… I miss most of all the people I miss all year round. My family, my girlfriend (who can’t be here this year), my old friends flung into their faroff places all over the face of the planet.

… I am always moved to cook a hell of a lot of food and invite a hell of a lot of people to my house. (This year I did both, well, in my sedate way. Indian food and the people are less than a dozen but there’s enough to feed everyone. They’ll start arriving in about half an hour or so…)

… I don’t feel naturally moved to think about the future. Yet. That’s either a function of only turning 29, or of my own personal silliness, I’m not sure which.

… I like to listen to music from the old days… Ornette Coleman, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, young Coltrane, stuff like that.

… I am moved to say silly things like how I am happy with my life, here and now.

No candles, thank goodness. Just curry. Off to get it all set before everyone’s here…