To say that our Visa applications for our trip to Russia for
the Sochi Olympics are proving a headache would be an understatement.
They want full education details since school, details of your last three
employers, even though I haven’t moved jobs in 18 years. Along with details of
your parents and in L’s case of her ex-husband, who she divorced approximately 100 years ago.
Bizarre. It’s enough to put you off going and I guess it normally does but are they likely to turn anyone down
for the Olympics? Doubt it, as long as we don’t mention that bank job we did.
We also need new photos for it and L goes out to get hers in
the howling gale that seems to have been forever and that has prevented
me cycling at all over Christmas. Her photos will therefore be a bit windswept
but I’m all for that.
We've had the usual debate about where to spend New
Year’s Eve which we usually spend having a meal with my parents. After a few
failed enquiries we settle on a place in Sandiacre that we went to many moons ago
when Daughter had a thing about one of her infant school teachers. Yes it was a
while ago. It’s had two name changes since then and has now metamorphasised
from a Chinese into a Thai or should I say upgraded.
We go there via the Horse and Jockey in Stapleford. I head
there straight from work and meet L there. It is packed. After
probably too many pints but not actually an outstanding one, we wobble up
the road to the Thai Legend where we meet my parents.
After an excellent meal, more beer/wine and a complementary
liquor coffee we wobble out again, flag down one of the rare buses and head
home to see in midnight with the dogs and a Sandemans port.
(Tuesday 31st December)