Oh Christmas tree Oh Christmas Tree

Yes, it that time of year again. normally we have saved a tree setting up session until near Xmas eve but we decided to go for yesterday. We duly got our artificial tree down (with central heating, real ones don't last) only to find the connector between two parts was missing. So, nothing for it, I went to the nearest town 10 miles away this morning and got another one. It should make us a bit more Christmassy

Have you noticed how little religion there seems to be in the  the season these days? Despite singing and playing of carols it doesn't seem to mean there is much belief there. I suppose the churches will be quite full for the Nativity Plays and the Midnight Xmas Eve services but I bet most there won't be along till next Xmas. Mind, there is other religion going on under our noses. The Holly keeps the evil spirits away as does the green tree. Mistletoe is associated with courting and spouse finding though it seems quite innocuous now.

Traditional turkey this Xmas? Not really only about 100 years I think. It was goose before that, just read Charles Dickens 'Christmas Carol' to see that. Mind, we will be even more traditional I think with good old roast beef. Now that is tradition.

Tap Dancing!

Well, no, not actually, but we have been waiting ages to get our kitchen finished off - fitting started on 3rd October 2007. Good news today, though, the plumber cam and fitted a new tap that works properly. Apparently everyone has combi boilers these days so they never think to check. Oh well.

It never ceases to amuse me how people are taken aback at the sight of a wheelchair. Now, please try to ignore the idea of an old granny, blanketed across the legs, being push around and left outside shops in the cold. No, I'm talking fast light chair propelled by me and neat parking and manoeuvring. Anyway, we went off to my wife's Xmas meal from he office. They hadn't mentioned a wheelchair as, well, the whole building is only 5 years old, fully kitted out for wheels, so we just arrived. I felt the staff, whilst very polite were wondering what had arrived. Of course everything was fine though I thought I was being watched by another party of people I didn't know as I neatly slipped in and out of chair to the loo!

I do wonder why I am doing this writing thing. I mean, I was always given a diary or two at Xmas as a child and started on 1st Jan with a few entries. By 7th Jan it was fading and that was about it. I don't even know if I am writing this just for me or for other people who might read it. Who knows. Anyway if you do happen on the pages a little comment would be nice just to see you were here! Thank in advance!

I'm starting to hate Christmas...

Yes, it is true! About this time of year I start to hate Christmas but not for the reasons you may think. Yes, I am and atheist so the religion is of no interest but it is a grand family occasion and I love that. No my problem is with the shops.

For reasons I have no knowledge of, supermarkets that have no background music during the year, start to play Christmassy music, usually not carols but songs like 'White Christmas' and, of course the 'Don't they know it's Christmas' . In my local supermarket they started before the beginning of December as the Xmas (easier typing) lights were turned on and so on. The thing is, it is not background music it is pretty much 'in your face'. Now for one who shops before 9am and mostly before waking, this is a bit too much.

Well, sorry to sound like a Scroooge but I'm not really. It is just I want to be able to greet people in the shop and hear what they say. It's not long to go now, though and straight after Xmas we will be back to normal if not a bit heavier from eating too much turkey!

New Chairs for Old

I don't know. I forgot about this place for a long time and have not posted. Oh, well, maybe I can think of more to say.

The first think is that bought a new chair in August, smart titanium and very light. It was been a revelation to use as it is a tiny bit smaller than my GPV and a much better seating position so I have been keeping up exercise, mostly dodging rain drops!

The we have fun with a new kitchen. We decided, wrongly, that we would have B and Q fit the kitchen. Really, really, don't do this. They started on 3th October have said 3 to 4 days and finished in 2 days. Great, you may say but you would be wrong. I mean they just didn't bother to vent the cooker hood to the outside and since that was on top of high cupboards I suppose they thought we wouldn't see. Bit of a failure there! They had a great was a venting a tumble drier too. Squeeze the hose a bit and slip into an air brick hole and and pop the machine in to hide it. Bad move, the heat and damp got back into the kitchen and they came back only last week to fix it - that's 2 months after the start. Oh, the floorer was good too - he put a floor down without checking to see if the doors would open or close. Wonderful job, but neither door would!

Now the last job to do is deal with the tap. Now some taps are only suitable for high pressure hot water and we have low pressure granvity fed and got trickles of water from the hot side. It took nearly 2 months to get them to admit it and sort it out by fitting a tap that works!

Well, that's the woes here's the best bit. With an ordinary cooker I canb't lift heavy things in and out and have to get the rest of the family to do it. Not now - the eye level over is just great so it will be me lifting out the turkey on Xmas day!!!!

Well, more next time I think and it will be sooner than 4 months!