Life before Christmas

I thought you might like a bit of Christmas spirit....a decorated house, all ready for Christmas lunch.  Well, actually these were taken before Rich's brothers and sister came over a couple of weeks ago but it should look a bit like this!!

I was chatting to a couple of friends from my "former life" on Sunday night. I was in my old local pub for the pub quiz league match and they were in as usual. This time I had a little more time to chat so I made a point of stopping to pass the time of day. It's strange, I used to think I was really close friends with these 2 guys but time and not having been in touch with them has stripped away the guts of a real friendship.

They stayed very close to D when I first left him and it has obviously been too tricky for them to go out of their way for me too. Maybe it's a boy thing. Maybe they didn't make that much effort anyway and once I moved out of the village and wasn't in the pub they weren't going to stay in touch anyway. I can't see them being pally with Rich although at least one of them has been friendly with him in the past. Maybe it's just too awkward for them to try and steer through the morass of being friends with both of us!!

I suspect women find this a bit easier.

Last night though, they were both really friendly and chatty and seemed pleased to see me and have a chat. I struggle a bit with that sort of surface "chat" knowing that neither of them offered a real hand of friendship when I needed it. But I chatted away and it was (a bit) like old times. Who knows, maybe we will become proper friends or at least friendly acquaintances again one day.

But what really struck me was how different I am now than I was a year ago. My life has changed so dramatically and I'm a new person, and a happier one. I could see the doubt in one of my pal's eyes as he asked how I'm getting on. "Is everything ok??" he said. I said no, not ok - brilliant thanks! But I'm not sure he got it. But I could see the pleasure in his eyes to be catching up again and that reminded me how much I used to like him. What a shame eh?

Anyway, enough of the ruminating. I may be light a few friends but I'm heavy on love, laughter, new friends and fun stuff.

Light on dieting too. I just cannot get into it at the moment. I'm busy so not doing enough exercise and eating what I fancy (which seems to include several Christmas lunches!). Well, it is what it is and I'm actively looking forward to knuckling down to healthy eating and exercise again after Christmas and that's all there is to it. I'm not piling the weight on but certainly not losing it and definitely feeling a little fatter round the middle. To the extent that I'm going to go for a run tomorrow while I'm working from home and am actually looking forward to it!

In terms of Christmas plans, all is going well. Well, well-ish. I have still to ice the Christmas cake although it has been marzipan-ed. I wrote my Christmas cards and have distributed most of them but still have a few to deliver. The house is decorated but needs cleaning again. The presents are bought but most have still to be wrapped and delivered. The food is planned and partly bought but I've not purchased a turkey! It's a kind of "halfway-there" Christmas.

I'm not sure if I mentioned what we're up to. We had invitations to both families but, somewhat daringly, have decided to stay at home and have Christmas "a deux" ("a quatre" if you count the dogs which I decidedly do!). I can't wait and Rich seems to be looking forward to it too. The plan for the big day is nice long lie-in due to having been carol singing/drinking in the White Hart the night before. Prepare lunch and put the turkey in then go for a good long walk with the dogs (and maybe "pop in" to a pub for a "quick one"). Then back home for food and lazing around until the evening when, if we feel like it, we venture out for another trip to the Hart. 

The landlord is putting on a games evening involving Wii, darts, giant Jenga, Connect 4 etc. Apparently it has been great fun the last couple of years and sounds like a nice, jolly communal event. We'll probably be joined by some of Rich's family as they sounded quite keen too. I like the idea of going out on Christmas evening as it prevents that bloated sensation of existing in a fug of heat and food. You are forced to walk into the bracing evening air and then stand upright for a while which has got to be better than collapsing in a prone heap in front of the fire for the entire evening!!

We will, of course, be getting out and about after Christmas to see our respective families. We also have plans for some bands and some football so the entire festive period is now looking somewhat booked up but that's good too. It's the same every year - you think that you have ages but, in the end, the 10 days disappear in a blur.

I hope you all have the Christmas you want planned (and that they work out as planned!!).