Well the New Year seemed to have carried on where the last one left off for me. I went back to work on the 2nd Jan, went into the gym to blow the cobwebs away, and then went in on the Thursday and the Friday… and then went down with a cold again. It is only in the last few days that I have started to feel that I have got over the cold, and the cough that went with it.  My nose no longer feels like a war zone, and it is not quite so tender…

It’s all quiet in the house. Robbie went back to Northampton on Sunday the 6th Jan, Nikki went out to Germany with the Bobsleigh squad a week later. So, it is just the three of us at home at the moment. Robbie has gained an ‘internship’ with a gaming studio in Northampton… the opportunity came through the Uni. He had an interview when he gopt back and was offered the position…. he doesn’t get paid but gets experience which he can put on his cv, and if he does well he should get a decent reference. He seems happy with how things are going.

Nikki has been less happy. After a good opening half to the season, culminating in the world juniors 3rd place, she had been told she would be on World Cup and World Championship races in the New Year… and then over the Christmas period was told different… it seems a change in selection policy, and being told she isn’t quick enough, and all of a sudden she is on the fringes. On a normal racing track Nikki isn’t as quick as some of the other girls, but on ice with a bobsleigh in front of her she outperforms the other girls, and you would think that is what counted. But apparently not… Anyhow she is being quite professional about the situation. She came 4th in a Europa Cup race on Friday in Konniggssee, and has now moved on to St Moritz for the World Champs… she doesn’t know if she is going to get the opportunity to push one of the bobs though. Then in a couple of weeks she is off to Sochi for the Olympic test event. Seems competition for places on the team in a years time has started to get intense.

Ellie is back into the swing of things. She was selected for a school dancing competition called ‘Rock Challenge’. One of my New Years resolutions was to try and get myself a little less busy… but I seem to have failed. Couple of weeks back I got a call from Winslow players to say one of the men in their panto had dropped out, so could I help out…. so I said yes, and now I am in the midst of learning lines and doing rehearsals. Oh well.

The weather is pants… I don’t like the snow. It makes everything more difficult. It has snowed all day today, so I will probably work from home tomorrow, doesn’t seem to make sense to spend excessive amounts of time in the car that I could use working at home. But I would rather have a normal day where I could go to the gym, work etc etc. Last night Tricia and I went to the village ‘Burns night’. I had to do the ‘Immortal Memory’… it seemed to be received quite well.

Some piccies… first Nikki on TV… this was on sky sports, and nothing to do with bobsleigh, she went to see Wasps play rugby at Wycombe. The game was being televised, and she was filmed talking to a player before hand. Then one of London Bridge at night… I went out for a meal with some colleagues, one who was visiting from India. Then a slightly blurred one of me speaking last night, and one Tricia took in the village today of the snow. And finally, our Christmas tree in the back garden very snow laden, looking like a proper Christmas tree.. and a view from the window this evening.