Winter Solstice

Some friends are holding a pagan festival of sorts, complete with Pagan Wassail, to commemorate the start of the winter solstice.

We consider something similar but in the end the only ritual I participate in, and as a mere observer, is as Derby County steamroller another fellow championship club, this time Doncaster, as they record their seventh straight win to go within sniffing distance of the top of the table.

L’s choice of ritual is even better, panto, in Yorkshire, and featuring H from Steps.

She heads up to Sheffield on the train while I drive up later to meet her afterwards, bringing Daughter and a sack full of presents back home at the same time.

Back home and waiting for us is a little Christmas treat. Before the match I’d headed off to find the Lincoln Green Brewery in Hucknall and to pick up a boozy Christmas present. L had asked if I could pick her up a bottle of the wonderful Tuck whilst I was there. Having found the place the proprietor tells me they’re all out of bottled Tuck but they do have nine pint polypins... and it is Christmas... 

(Saturday 21^st December)

Mentally Scarred

It’s a pleasant day today so I try to remember how to ride my bike and cycle into work.

As I head back in the opposite direction later, L is heading up to Sheffield to do the panto with Daughter. L’s a bit of a panto fiend. I was mentally scarred by one when I was a child and have never recovered, so tend to stay well clear.

Two very large Pinots, and no food, later she seems to be having a great time. When they start on the interval ice creams, I can see extra burpees are going to be required tomorrow.

Once over she then needs to leg it to the train station to get the 10pm train, in heels. I offer to collect her on route from Derby, which is actually going to be easier than trying to find a way into the dug up and one way hell that is Nottingham station.

(Tuesday 18th December)

Everyone Loves A Cheapskate?

It’s good to be back at work... at least it’s a short week. The traffic wasn’t too bad coming into work but I think this is because they’re probably all already in the queue for Sainsbury’s car park. Well that’s certainly where they all are come lunchtime and some of them have probably been there queuing since 8am. I decide not to bother joining the queue and park next door at Homebase instead, then I walk across.

Sainsbury's car park is actually half empty, it’s just the access roads that are rubbish. Inside the store it’s fairly quiet too and everything has 50% off or more. Which begs the question, why would anyone shop more than a week before Christmas? Huge blocks of Stilton - half price. Port - half price. Pate, a whole block - half price. Wrapping paper - half price. Something else that I best not mention as it's going in L's Christmas stocking - half price. Hope she loves a cheapskate

Daughter rings to say she’s been awarded a bursary. Bloody hell. How did that happen? It turns out it’s because her sixth form college in Nottingham is a ‘partnership’ college with Sheffield Hallam. Whatever that means. It’s all a bit bizarre but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. I imagine she’s already on the bus on her way to River Island.

L’s at another panto toinight. She really is a serial offender. The dogs and I stay in to cook stilton and port pate.

(Wednesday 21st December)