I thought it might be fun to come over all Transatlantic and see what I could be thankful for, given that a couple of weekends ago was Thanksgiving in Canada, where I spent such happy times. (In honour of my favourite holiday, I made a vast dinner for us and Jeff’s family. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday because it involves an enormous dinner, a gentle snooze on the sofa, and that’s it. No cards/presents/nonsense. Truly excellent.) Of course, my Norn Ironish sensibilities forbid me from being thankful unless I can also think of something bad as well.

I am definitely going dotty. Batman and I went up to the airport today to meet his two sisters, who were arriving separately from England and then travelling together to the Fatherland i.e. Derryhi. In my defence, now, it was very wet and misty. I saw a plane and remarked was it not coming in at a very odd angle. Said Batman, “Ah, well, that would be because it is taking off,” thus explaining why it was pointing upwards. To his credit, he did not add, “you numpty/womble/twit”, which is what I would have said if I’d been him and he’d been me, and he (as me) had said what I’d said; or if I’d been me and he’d been him and he’d said what I’d said.

In case the point of this is unclear, the good things were seeing my nice sisters-in-law, and not being ragged by Batman for being a twit.

I have been purchasing things on the Hinternet. It is quite bad. The problem is that I cannot remember the course and relations of the aorta, but I can recall my credit card number, expiry date and security code with absolutely no difficulty whatsoever. I have been exercising my very small self control muscle, with only some success. This month I have bought:

• a secret thing that Batman doesn’t know about, but it might be a handbag. Actually, it might not be a handbag, it is more like a new briefcase for work, but just a bit less square than the one I have been using for the last eight or nine years. See how I am trying to justify it? Also see how sad I am that I think a new work bag is a cause for celebration? But it is a secret, so don’t tell Batman or he will think I have lost my marbles.
• a 2012 diary. It is violet, with a cunning elastic to hold it closed, and lots of room for notes. I am trying not to think it is wasteful because the College (of Surgeons, another of the outfits of which membership is compulsory, fees are high and benefits are…) send a diary every year, but have made theirs small enough to be inconvenient. See how I am trying to justify…
• another secret thing that Batman is getting in his Christmas stocking. It is small but quite cool, not unlike the Boy Wonder.
• a high chair (although that is out of family funds and not my account, so it doesn’t really count).
• a lot of beads. More later about the beads.
• two lovely wooden toys. Because this house needs more junk. But they were heavily reduced in the sale. See how I am jus…

Oh dear, that is quite a lot for someone who is on holiday. I think I maybe should do something like Ganching’s John Lewis list, but in an effort to shame myself into not buying so much stuff. Oh dear, oh dear.