Why is it the first couple of days back at work always drag? It's been so difficult to get out of a nice warm bed and make my way to eight hours of tedium. Plus the fact that I was ill on the last two days before Christmas basically means that I need to make up hours for which I have have already been paid for. How depressing is that?

Or maybe it's the fact that your Christmas decorations look a tad gaudy after the fact - I know some people who took them down on new years day, whereas until today, our uber-trendy fiber optic tree flickered in the background and the Christmas wreath keeping me awake in the a scraping against the front door with the storms and winds that have been plaguing us on the foot of the isle. We eventually took down the decorations in work on Thursday as it distracted us all from the thousand and thousands of student paper records that had to be sorted and alphabetasized. And whilst the fairy lights are still up, the tinsel is in a sorry mass in the corner of the room, taking up dust and looking half shaved as the sellotape had inevitably ripped off the tin in chunks and sections.

Happy 2007 Everybody!!!

The fireworks are still popping off to the front, right and back of the house, the cats were cowering in the bedroom but seemed to have been revamped by a new toy in the shape of a champagne cork. Girlpants is currently drawing pictures of a potential house to build this year, FIL is critiquing the bands on Jools Annual Hootenanny and I have had the laptop on in the background all night. Earilier this evening, we were round the parents, bullying father not to put a £4.99 mirror special in the new delux bathroom we're currently putting together, whilst enjoying a roast lamb with Christmas trimmings, foillowed by a brandy drenched M&S special crimbo pub and a toast to absent family, friends I know and have known and new friends whom I have never met.

What a wonderful evening.

So the sales have begun. I didn't think much of them actually - there was nothing there that I really wanted, but off we trotted because you never know. All I came home with was a new wok, mainly because one of our frying pans had been murdered despite the life time guarentee.

Girlpants, in true boys style got a new toy. A rather big one. If anybody would like an old widescreen television, then there's one going as there's a new landmark in the lounge.

And if I could fit it into an actual picture, I'd post it but the new toy plasma is gi-normous. But at least Girlpants is happy. And now his dad is down, it means that it will be a horror movie marathon until the new year. I'll be the one hiding behind the sofa then...

Well, both Girlpants and I are on our way out now for those £5 turkey bargains, bubbly and beer in the shop and to deliver some pressies en route. Needless to say, I don't think as my first day back on the plonk after over a week will leave me in much of a state later, so unless you find me online in a somewhat inebriated state attempting to type in a straight line, may both Girlpants and I, the stinky fat cat, the mouse allergic cat, Talkative Sis and family all wish you a fantastic Christmas. And remember - if you eat enough roughage today of all days, then you may get a present after midnight from a little visitor...

I've been fighting for the last two weeks, but now I've been at home in bed for the last two days to try and get myself better for Monday. And also not to infect others at work as I figured that it may have proved to be a slightly unpopular move in the festive season. This however has meant missing work, money and even worse, our little Christmas party which we organised ourselves. It also meant that none of the others were able to open their Christmas presents as I wasn't there and I had one of them. Lesson one of how to pee on other peoples Crimbos, as I received updates via text yesterday saying that the party was flat, party poppers were lame and that they were going home early.

Damned those winter superbugs wannabes. Not only have I Catholic guilt over the others having a pretty pants last day (as there is only three of us in the office), but I was nauseous and feverous last week, which then developed into a full blown cold with racking cough and continious sneezing for over a week, which is only dying off now. So despite that fact that the office Christmas party was a bit of a flop by text accounts, I am slightly solaced by the fact that the cold's dying off just in time. It has however, left me a Christmas present of it's own as I am now the proud owner of bright red nose. Bright red on my gorgeously golden brown skin. Just in time for Christmas.

That's the sound of silence as The Aussie has moved out after seven weeks. Whilst it would be nice to enjoy this new unique sound and sleep a whole night through each night, the silence is currently being murdered by the wails of a dying fan, lurking somewhere in the back of my laptop.

I guess that's the price from having two rather long haired cats who are follwed around by tumbleweeds of their own fur, who like to sit on top of desks and laptops as they basically generate warmth in the chill of winter whilst waving their tails around the vent and shedding hairs which then clog up the cooling system. It basically means that I'm slightly scared to actually boot up the laptop as the grinding aounds like something being ripped out of the innards of this machine that holds my life. CV, email, favourites... Losing this laptop would be almost as bad as losing your mobile, wallet and keys in one night.

Memo to self - must never forget to back up....