If you go down to the woods tonight...

Good Tidings, loyal reader(s), its time for another sparkling update from your truly.

Well New Years Eve went really well, had a nice family do and watched the fireworks over Birmingham at midnight, which were great as usual, although nowhere near as good as just about everywhere else in the world, even London, who haven't put on a decent fireworks display since the 90's, decided to throw some money at a few whizz-bangers, and the results were superb it has to be said.

Anyway on with the start of a new year, and back to work on the Wednesday for possibly one of the longest 3 days ever. Its felt like every second of every minute was dragging, although I am in a job I hate in an office where everyone doesn't talk to each other, apart from bitching about other people in the office, which after about 20 seconds gets very tedious! The only bright spark about Wednesday was that we watched the last in the series of Torchwood, which was, as ever, gripping, even though Russell T Davies does do his level best at destroying a really good story by writing in needless gay sex into a story that wasn't anything to do with the plot, or would have happened, ever! Anyway rant over, can't wait till the next series, where Dr Who should cross over, after coming to get Jack in the last ep, quality, can't wait!

Anyway Thursday night was spent at the pub as ever, swapping Dr Who conspiracy theories with Gareth (how we are both single amazes me!), and bluetoothing practically everything from his phone, which is always nice!

Friday was our office Christmas do, mainly because no one in the office likes each other enough to organise one, so a group of us did, just to spite them, and the buggers came along! We ended up going to Jimmy Spices in Solihull, and having been there before, I know for a fact that everything, and I really do mean everything was overly spiced, and not in a remotely good way! (seriously, even the lettuce was spiced!) Now, you may be thinking 'Dumbass, the clue is in the title', but if you can't even taste the food, what the hell is the point in going there!!? The evening itself was officially great, everyone had a good time, apart from me that is. Now, this is a nice big problem for me, especially going into Law. I don't work well in social situations, never have, hopefully will, but don't know how to. I don't 'do' small talk, and when I hear small talk around me, it just feels awful and fake, and so obviously small talk. So I tend to be quiet when I'm in groups, unless I know the people really well, or am included directly in conversations. One of my many glorious memories from last year is going to an exclusive drinks party in Birmingham for my local law society, where there were very high and mighty Law people from the area hob-nobbing with the likes of me, and about 6 recruiters desperate to find me a job, and I didn't actually speak to anyone (in a room of 70 people) for over 2 and a half hours, not through ignorance or plain rudeness, but through sheer lack of self confidence. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. So basically everyone was chatting and trying to get along, and there I was just sitting there, trying to look like I wanted to be sociable, but just failing to make the grade again. But like I said, a good night was officially had by all, so thats all that matters.

Onto Saturday, which was a quiet one by normal standards, as we were off to visit my cousins on Sunday, who live in Church Stretton, which is a beautiful little village on the border of Shropshire and Wales. It was also the first time I'd given my new Clio a proper run, and it coped superbly on the gentle and not so gently winding lanes. We met up with my cousins and went out for a lovely Sunday lunch at a local pub, which was plate-fillingly fantastic (new phrase, try it out this weekend!). Afterwards I had the choice of either heading back to my cousins house to watch Man Utd v Villa on the telly, or go and visit my elderly aunt, who was in failing health. There was only one real option, for many reasons, so we got to the care home for about 2pm and stayed for about an hour or so, which was nice as we hadn't seen her for a while, as every time we went over, she had fallen over in the night or was just feeling unwell.

So we went back to my cousins house and stayed till just after 5pm, making our excuses and leaving as we had work the next day.

The drive to and from Church Stretton takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Midlands, and as you get closer to the village, the last leg of the journey takes you across the Long Mynd, an area of wonderful views, vast expanses of forest and treacherous roads, the main one being the one we always take. There are many ghost stories associated with the area itself, most of which are to do with a Headless Horseman, who scares the cr*p out of people parked in the main car park overlooking the valleys below. It was a very wet evening when we started to drive back, with sweeping showers keeping visibility to a minimum at times, which kind of adds to the thrill if you are like me and love driving! Now, I do believe in the paranormal, as I've seen too many unexplained things not to be, however I am a rational person and don't jump easily to conclusions (stop sniggering, its true!), but we were just coming round a corner, when suddenly my lights hit a wall of thick fog. Immediately I hit the brakes, thinking that, by the consistency of it, and the fact that we hadn't seen any fog at all up to that point, and the fact that you don't get rain and fog at the same time, that it must be a broken down car dead ahead and I had to try and avoid it, but no sooner had I slammed the brakes, the fog had gone. Now, everyone in the car (me, mom and my very unsuperstitious aunt), thought it was very weird, as the mist or fog itself was about 10 foot high and the width of the road, but it was literally just like a wall of it, not a glimpse of it before or after. Needless to say, we were speechless and more than a little scared by the whole situation.

Today, Monday, was ended on a sour note. We got home to hear the news that my aunt, who we saw yesterday, had died at the age of 96. It was very sad news, however in a way we were expecting it, as, when we saw her on the Sunday, she really wasn't looking well and wasn't eating at all. She was always the cool aunt who you could always rely on to tell the odd dirty joke (from years of being married to a heavy-drinking irishman!), always told you the most fascinating stories from when she was growing up, always had time for you, and was always enjoying life to the full. She really will be missed by the whole family, but I think in the end it was more of a relief for her, as both her sight and her hearing had diminished dramatically, and that for anyone would make you very down and depressed.

So, unfortunately I leave you on a sad note. Hopefully I'll fall over something or get possessed by an unearthly spirit and go on a comical rampage, for your amusement in the next post!

TTFN