[FLYING BANANA]

................................. was spent eating a cracking dinner complete with a fresh salmon starter followed by the turkey main course and finished off with a flaming Xmas pud fired up by some surplus Jim Beam. Surplus??
In between the main course and flaming pud Val went out to a relatives house to take a Xmas dinner. Whilst she was gone Debbie and I washed and wiped up whilst Allen put everything away. And of course there was still more falling down water to be consumed. Nice couple of bottles of Rose wine needed to be gone.

Once Val was back the pud was dished up with a choice of proper Cornish Clotted Cream or Baileys flavoured cream. I was holding up well but could start to feel the cold starting to take hold. We retired to the lounge to open a few presents and then Allen made the tea for Val, Barbara and Debbie. I had to make do with a pint of Rattler with a Jameson chaser. For the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening my glass was never empty. Plus my voice was on it’s way out again.

Debbie’s brother popped in with his wife and daughter. More tea but not for me. After they went home. Debbie was off to see her sons but was going to drop Barbara off home first thus saving Val the trip.
About 7pm I Decided to go home, was not feeling my best. Think the cold was really starting to kick in big time, nothing to do with the Jameson’s, honestly.
I was quite prepared to walk home but Val n Allen insisted they would drive me home, well Val would be driving.
I was ever so grateful for the lift.

Once in doors I basically just went to bed. Had a lousy night coughing, sneezing and a nose that needed a new washer. Managed to get downstairs to make myself a Lemsip and take some cough mixture. Seemed to work as I slept till 08.00.
Got up but kept my PJ’s on. That’s a sign of me being unwell not getting dressed.
I got myself downstairs and made a cuppa, ate a banana and prepared a casserole in the slow cooker. Then I went back to bed. Set the alarm for 2 pm. The casserole would be ready by then.

Just got downstairs at 2pm when Allen phoned to make sure I was ok. I assured him I was ok. I did say I had a permanent headache from all that coughing. Allen said to take a couple of paracetamol. Good idea.
Ate some of the casserole, tasted of nothing. Washed up and put everything away. Nearly 15.00, right where is the paracetamol? None to be found but I did find some Co-codamol, so I took two of them plus a Lemsip max and a large glug of cough mixture and went to bed.

19 hours later I woke up. The cold was gone, still have slight cough though. I slept solid for 19 hours, think I may have woke up a couple of times. I know I sweated a lot as the sheets, quilt and PJ’s were wet.
Actually got dressed after I had a shower to wash away that sweaty feeling that covers your body.
Had a bit of breakfast and checked the club shop. Numerous orders to be compiled. Calendars, pens, mugs and new membership packs to be got ready.

Well, here we are on the 29th. (Someone’s birthday today), happy to have spent Xmas in my new home. Going to see the New Year in here as well. I have no desire to travel back up to London, although I will be on the 9th and returning on the 12th, which coincides with a breakfast meet on the way home. I expect I’ll take the Bear for a change.
Been here 6 months and 3 weeks now and am still loving it.

On Christmas Day whilst we was in the pub, Allen asked me if I had any regrets on moving down, without any hesitation I replied No. No regrets at at all. Glad I did it, glad I moved.

So No Going Back...........................

(Many thanks for the kind comments and the pm’s. Means a lot to have so many friends out there.
I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR)