I have actually finished the php book (well, skim read a fair part of the last few chapters). But more importantly I have actually done something useful with it. Although the entire point of me learning php was to be able to modify my guestbook and I haven't even looked at it yet.

This afternoon I need to go into Poole to do some Australian shopping. I like being able to come back and shop in Poole because of all the cheap/independent shops that you just don't get in Oxford or Reading. Plus they have an MVC, which may or may not be a good thing.

I have managed to spend lots of money this morning though. On the one hand, ABE Books is a great site. Except for the part where it's very good at parting you with your money.

The other thing I did was book myself into a hostel in London - which my dad found by reading a Canadian Warwick students blog, and she stayed there and liked it. I've stayed in hostels before in Eastern Europe but not on my own, so this'll be a chance to see what it's like before I do it in Australia. Plus I'm going open-air ice-skating on the Sunday, and it's a bugger to get to London (or anywhere) on a Sunday because there are so few buses. So if anyone's around in London on 8th Jan, I'll be about. No idea what I'll be doing, but a pub sounds like a good idea.

Although having established getting to London on Sunday is a bugger, I'm doing that the following weekend instead, because I'm going to the B7 DVDs launch. Although not actually buying the DVDs, because much as I'd like to, I can't afford them.

Saturday was a typical Christmas day - I got loads done. Seven chapters of my (well, technically dads) php book. Although in all fairness all those chapters covered were basic programming concepts. This was after the cat decided he loved me and wanted to sit on my lap and go to sleep. I ended up having to throw him off so I could have breakfast.

Boxing day, in a change to the last three years, I didn't go to the cinema. I didn't go anywhere, in fact. I didn't get as much done, although I did play with a friends computer, sorting out the virus checking, firewall, etc.

Today we've been out measuring printer boxes among the crowds in Staples, Comet, PCWorld and Currys. It really was hideous. I don't know why people have to go and buy things (or more often, stand in the way) from these shops on Christmas bank holiday. All that remains is to decide which printer I want, now that I have counted out those that look horrid or have boxes that are too big.

We started doing a puzzle on Saturday night. Only a simple 1000 piece one of a cottage in Sommerset (sic). We're still doing it. The trouble is that half the pieces look like they fit in, even when they don't. Which is a problem when you're doing a bit that's all the same colour. We might not make it to the second puzzle at this rate. Although we are watching ROTK in two bits today, as there's nothing on, so we might get more of it done!

I am also really looking forward to the BBC bringing in the TV equivalent of Listen Again. If only ITV and C4 did that too I would never need to tape anything again, which would be really useful. Although I suppose there are issues with adverts for the other two channels. I was unsurprised to find they were all furniture sales adverts when I came home. Even though I don't remember the last time I watched any adverts.

It is Thursday today, it is, it is.

I got my hair cut at lunchtime. Because the kids are off this means that all parents feel the need to get their hair cut at lunchtime and go to the shops. So everywhere is really busy. They have all day!

I find hairdressers quite strange places. My parents always had (and still do) someone come round to cut their hair. It's cheaper, in the evening, and all you have to do is provide the chair, hoover up the hair and wash your own hair. But in the hairdressers there are all sorts of weird and wonderful things going on. People having their hair painted in bits of paper, strange rings things circling round their heads. And they offer you coffee or tea. I'm not quite sure how you're supposed to drink it when you have to put your head in a particular position.

I feel like I've achieved lots of things tonight though. I felt all dynamic, put the ROTK soundtrack on (although when the first track started playing I thought it was Harry Potter by mistake, whoops) and didn't end up getting round to The Bill till 9 o'clock, instead of 8.10ish when I usually start it.

I am the only person in my department for the next two days, so I'm hoping for no work (or very little) during that time. Specially on Friday - although I don't think anyone is planning to get any done anyway.

I've been convinced all day, that it's Wednesday today. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking. Someone decided that we were going to have a bit of an impromptu party in our office today. So lunch consisted mainly of crisps

The strangest part though, is everyone talking about all their preparations for Christmas. I think the favourite question at the moment is 'are you ready for Christmas?'. I am. I'm ready to go home, sleep and actually be productive (hopefully). But all the things they're having to do amaze me. There seems to be:

• Turkey, which no-one likes but they all have to have because it's traditional
• Get tree - cue arguments over real or not, and how big, and decorate said tree
• Moan about having to put up with relatives for a whole day
• Spend lots of money on crackers
• Shop for presents. Do not entertain any thoughts of actually asking people what they might like under any circumstances whatsoever. Spend hideous amounts of money.

Preparations for Chanukah, on the other hand, consist of:

• Buy candles
• Find book

Give me Chanukah any day. Although I would like to decorate a tree, it looks interesting.

Dad rung me up at 6.01pm today as they're going shopping tomorrow morning and mum was trying to plan dinners. Although given that she has the really nice sausages (Turkey Viennas, as far as I know the nearest place that sells them is Sainsburys in Whitechapel) that was a bit of a stupid question really. A couple of years ago I was home for the whole of passover and I had those sausages every night. They don't get old, they are that nice.

I felt after the weekend that we'd had Christmas though because we'd had the work Christmas party on Friday and then I spent the weekend watching videos. And I've been watching everything on tape delay so there are no adverts on anything either. The only thing telling me it's Christmas are the lights on everyone's houses I see on my way home. And the annoying people on the way to the leisure centre which has something that starts singing as you go past and frightens the life out of me.

I had forgotten until they said on the radio this morning, that today is the shortest day. It's all uphill from now on.

I had such a busy week this week I had 11 hours sleep last night. Mind you, I also got drunk on Friday (work Christmas party, free alcohol from 12-4pm - never good). I did go to the new Sainsburys in Didcot, which was very nice and big. In fact Didcot itself was quite empty, not surprising given how few shops it has really. I only went because I had no food and wanted to get The Return of the King on DVD. Which ended up costing me about �9 with various vouchers I had.

I am now halfway through it - I was too tired yesterday to get any further. I have remembered what makes DVDs so much better than the original films - you can skip bits. In fact the whole of the first chapter, which doesn't tell me anything I don't already know and is a bit gross.

I've also spent large amounts of time playing the latest Yeti Sports. I've just made it over the 5000 mark!

I read dad's magazine this morning and it talked about extensions you can get for Firefox. I had a look and it turns out that there's one that means you can open a new window (or tab) and it will open the current page with the whole history - like in ie. I couldn't live without it, so I've been sticking to ie so far and only using Firefox to save images (for some strange reason ie seems to think everything is a bitmap). But since I installed this extensions I've been using both. Firefox does look a bit odd though but I suppose I'll get used to it.

We did presents this evening and dad got me an updated version of his php book. So I might get some done at some point! Usually mum buys all the presents - the last present dad got me was 3001 (in hardback).

Yay for this news: McGillion made Atlantis regular

I'm reading Textual Poachers at the moment (well, as well as Unfinished Tales and the second book of Simon Schama's History of Britain) and it's quite interesting. It is american, so based for that perspective (which seems quite odd when talking about Blakes 7, for example). And it's about ten years old, so it's interesting to discover how much everything has changed since then - mainly the impact of the internet. I'm currently reading the slash chapter

I also got the urge to watch some Quantum Leap the other day. I had a look through the list of episodes and remembered I'd seen The Leap Home part 1, but not part 2. And it was good. I even knew what was going to happen but it was still quite heartbreaking - Al essentially chose between Sam's brother's life and himself, and he chose Sam's brother. I can't cope with Quantum Leap slash at all - it feels like people talking about Noddy and Big Ears, which althought funny, feels like spoiling my childhood. But I do like the friendship between Sam and Al, which is especially important to Sam, being as Al's his only contact with the real world and his life.

I've been so busy with work and Rotaract recently I haven't had time to do anything else. But now I'm off till Monday lunchtime. I planned to learn php over Chanukah and Christmas but I don't think I'll get it in somehow. I've made a sizable dent in my inbox this morning (and slept with the cat, which was nice) but I think I'll just go to the cinema instead.

Last Thursday was Victorian Evening in Wallingford. Which isn't very Victorian any more but the shops stay open late and there are charity stalls and fair stalls in the town centre. We were selling chestnuts as usual. We had fun, I stayed warm for nearly 4 hours and ate chestnuts. And we also made �115 for SeeSaw, who are a local charity helping bereaved children.

Then on Saturday I went to two parties One was an FDAS sort of one in High Wycombe where I also got to continue my expedition to Tesco's in various parts of the country, and I saw my second-ever branch of Morrisons. Who are also apparently everywhere round here as well now. The other party was the Rotaract District christmas one. Which included Twister. And various things you could blow and make a noise (mind out of the gutter please!). So oddly enough, not a quiet meal.

Monday was our Chrismas dinner. The crackers this year all had balloons in instead of tacky toys. We quickly found out what happens if a balloon hits a lit candle (the balloon pops) and I hurt my right hand sticking them to the ceiling. I also wrote my Christmas cards for the people who were there half an hour before, and wrote my speech just before the Starter. And I amazed myself by making it without getting nervous hardly at all.

The weekend after next I plan to buy the extended Return of the King (assuming work gives us Smiths vouchers as they have the past few years) then watch it - half on each day, being as I get bored after about two hours. Mum has ordered the extended trilogy so we'll be watching ROTK over Christmas, but I'll cross stitch through it the second time, so it won't be so bad. I have such a short attention span and am incapable of only doing one thing at a time for too long!

I had a bit of a revelation today. I've been enjoying Atlantis recently and I've been trying to work out why - then it occurred to me. It's because I've been watching it on it's own and not straight after Stargate. The trouble is that I like all the characters in Stargate (except for the love to hate ones) and I've been watching it for a few years. Whereas on Atlantis I don't like Teyla and I still can't decide about Weir. In all fairness, I didn't like Teal'c at first so that could change.

Also, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is back on Monday. Of course, my dad, the minute I tell him this tells me I have to remind him. He'd be stuffed if it wasn't for Listen Again (mind you, so would I). I wish TV had the same system - once something had been shown, you can watch it any time within a week afterwards.