Richard Baum

I can’t quite put my finger on which year it was, but there must have been one year when the balance of my birthday decisively tipped away from wrapping paper and candles, and towards emails and report-writing. I suspect it was around 1998.

And so today, whilst there was indeed some gift unwrapping at 7am, I will mostly be doing mundane things. Which is a shame I think, partly because I am yearning for lost innocence and my youth back, but mainly because I think we’re all inherently lazy and would rather be reclining on a chaise-longue being fed grapes and given gifts rather than sitting at a desk typing. I certainly would.

I have been very lucky this year and received lots of nice things. Tam got me some CDs, having unleashed me in HMV on Saturday armed with a shopping basket and her debit card (God bless chip and PIN, now I don’t even need her there to sign anything). And my work colleagues have made a donation of £43.50 to Speakability, a charity for people with aphasia, a very nasty illness which my Grandpa suffered from. The gift also gives me the opportunity to go hunting round the office this afternoon looking for the tight-fisted git who decided to give the 50p. I also have a few other things coming my way apparently, including a book on Gordon Brown, which I suspect will flap about a lot and prove to be a major disappointment.

And before I can enjoy any of them, I have work. Then some electioneering of some sort this evening. Yesterday I saw the Labour canvassing teams out in the ward. Obviously they’re doing what we’re doing. I often wonder what would happen if we both ended up choosing to canvass the same street on the same night. Who would give way first…? Or would we both race between houses trying to knock on the door before the opposition? It would be amusing… Not for any of the hapless residents caught in the crossfire and watching some kind of War of the Rosettes in their street. But for me, certainly.

I hope everyone enjoys the day.

Rick