The TV is a great companion for those who want anaesthetic for the soul. I feel however that my new project of ipod mania has been a form of detox from the drug which most households in the UK have as the focus point of their living room.

Now as the ipod experiment has continued I have had to adapt to accomodate my own sanity. As my ipod was initially congested with Podcasts, Audiobooks and Italian Lessons. I have had to change my listening to actually attempt to achieve what I set out to do. The idea initially was to listen to the music on my ipod, as I was concerned that some of it had never been listened too, while other bits of it had not had a fair hearing.

So as the Beach Boys take me over the 70% mark and as I am yet to make a decision on whether to listen to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Audiobooks or at a point where I am listening to them. I now have a new challenge what book do I read next?

Recent highlights have included:

• Bringing Down the House – Ben Mezrich (A present from over a year ago)
• Peter Kays Autobiography (A present from last Christmas , I know and my friends have an inkling why this was purchased. Not a bad read either).
• Tescopoly – Andrew Simms. (Another present anyone see a pattern. Ironically I guess this book now makes me think when I shop in TESCO’s).

Another book which wouldn’t fit into the above category and also wasn’t a present:

• How to end poverty in your life time – Jeffrey Sachs.(The topic of course interests me, however this book would safely bore the g8 leaders to be quietly content at their lack of effort, and rest on their laurels due to how dull it was).

Now to the real important part:

I have quite a few books to get through that are in the office as well as those that my mother posted through my door today after being at a closing down sale.

So as the books were being shortlisted the more I thought about this. The more I began to think about where I would be in my own journey over the next few weeks and what would be important to help me focus along the way. Was I going on a journey to the centre of the Earth, (Jules Verne). Did I want to be the Last Mohican? (Cooper), or did I want a bell to toll for me? (Hemingway). Looks like Churchill giving me a Finest Hour will be an ample diet for my grey matter over the coming weeks!

For me CHristmas day is about having a meal with the family unit. Mum having a sherry which somehow each year gives the cooking that festive edge. Followed by a fire, a debate about which TV channel, followed by my father getting his way and then snoring throughout the entirety of his selection.

Christmas is not going into TESCO’s on Saturday and realising that if the fruit section had airmiles equivalent to its journey from source, our family may as well have a barbi on Bondi Beach. Nor is it going to TESCO’s to see trolley rage in its finest hour. Women who possess a new weapon to accompany their handbag. When a middle aged woman has to get to the “frozen prawns”, and she doesn’t make eye contact. You know its either you step aside or end up surveying frozen peas from a whole new angle.

Christmas is not about sitting down to a table and eating until the first person has indigestion and then continuing until a gluttony champion is declared.

Christmas is not designed by Debenhams and our local shopping centre is not the, “centre of Christmas”.

Christmas has been a day set aside to celebrate a gift from God, i.e. his son, and this should be the centre of Christmas. Funny enough often wondered why his name was in the middle of it.

Christmas should be about goodwill and peace to all men as well. Tomorrow as I have known all week I will have difficulty in being at peace at the table knowing that my friend wanted to be in hospital just to get his dinner.

Tomorrow as I open my gifts from my family, use my new potato masher, (cheers bro), and sit down at the table with the meal I have prepared. I will be thankful for the chances that I have had over the last year and the opportunity to bring Churchill to the end of the earth and back!