Yesterday it was 2011, today is 2012. This is blog post that spans 2 years. Ladies and gentlemen, happy new year!
I'm a mess today. I'll explain why through the course of this. That's sort of a hook to keep you reading. Not that you should need one.
Yesterday I woke up in my own bed, with my lovely wife and daughter asleep in the cot next to me. It was good. A very pleasant way to start the end of the year. Melissa and Penny latterly went out to see a friend and collect the 6 year old Joss from her cousin Claire. We'd (Melissa'd) agreed that we'd look after her over night. While she was out, I hoovered the house, cleaned the kitchen made the bed in my own kind of way and prepared the cats for the arrival of their chief tormentor, Joss.
And so, she came. The cats vanished. I had to supervise Joss while Melissa prepared herself and some party snacks. It went well, but I was getting very stressed. Too much noise, too many people... Intense.
Once we were all ready we loaded the car up and headed to Melissa's mum and dad's for a new years eve party. The house was packed, and I was looking forward to getting a drink. But of course, we'd left all the booze in our house, so I had to head home to pick it up. More stress.
I started drinking red wine when I got back and didn't look back. I loitered mainly in the kitchen where it was nice and cool, and when Melissa was having trouble, I got Penny off to sleep and sat with her for 20 minutes, just making sure she was off.
In the mean time, Melissa had persuaded everyone that karaoke was a good idea and had shot home (once again) to collect Wii Sing and some USB microphones. While she was out, Penny woke up and kicked off royally. I cuddled her and soothed her but she wanted mummy, and as soon as Melissa came back Penny calmed right down, but wouldn't go back to sleep.
In the end, she was up singing karaoke with her dad and mum and the neighbours until 11:30pm. She was shit though.
Midnight came, and just as I was checking my phone to start the countdown my mum, dad and brother phoned, so I brought the new year in with them which was nice.
There are a couple of photos to post at this point, but my internet is being shit once again, so my apologies but they're not happening.
Bedtime, then. Melissa and I were given an airbed to blow up. But no pump. It also had a strange shaped valve that wouldn't fit in a normal human mouth, so Melissa and Penny slept in bed with her mum and I had one couch while my father in law had the other.
My father in law snores like a rusty chainsaw raping another, even rustier chainsaw. He also has a penchant for shitty Hammer horror movies. Needless to say, there wasn't a great amount of sleeping down. But, when I did drift off, and then wake up due to the snoring I previously mentioned, I became engrossed in a documentary about Michael Watson, the boxer that Chris Eubank paralysed. Then, I couldn't stop watching the sporting review of the year.
I did not sleep well, and at 8am I also drove back to our house. I went to tell Melissa, and her mum said she was going to get up, which meant I could sleep in her bed. Bliss. Until, about an hour later Joss ran into the room, jumped on the bed and started screaming "WAKE UP UNCLE MARTYN!". I said "No" and she left, somewhat disappointed.
Than, it was almost 11am and I felt halfway human. I drove home, showered, went back to collect Melissa, Penny, Joss, and Sophie from next door for a trip to Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester. Just what a man with a hangover needs.
We met uncle Dave, his wife Claire and their 2 kids Maggie and Gracie there, Gracie turned 10 today, Legoland was her birthday treat, and we all had a lovely time. It was a little expensive, but not a bad way to keep so many little kids entertained.
Home, then, via Crosby to drop Joss off.
Penny's bathed, we're gonna have some scran and Melissa is bedroom bound, allowing me full access to the TV, and the Wii, to play some Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword.
Happy New Year to all of you and yours.
Thanks again for reading, see you tomorrow! If I can maintain my internet for any length of time...
