Yesterday evenings event went off very well. As usual all participants went to great lengths to get in costume and do up their houses. Tricia and I finally got to bed at 2am. Walking around the village on a cold January night in short trousers is not to be recommended.

As you can see, plenty of dressing up. All photos will be put up on www.xanga.com/nmsafsup over the next few days.

The alarm going off at 8am was unwelcome. Tricia has been at an athletics competition today with an athlete she coaches. Nikki went back to uni late afternoon, and the washing machine is glad of the rest.

New job tomorrow. I had better go and get some beauty sleep.

Today we have a ‘safari supper’ where 16 couples in the village go around to each others houses for food and drink. We all meet at a house, then go and 4 couples host starters, a different 4 host a main course and another 4 host the puddings. Then we all get back together to finish the evening. This is something Tricia and I generally organise. Today the theme is ‘school dinners’ – the idea is to serve up food you would have been given at school… lumpy mashed potato etc.

Well, we all dress to theme as well. I was determined I would wear my old school cap, as well as my tie. Well, the tie was no problem, found that in the loft…. but my school cap. I searched every box. I contorted to reach parts of the loft not seen in years, I found the cricket box I was looking for last summer but couldn’t find, I found the cummerbund I wanted last weekend but couldn’t find. Then Ninja the cat found he could climb the loft ladder and so I had a cat in the loft who was reluctant to come down and had plenty of hiding places. Eventually I got him down, but my cap… As I was reaching a point of frustration and just about to give up, in the very last box I found my old school cap.

Guess what… it doesn’t fit anymore. Can you believe it ?

I am now in between jobs. I finished at KCOM yesterday, and start at BP on Monday. I was given a nice send off.

Nikki is home a little later. She is babysitting at our next door neighbours tonight. They are a part of the safari supper, and are hosting the end gathering, which is going to be a ‘school disco’ – we helped them clear their living room of furniture this morning. Their kids love having Nikki to look after them, and Rachel was prepared to drive out to Hatfield to pick her up.

Oh well, on with the preperations.

So, Friday evening I took Ellie to her dance class. She had a great time, and we started back to North Marston and home. About a mile from home, we were driving along a single track road which has passing points. A car was coming towards us, which drove straight past a passing point, and onwards at us. I had to leave the road, and the car passed, smacking the wing mirror on my car. There was no damage to the housing which had just swivelled around on the impact, but the glass had popped out and cracked up. The other car did not stop. Which they should have done, as the law states you have to exchange insurance details after an accident.

So, I turned around and followed the car……. after about 8 miles I got the offending car/driver to pull over. The driver gave me a couple of terse replies and then sped off. No exchange of details.

So, I went to the police station and reported what had happened. My car is a ‘company car’ which needs to be returned on Friday, so I was concerned that I followed all the process necessary. I gave the registration number, of the small, white, 4 door hatchback I had the knock with …. the police computer said it was a blue Ford Mondeo. Hmmmmmmm. For my pains I get to have to produce my driving licence and cert of insurance. The car is being fixed today.

After all this I went to the Farmers Ball. It was a good evening, and I was surprised when it was 2am and time to come home. After the leaving do with my colleagues in Hull on Thursday night, and then the ball, I was somewhat tired on Saturday.

On Sunday we had pork roast. Now Tricia had bought a rather large pork joint. And there was significant amounts left. So, on Monday we had sweet and sour pork. And on Tuesday evening I had…. pork. Fortunately ut has all gone now, so it will be something different tonight. Just as well, I am all porked out.

Tricia has a cold, which after the Xmas we had seems a little unfair on her. Robbie has ordered up some new drum heads which he is hoping will be here by Friday, when he has a gig at the girls grammar school in Aylesbury… which he is looking forward to, and not just for the playing. Ellie is full of herself, so far this week she has had a swimming lesson, a sports class she has just been enrolled into, brownies, and a dancing class, as well as school.

Me, working hard on my lines for ‘allo ‘allo….. and in my final week at KCOM.

Woohoo, as Homer S might say. I have done my last business trip to Hull. No more M62/M18/M1. I had a ‘leaving do’ last night, with my Hull colleagues, which ran late, so I am tired at the moment. Which is not good news, as Tricia and I are going to a ‘Farmers Ball’ this evening. Ball gowns (for Tricia, not me) and DJ’s. I would rather slump in a chair than have another late night…

Ellie was given a certificate at school today, for her work on Tudor times. Robbie’s drum solo in assembly went well. Nikki is really enjoying her spell in Luton Hospital. I had a nice leaving card and gifts from the boys and girls in Hull

 I got myself up early this morning, as I had to go to Manchester. My intention was to be on the road by about 6:15 and get past Birmingham before the rush hour traffic kicked in. Shortly before leaving Tricia called me into the bedroom to point out we had some water coming down from the coving. Apparantly the drip…drip…drip had woken her.

We were having torrential rain during the night, so it looked like we had a leak from the roof. So, up into the loft I went, shifted a load of boxes, and lifted some boards. Eventually we found the leak… we put something in place to capture the water, and I left for Manchester an hour later than intended, the trip in the wind / rain / rush hour, took 4 hours instead of 3 so I arrived 2 hours later than I wanted.

Fortunately, Roy, our local handyman came round and fixed the leak. The rain has poured down this evening as well, and the fix has held. The rain prolonged my journey back from Manchester as well. So I have had nearly 8 hours driving today. Still, that was my last visit to Manchester for the company. I make my last visit to Hull on Thursday. I won’t miss all the motorway driving, that’s for sure.

Ellie has been busy this week. Monday she had a swimming lesson with the school, which she was very excited about. Later in the day at school she walked into a door at school, and now has a nasty bruise on her forehead (this is no surprise as Ellie is often more concerned with other things, than the direction she is walking/running in). In the evening she had brownies. Today she was on a school trip to Bletchley Park, where they did all the code breaking in ww2 (and was featured in the film Enigma). Then she had dancing class, and has got very excited about the fact she is now registered to do some latin dancing – which means new dancing shoes, and more importantly (according to Ellie), next time Strictly Come Dancing is on she will know all the steps. Its a busy life when you are 8.

The final part of Sense and Sensibility did in fact get my ire up, with its deviations from the story line for the sake of sexing up the story, losing sight of the reality of the characters, and the context. I know this makes me sound like an Austen snob, but it bugs me. The first thing the BBC did at the end of the programme… why, advertise the DVD of S&S. Cultural integrity 0 Commercial opportunity 1.

Lark Rise to Candleford was amusing in parts. I had difficulty with Dawn French, who is a comedienne / comedy actress, trying to play a straight part. There was enough in it for me to watch again next Sunday.

So far, I have resolved the following for the rest of 2008. No chocolate, no chips, no crisps. Hardly a major step in self improvement, but all helps, and there will be more resolutions to come.

Robbie recently played a gig with his band in Aylesbury. These photos were taken of him.

Rob is doing a drum solo at school assembly on Friday morning. That will wake them up

With Tricia and myself unwell over the festive period, we missed out on a NY Eve gathering we had been looking forward to. As we had missed out, our friends invited us along to their place last night, and we had a belated NY Eve party last instead. We did a countdown and celebrated with champagne. What made it seem like NY Eve was that BBC2 was showing a re-run of the Jools Holland ‘Hootenanny’, which celebrates the NY with some great music.

So, Sunday morning, and I am feeling like I didn’t get quite enough sleep, but I am sure I will awaken as the day progresses. I might even think of setting myself some NY resolutions.

Nikki has had an interesting week in Luton hospital. It sounds as if she has been enjoying the experience, but as she is also seeing some of the grimmer side of life, has found it a little daunting at times.

The nintendo wii is continuing to be popular. Robbie has mastered the bowling game to such an extent that yesterday he had 9 strikes out of 10, and scored 277. Not much room left for improvement.

The ‘allo ‘allo rehearsals have been going well. We are upping rehearsals to twice a week, as we have just over 5 weeks to go. My lines are starting to come together, so I can actually think a little more about stage position and timing.

It is very windy outside this morning. I think it may be a day for just staying in…. Tonight is the last part of the latest adaptation of Sense and Sensibility by the BBC. I am not sure why I am watching it, as I have been irritated by the quality, compared to the film that Emma Thompson / Kate Winslet / Hugh Grant did, and angered by the liberty taken with some of the invented dialogue which seems misplaced. But I will still watch the last part, even if it is so that I can moan about it.

till I switch jobs. Not that I am counting

The world is getting back to normal here. Nikki is back at uni – well, she is working in Luton hospital the next few weeks. Her assignment was changed to the surgical ward, so she has been helping post op patients. I think she found her first day somewhat daunting. Robbie and Ellie were back to school today. Tricia was pleased to get the house to herself again.

I spent the morning on school governor duties. We had to review over 300 admission applications, for just 140 spaces. This afternoon I rushed to Hemel Hempstead for a business meeting that was a complete waste of time. Still, it’s another day ticked off.

But the most important news…………. after a problem with the dishwasher yesterday ….. the man came out and fixed it.

The dishwasher is by far and away the most important thing in the house.

Even more important than the Nintendo wii. Which is great fun, but doesn’t clean the plates.

 Well the drugs seem to have done a job, and I am back and just about firing on all cylinders. The xmas decorations came down today, Tricia and Ellie dismantling and packing them all up. It has all been a bit of a damp quib this year, but I can’t complain. It has been a long time since I had been as unwell as I have been the last 10 days, and I don’t think I have ever been like this at xmas time before. So, once every 46 years or so isn’t too bad. Tricia and I bought a family present this year – a nintendo wii. So, whilst either Tricia or me were in bed unwell, the kids didn’t really notice, they were too busy bowling, playing tennis etc.

This was taken xmas morning. Breakfast in the conservatory.

One of my gifts was a sign for the study …..

Beware Grumpy Old Man. Nice

In a while Ellie is off to a school disco. Robbie is playing with his band at the ‘multicultural’ centre in Aylesbury this evening. Nikki has been working today, and is out with some friends this evening. She goes back to uni on Sunday.

At the begining of December there was some mild excitement in the media over Yeti footprints being found now Everest. Well as you can see from this photo, we discovered a Yeti in our living room at Xmas.