Friday turned out to be a busy day – I had to work for a start. We had a Leadership & Management Self Assessment meeting that took up the best part of the morning, so the jokes with Scally were very few and far between. I would like to point out that I’ve still not given in – this time I’m going to win – Yes I am!



And don’t let it be said I don’t admit to my mistakes. Not only am I putting my hand up, but I’m waving it about as well. Because Friday was also the day Aidan and I looked at the cock-up I’d made with the wages in September. There’s one thing you can rely on with me – if I’m going to fuck something up, I don’t do it by halves. It took the pair of us nearly two hours to sort it out. OK, Aidan did need to go outside for a cigar on a couple of occasion and at one stage had to be talked off the fire escape – but we sorted it in the end.



Friday night was great, we had a lovely meal and Stephen enjoyed being the centre of attention, as well as spoilt rotten. Himself had a fright when his meal turned up – he’d ordered ribs. He couldn’t decide which animal they had come from – someone suggested a whale.



++++



Most of today was spent cleaning – which I’m sure you will have already worked out isn’t top of my agenda, but it had got to the stage that I needed to do something about the dust on the TV – we couldn’t see the picture for a start.



++++



I also made a Chili con Carne - guess what - I don’t like cooking either. Usually, as I’m the only one that likes it, I buy a jar or frozen one. I’ve made one before, but it was a bit too runny and bland. This one was much better; it was the right consistency, smelt good and looked like a chili should. I reckon that if I don’t put so much chili powder in next time I’ll be able to eat it.



++++



Tomorrow Tracy and I are off the NEC for the Festive Gift Fare – It’s something we’ve gone to together for the last four year. I’m pretty sure I can tell you now what will happen.



We’ll arrive at about 10.00am – after setting out at 8.00am and getting lost. No, even after four years, I still go the wrong way. We’ll walk around for about two and a half hours, buying one or two items, if we’re lucky - one year we brought nothing at all. Half way around we’ll purchase some sort of Italian bread roll for me and a Chelsea bun sort of thing for Tracy. We’ll eat a few bites of them – decide they’re too dry and say we’ll eat them later at home. They’ll then get put in our bags and thrown away – yes, some people never learn, but they always look delicious. We’ll also walk past the stand selling different cheeses about five times – and each time we walk past we’ll sample something. About 12ish we’ll sit by the Christmas tree and eat our packed lunch and then finish looking around, decide that we’ve had enough and that it would be better to go to Merry Hill instead.



My unique sense of direction will then kick in and instead of the 30 miles it should be to get there – I’ll take a short cut, via Shirley last year – well, surely all of Birmingham leads to Merry Hill, doesn’t it? No it doesn’t – last year we rang himself from the mobile and he had to talk us back to Merry Hill. He couldn’t understand why we were so far away and he knows me! Anyway 45 miles later we’ll get to Merry Hill and then spend a small fortune.There is absolutely no point in being different if you don’t show it.