Instead of blogging, I should be writing my Christmas present list.

I love gift-giving, and I enjoy hanging around where people go shopping, though mainly to drink coffee and watch people. But I’m not so keen on shopping. Being male, if I have to do it, I like my shopping expeditions to go like this:

1. List
2. Route
3. Timescale
4. End

…but until I get down to writing the list of what presents I intend to buy, for who, I can’t get down to the business of devising a route that will a) represent the minimum actual time spent shopping and b) factor in a touch of flexibility to purchase alternatives should my original ideas be out of stock, or in the wrong size, or whatever.

Having the devised the route, I will decide on when I intend to shop. I like to do at least 80% of it in one go.

When I used to work in the city, it was easy; throughout November I’d do scouting trips, and then roll the whole thing up in one extended mid-December lunch-hour. But now I have to travel in, there’s a larger element of chance.

I have bought a couple of gifts already. Wilson has got a Swiss army knife – he’ll probably never use it but it’s a thing worth owning. Got a couple of books under my belt too, for specific people who I won’t name, in case they’re reading the blog (Wilson doesn’t).

Anyway, here’s the point: do I concentrate on buying specific gifts for people, or do I buy gifts I like the look of and then decide who to give them to afterwards? I know the first idea sounds better, and certain people will always requite certain gifts but, sometimes, if I buy say, a dozen nice gifts, I can share them out in a really good way and no one is the wiser, whereas, if I search for specific things, I never find them.

Then there are cards to buy. I’ve got a roll of thick brown paper for wrapping, so that’s OK, but I’ll need wrapping tape. Labels. String. I’m feeling anxious already.

I need to write the fucking list.