Pillings Lock Marina#6

Pillings Lock Marina 2009#6

Hi folks, when you receive this blog, hopefully you will still be looking forward to the cebrelations, hic! If not then the new year will be almost upon us.

Today is Friday 18th December and we only have a week to go to the great day, but before then, this coming Sunday, I’m heading off to Harlow for a pre-Christmas drink with Alan. I’m also popping in to see my good friends Dave and Les and their daughter Colette. I’m also planning on dropping off cards to David and June.

The above statement of intent does depend upon the weather of course, and that’s not looking too rosy at present. You lot who live in the south east look set to bear the brunt of the snow, which puts me in a difficult position because, if it’s fine up here but heavy snow cover down there, I could be stuck and unable to get back to the boat.

Yesterday the timber pontoons here were pretty lethal to walk upon, although that was later in the day. We did manage to get out for the paper around midday, but our neighbour Marion had to take Rusty for walkies, because Wifey was slipping all over the place. Marion, in her infinite wisdom, has a pair of boots that grip really well on icy surfaces, whereas Wifey does not.

As you all know, I’ve enjoyed a drink or two in my time but, as I’ve grown old and, perhaps, a little wiser, I’ve slowed down considerably. Nowadays I only insist on my Sunday lunchtime tipple, and that doesn’t really amount to much, although, we do enjoy a glass of wine with dinner some nights.

The pub that we usually visit on Sundays, is the Quorndon Fox, which is quite a big place with rooms going here and there in all directions. In a normal year we would be there on Christmas Day but, since it is always quite busy on any normal Sunday, I rather think we may have trouble finding a seat, and so we might just give it a miss this year, and that will be a first. I absolutely never, ever miss Christmas Day at the pub.

Anyway, back to the weather which, at the moment is looking pretty cold and frosty and the snow will probably reach us later today. With a bit of luck and a tail wind it will have gone by Sunday morning, but that is in the lap of the gods.

Wednesday 23rd December and we’re still in the grip of bitterly cold conditions.

It’s almost 7 am and I enjoyed the best sleep in ages last night, going right through from 10 pm until 3.20 am before Mother nature intervened by insisting I do the right thing. After that it wasn’t until 5.30 that I woke up again, but that was to the sound; all too common of late; of our wee pooch scratching at the side of the bed.

Like I said, that’s the first real, good nights sleep I’ve had for a while, and that’s because the man flu has finally given my body and head back to me, with the help of plenty of Beecham’s Powders, which are always on standby in the medicine cupboard.

Yesterday, despite the icy conditions, which only really applied to our lane, we paid a quick visit to Tesco for the bulk of our Christmas shopping. We much prefer Morrison’s but, as it is across the other side of town and their turkeys and ducks are probably no better in quality or price, we took the easy option. Any other small items we need today or tomorrow, we can pick up in Quorn.

Our 12 volt refrigerator is not that big, built as it is for use in caravans, bit my dearly beloved manages, somehow, to cram everything into it every time we shop. Sadly, after all her best efforts yesterday, she was beaten by the lowly crumpets. She just could not squeeze them in and refused to remove my beer cans to make space for them. Ain’t she just the sweetest wife I could have?

Today we are dining out at the Marina Restaurant, which now has an Italian draught lager on sale. For the general public this costs – wait for it - £3.40 a pint!! Whaaat? But, to us lowly, hard-up boaters, with our 10% deduction, it’s only £3.07, which is OK by me, although even that is a bit steep when Guinness at the Fox is only £2.95. However, it does mean I don’t have to drive into the village and risk a tug by Mr. Plod.

I have to confess that, with the heavy cold gripping me for a few days, I have done nothing to the recipe book and I’ve had no guitar practice either. But that will change over the following few days, yes, even on Christmas Day. But, also due to the cold, I didn’t get to visit Harlow for our pre-Christmas drink and this is the first we’ve missed in many years, including our time on Shiralee.

Now, it is very doubtful that any of you, my dear readers, will be anywhere near your computers on Christmas Day but, since I will still be up at my usual time, that is when I intend posting this, the last blog of 2009. So, please try to be in attendance when it drops into your mail boxes.

Cheers for now!

Christmas Eve and no let up in the icy conditions but, strange to say, we had a short smattering of rain last night. Hopefully, up here in t’ north, it will thaw out soon. I really don’t care if it persists for days on end, just as long as it’s not icy or snowy.

Yesterday we managed a drive into Quorn for last minute bits and pieces, as you do and we followed that by a visit to our marina restaurant for lunch. Well, heck, it’s Christmas and we’re not likely to drive into the village tomorrow, the Quorndon Fox will be bursting at the seams.

Our restaurant though has two sittings for Christmas Dinners tomorrow, one at 12.30 and the other at 3 pm. The later one is fully booked but, in order to give some of us residents a chance to call in for a beer or three, they haven’t filled all the 12.30 spots. So, just so that I can say I haven’t missed a Christmas Day drink, I will probably be there. Whether Sheila will join me is another gether altomatter, ‘cos she just might be slaving over a hot stove.

The problem with Christmas dinner on a boat is the size of the cooker and the available work space. I think that, after the last time back in 2007, she might decide to cook the bird today and just have the veg, sausage rolls and mince pies to do tomorrow, in which case she’ll join me for a drink tomorrow.

Did you see the programme about Grumpy Old Christmas, or something like that, last night? Now, I have to agree that the whole thing is far too commercialised, but it is only once a year. Still, they do have a point when they show hoards of people manically filling up shopping trolleys, after all the shops are only shut for the one day. Then there are the family rows, the tons of wrapping paper, the left-over food and the gifts that some folks don’t really want.

On top of that, and this has nothing to do with celebrating Christmas, you have the C of E holding it’s hand out for money for a restoration project. This is one of the richest landowners in the country and their going around with the begging bowl. And it’s not just aimed at parishioners and regular church-goers, it’s also aimed at the tax payer. Here we are, virtually bankrupt as a country, indeed, we’re almost at Third World status, and this lot expect us to bail them out just like we did with the banks. Is there no end to the greed and stupidity of some of our, supposedly, highly esteemed organisations. If the church wants money then they should sell some churches and sack some cardinals and vicars, every other big organisation has had to do so, why not them?

That’s that off my chest then!

Tomorrow is another day and, to some, a time of celebration. As for me, I just go with the flow and try to enjoy the atmosphere. The only thing I’ll miss is the drink with Alan, but that will have to wait until after the festivities.

Now, we had some bad news a while ago regarding our cousin Pauline, who has now had an operation to remove a tumour from the neck of her pancreas. If any of you, my esteemed readers’, is of a praying disposition, not just now but at any time of year, please offer one up for Pauline’s speedy recovery. For anyone else, please give her a kind thought when sitting down to dinner and wish for her speedy return to her loving family.

At last, the great day has arrived and I hope you are all well. It is now 7 am on Christmas Day 2009 and, as promised, I’m going to post this, my last blog of 2009. We both hope you have had a good year so far and wish you all well for the future.

Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year to you all!
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.