…And A Happy New Year
January 4th, 2010 by 
gddik
Well, it’s over for another 12 months, I guess. The annual spendfest that Christmas has become is behind us once again, and 2010 is safely under way.
Having been away for the last 6 days, first in Kent, where the New Year was celebrated most convivially with relatives, and then Shrewsbury, I have come home to a house that hasn’t been heated for nearly a week, with the temperature at minus 5 celsius (according to my vehicle…). The central heating has been on for about 6 hours, and it is only just getting up to something approaching warm in the house. God, I hate winter!
This contrasts starkly with the Cuban experience, where it was over 30 celsius for the majority of our 12 days’ stay in October / November. I won’t bore you with the minutiae of the trip, but it was a real eye-opener - an exercise in humility-making and an object lesson in post-Soviet socialism at work. A fascinating trip, really well organised by Voyager Cuba of Kent. The Cuban economy being what it is means that you don’t actually have to spend a lot of money while you’re there - there’s not a lot to spend it on except tips, so you can have a really good trip for not a lot of cash. I thoroughly recommend it.
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2010 be all that you wish it to be.
Posted in Stream of Semi-Consciousness | 
January 7th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
And a very happy new year to you too. You should have a log fire - that would have warmed up your living room for a bit
January 7th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Thankee, kind lady.
I actually do have a log-burner, but it’s complete rubbish. It gives virtually no heat out, and is a pain to keep going.
We pressed it into service about 3 years ago, when our central heating boiler packed up on Christmas Day, and it made almost no difference. It was still chuffin’ freezing.