As is often the way, the first part of my December downtime has been spent curled up under a duvet desperately waiting for the hour I can have my next Lemsip. This year, I tried a new tactic of supplementing the real medicine with that other thing that’s supposedly even better: laughter. There were a few new stand up shows available on iTunes, those that have presumably also been released on DVD in time for Christmas, and I was very entranced by Dylan Moran’s live show Off the Hook.

The man is a genius, and I loved his sprawling, forgetful, random talk, covering the state of kids toys, the changing shape of his body, and more importantly now than ever, his all-inclusive but gently prodding talk about how everybody needs everybody else. One of my favourite moments was Moran’s thoughts on the differences between men and women, particularly regarding temperature and, as the below quote goes into further, responsibilities.

What happens is, you end up dividing tasks. You know, you’re good at this, the other person is good at the other thing.

My wife, one of her areas is the future: what that is, where it’s happening, what time it starts, what’s gonna happen in it.

The past is also something she has made her own: what actually happened, who’s responsible, how the crime shall be remembered. (Sometimes while we’re busy talking about something else.)

And also the present is something she curates, that is something she understands.

But no one person can do everything. That’s out of balance in a relationship, you can’t have that.

It’s stupid.

So.

I taste the crisps.