"At least New Year wont be as bad as Christmas..." I thought, and thereby poking fate with a sodding big and exceedingly pointy stick...
"Remember that time we came home from holiday and the computer died?" said Number 1 Son on the way back from Xmas... and thereby poking fate with a sodding big and exceedingly pointy stick...

So its midday on New Years Eve and the PC dies in spectacular fashion. The computer repair place is shut, of course. Opens again tomorrow.
We go and buy a new laptop before the VAT goes back up again tomorrow. We buy it at Tesco because we have £150 of vouchers and we can afford it that way, though I'd rather buy it from anyplace else!
Xmas spirit is in evidence as people shove, curse and abuse one another in the aisles. The place is heaving. I say "Excuse me" (literally that and nothing else) to two guys of about 19 who are pretty much blocking the aisle. As I go past they call me a cunt, a fucking piece of shit, a paedophile, and several other things. I park my trolley further down the aisle and return to get something from the shelf. Obviously I was so rude by asking them to move in that way, they take my trolley, remove most of the items from it and leave me wandering around a completely packed shop for twice as long as need be.
I'm pretty pissed, but Wifey tells me to calm down and reminds me I'll end up getting the bad end of it if I do anything or challenge them. Thanks. I needed to hear that. Because all I can hear from you is not "never mind, it will be alright" but "You are a loser and always will be - so don't bother."
Of course when we get home the new laptop wont connect to the Internet. I have no idea why, but Wifey badgers me to sort it out. I know very little about computers, and don't really know where to start... She knows less, but wont stop telling me what to do. Eventually I get a connection of a sort, but not a good one. At least I am left alone for a while.
I get an hours sleep. but I wake feeling very rough.
Then we pay a flying visit to the sister in law to see the family. Lawyer niece is going to work at a function for the evening. Socialworker niece is going out with new boyfriend. The boys are all out.
We get home after dropping Number 1 Son off at a party.
Home again to a cold house, crap telly and party food. I find it somehow bleak and ironic as 'party' is the last thing I want. I have a couple of beers and want to go to bed by 10. I do go to bed at 11 and watch the New Year Hootenany with Jools Holland, as I have done for the last 10 years at least. I fall asleep at about 12:10.
I wake at 1:45 with music playing on the telly, Wifey asleep too. I go to the loo and when I come back and the telly is off and Wifey is curled up across the bottom of the bed. Several minutes of trying to wake her and she finally gets up in a proper huff before returning to bed to drag the covers off me completely.
But by this time I am past caring.
If I could have, I'd have walked out.

And now I'm off to collect N1S from the party.

Happy New Year. I promise to return with something a bit more fun... or at least I'll try to.