Ho Ho Ho said Grandfather Time

We survived Christmas, and didn't poison anyone. We cooked up a damn good Christmas dinner - tasty stuff. Hard work, actually got blisters on my fingers from chopping and peeling! Both families got on well, though - we seem to be good lynchpins. After the meal we all had a bash on the Wii Fit, good fun - everyone had some kind of hidden talent...Pat (Raine's mum) needs to take up snowboarding.

We woke up at my house on Christmas Day, having been out on Christmas Eve. Good night out in the 'Pool, the usual haunts...We sampled the new cocktail bar at The Blue Room, slush cocktails - Sex on The Beach and Daiquiris as a slush puppy = genius. The Tache was a shadow of its former self, except on the street outside - where all the under age people who usually populate it were. They have a fancy new machine to check everyone's ID, which means nearly no one gets in. We got in there (we're old, the machine confirmed), just before midnight, and there were a handful of people in there. There must have been a 100 or more milling around outside. Damn you Gordon Brown - that's what middle class kids do in Blackpool, emo/mini-mosher/goth themselves out, realising there are many other freaks out there; poor young things now-a-days will look back to the sidewalks, and Red Bull/White Lightening of their teenage years...that can't be good.

After opening presents with my parents we went to Raine's house, and sat around the tree opening presents with Pat, Gordon and Lindsay (and Jonny dressed as Father Christmas Cabbage Patch Kid). I got Raine a pretty much carbon, scale copy of Austin:



Although I had fun I felt like shit on Christmas Day, and slept for about 40 hours over the next two days, I finally properly woke up, on Sunday, with excruitating head pain. Turns out I have Sinusitis. I'd never had it before, I'd heard about it, and been kinda of sympathetic when I heard people had it - realised it must hurt a bit. Well, anyone who gets it now will get my full sympathy, and lots of grapes - it bloody wrecks! I was yelping with pain just lifting my head 10 degrees to take a drink and antibiotics. Bloody hell! Leaving the bed brought tears to my eyes, literally - big fat tears. Thank God the antibiotics (and a lot of pain killers) are kicking in.

New Years Eve, we're back in Galgate. We were going to a local Tapas restaurant, until we rang up to book and were told it's £35 person tonight - forget that! We're celebrating several new years at home now - we started with Australia at 1pm, and we're on China now. If you remember our American election night, you can envision our trip to the supermarket...spring rolls (there is some poetic licence - celebrating chinese new year now...), samosas, sake, etc etc...who knew you could get Thai beer!? Stay tuned for the review.

Santa Con and other such mayhemic adventures

Last weekend we went to London for the much anticipated Santa Con. Basically this = dressing as santa

and 'running' around London...one of our friends thought we literally ran (for charity or some other noble reason), oh how we laughed... Really we ambled between notable sights: The Tate Modern, the Underground, HMS Belfast, the odd church, Trafalgar Square (to 'sing' alternative carols) and one or two (or three) pubs. Generally we spread festive cheer, and baffled people, by parading our 1000 santa adorned selves through the streets.

In London we stayed in the most super duper hostel there is: Palmer's Lodge, in Swiss Cottage. We shared a dorm room, but had our own double bed to snuggle up in. With our own light, curtains and power supply:

Now we have found this splendiferous place we will return to London, imminently, to culture our northern selves up with some theatre.

We managed to catch "W" in London. It's a great film, very funny for all the wrong reasons (because it's true). We also had Malaysian food with Paul - great evening. A wonderful prelude to our February Belfast trip.

Tis now the University holidays, and I have a very long essay to write (on Seventh Day Adventists and same sex marriage), and a dissertation to begin. I also need to start applying for my PhD and funding. Whether I do any of this before the end of the holidays remains to be seen... I have wonderful intentions, but ideas are so much more appealing than reality.

I have 7 people to cook Christmas dinner for, on Christmas Day - I am cooking for both sets of parents, and Raine's sister. "Why?" you ask...that is a long story I won't bore you with, but watch this space for a report. Presuming we survive.