28 December 2013
Well glad we got through that white water ride! Fantastic Christmas day with Tara, my parents and Simone although I drove Taz up to her mother’s in Edinburgh before the meal as she’d elected for German goose this year while I stuck with the traditional turkey which was delivered in style! It was great to have her here with her grandparents and to open the presents together in front of the fire.
My Mum and Dad retired to North Berwick early evening after watching “Ted” with us. I don’t know what was more entertaining, watching the movie or my parent’s reaction! My Mum had to be convinced that it wasn’t a “wee man in a bear suit!”
Just having the 2 of them around was the best part of Christmas.
Simone and I monged out and raided the wine stocks, got trapped in Spacey’s “House of Cards” and went through about 5 shows in the series before collapsing in the pre dawn murk. We had rattled the clocks and Boxing day was lost in the confusion and a slight whiff of sulfur!.
The wind and rain kept us pinned down and huddled in front of the fire yesterday and it’s only now I am emerging into daylight. The furtive visit to the bottle bank a must and that guilty feeling as we shudder at the sound of endless breaking glass by the bins. There’s already talk of gym visits and detox and we haven’t reached New Year yet!
At least the turkey’s gone now after feeding us for 3 days! The legs devoured during the closing marathon “House of Cards” session yesterday. Stock from the carcass has been acquired, green and red lentils, pearl barley soaked and a visit to the garden for leeks and greens is due before twilight. There’s a sweet smell of bread in the oven as Simone takes over the kitchen to weave her magic and after we’re contemplating a drive out after the bottle smashing ceremony to visit friends.
There’s a couple of interviews in the wings but for now I am avoiding thinking about work too much as the mountains are hidden in the haze beyond New Year!
The storms have quietened but the satellite sends the sad images of the floods from elsewhere in the UK. I really felt for the families that had their Christmas celebrations washed away and are now facing a bleak New Year and the prospect of more bad weather as the Global Weirding continues. It throws everything in perspective and I’m just grateful our little piece of the world was tucked away from the worst of it all this time around.
I welcome the peace and quiet at this time of the year and the chance to just stop and take my Life in for a week or so without phones ringing and eternal demands being made is a blessing.
Tomorrow is a visit to Easter Road for the Hibs Kilmarnock game, my second in a week, and we return on the 2nd for the Derby match for which I got Simone and I tickets with pre match hospitality ! I hope that will be a celebration!
The only outstanding issue is Christmas cards! I missed the post dates and despite good intentions I never got round to writing them being the procrastinating bear that I am sometimes.
It’s always the same every Christmas and I end up sending them out in the New Year with notes of apology. In reality what would you expect? I’m a singer and always late in !
Hope you’ve all had a great holidays and wishing you all the best as we approach the next assault on our constitutions at Hogmanay!
Thanks for all your messages to us all here it’s a good feeling being part of a larger family out there, take care and stay alive
Onkel Fish xxxx