Umsterdum

My goodness, I haven't posted for ages because I have been ill for ages. This cold/flu started on 5 Dec, seemed to clear up quickly, turned into a flu on 12 Dec, which kept me in my bed for 5 days. Then it seemed to get better for 3 days. Then it got worse again for 3 days (another day off sick), then better for 2 days, worse for 1 day, and now it seems to be gradually getting better, apart from the occasional stabbing pain behind my right ear and in my left elbow, general exhaustion, and having to stop and have a good racking cough every half hour or so. Everything I would have done in the run-up to Christmas I have not done, all I have done is work, rest, cough and sweat. I have been comforting myself by reading London Ambulance Service blogs, which are all about what MONUMENTAL SELFISH IDIOTS the public are, constantly calling 999 for colds, flus, stubbed toes, taxi to the hospital, period pains, paracetamol etc. It really makes you despair. I could never work for the LAS. I would not be able to make it through the first shift without telling one of these idiots off and being fired. And they get paid, like, 20-25k per annum, for doing something which is about 100 times more difficult and worthwhile than what I do.

In between, also managed to make it out to Amsterdam for pre-Christmas with the Crazy Frogs. Amsterdam was insanely expensive due to the sterling-euro parity and every expenditure had my eyes watering with the pain, while my poor credit card was giving out audible squeals of anguish. To make matters worse, the Dutch do not seem to believe in eating - you go out to lunch and are offered a choice of a grilled ham and cheese toastie (for EUR3.8), or a meatball sandwich for EUR5.50. If you want proper hot cooked food, like pasta or meat or whatever, there is no chance that you will get it for less than EUR10. The Crazy Frogs were crushed and broken by this Lutheran regime. Every time they spoke of their former sybaritic life in HK, tears sprang to their eyes.

Got home yesterday evening. First port of call was Cookies and Co for full English fry-up - egg chips beans for Mo and me, sausage chips beans for Larry, blackpudding on toast for Curly. Larry in particular suffers terribly from the curse of the continental breakfast - she cannot accept that a bit of cold bread with a teaspoonful of jam constitutes a heartening repast. And who can blame her?

Put the marzipan on the cake today. Icing tomorrow, and mince pies. Maybe this is the year that I will actually make it to midnight mass.