Holidays, Sofas and Fitness DVDs.

Is it right to be all rebellious at 40?

I don’t mean I am on the streets, caving in Currys shop window and liberating TVs.  I do though find myself with a massive resistance to the corporate conditioning that seems to be happening.  What do I mean?

Well, if the TV is to be obeyed, right around now I should have booked next year’s holiday, bought a new sofa from a shop consisting of any three letters you want to choose (DFS, CSL, JLS, WTF) and taken ownership of the latest fitness DVD from (insert minor celebrity name here).  This isn’t quite George Orwell stuff, but the “laboratory mice” feeling is gaining momentum with me.

The mass distraction tactics of X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are done for this year, so what will the masses do of a weekend once we are all back to our normal routines next week?  Whatever it is, I can guarantee that Sunday nights will include at least one costume drama.  Then we’ll have a three month build up to the Royal Wedding, as it is used to distract everyone from the endless round of cuts and disasters.  How exciting!

Herrumph!!

So since we met last, the snow has finally gone, the garage has moved no further towards being a bedroom, as the builders are off enjoying the xmas break, and yes we have had the festivities.

 

The girls were up at a very sensible hour on the day itself, which is a real benefit of having teenagers.  Their main presents were, a new bass guitar for Rebecca, and a Blackberry (a phone, not fruit) for Emily.

After having the usual conversation with Louise pre xmas about not getting each other anything big, she of course ignored that, and after giving me a Two and a Half Men box set, went on to surprise me with another gift.  I am once again the proud owner of a bass guitar myself, after a break of what must be fifteen years.  I have been laying down some tasty licks, and awesome riffage these past few days I can tell you!!  I am a little rusty it has to be said.

I got Louise the Les Miserables 25th anniversary concert DVD, as a holding present, as the real one (I ignored the conversation too) is still stuck in some overseas postal hub!!  I cannot say what it is, as Louise doesn’t know what it is yet of course.  It may be here for easter.

On the subject of that Les Mis DVD, it is superb.  We watched all three hours of it on Boxing Day, and loved it all.

Christmas day itself saw my Mum & Dad and Louise’s Mum at ours, and everything went pretty well from a catering point of view, and indeed it was not possible for us to have eaten any more in one day.  My Dad won the prize though, by accepting a turkey sandwich in the early evening when everyone else was struggling to even get liquids down!!

Even Henry got into the spirit of over eating by trying to will a chocolate out of the bowl and into his mouth!

I am afraid to say that the tree came down the day after boxing day.  A combination of central heating, and eternal dust clouds from the building work saw it come to an early demise.  Wrestling the bugger out of the front room, and to its new attractive position under the front window was fun I must say.  The pines were so dry and brittle that handling it required protective gloves and eye wear.

The girls got cash from many relatives, and so, trundled off into Manchester to squander it as quickly as possible.  Clothes were procured, with the highlight being this little number.

I was back to work on the 29th, but took the decision to work from home for those three days.  None of my team were due to be in the office so I had no-one to manage as such, and anything I needed to cover could be done from home.  Louise too has been back to the grind.  Boob photography waits for no man it seems.

Just to be serious for a second, if any ladies reading are considering not going for their boob photo when they are summoned, I must encourage you to do so.  A few weeks ago, my Mum had the letter, and it was really only the fact that Louise works in the breast unit that encouraged her to go along.

To cut a long story short, something was found, operated on, and irradicated within days just before xmas.  My mum could very easily have ignored the letter, thinking it to be a hassle etc, and who knows what would have happened.  Go, let them photo your boobs.  You know it makes sense, and if you go to Bolton hospital, Louise may be the one to do so!!

We don’t have major plans for New Year’s Eve.  A curry out somewhere, and with that done, the probability of falling asleep pre midnight is quite high.  New Years Day sees us at Louise’s Mums for a meal in the afternoon, and the festivities will be rounded off with a visit to Mike and Amanda’s on Sunday night, where it seems we are being given Pheasant.  This will be a first for us, but I have known for some time that Mike is a renowned Pheasant Plucker.

My hopes for next year (beyond the usual wishes for good health for all) consist of a quickly completed garage conversion, decent GCSE results for Emily, an end to Louise’s health issues, and a decent holiday come the summer.  As an extra, if someone is looking to pay enormous money for someone to write them some lyrics, then  that would be swell too.  I wouldn’t mind having a go at that for a living.  Anyway, as news of my major rock riffage spreads, I am bound to be invited on tour by some major star.  Aren’t I?

Have good times, and I wish you all well for 2011, and as ever thanks for coming here to read this stuff.

Till the next time…..