cooking in my underwear

I don't think there's a way to describe how tired I was when I stumbled home tonight, sleep-deprived from wheezing my way through another night and half-addled from multiple allergy medications. And there's my sweetie, half-asleep on the sofa. No big deal, I say, now I have the bed all to myself. So after a few kisses and a brief cuddle with my honey, I make my way to the bedroom, and find the bed COVERED IN LAUNDRY! And without missing a beat, I nestle in among the piles of Gain-scented cotton and drift off into a fragrant dreamland for the next three hours. It wasn't the first time I've done this, and sadly, it won't be the last.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned in life is that I should never be envious of others. The wealthy, the talented and the beautiful all have their problems, some more well hidden than others, and you can never be sure what is concealed behind an oh-so-perfect facade. But I can't help but allow a tinge of green to overtake my countenance at the thought of my dear friends the Perruccis, who have quit their jobs and are about to embark on a year-long trip around the world. No, your eyes do not deceive you. One year! Around the world! No bosses! No business suits! No commuting! And to properly circulate the intense feelings of envy among their friends and family, the Perruccis have launched a fabulous website , where we can track their whereabouts and adventures for the next year. However, in spite of our mounting jealousy, my sweetheart and I would like to wish them both safe and happy travels, and a warm welcome wherever they venture.

A red dress! Dramatic? Exciting? Standing out from the crowd? Not when everybody is wearing one! What the hell was going on at the Oscars? The yawn inducing fashion parade leads me to believe that every woman in the place was given the following directive - your dress must be either red or black, it must be either one-shouldered or strapless, and it must have a mermaid-cut skirt. There were very few exceptions to this uniform, and I applaud the women who wore them, good, bad or ugly. Most notably : Marion Cotillard in an exquisite ivory Gaultier gown, Diablo Cody in a dress (and I use that term loosely) made from curtains apparently salvaged from a bordello, and Tilda Swinton in something that looked like it was retrieved from a box under the kitchen sink. But even the ugly dresses earned my respect on Oscar night, simply because they stood out from the mind-numbing procession of 'safe' choices. I've gained a whole new appreciation for the oddball in all of us, and a deep...

So you're up late at night clicking through the channels and you come across a movie you've seen maybe fifty times. And you decide to watch it, one more time, all the way to the end. Even thought it's really late, even though you can just record it and watch it later, even though you probably have it on DVD, you've simply got to watch it just one - more - time. Here's my short list, what's yours? The Matrix Reservoir Dogs The Usual Suspects Fight Club So I Married an Axe Murderer* *What? A girl can't be silly every now and then?

A couple of years ago, my sweetie and I attended a Carnival fete with my best friend and her husband. I remember being blissfully happy at that fete. Happy at the prospect of being outside, at night, in the middle of February, wearing a tank top and capris; happy because I was eating and drinking to my heart's content with the knowledge that I would be able to dance off every calorie before the end of the night; happy because I was in a country where the phrase 'wind-chill' was an entirely alien concept; happy because I was among my friends, and rapidly approaching the two days of unbridled revelry that would become Trinidad Carnival 2006. My best friend wasn't having such a good time. She was cranky, for many reasons, some still unknown to me. She was displeased that the DJ was talking too much (I didn't notice), she was upset that the headline act didn't show up (in hindsight, a reasonable grievance, but in my eyes at the time a non-issue), she was quite riled...

Have yourself some blackeyed peas and a glass of champagne. 2008 is going to be a very good year!

And so it arrives, faster than ever, sneaking up on me every year. It's never a surprise, yet I'm never quite ready. There's always something left undone, always some loose-end. Unavoidable, no matter how well I prepare. Every year I vow to start Christmas shopping in July, and every year Christmas Eve finds me in a near frenzy. So before another silent night passes into the history books, and I'm left wading knee-deep in the detritus of holiday revelry, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. And to all, a good night.