Message in a basket

Yeah, thanks for listening to me moan about feeling like shit.

I feel better now because:
1/ I had a good night's sleep
2/ I've been to gym and worked-out
3/ Er, that's it

I haven't heard from Colleague but I know he'll text tomorrow with something like "you missed a BIG lot of fun..." etc.

After gym I have to take a turn into the Sainsbury's to pick up some tuna, skimmed milk, water and dishwasher tablets.

Walking to the diary shelves I make a spot! I think it's a record, October 2nd and look...

Next it's going to Carols and cold weather. In a way, I can't wait because I always love Christmas time.

Growing up for most of my youth in South Africa means it's always been hot on Christmas Day so I love the novelty of having shit weather at the time.

And I can already tell you what I plan to do for New Year's...I did it last year and it was the best New Year's I've had in ages.

I started at my first party and left it at around 10.45pm and made my way to Parliament Square (non-Londoners: it's the huge tract of grass opposite the British Houses of Parliament).

Along the way I bought a bottle of champagne and sat on the grass in the Square from about 11.15pm, phoning friends in South Africa and people I hadn't seen that night in the UK.

At about 10 minutes to the hour there was huge excitement and everyone began to blow trumpets and dance around.

And music started playing and Big Ben counted down and the London Eye lit up with the most wonderful fireworks. Midnight!

At around 12.30am I wandered down the South Bank (I have never seen London so full of people) to a second party.

I saw two parties' worth of friends that night and as the clock struck midnight I was doing exactly what I wanted in the heart of the city I call home.

So if you're in the area at the end of the year and wanna bring along a bottle of bubbly, I'm sure can make space on the grass for you too.

However, finally in the queue in Sainsbury's I realise my life's ambition.

I am standing waiting to pay and in my basket there are tins of tuna, smoked salmon, skimmed milk, bananas (which I hate but they taste fine in the blender with protein shakes) some water, dishwasher tablets and gym socks.

The guy behind me is rather plain, conservatively dressed with a pretty ordinary build. He has a leather bag over his shoulder and I don't spot a ring on any of his fingers.

In his basket he has a Pollo ad Astra ready-made pizza, a packet of Chorizo which I reckon he's going to put on the top when it's heated as well as a nice bottle of red wine.

There isn't a tin of tuna or skimmed milk in sight.

He doesn't care that he doesn't have a sixpack. He doesn't care that his dinner will be a glut-fest of complex carbs.

He will sit and chomp his pizza and gulp his beautiful red wine until he falls into a nice soft bed and drifts off too sleep.

I realise that that's all I want in life. One day paradise will be mine too.

Until then, I'm going to do some sit-ups before bed.