Playing by the Cambridge Rules.

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It seems it's the custom at this time of the year that the first time you speak to someone since the holidays, you start the conversation with "Happy New Year".  But how long are we supposed to do that for?  If I bump into someone at the end of January, am I still supposed to say "Happy New Year" - maybe with a bit of a sarcastic smile by then?   How about February?  March?  Am I supposed to still start the conversation with "Happy New Year" if there's a friend I don't see until August?

I am not a great fan of New Year.  Admittedly the London fireworks were great this year, but I'm sure the Olympic ones will be better.  It's nice to see people, and nice to have a few cocktails (of which more later...) but it's possible to do that at any other time of year without the transport troubles and the inability to order a takeaway or pop out to the off-licence.

Cocktails are always fun though.  This New Year, we decided to play by the Cambridge rules. That is to say - you take four or five different alcoholic ingredients and mix them together until the whole thing turns a nice colour.  Then you taste it.  If it's nice, you drink it and if it tastes nasty, then you down it and start again.  It's a fun game, but best played just once a year, I think.

Christmas passed me by completely this year.  There were a few cards on the sideboard and a big tree in the corner covered in lights, but the festive feeling completely passed me by.  I ate a few mince pies and even tried singing Christmas songs at the piano but still I couldn't bring myself to feel Christmassy.  I guess once you're not a kid anymore, Christmas becomes a time to relax with time off work rather than a time to get excited and have high energy levels.  It was nice to rest though.

Anyway, it's 2012 - how did that get here so quickly?  I've promised myself I'm going to write in here more often this year... let's see how that goes...





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