Blinking at the daylight

I learned from Wikipedia that Sandman:The Dream Hunters was actually based on Pu Songling's Strange Stories From A Chinese Studio, which I thought I ought to read. Will report back.

Normally shortly after waking on Christmas Day I am sitting half asleep on a sofa wearing a dressing gown blinking blearily while around me everyone opens presents. Right now I am awake and fully dressed, and about to take the dog for a walk, and then I'm going to wrap the presents I haven't yet wrapped. Which is, um, all of them, because I am useless sometimes.

And normally around this point in the year I post a link to the version of me reading my very short story "Nicholas Was..." on the Warning: Contains Language CD. Given that this time of year is all about the traditions, here you go...

http://www.neilgaiman.net/sound/02-nicholas-was.mp3