The phrase "working from home" covers for a multitude of sins. Today, I have First-Born staying with me. I'm supposed to be working, but going shopping is just so much more fun. Today the last of the christmas shopping was done (the cheapskate option of giving elderly relatives framed versions of First-Born's latest school photo.)
Tomorrow, however, is considerably more exciting. Tomorrow is an annual family get-together. The 18 eldest males in the family meet up in a pub, dressed in our finest, and proceed to consume vast pools of expensive wine and good port. Its a tradition that has been going for the last 50 years. Same time, same place every year. A photo is taken. The Book is filled out the News from the family (I can track back to the page when my birth was announced and see a photo of grandparents and great-grandparents, all looking slightly worse for wear.)
Its also going to be odd tomorrow; I've slipped into the 'old heads' part of the session. There will be more people younger than me than older than me for the first time. I've also been given instructions not to allow my 18 year-old cousin to hit the port and wine too hard. I attempted to point out the hypocrisy of this (last year I got as far as stepping into the street after the evening session before the vomit alarm went off - you know the thing: "t-30 minutes to when you're going to throw up, and counting" which results in a mad dash to get home.)
The worst thing is that I have to get on a plane at 7am the following morning. Things could turn ugly...
