I’m not often ill. I put that down to my surname – it implies a strong constitution. But when I am, like today, I don’t half feel sorry for myself. I felt a sore throat starting last night, and food started tasting odd – not unpleasant, just different. At one in the morning, I woke up with a massively painful (for which, read ’somewhat uncomfortable’) throat. I pretended that it wasn’t there and I would be able to get back to sleep. This lasted about half an hour, at which point I got up, put on my dressing gown, went downstairs and took a couple of paracetemol. The cats, unusually, did not think this was a sign that they would be having a midnight feed and left me unmolested. Once back in bed I began shivering, waking Claire in the process, and then gradually drifted back into unconciousness. So, I am ill and have been mainlining hot ribena and a drink made from honey, lemons and hot water. However ill I am, though, I cannot take the rest of the week off work – so I shall go into the office tomorrow (though will probably not walk the three-and-a-half miles) and spread my germs around the office just in time for Christmas. I shall also tell anyone who will listen about how ill I am feeling. Spreading the festive joy.

Speaking of which, this will be my last posting on this blog before Christmas. The other blog will have a bit going on it – including the making of Christmas Tutti Fruti wine, which I started yesterday and is currently sitting in its bucket in the kitchen cooling down so I can add the yeast.

Merry Christmas one and all. I will be back before the new year – probably with some sort of summary of 2011 (which has been a massively strange year).