It’s been a funny old year. Whereas before we were fairly well off, now I’m in the position of needing a new jacket and wondering whether I can just get by with what I have. We’re paying a horrific amount to heat our house because it’s so draughty and the landlady, despite her promises, hasn’t done anything about it.

My computer is also painfully slow. I built it over three years ago, which in computing terms is a lifetime. I used to have hours to research new components and the money to buy them. Now I have neither.

And I’m working on the 27th of December, and not the kind of work that I used to get away with, clocking on in the morning, pissing around on the internet all day and heading home. This is real, proper work and it doesn’t end when we close either.

So what do we have?

Two healthy, happy children;
A good marital relationship;
A roof over our heads;
Our health;
A 24″ iMac (okay, that’s Lorraine’s but it still counts);
Jobs;
A 3-mile commute to work with views of snow-capped mountains and no traffic;
Some great guitars, a mandolin and a great bunch of friends to play with;

And on the flip-side:

My computer is too slow;
I don’t have enough free time;
We’re skint and coming in to the quietest month for the business;

I guess I have a problem with gratitude and get overwhelmed with day-to-day living. It’s a common problem.

So that’s about it for now. I have a lot of Christmas photos and video to upload and will add them to the blog soon. I should have more time for blogging this year, although it’ll likely be all me, me, me without much responding to others. It’s the time, folks.

Merry Christmas.