To: Andy Kilpatrick
Subject: Non-Annoying Circular of the Year 2012
After hearing amusing rants on Radio 4's Today programme, I thought my Christmas Circular this year should re-address the balance between Pride and the other Interesting Sins. So here goes.
Sloth: Must try harder.
Hmm...tricky. I know - I can list all the active things we did. Subtract this from 366 days to get the time spend slumping about, watching TV, eating (see also Greed), etc.
- We went to Canada, drove an enormous vehicle, saw bears, whales, trees, lakes, mountatins. Top.
- Some Center Parcs activities, some hiking.
- I went swimming quite a lot. But the only resemblance between me and a fish/dolphin is the wider-in-the-middle profile.
- Ice Age 4 was alright.
Lust: Not a lot (that I'm admitting to)
- Clearly as a busy married man I have no time for that sort of thing.
- Aside from occasional bursts of Strictly Come Dancing. And the brunette out of Homeland. And ... OUCH! [wifely intervention]
Wrath: Meh.
- Maybe a teensy bit of light ranting.
- The Hobbit Part One?! Of Three?!!?!. OI - JACKSON - NO!
Envy: We're just too happy and successful to indulge in this one (see also Pride).
- Except towards folks who swan about and don't do any real work. You know who you are, assorted retiredish types.
Gluttony: Light showers.
- I took the missus to one of Michel Roux's pads in London for our wedding anniversary. To quote from Gremlins: "yum yum".
- Managed to keep KFCs-per-year count to under two. Until the work xmas drinking session aftermath last night...
Greed: More please!
- Apparently, post-banking-crisis, this one is rather passé.
- Awaiting execution of corporate recovery strategies from mine + Barbara's lot before full service will be resumed on this one.
Pride: Yeah baby!
- Continuing my meteoric career path, I'm now a second line manager with many exciting and varied responsibilities, running testing of world-class Session Border Controller technology. Suck it up, puny competitors!
- Likewise, Barbara still has a job. Considering that her Disaster Recovery Test in New York was interrupted by SuperStorm Sandy and everything went amusingly pear-shaped, this shows how indispensable / remarkable she really is.
- Barbara sang some very nice solos in our Xmas concert (from Messiah). I didn't split many notes in my bits.
- Ellie reached 13 and is still quite nice to be around.
- Josh reached 11 and is still quite nice to be around, when not making strange squawking noises. Can't imagine where he gets it from.
- Both kids have achieved many and numerous, er, achievements. Ellie got her Grade 5 Theory, Josh his Grade 4 violin; both are doing well at secondary school, and are clearly "Gifted and Talented" (according to us). But are they "Gifted And Talented"? One for the mathematicians to puzzle over perhaps.
- Izzy (the dog) has maintained a clean sheet (actually, carpet). At least in our house...
Well, I think Pride has it by a whisker.
Wishing everyone has a Happy Xmas and New Year!
Love,
Andy