Breathing Easy

Tipsy people who SHOULD KNOW BETTER and and KNOW THE RESULT have quietly told me at Christmas functions not to worry about keeping my job. Hurrah!

Of course, I STILL can't sleep. Things that are keeping me awake at night:
I have a plane to catch on Sunday but am convinced I won't survive because I spent an hour at the MCA watching a film about the history of hijacking. Will Hamas, Hezbollah or the Black Panthers stop me from getting to my parents for Christmas?
What if Qantas goes on strike on Christmas Eve?
What if my Beloved misses one of his several flights to Brisbane from Darwin and I have to spend Christmas at my parents ON MY OWN??
Will my mother will be disappointed that her present is much smaller than my father's?
My father's present is too big to fit in my suitcase if I want to bring any clothes. Sholud I try to post it up knowing that this will take a long time, cost a lot and may not get there in time?
What should I give my niece for managing to finish high school despite an unsupportive home and truly ghastly school environment?
Why has Channel 10 stopped showing "Charmed" after one episode?
Why do we need to win all five tests? Won't people not to play with us any more?
Does anybody buy any of that cricket merchandise?
Why do I never write down addresses of family and friends and then wonder why I can't send Christmas cards? Why have I only got three Christmas cards so far this year? Is it because I only sent three last year? Do email greetings count?
Will I make it to all of meetings I have on Thursday?

But at least I'm a bit more relaxed as I read into the night.

I'm currently reading Beachmasters by Thea Astley. It has a very nice cover.

It's about a coup in a South Pacific colony not unlike Noumea or the Solomons. I'm only half way through it despite it not being very long. It's very, um, dense. Most of it needs very SLOW reading. And it's startlingly good.