Well, here’s to the new year, then.  I hope, like mine, your holiday’s were happy ones, spent with those that you love and care about.

I must admit that I wasn’t looking forward to either Christmas or the prospect of a new year.  However, now it’s been and is here, I find myself somewhat more hopeful than I have been in some considerable time.  The holiday’s themselves were preceded with a bout of flu that left me shipwrecked at my parents house for three nights, but once they arrived I found great joy not only in William’s real excitement (the first year this has manifested) but also the company of the friends I have re-built the best relationships with over the last six months.  There were occasions (both Christmas night and New Year’s Eve amongst them) that were filled with great bouts of laughter and happiness, which I had not expected.

William received his longed for “Splashy the Whale” and let out bursts of giggles like only a 3 year-old can each time he was soaked from the arches of water that Mr Splashy directed when he touched his tongue.  Later that night, a group of people, who were no longer 3 and should really have known better, let out equally loud laughter as they continually managed to touch the tongue and tried to duck the inevitable water jets.  You may bring smoked salmon to a party, but that doesn’t make you refined!!

Sad news of the period was that Cosmo, my dear cat whose been with me for nearly 15 years, had to be put to sleep on New Year’s Day.  At some point, whilst I’d been out drinking Tequilla Slammers and Vodka, she’d had something that looked very much like a stroke.  She wasn’t in any pain, but couldn’t use her left side.  It was the only thing to be done and, despite the floods of tears, I know that I did the right thing.  So, I’m now cat-less for the first time in 15 years.  I’m not going to try and replace her, for the time being at least.  It’ll be much easier all ways around.

So, 2008.  I have no idea what the next year will bring.  However, I do know that I have people around me that care for me very much and that the black cloud has lifted just a little.  It was actually really nice to hear from someone from an age ago after he’d read my last, rather self-indulgent and very depressed, little bit on this blog.  Little things like that, as mad as it may seem, are enough to make me feel part of the human race again and that there is hope out there, somewhere.

To you - and yours - happy 2008.  May it bring you nothing but health, wealth and great happiness (and the ability to point me back to this, if it becomes necessary!).