Questioner: So did you have a good holiday period?
Answerer: Yes and no. Yes, because this was the first year Andy and I got to actually spend Christmas day together, but no because I wasn’t at home and I got ill over new years.
Q: Oh dear! Tells us about that.
A: Well, on New Years Eve someone left a tray with some fat on it in the oven and when someone else went to cook something the fat started smoking and it smoked out the whole house. Since my asthma has been playing up I was coughing a lot,
which gave me a headache, so I took some paracetamol. Only then I forgot I’d had it and had some wine which made me feel very sick and I think I threw up in the night. It’s either that or I’ve gotten a D&V bug from my Dad. I had to miss out some of my family’s traditional New Year’s Day walk because of it, and I still feel dodgy.
Q: A walk eh?
A: Yes. My family, and some friends of ours, the Sullivan’, have been going for New Year’s Day walks together for as long as I can remember. This year we went to Maiden Castle, just outside of Dorchester. I only managed to make it around the castle before I started feeling groty, so I sat in the car while the other’s finished the walk. Only a storm decided to break over my head and they came back soaked. I got really cold too, but I’m glad I wasn’t walking.
Q: So did you get anything nice for Christmas?
A: A lot of money [Laughs] Seriously, I got £260 in all, as well as some basic toiletries from ‘Santa’. I also got a fridge magnet from Kat; some ethical toiletries from Kelly S; a dressing gown, new slippers, new umbrella and chocolates from my parents; some books from random people; a USB snowman that changes colour from my A. Elaine and U. Brian; A tiny sugar bowl and milk jug from Kat’s A. Doris and U. Bill; and some other stuff that I’m sure I’m forgetting.
Q: so a nice stash?
A: Yeah, wasn’t too bad 
Q: We hear that Andy had a lot of time off this Christmas. How was that?
A: Yeah, his boss decided that the whole company had worked so hard on the run-up to Christmas so they should get some extra holiday. Andy got all of Wednesday and Friday off, which meant that from the 23rd he got 9 days off. It wasn’t too bad, quite nice to begin with, but he got a little narky towards the end of his holidays. Except for New Year’s Day though, which he was quite loving on, because he didn’t see me most of the day.
Q: So he’s bad at work now?
A: Yes.
Q: how about you, when do you go back?
A: I’ve got until the 4th.
Q: Talking of new year, did you make any resolutions?
A: Sort of. I’m resolute that I’m going to: Learn to ride a motorbike; loose some more weight; get more serious with my writing; not skip chores as much as I use to; sort my job life out; read more, both fiction and non-fiction.
Q: Think you’re going to keep any of them?
A: I’ll try, of course. The only one’s that I don’t see me sticking to, or taking a long time to complete are: learning to ride a ‘bike; not skipping chores; reading more fiction and loosing weight.
Q: So to close, how to you generally feel about everything?
A: Okay I think. This year was definitely a tough one, in emotional terms, and I’m glad it’s over. And I think that this festive period was a milestone for me. [Nods thoughtfully] I’ve enjoyed it.
☮&♥
