A Return to "Normality"

Is it over?
Can I now return to my general moaning & grumpiness without having a specific time period/celebration to attach it to?

Yes - the 10 day weekend has finished, clearing up has been done and the folly of having a tree inside your house is over for another 11 and a bit months.

So how was it?
One long round of going out, people coming round, washing up, cooking, cleaning etc - not much relaxing during daylight hours happened.

A typical day was:

• Get up
• Eat Breakfast
• Wake up properly (whilst drinking coffee, smoking and watching repeats of Top Gear)
• Make breakfast for the wife and/or the kids (now aged 13, 15, 16 & 17 - not really kids anymore, but in my world all of them are still only 12)
• Clear up, Wash Up (Clean house and sweep up floors if visitors are due)
• Prepare Lunch - Eat Lunch
• Clear up, Wash Up (for the second time)
• Potter about a bit
• Prepare Dinner - Eat Dinner
• Clear up, Wash Up (again)
• Eat Cheese
• Have a drink and start to relax for the evening
• Eat some more Cheese
• Watch crap on the telly whilst drinking and eating (probably more cheese)
• Fall asleep on sofa => wake up & go to bed
• Repeat for 10 days

As is traditional, on Boxing Day I was struck by the normal Christmas affliction, ie a complete loss of appetite & mild insomnia.

The other great Tradition is for stuff to get broken in the intervening time between Christmas Eve and New Year.  Previous years breakdowns have included: Central Heating, Car, burst water pipes and viruses on computers and laptops.
This year the list is thankfully short:

1. my tooth (ow!)
2. the plastic bit on the end of the bathroom light chord
3. battery in the laptop

The Laptop battery should be an easy fix.  Just visit a local PC retailer to procure the spare part.

This morning I went to PC World and asked if they sold laptop batteries.

The bobble-hat wearing, fly catching, vacantly staring assistant replied: "only available from partmaster.co.uk"

(shame, rather hoped to be able to get it today, rather than waiting 3 or so days for delivery, but hey-ho, never mind, needs must and all that)

And then it dawned on me:

How do I get on the internet without any power source to the Laptop?
Fortunately, I use a Desktop PC and the laptop is the wifes - but I know people who have rid themselves of their desktop and only us a Laptop

Oh well - back to work tomorrow.  Can't remember what I was doing when I finished, what needs to be done and I'm not entirely sure I can remember my logon password either.

Happy New Year to anyone who reads this