(no subject)

It hit me, last night, as I was buying wrapping paper and cards (how hard is it to find Christmas cards and wrapping paper that don't feature snow, or fir trees, or big fat men that look vaguely like my dad, or stylised gift-wrapped boxes, or other religious icons?), the traditions of Christmas wrapping paper. My family traditionally doesn't buy wrapping paper. It gets reused year after year, and only gets thrown out when it's too small to wrap something in, torn to shreds, or taped so securely that it's impossible to undo and fold flat. No-one can ever find sticky tape because Dad has hidden it so that he can find it when he needs it - and then forgotten where he put it. I tended to use electrical tape of various colours, or slivers of duct tape to secure my wrapping paper, because I could always find those in the first-aid kit.

Some wrapping paper that still gets used, I remember from primary school - it's like an old friend that comes out at Christmas. It's always fun seeing who used what to wrap which present, and who actually bought new wrapping paper (usually my sister and me, especially now that neither of us lives with my parents and has access to their stash).

For non-family, I'll usually use new paper because I know some people get offended at the very idea of recycling paper instead of buying new every time. Those people I know are OK with it get recycled paper, but the default outside the family is new paper.

My question is, how do you feel about receiving things that have been wrapped in recycled wrapping paper? Does this opinion change if you recognise the paper from giving it to them the previous year?

(no subject)

Sloooooow day. Very slooooow day.

Work to do when there is no other work to do = look at small bits of paper for faults. Nooooooo!

(no subject)

What shall I do for New Year's this year? I don't particularly feel like staying home, and most of the people I know who are at all likely to host a party that night are going to be partway through a pregnancy, or living with someone who is, and unlikely to want to attempt it.

I have the urge to go dancing, and yet, since I know few people here who go dancing regularly, and almost never do so myself, where should I go, and who with? Since I know my reactions to dancing can lead me into situations I would not, when not dancing or otherwise drugged, get into, I'm not going by myself.

Never mind, I need to get fitter anyway, and regaining the stamina to dance for hours at a stretch will provide me with an excuse good enough to motivate me a little.