Looking back, I have managed to get rid of all the idiots and downright nasty bits of work who I was romantically linked to recently and with hindsight I can see all the mistakes I made were in many ways my own fault for being too accepting of certain people at face value. Even when I began to realise their true intentions and what kind of people they were I still buried my head in the sand and put up with an unbelievable amount of crap that the person that I am now would not even consider tolerating.
If 2006 was my "Annus horriblis" then 2007 was the year that I finally grew up and realised who I am, warts and all and discovered that I am not too bad a person who deserves a bit of happiness and has found it.
Anyway, I seem to remember that I promised a somewhat more cheery story, in my last blog so let me tell you about this years Hogmany...
My December rota was pretty good with me having seven days off in the middle of the month, in for three shifts then off for another week. Fantastic!
Christmas was wonderful. I loved spending it with Susan and the family. Christmas day was a long one of eating, drinking and opening presents. We ate the food over the course of the day and had present opening sessions at different times, rather than all at once with Susan's Brother-in-law offering to take me down to the golf course for a couple of beers in the afternoon which broke the day up nicely before we returned to the madness and ate some more and opened the rest of the presents.
I had put a lot of thought into Susan's presents, as she had done with mine with the result that we were both chuffed to bits with each others gifts.
We had a few more days together before I returned to work on the 29th for four day shifts in a row, which unfortunately included Hogmany and New Years Day. You can't have your cake and eat it I suppose.
After work on Hogmany, Susan picked me up from work with the boys in the car already kilted up and ready to party. It was back to the house for a shower and to get changed into my kilt before we headed to Cardross Village Hall for the Celidh.
Jacq, Rod, Georgia and Sara were already there along with the rest of Jacq's family, many of whom I was meeting for the first time which was a bit disconcerting and I felt as though I was getting sussed out. Quite rightly too.
A couple of beers and some 'get to know you chat' later and I felt a lot more comfortable which was just as well as Jacq's 8 year-old niece decided that it was time I was up dancing. I was pulled onto the floor for the Dashing White Seargent with me being told by an increasingly frustrated child that I "was doing it wrong". I should really have warned her before hand that I simply cannot dance.
Jacq's lovely Mum Ada, took me under her wing and showed me how to do a few moves and I seemed to muddle through. Just about.
It really was a great family night with the dancing broken up with games for the kids and a great buffet too and before long it was almost midnight. Jake was flagging so we decided that we would stay for half an hour after the bells before heading home.
2008 arrived in style with a bag piper marching round the hall to cheers and the raising of glasses. I got a bit emotional missing my friends who I wasn't with for the bells for the first time in years.
We headed home and with the kids asleep in the back of the car, Susan offered to take me back to the flat rather than get a taxi as I had planned to do and by 1.20 I was first-footing myself! I waited to hear from Susan that she had gotten home safely before crawling into bed for four hours sleep before my 12 hour shift in the morning.
I am looking forward to this year with a lot of things planned and a lot to do this year including, buying a house with Susan down Dumbarton way, getting back into my keep fit after a too long Winter hibernation, some ski trips up North, THE ski holiday to the French Alps in March :), this years JBO which I think is to Bratislava, Summer holiday in the sun and a holiday to New York in the Autumn.
Cannae wait...
Happy New Year!!!
