2:

I have successfully extracted myself from Christmas obligations this year which is a huge relief. I don't hate Christmas, but buying suitable presents for multiple people at once (even assuming I have money for presents, which hasn't been the case for the last three years) is, for me, a social obligation hell second only to costume parties.

I'll probably look after my mother's pets on the day itself, which gives me a good springboard for driving further south. I've had a long-standing urge to visit Walpole. I need more giant trees in my life. Part of me is saying 'It probably won't be that good', but that part of me says this about literally everything that isn't binge-watching Gintama. My mental state is much better than it used to be, but a tedious cynicism lingers. The struggle continues. A good start to this battle would be: finding my house keys which have been lost for four days :U