Then I sat up.

Not good.

Somehow, it seems, I managed to throw out my back. I've spent the last three days shuffling around like a decrepit and very aged cowboy. Not attractive, to be sure. All the stuff I planned to be doing for Christmas? Not done. Same with the laundry, etc. No computer time either-- sitting is OK, but typing and using the mouse was way too painful. Still is, but it's not as bad as it was. Back pain does come in useful, however.

We went to a Christmas party last night-- a very boring Christmas party, unfortunately. It was one of those affairs where a bunch of people with very little in common stands around with a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine, making minuscule small talk to a sound track of gregorian chants and no one smokes. It almost killed me, what with all that standing and imminent brain death. But hey: cite severe back pain, and it's a Get Out of Jail Free card, without insulting your hostess (who is, by the way, an incredibly sweet person whom I adore).

Today my back was feeling a bit better, so I met Miss Kitty at the mall for lunch and a bit of Christmas shopping. Very productive it was, too. I'm almost completely finished with the gift shopping, which just leaves a few small items and food shopping to do, both of which I can do on Monday, or maybe even tomorrow if I feel like it. I also got the Crash Test Dummies Christmas album, which ranges from rather bizarre to downright disturbing. It features, for example, the most sinister version of Jingle Bells I have ever heard, to the extent that you suspect they're not spelling "sleighing song" with an eigh. I absolutely love it.

I listened to it while wrapping presents, which did not go at all well. First, Calliope wanted to "help" with all the predictable consequences. Second, the wrapping paper I bought is made out of some sort of space age material that will not crease, making folding in the ends damn near impossible, especially when being "helped" by a cat. I can't find the gift tags, either. Finally, and most importantly, I can't wrap presents sitting down, and standing up is very, very hard on my back.

So is typing at this point, so I'll wrap this up now and write more tomorrow. We're going out tonight (of course!), but the Evil Late Night Bar is closed, so there's a chance I (a) won't injure my back any further, and (b) will be able to do more tomorrow than sleep and veg out on the sofa.

Then again, you never know, do you?