In two days it'll be the longest day of the year. If I was a witch I'd dance naked on a hilltop and boil things in a mini-cauldron that I bought from India Fox.

Today we had our big Christmas carols thing on at Church. It was big. I spent all afternoon doing manly work in the sun. I used a big spanner to take a fence apart and I got to carry heavy boxes around. I sweated a lot and got dehydrated. It did feel good to be working hard though.

I also got to help set up the kindy farm that the brought in for the occasion. I got to carry a lamb, then walk a sheep on a leash. I got to pull out all my "Good Shepherd" jokes. The animals were the best. There was some ducklings that I contemplated adopting. If only you could keep ducklings small and cute. But well, ducks are cool too.

In the evening I dressed up in my costume. It was in a Joseph costume because I played Joseph in the authentic re-enactment of the Christmas story in the playground of the church with Angels wearing nighties and playing keyboards and Shepherds living in a multi-coloured playset. Being Joseph I had to lead Mary on a donkey, a real donkey. That was cool. I became the donkey handler for the night and that really jacked up my feelings of self-importance.

The donkey however had no such illusions of its own self importance with his ability to defecate and urinate where ever and when ever he liked. It just made the whole authentic experience more authentic. I wish I too could have done that in the middle of the play, just for the feeling of freedom that must be.

I didn’t actually have any lines in the play and I didn’t feel like the job was all that hard. I had only been to one hour long rehearsal. After the event lots of people told me I did well as Joseph. I usually replied with “I know”. For those that were being serious it probably sounded arrogant. For those that were being silly it probably sounded as it was meant to. It didn’t occur to me till later that some people may have actually thought that I did well. All I did was lead a donkey and look surprised when there was an angel in my bedroom. No arduous task, but well, it was in front of 300 people so maybe it seemed bigger than it was.

I think I’d be Joseph again next year if I got the same deal, especially if there was a donkey around. I really liked the donkey. His name was Martin. I may name my 5th son Martin in honour of him.