HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

We are staying in tonight. Homemade small eats and some nice wine. A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all blog readers.

A BELATED XMAS WARNING

I hope all our readers had a very Merry Xmas. We certainly did. Nice and peaceful, just us two and the dogs. The lack of Xmas panic like we used to get in the UK always makes for a pleasant festive period. However, I must warn you about this wine. Just two glasses and I was swearing like a dockyard worker with toothache. Double click the picture to check this stuff out!

THE VICTOR MELDREW XMAS RANT

Last year you may all remember about my complaint to the makers of Quality Street about their poor representation of variety in their 1kg tin. This year to avoid disappointment we invested in a 854g box of Cadbury's Celebrations. To my utter disgust, it seems that the nations favourite Xmas chocolate selection box is also a complete rip off. So I have sent the following letter off to Cadbury's. Dear Chocolatier, Last week I purchased your 854g Celebrations selection box. As soon as I opened it I was dazzled by the row of blue wrapped sweets. This is not the first impression I was expecting. I decided to investigate further. You have 8 different varieties in your selection box, and with 93 chocolates in the mentioned box, I was expecting equal distribution amongst the said varieties. That would be in an ideal world 10 or 11 of each mini chocolate bar. Sadly I have to report the following. In my box were the following: 18 Mars 17 Milky Way 14 Snickers 14 Bounty 12 Teasers 6 Twix 6 Caramel 6 Galaxy. Now, Mars bars are the nations favourite, so I can understand your exuberance in making this the highest number in the box. "A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play", so assuming I start eating the chocs on Xmas day, and at the ratio of one mini mars bar every 24 hours, I will have enough of them to see me through till 10th january 2012. Milky Way. Light and airy, but not light on numbers. Bounty. Does anyone really like coconut? Maybe one for a Xmas treat, but 14 is just taking the mickey. I feel sure that the last 13 sweets in this box will all be Bounty's and will eventually be ditched in June. Snickers. Oh do be brief. They are Marathon bars. Just ditch the crap American name and give us back the real name. Also, mini marathons don't contain many peanuts. So they are just Mars bars really. Twix. Just 6. Come on, when put end to end, that is not even one full sized finger. You tight gits! Caramel. Yuk! Glad there were only 6 of them. That is your one redeeming factor. Galaxy. Just 6 as well. If I bought a normal bar, I would eat more than 6 bricks in one session. This is a poor amount for an addictive chocolate. So,to sum up. Get it right with equal distribution in your selection boxes. It shows a lack of stock control and frankly puts your company in a very bad light. Yours disgusted, Al Gard. P.S. I shall be mustering the tin of Heroes on Boxing Day. Best they are to my liking.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

To my fellow Male blog readers. Once again I have proof that women do not listen! There is just the cosy two of us for Xmas lunch. No pressure, nice and simple, and not too expensive. Yesterday after work, Al went shopping in Super U and bought the Xmas turkey as agreed. There was one the right size for our small festive meal.

And guess what..When I get home, turns out the "Nag" has only gone and bought one earlier that morning. You would have thought that after 22 years as a communicator in the RN, she would have phoned me and said she had already bought one. So, we have a spare turkey. Bids in sealed envelopes please, or bid on e-bay for it!

STILL SHOVELLING SH*T

Al is still going down to the stables 3 times a week to help Arnaud empty the horse boxes. Also, A bit of Xmas cheer. We have rescued this wild horse from the knackers yard and pay a small amount each month for his feed.

The upside is, Al can now drive the muck tractor!

QUALITY!

Thank you Kate. A brilliant Xmas Card. You must all see this. Just copy and paste. http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/X1g2DXAM09BuqmUymZnn

DOGS XMAS PANTO

Twas the night before Xmas, and the Reindeer were all prepared for their long journey to deliver presents to all the children of the world.

But Santa had the arse! "The government want me to work longer and also stop my final pension salary" said Santa

"Don't be so sad" said Rudolph. "Because of the austerity measures, I'm not even a real reindeer. I am just a dog in reindeer's clothing. The cut backs have been shocking. I haven't even done the 3 day reindeer pilots course in Lapland. Come on, let us deliver these presents"

"Bah humbug" said Santa. "I'm on strike. Look at that present at the back. It looks like booze. I'm gonna open it and get wasted!" "NOOOOOO" said Rudolph. "We are not going through all that rehab thing again. You only work one day of the year, and when you do you hit the bottle" "Get lost" said Santa. "I'm getting lashed! The kids get enough in benefits anyhow"

3 HOURS LATER. "HIC! MERRY XMAS EVERYONE. I FEEL DOG ROUGH" Once again, no animals were hurt in the making of this panto. Just a lot of human patience and bonios were required.

BACK TO HOSPITAL

Marie had to go back for an RMI scan on Wednesday.
Turns out she broke her shoulder in a second place, but it wasn't picked up on the initial x-ray.
So it's back to the Doctors tomorrow to find out what happens next.

SAD NEWS

Sadly the former owner of the bar Pluduno, Nono, has died just 2 weeks after retiring.
He will be sadly missed by all locals.

XMAS TREE

And this is the Gard Manoir Xmas Tree this year.

"Christmas is coming.

The goose is getting fat"

Please don't call me goose said Marie!

AFTERNOON IN DINAN

What with Marie having an MRI next Wednesday, we thought we would to a dummy run in to Dinan to find out where in the hospital we have to go.

That left plenty of time for a bit of xmas shopping on a dull wet afternoon.

Still, all presents bought by the 1st week in December.

That is some kind of record!

BOOK EARLY

If you are coming over for a visit in 2012, these are the dates of various functions in the village.

18 February. Football club spring dinner, with Jaret - frittes

8 July. Hunters festival and dog show.

4 August. Moules -frittes night. (Not for lightweights)

IT'S ALL BEEN A BIT QUIET

It's just that time of year.

Nothing much going on.

Marie is still recovering from being run over and has a MRI scan coming up to find out whether she needs an operation on muscle damage.

Saturday night we hosted a curry evening for John,Chrissy, Bill, and Sharon.

Homemade Sheek Kebabs, Chicken Rendang and Chicken Saag, with naan breads and all the trimmings.

Have just surveyed the empty bottles, so must have been a good night.

The rain has arrived at last. 2 days non stop, but still water levels are well down in the area.

Didn't stop us from a good soggy dog walk this morning.

And now we are back for an afternoon of leftover curry.

Only 3 weeks till xmas and the excitement is...er, not really here in the village yet!