Another pretty dull day here so far. The highlight has been comming up with yet another version of the office layout that we are all happy with. Which has come about largely as a result of Mitchell finally putting his foot down and telling Ian he has to move away from the window to be in the centre of the two teams he is now overseeing. And in the end I end up in almost the same place as I am now, just a bit closer to the window and further from the noise of Barry. Which can't be bad.

We have also had the windows cleaned outside by a man with a long pole (Oooo-er missus). Obviously instead of doing them this morning they waited until a few minutes ago when it began to rain anyway. Splendid timing as always.

Oh, and a delivery of Ipswich Borough Council junk for us to fight over as a reward to those involved in the Gyratory scheme. I think I will pass on any of it - all tat.

On the home front we now have a carpet in the lounge again. Woo. Joan tells me it looks great, which is a relief as I picked it on my own and wouldn't have wanted to end up with one she didn't like. So I will be leaving here as soon as I can tonight in order to get the furniture back and all the electronics re-wired. All that will remain then will be to find some way of disguising a few more of the cables. Any innovative suggestions welcomed. Joan is out later on so I am getting Richard to help with the "plumbing" so hopefully we'll have time for a spot of Cubing as well.

Less than two weeks to Christmas now, which means I only have to come in here 6 more times. Really looking forward to the break as I think I need to catch up on some sleep as well as books, cds, films, games and stuff. Been thinking back to past Christmases a bit as well over the last few days. When we were in Welwyn Garden City they were all pretty much the same - Christmas Eve we would do things the Danish way with Dad's family. Initially this would rotate between our house, Uncle Mick and Aunt Kir. But then Mick & Kir fell out over something and it was just ours or Mick's from then on. The only one at Kir's I can recall must have been about 1979 or 80 as I distinctly recall unwrapping a set of new, dropped handlebars for my bike of the time (a Puch Mini-Sprint, fact fans) and I know that I got a newer bike in around 1981 as I used that at Primary School for my cycling profficiency test in 1982 at the latest.

It's funny, but I can't clearly remember any other presents from more than a few years ago, just those handlebars. I know we were generally spoilt rotten (still are) and that there were always books but nothing leaps out. Oh, apart from the board games. Until the early 80s there was an old lady in the bungalow next to us who Mum used to keep an eye on, and her kids used to buy us board games every year. Mousetrap, Connect 4, Downfall, Buccanear, Cluedo, Guess Who and my personal fave - Pathfinder. In that one you had two boards each and a screen between you with the aim being to build a maze and then find your way through the opponent's before they escaped yours. Top stuff with great fun in the layout stage.

Christmas Night we would generally have Farmor staying with us so Richard and I would end up sharing one bedroom or the other. Leading to much fun in the early hours when stockings were being opened. Then after lunch we would go down to Grandma & Grandpa's to meet up with Mum's lot and more chaos would ensue. Some years there would be games there, but mostly I just remember eating more and more and squeezing into a corner with a book.

Then Boxing Day top relax and vegetate with the presents and obligatory old film (yo, the Great Escape).

After we moved up to Felixstowe things got a bit trickier. The first couple of years we stayed over at G&Gs but that has now all gone by the wayside. More on that tomorrow I think.