24 December 2023 (Sunday) - Dull Christmas Eve

I came downstairs this morning to find Bailey waiting for me, together with wall-to-wall dire rear. You’d be surprised how much dire rear a small dog can generate.
I had a little clear-up then set about plunging the bath plug-hole. It gets bunged up with the mud washed from the dogs.
I was exhausted by the time I get to sit down with some toast and have a look at Facebook. This morning several people were wishing the world a Happy Christmas. I saw notices advertising  parties that happened on Friday evening. I saw the same post about some German woman’s cat on half a dozen different Spark-related pages that I follow. And (amazingly) quite a few pubs were posting that today was the last chance for a pint with them. Tomorrow would only be for be customers who had pre-booked, and then they were closing until 8th January. Whilst I understand that people need a break, why not stay open for the time between Christmas and New Year when people may well still be celebrating, and why not close on 8th January?
I downloaded bank statements, got the leads onto the dogs and we went for a walk.
 
We drove up to Kings Wood where there were fifty people (all dressed as “Where’s Wally”) all with their dogs having a little party with tables and food. Apparently they were a group who regularly go running in the wood with their dogs and were having their Christmas bash.
We walked into the woods and after five minutes stopped. A pair of women were walking up the path toward us with three or four dogs each. All on leads, all pulling in different directions, all barking and snarling. One of the women shouted asking if we might like to give them some space. I didn’t say anything but just did an “about turn”. Pretty much the same thing happened a couple of miles further on when some chap saw us and announced “lead on – again!”.
Mind you we did meet a nice family and their small dog, and they seemed amazed (and incredibly grateful) when I offered their little dog a treat.
 
With walk walked we got back to the car with something of a sense of relief. Usually we walk the woods mid-week and if we see more than two other dog walkers then that is a lot. Today we must have seen over a dozen other groups… but all within half a mile of the car park and on the main tracks.
 
Once home I washed the mud from three bellies, and the fox poo from Bailey, then looked at those bank statements I’d downloaded earlier. Being something of a miser I account for every penny I spend… and sometimes it turns out that I don’t spend as much as I think. The fifty quid’s worth of clothing I bought from Peacock’s last June has never appeared on any statement. Neither has an e-book I bought from Amazon in October. In the past I’ve had tank-fuls of petrol and pub bar bills not coming through either.
It's all about the little victories…
My Boy TM” and Cheryl popped round with Christmas pressies and stayed for a while, then I posted up the last episode of this year’s Advent Calendar, had a shower and went to bed for the afternoon.
 
I slept for a couple of hours until “er indoors TM returned with Daddy’s Little Angel TM” and “Darcie Waa Waa TM. They are here for Christmas…  I’m off to work.

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