End of year report on the shortest day of the year
Winter Solstice today. My favourite day of the year and deeply depressing that it is almost over and the days will get longer after the 23rd.
Blogging really comes under the hammer during this pre-Christmas rush, doesn’t it? Everyone’s out and about, queues are long at the tills but the spirit is good. I did the bulk of my miniscule shopping today, the utiities are to pay off tomorrow and that should see us through.
It’s looking bad for Christmas Day, weather-wise. I have to look at Liverpool and Manchester to get an average and that is rated 5 degrees overnight and 8 during the day. Damn – I was really dreaming of a White Christmas to compensate a bit like. Why can’t we have White Christmases in this country?
My stalker’s probably going to attack soon – he likes to hit just before Christmas as a rule – around the 22nd or 23rd when the last thing anyone is thinking of is attack. We’re ready this time and I’ve alerted most people that he or the coven might try leaving comments on the websites of people who visit me here. His henchman’s latest trick is to write a letter, supposedly by me, on a website I don’t visit so I can’t direct you there.
Anyway, enough of that – hope they have a lovely Christmas and get a life.
Albion Alliance is poised to start exerting pressure early in the New Year on PPCs for all seats in all parties and the database, though accessible at the moment, is still not ready to launch publicly. Patience, patience, all in good time. Let’s get through our own Christmas/New Year and then the fun will start. There’s going to be a lot of writing and calling done.
So what about 2009, personally?
Tough, not all that easy and the dental troubles tend to crowd out the other issues. The flat’s beautifully warm in winter and I can’t run the wall heater for too long. Plenty of food of a sustainable type, clothing good, some contact with Russia but some have dropped off the radar and that makes me sad.
The Mac is near the end of its days – the keyboard sometimes doesn’t print letters – at the moment it is “l” but it was “k” before that. Weird things happen, things crash. Firefox is almost unsupportable now and has to be reinstalled each week or so. To buy another Mac? I’d like but probably can’t justify a 17″ again. 15″ might be the go. Hopefully that’s next summer.
Such awful things coming up in my interface with officialdom next year that the only thing to do is to either drink or laugh or both. As a few people have said to me: “You’re f—ed.” Yep but I’ll do all I can do before it hits the fan. I’d imagine the blog wil close or run on a post every few days from the library when it all goes down. Anyway, that’s not for some months.
I have Faith things will come good on the personal front while they’re falling apart in other ways. One kind lady as a companion would immediately alter the whole scenario and make life bearable. My mate says that even the worst off in Britain are better off than 90% of the world and that’s really so – I believe that and to be fair to councils and even this government, that aspect is taken care of.
General health – apart from the beginnings of heart trouble and the ongoing bronchitis, fine. The bicycling helps and once the dental is dealt with, it’s back to the gym. Not much to report on that front. Work situation? Don’t even start – no one wants to discuss this.
Politically in this country? This country’s knackered and the only positive is that other countries are also knackered, especially the U.S.A. under the non-Prez. Again – not an issue anyone wishes to dwell on but unfortunately, they must.
Christmas Day for me? Quiet lunch.
Readers – I hope that any health or financial worries sort themselves out for you and that you get on top of this or at least you’ll get a brief respite. In the bank today, one old chap was asked what he had planned. He said he was going into hospital tomorrow, poor sod. Hope this works out as well.
I’d like for everyone – friends, enemies, supporters, detractors, the indifferent, to all have a few days of peace and bonhomie. I’m declaring a unilateral truce for the interim and most likely will have to insist on that truce.
Tell me what you’re up to over Christmas and New Year – anything exciting?
Filed under: Politics & economics, Society & human issues
It may be the shortest day, but interestingly enough, not the earliest sunset (that was a few days ago). The latest sunrise is yet to come (in a few days’ time). It’s called ‘precession’ or something. All very tricky.
A goose. We’re going to eat a goose. Last year’s was a bit dull, so this year’s will be free range. I suppose that’s really free pond. Then we’ll have goose fat and goose stock for months. On Boxing Day we can have goose-a-leekie. I can tell you that Jerusalem artichoke soup made with goose stock is really good. A good stunt with a bowl of Jerusalem artichoke soup is to pop a generous handful of chopped chervil on it. Our chervil are currently shivering under a fleece: whether they survive this bitter spell remains to be seen, but they did produce the goods as recently as this weekend.
Mrs P was diagnosed with cancer just before last Christmas, so it was hard to get into the correct spirit. We went through the motions but the joy wasn’t there. As a family, we love Christmas so we have decided to go for it this year and try to get our average back up. We are going to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in a splendid London hotel, submit to much pampering and enjoy each other’s company in peace. On New Year’s Eve at midnight, we are going to write “2009″ on a big rocket and send it up in symbolic flames. This was my sister-in-law’s idea and I think it’s brilliant. I smile every time I think of it.
It has clearly been a bad year for you too and I am sorry your times are still tough. I shall think of you as I write on that rocket. I hope that one day we shall have a cheery drink together. All who read your writings with any attention must sense that, despite the apiary in your headwear, you are a good man at heart. All the best to you, James, and not just for Christmas.
Nice to read these things and I had contact from Russia too and so that’s nice. All the best to you three as well for a peaceful Christmas and may illnesses find solution when none was hoped for.
Mine was a sunset picture today
Christmas day – quiet at home with Mum and Dad visiting.
Boxing day – noisy at my brothers (he has two sons)
New years eve – quiet meal out with Mum and Dad then toasting the new year in at home.
In between lots of chill out days including a visit from some friends I haven’t seen for a while.
Merry Christmas James!!! it looks like w are going to ahv a white Christmas here for the first time in 10 years,but the problem is we’re snowed in and may not get out to do our last minute shopping.
It will just be me and Mum again this year and it’s really just getting ready for the move.
I shall be thinking of you on Christmas.
That feel is in the air, isn’t it?
I am playing Scrooge, if redecorating to the exclusion of everything else qualifies, James. Ceilings and fancy architraves to torture arms; my solace may be Classic FM.
For the big tamale it will be a bottle of warm Sake and a tray of sushi – I am more concerned that my garden birds have a good meal with fresh water! I have assumed the role of their breakfast waiter and this enjoyable duty is set to continue through the cold snap.
Just me and the not-wife on Xmas Day. Wioll go over a couple of times to my parents to prepare their Turkey and put it on then to take it out of the oven.
Santa is very jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live. ~Dennis Miller
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE REDOUBT
Celebrating the Winter Solstice today with a very fine port and an equally fine wife. Out for a merry meal on the 25th with wifie and grown-up kiddies; having collected the kiddies from the pub at about 2am the night before after their now traditional late-licence schoolmates reunion. Very quiet ‘Hogmanay’ (just me and the wifie again, with kids away for the festivities in Edinburgh) and then another meal out for the two of us on the 1st (Chinese Buffet I expect – no slaves to tradition
Hope you and all your very varied readers manage to have a nice time. Peace and goodwill to you all.
James
To you, all my best wishes for the festive period and 2010. I hope life turns out as you wish.
I described my 2009 elsewhere as:
“ Mrs Carr is immeasurably better although she still has a very long way to go. ……. I can see a more positive future. There are others, whom I won‘t name, who deserve praise and thanks for their help and support during the last few months. I’m not out of the woods yet, far from it, but with God’s grace, 2010 will see yet more positive movement.
This Christmas will be good, not necessarily brilliant, but “good” is good enough. The kids will enjoy themselves although we’ve had to cut back in a big way on our expenditure – we’ll not be alone. Then a few days later I’ll receive my free bus pass and my brother and sister-in-law are buying me a new computer!!! Yea! And I’m getting wireless headphones so I can listen to my music throughout the house without bothering anyone.
All in all a potentially disastrous year is ending much much higher than we could ever have thought possible. Perhaps the message is “ALWAYS HAVE HOPE.” ”
Take care, dear friend.
Christmas Eve is worship followed by a drive of local neighborhoods to enjoy the lights. Then its peace at home with music and a wee dram. Our Christmas day will be celebrated with Brunch. We host between 24 and 36 neighbors, friends, and family and it is a grand time.
Merry Christmas to you James and to all the denizens of your blog!
Thanks all so far. It means a lot to me reading of your plans and somehow connecting through that. Best to you too.
Depressing that the days are starting to get longer?
Good grief.
Au contraire, shipmate, it means that we can start looking forward to the new sailing season.
Happy Christmas to you!