off from staring dully at the pile of overschrijvingsopdrachten (oh yes, that is a word, which I suppose one could translate as remittance slip, if one were feeling prosaic and factual, as opposed to just bloody minded) in front of me to rip off a piece of pannetone the size of a Yorkshire terrier and stuff it gloomily into my mouth.

Consolations:

My sister is theoretically coming tonight from the frozen north. She has assured me she doesn't have dreadlocks even though she did spend Christmas in a Danish squat. She better not, or I'll shove her in the cellar with the puma and the typhoid.

I have downloaded Victoria by The Fall and it is a good tune and reminds me of being 14, but in a good way.

Someone I know got this for Christmas which makes me laugh until it hurts.

I listened to a nice podcast about people working at CERN this morning whilst bitterly and ineptly making a spreadsheet. I particularly liked "the odds are good, but the goods are odd" about the romantic possibilities on offer for the few women who work there.

There will be more Facegoop videos - and maybe even some here - because Sir Waffle got me a Flip for Christmas. If you have any requests for idiotic video activities let me know.

Someone helpfully reminded me that neither of my children got livestock for Christmas. This is true. Un lézard de Noël would definitely have been the last straw.

My friends continue to make me laugh a lot. And B IS ENGAGED. I am very excited indeed about this. Two of my friends have now got engaged this year, so dans ton cul, 2010, we will wring some happiness from you yet.

So there. I must go and thaw the attic crime scene and chase away the bats and wrap my sister's present that I so, so want to keep for myself it hurts (Owl hot water bottle. That is all I can say without causing myself too much distress. Perhaps a photo tomorrow).