Two days ago I became one year older, reaching forty-five. Every year for the last decade I have been telling myself that I have, with luck, only come halfway through my life. I think those days are coming to an end, and now it is more a case of coming two-thirds of the way. If I can avoid poisoning myself to premature death with alcohol, getting run over or crashing in an airplane, or if I am able to keep any serious illness at bay, another thirty years or so sounds a plausable length of my lifetime.

So, my birthday came without any special need to advertise it, nor celebrate it in any more a complicated way than with the family and their presents for me. And this year they did very well in their choice of gifts, that were taken from my not-particularly-long wish list.

Needless to say, I was extremely happy with The cool vegan trainers, Harrington jacket, and Donkey Kong Jenga (that’s right, Jenga exists in video-game themed format). I was also taken by the Nintendo messenger bag (gold lettering, my friends). In the aftermath of my frugal celebrations, it is difficult to decide which of these I favour above all else. Of course, I do not have to make such a decision. All my presents were well received and much appreciated, and I look forward to (potentially) thirty more.