Hello stranger

and happy Most Depressing Day of the Year!

Our New Year resolution is to make some decisions about the future. Current options: a) stay in Edinburgh b) move back home or c) do something else. Easy.

What else?

Christmas was lovely. Quiet, relaxed, pretty big tree, food, chocolate and pressies. The only disappointment was that I really really wanted a reindeer outfit for Shep, but they were all sold out.

New Year's was spent in the grounds of a psychiatric hospital - just visiting a friend who works there (at least he says he's a doctor). Friends, food (haggis, neeps and tatties), chocolate, fireworks accompanied by a bagpiper.

Shep has acquired even more embarrassing nicknames, but despite this seems to have adjusted to his new life. Before Christmas he spent a few days testing first me and then M, checking if he really needs to do as he is told, but then gave up and is now the happy no-responsibilities no-worries member of the household. And a couple of weeks ago he got his butt well and truly kicked in a fight (by a girl. She was a real bitch, though...), but that's what you get from having no doggy manners.

Rain, clouds, darkness, more rain. After a miserable summer, the autumn was brilliantly sunny, but the winter so far has been again miserable. Weather reports have used words "horrendous", "really nasty" and "gale and flood warning" a lot. For the first time ever, I think I have SAD symptoms.

Except: last Saturday was the most glorious winter day. Sunny blue skies, tons and tons of snow, no wind and a few degrees below zero. And best of all, I was quite pleased with my snowboarding and did not get hurt once. No, correction, that was second best. Bestest of the best was the sun+snow. Piccies to come.