h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Christmas falls at an awkward place in the week this year: on a Sunday, meaning that a weekend is immediately followed by the two bank holidays. I thus elect to travel to the family Christmas on Fri 23, thus avoiding what will surely be a crowded Christmas Eve travelling, and return on Wed 28, the day after the bank holidays, thus (I hope) giving opportunity to shop en route. Mum hosts us this year.

It was thus today that I booked my coach tickets to London (it is not necessary to book for the latter leg because the service oversupplies to an absurd extent) and bought presents (other than E's; see the 19th).

Mum's present was easy: Life in the Undergrowth. She never minds the TV tie-in books I get her for Christmas, and she likes nature programmes. I bought it in Waterstone's, where I also found, for P, This Book, a trivia book which is a sequel to That Book. I was embarrassed at the cash desk because, when I went to get the book tokens I'd carefully put in my wallet earlier today, I found that they were WHSmith tokens! Too late to change my mind now, though! Rats. I still retain lots of not-easily-fungible WHS tokens.

For M (S-J's mother): Cadbury's Milk Tray. Last night I had rung P for ideas for S-J and M. S-J answered, but at least she was able to tell me that her mother appreciates chocolates, but they must be plain. She also mentioned Cadbury's: I presume to discreetly ensure that I bought exactly the right sort.

Language note: why are some manufacturers calling plain chocolate "dark chocolate" nowadays?

This left S-J. Then I recalled that at Christmas 2003 two of us received Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves, one of those being S-J, who appreciated it. For this Christmas Lynne Truss has churned out another book: Talk to the Hand, a rant about impoliteness. *Now* to funge some WHS tokens! Wouldn't you know it: the local WHS has sold out! To cut a long complex story short, I bought a £10 book token from the library! Fancy the lending library selling something that shops don't sell!

Back home to wrap all this and start packing. Problem: what skirts to pack? I recalled an earlier occasion when I found that the back of one of my rayon skirts had got covered in cat hairs. Therefore, pack a skirt that I don't mind getting worse. Also the purple velour for best for Christmas lunch (for which we dress up). Also leggings just in case, or for stepladder work such as putting decorations up. Also tights; I will need to be out in cold weather.

I put up one strand of tinsel and hung up 9 cards on a string at the lounge window, but had no time to do any more Christmas decorating before it got late enough for bed.