I'm hosting my first ever party on Saturday. Not a little gathering, but a real party, with a theme and everything. The theme is spreading the joys of traditional Christmas Pudding to the various international peoples of my lab. With the added bonus that Rohan was deprived of "chrissie pud" this last festive season, as he was in Wisconsin, and not Australia, so he gets his pudding fix.

Of course, this party will be held mostly on my patio, as the apartment is way too small to fit a dozen people comfortably enough to allow little luxieries such as sitting down, and movement.

Holy Flaming Brandy Batman, I'd better make a shopping list and go fill it. I was starting to dread this gathering, thinking "What have I DONE??" and imagining everybody being way too cramped and having nowhere to sit, the pudding being burnt and a small riot of hungry scientists demanding to be fed. Then I realised that they're all nice people, and even if the pudding is a disaster, we can all go for sushi along University Avenue as a substitute.