:: jingle bells

Merry Christmas!

It's not Christmas any more, of course, it's Boxing Day ... and the year is nearly done. I got some lovely presents - thank you everyone! - and ate far too much. One of the presents was 70 daffodil bulbs (from Faye), which will need to be planted in the next few days. It's not been very frosty so far and the ground is still soft. Faye also gave me a gnome, my first ever.

I worked yesterday, not terribly hard of course, about five hours all told. I'm at work right now and will probably get home an hour earlier than normal.

I've just now bought a new TV. Eeeeek! The curse of online shopping! But it does mean I didn't have to actually battle the sales crowds at John Lewis, where the TV department is always packed, even when there isn't a sale on (it's so bad they operate a ticketing system). This way I'll have to wait for delivery, but in my book that beats waiting around to be served. I had fully intended to wait until later in the year to replace my old TV but, well, it seemed a bargain, and JL does a free five-year guarantee. The scart connection on my old set (a 15" portable) is conking out. I have to keep the plug jammed in with a pile of videos or I lose sound or get a red or green screen. This new one is a space-age 26" flat-screen marvel, yippee!

Apparently there's a direct correlation between the amount of TV you watch and the size of your backside.

But I read in the paper (ours - we are desperate for "news" at this time of year) that dogwalkers are fitter than the average gym-goer, so that's good. Running after a swan-savaging greyhound is probably equivalent to an hour on an exercise bike!

We had a great walk the other day - went to Faye's place (in Santa hat and antlers, laden with gifts) and after coffee and rum truffles we all walked along the Water of Leith to Inverleith Park, Bertie's top favourite city venue, and then back via Stockbridge. I think Bertie was impressed that Faye's flat is so close to the park. He's very nervous of her place because on his first two visits there, there were fireworks outside. He always tries to run back down the stairs, and spends most of his visit looking anxiously out the windows.

Faye was also working on Christmas Day, and says she had a great time. One of the traditions at her workplace is that the managers serve the staff with their Christmas dinner in the canteen - brilliant. She likes the atmosphere there and her co-workers, but will be looking for better paid work in the new year.

OK I had better crack on with my own work. Hope everyone had a good Christmas!