So it's 2022.... Again!

 I remember many years ago - in the age of the chequebook (how old am I). When it was always a nightmare when we moved from one year to the next. I'd constantly get bounced cheques because I'd written the wrong year at the top of the cheque.

Well if we still had cheques I'd not have a problem this year! Things have been so strange over the last 2 years I've been struggling to remember it's 2021 and not 2022 since July. To the point that I honestly thought we were going into 2023 and when looking for New Years (NY) eve decorations I was getting very irritated I couldn't find anything for 2023.

So anyway, I worked all of last week and am so glad I did. I decided to work on the bank holidays as I wanted to get stuff done and knew that nobody else would be around. It was a genius stroke - as along with those 2 days and the rest of the week when most people were off I managed to get the same amount of work done that it would normally take me 3 weeks. 

Just goes to show the impact constant interruptions and over long meetings have - doesn't it!

On Friday I started at 07:00 and worked through lunch so I could finish early and prep for NY eve. We weren't going anywhere, but I'd decided to try to make it a big one to make up for a bit of a damp squib of a Christmas. So I finished and duly spent 2 hours making food for the evening and we decorated the sitting room so it was all NY'sevy. 

At 6.00 a friend turned up with their son. They had no plans to stay with us for the whole evening, but stayed for food and a few games. 

Husband and I had decided to do cocktails - we're not usually cocktail people, but that's sorta why I thought it was a good idea - to do something a bit different if we were staying in. I'd ordered lots of pre-made cocktails with our weekly shop. Turns out husband and I are still not cocktail kinda people. We hated them!!! So we soon moved off cocktails and onto prosecco/wine.

Friend left about 9.00 and I spent half an hour explaining to son that if he was staying up with us til midnight it was not going to be an opportunity for him to watch extra hours of YouTube. We decided to play Cludo which I'd bought as an extra for son for Christmas. Turns out it was invented in the village we live in. How cool is that!

A couple of games of Cludo down and we turned up the music (I'd spent £2.40 on a NY party album). I was enjoying the music far more than everybody else it turns out. Son was horrified to see his mother dancing drunkenly around the sitting room. He's got a sleepover in a few weeks and I'm considering doing a repeat then - so all his friends can join in the fun!!! (I'll not do that, I promise).

By the time we got to 11.00 son and I were on our last legs trying to stay awake. In fact I started to clear up so I could go to sleep as soon as it turned to the NY year. We all watched the rather uninspiring fireworks in London on the television and then pranced about singing auld lang syne (or however it's spelt). The only problem with that was that it pepped me up - it meant it took me to my second wake.

Son went to bed and husband and I ended up sitting up until 4.00am playing music and chatting.

Fast forward to NY day - I woke on the sofa at 11:45 - with a mouth like sandpaper and a pounding head. Turns out cocktails, wine and prosecco drunk over about a 10 hour period is not a great idea!

So NY day was somewhat quiet. We took dog down to seafront for a walk - along with the rest of the world. It's always like that NY day - lots of people walking around trying to clear their hangovers. It was a bit like the initial lockdown when everybody headed for the seafront - apart from us - we headed in the opposite direction. But this year we joined the throng until we got to a slipway which took us down onto the beach for a walk that only the locals use. Much quieter and only a few people around (thank goodness the tide was out).

Today is the next day - rest of family have gone to sister in-laws for a late NY party. I however, am all partied out and have lots of chores to do. So I've wimped out. I feel a bit guilty, but relieved at the same time. I still have about another 4 chores to do before I get to sit down.

Only other thing to discuss is my stomach - oh and what a thing it is to discuss. As I was stressed before Christmas break I'd given up being good about carbs and hadn't focussed too well on my 2 famine days. Then over Christmas and NY I let myself go completely.

As a result since October I have put on the grand total of a stone. And my goodness I can feel it. I feel like my stomach is a lead weight that's pulling me down to the ground and my thighs are just very there (not sure how to explain that). Tomorrow I start a huge NY diet - well basically being good and going back to normal. That is no carbs and famine days on Monday and Wednesday (ie. live off 500 calories for the day).

Thing is I literally cannot wait. I don't think it's going to be easy though - doubtless my stomach capacity has trebled (it certainly feels like it).

WATCH THIS SPACE!