Christmas Day - Been and gone

I am very disappointed Christmas morning - I drove 32 miles putting Santa’s mis-delivering in order, and in that journey I did not see a child with a new bike or a little girl pushing a doll’s pram. It’s all computer games and ipods now. I have always thought that a pod is something peas came from.
Another thing from Christmas past, cigarettes in boxes of 50 or 100. Have health police stopped that? I was thinking about the smokers now reduced to lurking outdoors for a smoke like 4th Formers at school. If they catch pneumonia, are the health police culpable - and what are family photographs kept in now.
It’s now 3 days past Christmas. I’ve seen my first new bike! Two in fact! This leads me onto my next gripe.
Cyclists en-mass, helmeted and lycra clad charging around in packs of dozens, three abreast. Taking up one half of the road, they are a pack animal gang at 25mph - terrifying all in their path. In fact, en-mass, they are a road and social hazard. Donning their uniform seems to make them immune to the accepted rules of the road. It is totally unnecessary and if they want to bike three abreast, they should do it on a track - make their needless journeys in isolation and private.
Murphy is still, four days after Christmas, chewing on his present. It was called a postman’s leg - one very large bone which has been roasted, I think. I need something comparable for she who must be obeyed.
The news this week is all about the assassination of Mrs Bhutto. What a volatile lot, some smart fellow said. “Assassination is the most extreme form of political censorship.” and he’s right.
Getting all political! I need to get fired up in this weather.
Talking of fired up, I’ve just applied for a new passport. It’s been rejected. Why? you might well ask. Well, my photograph is of me wearing spectacles, which is a no no apparently. I have worn spectacles for over fifty years. Without them the dog would bite me and the kids would cry. Not acceptable! This is petty bureaucracy gone mad. To the passport authority: GET A LIFE!
We have been down to the pond today. I was unable to do a full circuit due to the wet ground. There is now half a dozen black and white ducks. It must be good feeding on the ponds. There are probably a dozen hardy souls drowning maggots or casting a fly. The dog and I watch them but don’t join in, it’s too cold. I must be getting old.
This week whilst out and about, got a puncture in the buggy. Not good. We carry a can of something magical that inflates the tyre and mends the puncture. Isn’t science good? Back up to pressure and mobile in five minutes.
This time of the year, the dog gets bathed rather frequently. It doesn’t get any easier but it is necessary. I wonder if all dogs revel in mud and things pungent? You can clean them up with a towel from the mud but the pungent odour makes him need a bath.
Roll on the spring. The days will start to lengthen so that we will notice it soon.
That’s about it for this year. I’ll leave you with this thought:
Despite politicians promises, we will never achieve a satisfactory equal distribution of wealth, rainfall or parking places.

See ya,
Buggy Man